MSR PocketRocket 2 Backpacking Stove Review

What the MSR PocketRocket 2 actually is

This is a screw-on canister stove. It threads onto a standard isobutane canister (the ubiquitous MSR or Jetboil fuel cans), and the burner head folds out into three pot supports. Weighed bare it sits around 2.6 ounces, which is light enough that you forget it's in there. The whole thing collapses into a hard plastic case roughly the size of a deck of cards.

It belongs to the outdoors category of upright canister stoves, the simplest kind there is. No pump, no priming, no liquid fuel mess. Open the valve, click a lighter to it, and you have a flame. That simplicity is the entire point and the reason it has outsold most of its competition.

How it performs on the trail

Owners consistently report boiling a liter of water in around three and a half minutes in fair conditions, which lines up with MSR's claims. For solo or two-person trips, that's plenty fast. You'll be eating before the slower folks in your group have lit their stove.

The flame control is the underrated feature here. Unlike the original PocketRocket, the valve on the 2 lets you actually simmer, so you can do more than just blast water to a boil. Real cooking, eggs, sauces, rice that doesn't scorch, is within reach if you're patient and use a decent pot.

The catch is wind. Like every bare upright canister stove, the PocketRocket 2 loses a lot of efficiency in a breeze, and it has no integrated windscreen. You'll burn through more fuel and wait longer on an exposed ridge. Block the wind with your body, a rock, or a pot, and it recovers most of its speed. Cold weather also drags it down, since canister fuel struggles below freezing.

Pros and cons worth knowing

On the plus side: it's tiny, genuinely light, dead reliable, and cheap to replace if you lose it. The pot supports hold a small pot securely, and the build quality is better than the price suggests. After years on the market its reputation for not breaking is well earned.

The downsides are honest ones. No built-in igniter, so carry a lighter and a backup. No windscreen. It's not the most fuel-efficient design out there, because heat escapes around an open burner. And it can feel tippy with a large, full pot, so it's not the stove for boiling a big family-sized pot of pasta.

Who should buy it, and who should skip it

Buy it if you're a solo backpacker, a weekend hiker, or a thru-hiker counting grams who mostly boils water for freeze-dried meals and coffee. It's also a smart first stove for anyone getting into backpacking who doesn't want to overthink fuel systems. At roughly $45 to $55, it's an easy yes.

Skip it if you cook for three or more people regularly, in which case a wider, more stable stove or a remote-canister setup makes sense. Skip it too if you want an all-in-one boil system. A Jetboil Flash or MSR WindBurner boils faster and shrugs off wind, though they weigh more, cost more, and cook less flexibly. And if you camp in deep cold or melt snow often, a liquid-fuel stove like the MSR WhisperLite is the better tool.

The verdict

The PocketRocket 2 is the stove most people should default to. It's light, cheap, reliable, and simmers well enough to do real cooking. The lack of a windscreen and modest fuel efficiency are the price of that simplicity, and for the vast majority of trips they don't matter much.

If you want the cheapest sensible way to get hot food on the trail without babysitting a stove, this is it. Pair it with a 0.75 to 1 liter pot and a small lighter and you're set for years.

Frequently asked questions

Does the MSR PocketRocket 2 come with an igniter?

No. It has no built-in piezo igniter, so you light it with a lighter or matches. If you want push-button ignition, the slightly pricier PocketRocket Deluxe adds one, but most people just carry a lighter and a backup.

What fuel does the PocketRocket 2 use?

Standard threaded isobutane-propane canisters, the same screw-on cans sold by MSR, Jetboil, and others. It does not use liquid fuel. Performance drops in cold below freezing, which is normal for canister stoves.

Is the PocketRocket 2 good for cooking, not just boiling water?

Yes, more than its reputation suggests. The improved valve gives you genuine simmer control, so you can cook eggs, sauces, or rice. Use a wider pot and a heat-diffusing surface to avoid hot spots.