Hot foot from the massive European outdoors trade show at
Friedrichshafen last week, OUTDOORSmagic's special correspondent
Oliver Nissen's been checking out the more interesting kit that's
coming our way early in 2007 and first in the queue is MSR's answer
to the integrated Jetboil cooking system.
The new MSR Reactor - above - consists of a very unusual
looking burner unit with an integrated heat exchanger, an Auto-Start
igniter, and a 1.7 litre pot and lid. The stove and a gas canister
can be stored within the pot, with a handle folding over the lid to
lock it down.
MSR says it's 'the fastest-boiling, most fuel-efficient
windproof stove system available, able to boil one litre of water in
less than three minutes.' What you really want to know though, is how does it compare to the Jetboil? Well, the claimed one litre boil times of the Jetboil system (with 1.5ltr pan) is four mins, while MSR claim the Reactor does it in under three with its slightly larger pan.
Efficiency is claimed to be 2.8 litres of water boiled for every
ounce of fuel. That's approximately 100ml boiled per gram of
gas - a very neat equation. MSR also says the stove delivers
a consistent flame right through a canister's lifespan, promising
further time and fuel savings for the user.
The ingenuity of the burner lies with a broad metal plate set
beneath the grill. This plate heats up as flames lick across it,
and soon glows red, heating the pot above. This radiative heat
transfer is unaffected by wind - or fans, above for that matter - in
contrast with a typical burner which jet flames at the pot and up its
sides and is thus vulnerable to gusts.
You won't be able to buy the new Reactor until early 2007, but it's nice
to see Jetboil getting a bit of competition in the high-efficiency,
integrated cooking system stakes.
Details of the current MSR range at www.msrcorp.com
Neath Nath
