The Novel Msr Microrocket -- Trail Study #2

This is an installment inwards my serial on the novel MicroRocket stove from MSR.  Other installments inwards the serial include:

• The New MSR MicroRocket -- First Look
• The MSR MicroRocket -- Trail Report #1
• The MSR MicroRocket -- Trail Report #2
• The MSR MicroRocket -- Cooking Report 
• The MSR MicroRocket -- Packability Report #1
• The MSR MicroRocket -- Packability Report #2
• The New MSR MicroRocket -- Completed Review

Well, it's a beautiful morning.  Looks similar it's fourth dimension to hitting the trail.

The trail to Waterman Mountain on 2 January 2012

It's besides fourth dimension to create some to a greater extent than testing on the novel MSR MicroRocket.

Testing the novel MSR MicroRocket

It's remarkably clear hither inwards Southern California today.  I tin run into all the way to the coast.

Looking out onto the coastal evidently from the mountains of Southern California

Today's destination?  Waterman Mountain (8038'/2450m).

Approaching the summit of Waterman Mountain

Naturally, I brought along a few stoves.

Rear row, left to right:  MSR MicroRocket, Optimus Crux, Soto MicroRegulator, MSR PocketRocket, Snow Peak GigaPower (GST-100)

One of the things I wanted to create today was to larn a feel of the stability of the novel MicroRocket.  There aren't actually whatever objective measures of pot stability, thus I brought along a few other stoves for comparative purposes.  I'll pull what I did to endeavour to larn a feel of pot stability.  Every examination I conducted was admittedly subjective.  The pot used for these tests was a 1000ml Snow Peak titanium pot.

First Test:  The "Dump the Dinner" test.  I pose a 1000ml pot total of snowfall on top of the diverse stoves tested.  I thus moved the stove around piece the pot was on the stove.  I tried to larn a feel of how stable a pot is on the stove.

A "dumped dinner" (a pot that has fallen off the stove)

Second test:  The "bump together with drag" test.  I pose the same pot of snowfall on each of the stoves.  I would drag the pot around on top of the stove or bump the pot trying to larn a feel of  how slow it was to knock a pot off of the detail stove.  The canister together with stove were non themselves moved during this type of testing.

One affair I noticed during the "bump together with drag" examination was that the comparatively sparse pot supports of the MSR PocketRocket "chattered" equally I dragged a pot across the top of the burner.  In other words, the sparse pot supports would vibrate equally a effect of the movement of the pot.  The MSR MicroRocket on the other manus was stone solid.

Based on these 2 highly subjective tests, I would charge per unit of measurement the MSR MicroRocket's pot stability equally "very good" whereas I tin only charge per unit of measurement the PocketRocket equally "good."

This review is for the MSR MicroRocket, but piece I'm at it I suppose it wouldn't wound to get upwards how all of the stoves fared alongside observe to pot stability.  My rating organization for pot stability is equally follows (from best to worst):  Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair, Poor, Bad.  Stoves are shown inwards alphabetical order.  All ratings are my opinion.  YMMV.

   Stove               Rating

MSR MicroRocket       Very good

MSR PocketRocket      Good

Optimus Crux          Fair

Snow Peak GST-100     Excellent

Soto MicroRegulator   Fair to Poor

In this category, pot stability, the GST-100 was the clear winner, but the MSR MicroRocket did really good together with was clearly an improvement over the older PocketRocket. 

Speaking of pot stability, let's expect at the pot supports themselves.  First, the PocketRocket.

A closed upwards of the pot supports of a PocketRocket

Do you lot run into the slice of the pot back upwards but below the rivet?  There is a part that is apartment to the base of operations of the stove together with thus the residual bends upward at a ninety grade angle towards the rivet.  It is hither that I create got seen the pot supports of a PocketRocket bend.  Note that the pot back upwards that bent was damaged equally a effect of the stove existence knocked over, non normal utilization of the stove.

Now, yesteryear contrast, let's expect at the MicroRocket.  Can you lot state "beefy?"

A closed upwards of the pot supports of an MSR MicroRocket

The whole assembly has "solid" written all over it.  The supports themselves are a picayune thicker, the indicate where the supports bring together the trunk is actually strong, the tolerances are tighter, together with the full general build character is noticeably superior.  These supports are a definite improvement.

