MSR WindBurner

Field Notes: Active Junky testers rocked this stove system for months, and were never anything less than blown away. MSR’s brought their expertise into a zone that’s been primarily dominated by Jetboil by doing a fantastic job of tweaking and advancing the technology. With a 4.5 minute, 1-liter boil time (which our testers verified in everything from icy rainstorms to sand-stinging-sideways storms), this comprehensive backpacking stove system is decidedly best in class. 

Pros: This isn’t called the WindBurner for nothing. MSR’s Reactor technology gets the 1-liter treatment with the new WindBurner model that boils water regardless of high winds. The pot fits snuggly into the heating element, and the nesting design allows both the heating element and small canister to fit inside the pot as a small plastic bowl slides over the bottom of the device. While the pot speedily heats up, the insulated cozy protects as you sip or stir. Top the pot off with included lid, with specially designed ports for easy draining and drinking.

Cons: Though the WindBurner performs well in wind, cold weather is a different story. Testers hoped that the WindBurner’s sealed design would allow better heat transfer during winter, but frigid temps killed the flame when they dropped below 32-degrees. The full system is also much heavier than a simple stove, and as an integrated system you can’t choose to swap out a smaller pot or pan.

Favorite Feature: The French Press accessory for speedily-brewed cups of coffee to warm you up before heating water for oatmeal won over our testers.

Tester Commentary: “Unless I’m going winter camping, this is the stove I want to take with me. Boil times are fantastic, the design is intuitive and practical—it’s everything I want in a stove.”

Bottom Line: A near-perfect integrated camp stove system for people who tend to spend time outside alone (upgrade to the 1.8-liter model if you’re typically cooking for two or more).

Best for: 3-season backpacking, multi-sport scenarios 

Key Attribute: Performance