A while back I posted an article on stoves. Since then my buddy and I have been able to really test out the MSR Reactor. Jerry and I have been using a Jetboil stove for years and it always seemed to work when we needed it. I read quite a bit about the MSR Reactor stove and had to get one to test out. Between Jerry and I we have been able to use it in a wide variety of settings and weather conditions over the past two season.
The reactor stove came with a 1.7L pot, the perfect size for a party of two. What impressed us the most was that the reactor stove boiled water almost twice as fast as the Jetboil. Even better, the pot was large enough to take care of two meals in one boil, vs. two boils in our old Jetboil. While we did not do timed, side by tests, we both concurred it boiled water darn fast! With the Jetboil going we are glassing the area or prepping our packs waiting for water to boil for coffee and mountain house breakfasts. However, with the reactor stove we didn’t need too. Water boiled extremely fast and breakfast got taken care of really quick.
The Reactor pot came with a handle and this handle makes it easier to pour the water without making a mess. The Jetboil is a little trickier as the handle is built into the neoprene outer cover and flexes making it harder not to spill. Additionally the lid design of the reactor seems more solid. After a few uses the Jetboil lid has trouble fitting on the pot securely. Another key benefit is the fuel control valve is easier to use. Jetboil’s is small and if your hands are cold, it’s harder to use.
The one negative Jerry pointed out with the reactor stove, is that it doesn’t have the option of a frying pan. You can get different pots for it but no frying pan. Jetboil has a frying pan that we sometime use when we get an animal down. Jerry’s moose camp tradition is to fry up the tenderloins in the field. We are debating options on how to perhaps jury rig up a solution. Overall we are both impressed with the stove and amazed how fast it boils water. It’s a durable, efficient, boiler and we highly recommend for those looking for a back-country stove. We are satisfied enough with the Reactor we will be leaving the backup stove home this year. Can’t figure out why it took us this long to find it! 🙂
A lot of people call this the best stove on the market, if you don’t need to fry anything. I’ve been hearing its praises sung over and over.
My JetBoil is close to death, and I went a different route, replacing it with a Snow Peak LiteMax. Sadly I’m moving and haven’t had a chance to put it to use yet, but I’m looking forward to it. My suspicion though is that on long trips, the ounces I saved in the stove itself could be eaten up by having to carry more fuel.
How does the Reactor do melting snow?
For 2 guys on a 10 day sheep hunt, I can’t imagine a better stove. I rarely have to melt snow (and have not done so with this stove), but the heat, timing of boil, and efficiency of the Reactor leave me with no doubts as to its ability. Its my go to stove for Alaska.
[…] continue to be impressed by the rapid boil rate and efficiency of the MSR Reactor Stove. The 1.7L size works perfectly for two guys and kept us to one boil at both dinner and breakfast. I […]
[…] and although the size was a bit much for a day hikes, it did all I asked of it for this hunt. The MSR Reactor boiled water like a champ and the Katadyn Base Camp gravity drain filter is a must have for base […]
[…] kit as needed. I decided to get a more robust stove system in 2014 and ended up with both the MSR Reactor and the JetBoil SUMO Ti. The MSR Reactor won out in my boil tests and has become a proven […]