Today, I but tested using a 1000ml Snow Peak pot.  In the testing done inwards my previous Trail Report, I used a BPL Firelite 550 mug pot (550ml) together with an MSR Titan Kettle (850ml).  In all cases, I would charge per unit of measurement the MicroRocket's pot stability equally "very good."

OK, thus that's it on pot stability.  Now, on to simmering.  Remember that pot of snowfall inwards previous photos?  Let's melt that snow.

Melting snowfall on the summit of Waterman Mountain.  The windscreen is a homemade i constructed of household aluminum foil.

There.  Snow's melted.  Now, detect something.  There are 3 distinct discolorations of the blueish variety that are typical of titanium pots.  Remember what the bottom of the pot looks like.  We'll refer dorsum to this.

Melted snow.  Note the tripartite oestrus discolorations.

OK, thus let's convey the H2O to a boil, which the MicroRocket does alongside no problem.

Boiling H2O atop an MSR MicroRocket

Now, let's plow the flaming downwards together with add together noodles.

Simmering noodles inwards atop an MSR MicroRocket

Now, of class it would brand to a greater extent than feel to closed off the flaming alone together with pose the pot into a cozy together with but allow things steep, but we're hither to examination the simmering capabilities of the stove, thus we'll larn out the stove on together with but conform the flame.  Let's create got a look.

A fairly depression flaming on an MSR MicroRocket

We'll that's bang-up certainly, but nix to write dwelling about.  Note how cherry-red the color of the picayune air current deflector is.  Can nosotros become lower?

A very depression flaming on an MSR MicroRocket

Indeed nosotros can.  Now, that is what I telephone band a depression flame.  It's barely there.  I was able to fit the H2O below a boil.  Take a expect at the picayune air current deflector.  It is no longer cherry-red hot.  I had to pose my finger inwards at that topographic point but to brand sure it was yet on. It was on, together with ameliorate still, it was stable.  Note that I did utilization a windscreen.

Simmering noodles atop an MSR MicroRocket.  Note that the H2O is not boiling.

OK, right away let's create something stupid.  Let's encompass the pot.  Sure, perchance the stove tin remain below a boil if you lot don't create got the lid on, but what virtually if you lot pose the lid on?  And, but to chemical compound the stupidity, let's walk away together with create some photography.

Wait a minute.  You're going to larn out the pot on the stove alongside the flaming yet going alongside the pot covered, together with you're using titanium cookware?  What are you, nuts or something?  You're going to create got charcoal for lunch.

Maybe.  Let's see.  But virtually those photos.  I've lived inwards the Los Angeles surface area for the bulk of my life.  Rarely create got I seen a hateful solar daytime thus clear.  Here's the catch from my tiffin spot.  Remember, I'm at 8,038 feet/2450m inwards a higher identify body of body of water level.

Greater Los Angeles, the Pacific Ocean, together with some islands off the coast.

Not only tin I run into ships at sea, I tin run into the wake from the ships.  I tin run into the arms of the dockside cranes.  It would create got me at to the lowest degree 2 hours to effort there, yet I tin run into things alongside startling clarity.  The large isle that you lot run into is Santa Catalina Island.  Now expect over to the far left of the frame.  There's some other isle there.  Can you lot run into it?

San Clemente Island (far distance), Santa Catalina Island (middle distance), together with Long Beach Harbor

That is San Clemente Island.  I cannot cry back whatever fourth dimension that I create got always seen San Clemente Island thus clearly.  San Clemente Island is closer to San Diego, California, than it is to Los Angeles.  It's a fabulous day; no dubiety virtually it.

Well, expect at the time.  Now, all the while, our noodles create got been on the stove.  Probably nix left but some charred remains.  Sure promise I brought some extra food.  But let's create got a expect anyway.

Noodles afterward simmering for a considerable length of time

Not only non charred, but perfect together with yet non boiling.  And the bottom of the pot?

The bottom of my Snow Peak 1000ml pot afterward extended simmering.

The typical blueish titanium discolorations that nosotros saw inwards the photograph inwards a higher identify are yet there, but at that topographic point are no burnt remains inwards the bottom of the pot.  I did give it the traditional mountaineer's "snow scrub" -- but but to larn the spices together with materials out of the way.  Nothing burned. 

