The New MSR MicroRocket -- Trail Report #2

[Hikin_Jim]

It was a beautiful day in the Los Angeles area yesterday, so I decided to go on a hike. I journeyed up Angeles Crest Highway to the Waterman Mountain area.

The day was clear and the views were stupendous.


Of course, I took a few stoves along. Indeed, one of my main objectives for this hike was to test the new MSR MicroRocket stove at a relatively high elevation (8038'/2450m).

So, won't you please join me for The New MSR MicroRocket -- Trail Report #2?

HJ

[zippetydude]

Hi Jim. I've been thinking about getting a very small, very light stove for the purpose of hand warming when I'm up on a peak because my hands instantly freeze as soon as I stop moving. Maybe use it in the hut up on San J, or in one of the stone windbreaks on San G. To be effective for my purposes, it would have to be super quick and easy set-up and take-down or my gloveless hands would be freezing again by the time I put it away. Does this application sound practical for one of these micro-stoves?

z

[Hikin_Jim]

Hi, Zip,

A stove like this is pretty minimal when it comes to set up: Screw on a canister of gas, deploy the pot supports, turn on the gas, and ignite.

Honestly though, I'd say a pair of gloves would be cheaper and lighter. If the gloves don't cut it, then add some of those chemical hand warmer packets.

A stove like this would be great for hot soup, tea, etc, but I'd say you're better off with gloves than a stove if you want to keep your hands warm.

Whoa! Did I just NOT recommend a stove?

HJ

[zippetydude]

I was thinking about this in conjunction with gloves. I already have the warmest gloves I can find - like Mt. Everest gloves. But my hands are naturally cold - on an 80 degree day I have to use a blow dryer to warm them up from time to time. How they can be colder than the ambient temperature is beyond me...

Anyway, my thought was to use the stove like a mini-campfire. Get to the top, crank it up, then keep my hands over it the whole time I was sitting still. When it's time to go, switch it off, toss it in a pack, and off I go before the numbness and burning pain set in. If they're easy enough to use and small and light to carry, I'd definitely be up for trying it out. Your reviews make it sound very tempting.

z

[lilbitmo]

Zip, you could warm up a liquid with your stove and wrap your hand around that to warm them up if it's that much of a problem, but the chemical hand warmers do work.

[Hikin_Jim]

I was thinking about this in conjunction with gloves. I already have the warmest gloves I can find - like Mt. Everest gloves. But my hands are naturally cold - on an 80 degree day I have to use a blow dryer to warm them up from time to time. How they can be colder than the ambient temperature is beyond me...

Anyway, my thought was to use the stove like a mini-campfire. Get to the top, crank it up, then keep my hands over it the whole time I was sitting still. When it's time to go, switch it off, toss it in a pack, and off I go before the numbness and burning pain set in. If they're easy enough to use and small and light to carry, I'd definitely be up for trying it out. Your reviews make it sound very tempting.

z

Wow. Seriously cold hands.

You could use a stove, then, but be really careful. It might be easy to burn cold hands if you can't feel the heat right away.

I'd probably experiment with chemical hand warmer packets first since they're cheap, and if that didn't do it, then try the stove.

You could bring a small pot, put water in the pot, heat the water, and then plunge your hands in the water. Water will be a safer and more efficient heat transfer mechanism. Just bring a bandana to wipe off with so your hands don't get cold from being wet after you pull them out of the pot.

HJ