That $80 'ultralight' stove I bought totally let me down on the JMT

Honestly, I grabbed this fancy titanium stove from a gear shop in Bishop before hitting the trail. Cost me $80 and it broke on day 3 near Thousand Island Lake. The valve stripped and I couldn't even simmer water. Lost the money and had to cold soak my dinners for the next 6 days. Has anyone else had luck with a cheaper option that actually holds up?

2 comments

2 Comments

ivanlewis14d ago

Did you read that post on r/Ultralight a few weeks back where someone tested like 20 budget stoves and the BRS-3000T actually outperformed a bunch of expensive ones in cold wind? Tbh I feel like a lot of those pricey ultralight stoves are more about marketing than real reliability. The valve stripping sounds like a manufacturing defect, not just bad luck. I remember a guy on the PCT saying his cheap $20 stove lasted the whole trail while his buddy's $80 one crapped out by Tahoe. Sometimes simpler is better, especially with stuff that's basically just a gas valve and a burner.

blairstone14d ago

Wait, you were trying to simmer water on an ultralight stove? Most of those titanium stoves are just for boiling, they really won't simmer well at all especially if the valve isn't designed for it lol. The valve stripping is a failure on that specific stove though, that sucks for sure. You could grab a simple brass BRS-3000T for like $15-20, it weighs almost nothing and I've had mine for two seasons with zero issues. Those cheap ones are honestly more reliable than some of the expensive boutique brands because the parts are more basic and don't break as easy.