I cannot adequately pull how pleased I am alongside the controllable nature of the flaming of the MicroRocket.  I charge per unit of measurement the MSR MicroRocket stove equally Excellent inwards the simmering category.

Um, Jim, that's all really nice, but did you lot actually create got to climb a mount but to non give the axe noodles?

Oh, yes, that. Well, at that topographic point is a method to my madness.  I wanted to become to a relatively high elevation inwards club to examination the piezoelectric ignition system.  I've had manus held piezoelectric butane lighters neglect atop Waterman Mountain before.  Just for reference, my Soto Pocket Torch butane lighter alongside piezoelectric ignition is meant to last used at or below 5000 feet/1500m according to the REI website.  Waterman Mountain is 8038'/2450m.  Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 examination hither should give us some thought of how the MicroRocket's ignition volition create at elevation.

And how did the MicroRocket's ignition organization do?  The ignition organization of the MicroRocket passed alongside flight colors.  I did detect that I had to plow upwards the gas a picayune to a greater extent than than I did when I tested at 3,000 feet/915m, but it was no large deal.

Just for fun, I besides tested the MicroRocket's ignition on all of the other stoves I brought.  No argue why you lot can't utilization that ignition on every stove you lot ain including your machine camping ground stove, right?  Here are my results:

   Stove              Ease of Ignition

MSR MicroRocket       Very easy

MSR PocketRocket      Very easy

Optimus Crux          Difficult

Snow Peak GST-100     Moderately Tricky

Soto MicroRegulator   Difficult

I believe the wide, distributed caput made the Crux together with the Microregulator hard to ignite.  I did detect that if I tilted the stove's burner downwards on i side together with applied the piezoelectric ignition to the lower side, I could larn the stove to ignite.

One terminal affair I tested:  Thermal Conductivity.  Now why mightiness I desire to know whether or non the MSR MicroRocket conducts heat?  Cold weather.  If a stove conducts heat, it volition warm the canister.  In mutual frigidity weather, a warm canister way your stove works.  Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 mutual frigidity canister way your stove doesn't work.  In club to examination the how much oestrus the stove conducts, I'm going to run the stove on high for an extended period.

Now, a give-and-take of warning.  If you lot overheat a canister, you lot could blow yourself heaven high.  I did this examination without a windscreen (although I did utilization the windscreen equally a partial windblock equally you lot volition run into inwards the below photo), together with I used a remote stove stand upwards thus that the canister was kept far away from the oestrus source.  Guys, I create got a pretty skillful thought of what I'm doing.  If you're going to experiment alongside thermal conduction alongside your stove, last actually careful.  If you lot screw up, you lot mightiness air current upwards cooking a lot to a greater extent than than your dinner -- if you lot know what I mean.  Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 canister explosion actually could ruin your entire life.  Just last careful; fair enough?  OK, warnings out of the way, let's create got a look.

Testing how hot a MicroRocket is afterward an extended burn.

After running the stove for an extended period, the stove was non hot to the touch.  If whatever appreciable thermal conduction had occurred, I should create got jerked my manus away alongside burnt finger tips.  The stove wasn't fifty-fifty warm.  If you're looking for a stove that conducts a fleck of oestrus dorsum to the canister for improved mutual frigidity conditions performance, this would non last the stove.

OK, that's it for me.  That was a lot to pack into a unmarried post.  Thanks for bearing alongside me.

I promise you've enjoyed this Adventure inwards Stoving.

HJ

Technical Appendix


Selected Gas Stoves, club yesteryear weight
Stove Name          Weight   Pot Support Radius
Monatauk Gnat         48g     3x54mm
Soto MicroRegulator   70g     3x57mm
MSR MicroRocket       73g     3x64mm
MSR PocketRocket      87g     3x60mm
Snow Peak GS-100      87g     4x51mm
Optimus Crux          89g     3x54mm
MSR SuperFly         132g     4x60mm


All weights were measured inwards grams on my Chefmate scale.  All lengths were measured alongside a manus held steel ruler.  All measurements are approximate.  Manufacturer's specifications may vary.

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