Gear Review – Brunton I.B. Cookset & Flex Stove

Over the last six months of climbing we have been carrying and using several different brands of stoves for our stove testing program in an attempt to provide information about them. The testing is just about complete, so over the next few weeks we will be posting the results and of course our opinion on them to help in sorting through the myriad of choices available. Differences vary dramatically depending on brand, price and fuel type. We tested the Brunton I.B. Cook Set and the Flex Foldable Butane Stove and liked the combination for its quality, design, versatility, and performance. Yeah, we know it sounds like some kind of brand position or something, but the Brunton stove and cook set stands out in all these categories.

Noticeable from the time you open the package right through to the use is the “feel” of the components and the fit and finish of the product – very high quality, probably on par with many titanium sets we have seen. The I.B. Cook Set comes with a larger diameter small pot (800 ml), a deeper smaller diameter pot (1000 ml) that nests, a lid that fits both pots, nesting together in a mesh nylon bag for “rattle free” carrying.

All the components are scratch resistant hard anodized aluminum that is thicker than most cook sets with nicely finished edges and the pots feature fold-away handles. This little bit of extra thickness kept us from worrying about denting or deforming the pots as we stuffed them in between climbing hardware and other necessities in our packs. Weighing in at 1lb. 11oz. including the Flex Stove and a full 8oz canister it keeps weight to a minimum without sacrificing “heft”. A nice feature in the lid is a series of holes to let you know when it is at a full boil or to prevent the escape of noodles while draining off the water. The interior of the larger (taller) pot is sized to fit the Flex stove in its protective bag and an 8 oz. fuel canister, still meeting our light is right criteria, providing the versatility of two pots for cooking – almost an extravaganza at well under two pounds. OK, so you could save a few ounces leaving one of the pots at home or take the larger diameter shorter pot, a 4oz. canister and the stove on an overnight trip with enough to cook dinner and breakfast to get the weight down to 1lb. 1oz. This combination has been a hit on ski tours or day trips to heat up a quick cup of soup or coffee. The clever design of the stove compacts by folding the curved pot supports and pivoting the burner head making it small enough to fit under the “dimple” on the bottom of the fuel canister. Brunton supplies a padded storage bag that wraps around the canister holding the stove in place. Well designed and very cool.

We tested the stove and pot combinations is varying conditions from a cold frosty morning above 7,000 ft. to bench testing at room temperature and the stove performed very consistently. Used in the mountains, the average time to boil two cups of water (enough for a freeze dried meal) was 3 minutes 30 seconds, with the longest time at just under 4 minutes in wind and cold. So some quick math using 4 minutes to build in a little cushion, we could use an 8 oz. canister to boil about 30 cups of water (conservatively) or 4 oz. canister to produce 15 cups. One 4 oz. canister on a weekend trip would probably give you enough even at altitude.

If it was cold, the efficiency of the propane canisters goes down, so I would carry a larger one. Summer backpacking and climbing you could easily go three full days on an 8 oz. canister – boiling water at every meal. Brunton canisters have the “gas gauge” so you can monitor it easily and get a good feel for your burn rate.

Grey Ones Rating:

Good piece of gear that is well engineered. The stove was reliable, easy to use and performed well in the mountains under varying conditions. The compact design and rugged construction made it an easy decision to toss in the pack. We would recommend this stove for summer backpacking and scrambling, especially if it was a group outing since the pot combinations can accommodate multiple course meals.