Most Valuable Gear: Jetboil Zip stove

A super efficient, lightweight and compact cooking system!

In the last few decades, outdoor athletes has striven to go faster, with more minimalist gear. As a result, the prevailing trend in outdoor gear innovation has been a similar focus on ultralight design and efficiency. One new product that ushered in a paradigm shift in outdoor hard goods was the Jetboil stove. Featuring a design that combined a highly efficient mixed gas stove with an integrated pot, Jetboil stoves were able to boil water faster and resist the elements better than nearly any other stove, while packing down to a small package. The Jetboil Zip continues to feature the same simple, fast-boiling performance, but with an even lighter and compact design. This is the perfect all-around camp stove that can take you from winter camping trips to long bike tours to big wall climbs. We've recently picked up a large quantity of Jetboil Zip stoves with minor cosmetic blemishes* that we've made available for just $59.97! This great price for the fully-featured and innovative Zip stove are why we've made it this week's Most Valuable Gear selection!

Here are 3 reasons why we love the Jetboil Zip cooking system:

1. Fast, efficient boiling

One of the features that make Jetboil stove systems —including the Zip — unique in comparison to other small camping stoves is their incredible boiling performance. The Zip includes Jetboil's FluxRing technology, which is built into the cooking cup. The aluminum FluxRing increases the surface area on the bottom of the pot, which facilitates efficient heat transfer to the bottom of the pot. By transferring heat effectively, the Jetboil Zip can boil 16 oz of water in just 2 minutes, 30 seconds! Additionally, the innovative burner design and fast boiling of the Zip allows for efficient fuel usage. The Jetboil Zip can boil 12 liters of water per 100g mixed isobutane-propane canister, which allows you to bring less fuel on your backcountry excursions!

2. Compact, inclusive design

The Jetboil not only provides efficiency regarding boiling time and fuel usage; it is also compact and utilizes a cohesive design for packing efficiency. All of the parts of any Jetboil stove including the Zip, fit together for a secure, sturdy cooking platform. The stove can then be disassembled easily and each part —the fuel canister, stabilizing tripod, burner and even some additional accessories like the coffee press or utensil kit (not included)— packs inside of the cooking cup. When packed, the entire system is smaller than a Nalgene water bottle, so it fits into your backpack easier than most camp stoves and cookware.

3. Easy and convenient use

Compared to other camp stoves and backcountry cooking systems that involve balancing a full pot on a tiny stove, require priming, or barely work at all in the wind and cold, the Jetboil Zip is the most convenient and user friendly stove on the market! The Zip features a connected system and an included base stabilizer, which ensures that your system won't tip or shift during cooking. Additionally, the fuel is easy to find and low hassle, and the flame can be adjusted easily with a nob. The use of FluxRing technology and the integration between the pot and the burner provides excellent resistance to wind and cold weather, for an effective cooking experience in nearly any conditions. The cooking cup has an included cozie and hand strap, so you can hold the cup without fear of burning your hand, as well as a drink-through lid that is compatible with a the Jetboil coffee press (sold separately).

Check out the Jetboil Zip cooking system 2nds for just $59.97!

*These are cosmetic seconds with minor imperfections from the manufacturing process that do not affect the performance or safety of the product.