I am a long distance motorcycle rider and love to camp. I stay gone up to 45 days straight. Since my camping is a lot different than a person carrying the weight I can be more selective when it comes to what I choose to take with me. I always take my Camp Chef Stryker as a primary means to prepare a Mountain House meal. I did buy the BRS mini and have yet to receive it from Amazon. Since my other cooker can accommodate a small pan for other than freeze dried meals, I can use the BRS for hot coffee, tea or a side dish. I have room for both. I do have a couple of other inexpensive butane stoves and they still work great, so I expect the cheapie BRS will also give me good service. I am combining it with a 750ml Toaks pot, and foldable spoon, bic lighter, small butane canister and if possible a clean-up cloth...it will serve as an alternate cook set. Great video, thanks for being objective and honest in your review.
I have had my BRS for almost 2 years. It has been on no less than 10 backpacking trips with at least 100 uses. I have not experienced any issues with temp regulation as some people have reported with theirs and I really have no complaints. I do believe that the fuel consumption on the BRS is slightly more than the MRS but a sacrifice I gladly make for reduced weight and size. If it ever fails I will replace it with the exact same thing.
Hi! It sounds great! Did it working well in some tough situation? Such like high altitude, strong wind, heavy rain... I mainly use in bicycling, now is a Primus omnifuel stove, and thinking whether I sould buy a BRS instead it, for some route one gas canister could finish or trouble to got some petrol, it at least could save 800 grams, feeling is a temptation😲. Thanks!
I used the BRS for 450 AT miles. My biggest complaint was the regulator flare up that happens when you go to turn it off. Before taking it on the AT, I did a fuel consumption test against my Pocket Rocket. To boil 2 cups it took 8 gm for the BRS and 7 gm for the Pocket Rocket. After getting back I picked up the Soto stove. The same test yielded only 5 gm to boil the 2 cups. Just FYI
Soaring Eagle Outdoors which Soto stove did you pick up?time to boil isn’t a big deal to me but being economical is,all the best from a windy north wales uk👍
Probably the Soto Windmaster. I just did a consumption test today and my Soto used only 5gms as well for 2 cups at 60degrees-F outdoor temp. Against my pocket rocket deluxe which used 7gm and my brs yielded 7gm as well. The Soto is definitely the current king when it comes to economical use.
Used the BRS more than 50 times now. It doesn’t regulate temps very well, but we only boil water. Also, it gets a little funky when breezy. Big fan of how small it is. Fuel, stove, lighter, windscreen & hanky all fit in my mug. I’m a BRS guy!
If you want to actually cook & need temp regulation. Go with pocket rocket. If just boiling like me...the BRS is a win. Sometimes we have to get creative with “wind-blocking” if it’s breezy...
The wind aspect is great feedback to have. It was breezy during the testing, but not windy. Yeah, we typically are just boiling water, although with our recent new love of Packit Gourmet, that has slightly changed!
Have you had any issues with the arms melting? I'm seeing a lot of bad reviews from people saying that's the case. Are they just putting too much weight on the stove or is the product faulty with bad quality control? I have one but I don't want to get stuck out in the back country with this stove if it will fail on me. I was excited about cutting a lot of weight but I'm trying to decide if it's worth the risk with the BRS.
I have it as a back up to my twig stove, it’s exactly what it looks like, a tiny torch that makes things you put on top hot. For that purpose I don’t care if it does it quickly, or efficiently, I care that if I set 700 mililiters of water on it, it will bring it to a boil without exploding or setting the forest on fire. As long as you operate with its limitations in mind, it’s more than serviceable.
The BRS performs best when you use it with lighter, half a liter, or less, pots ; Like in a solo-camping situation when you don't need more. You only boil some water to hydrate your food or make some tea or coffee.
So I've had my MSR Pocket Rocket for 12 years. It's super reliable and the built in burner wind screen is great. There is always a BUT though. It's big and expensive. I've used the brs and it works well. With it's size and price, you can buy and pack two for the weight and cost. I'm actually thinking of ditching my MSR for two brs just for redundancy but still small enough to carry in my cook system and have a back up. One is none and two is one mentality. Either way MSR or brs pros and cons I'll take either. Keep in mind you can't forget maintenance and inspection for both. Great video!
Thanks for the review guys. I have the BRS stove, and it has worked perfectly for me. My son has one, and a friend of mine has one. We’ve used them several times hiking the SHT, and have zero complaints.
At the recommendation of multiple YT videos, I invested in a BRS stove. After the first two minutes, it conked out and never started up again. Fortunately, I got a refund through Amazon and then went to REI and picked up a Pocket Rocket 2. I'm sure I was just unfortunate to get a lemon, but when you're talking about something that cheap (and yes, it does feel as cheap as it sells for), you're never again going to feel comfortable relying on it to work when you're out in the wilderness for days on end. The Pocket Rocket weighs about 3x as much, but it's still a light, compact option and is top 3 in pretty much every ranking of stoves. The peace of mind I have when hiking and camping is worth the extra $30.
All really good points, and definitely interesting to hear you experienced the failure. It could be poor quality control in the manufacturing process - as in the video, this one didn’t fail, but it seems like a steady 10% or so do. Overall, a cool very UL stove, but yep it seems less reliable than the MSR.
I've had the BRS for about 5 months now, mainly use it just to boil water. For light kitchen duties, its the perfect stove. That being said you wouldn't want to cook an entire meal on it.
Excellent video. I've used a jetboil for the last few years. Everything is contained and can boil a pot then boil a cup for tea. Never had an issue with it. May get a another with an igniter as a spare as I like that feature.
It's great that they keep it light by constructing it primarily out of titanium. I only wish they'd build another, more robust titanium stove. I'd be happy with a titanium stove that weighs slightly over an ounce, if that adds a significant amount of reliability. If BRS did that, they'd likely be able to eliminate those few negative reviews, and they'd have a solid winner.
Great review guys! I've had my BRS and for a year and have just a few boils with it. So far so good. I purchased it mainly for solo hikes which I feel fits the bill and purpose.
of note, some people are buying knock off BRS stoves as well. It's a cheap chinese stove, but there's always a cheaper chinese stove. It's worth doing the bit of due diligence to make sure it's from the actual brs folks... But for what it costs and what it is, it's a great stove. It's not as efficient as a higher cost stove like MSR. and i find it sputters out a bit in windy situations, but i also bring a shitty cheap alum flashing wind screen in my cook setup as well. And i'd bring that with nearly any stove setup. my whole setup... fuel canister, BRS stove, wind screen, all fit in my 750 ml pot.
I just read the review of this blowing up. I am not familiar with the Jetboil unit involved, but I HAVE done my homework on camp cooker explosions. The main cause always seem to be one very simple dynamic: Heater the fuel container. Even the large, flat family camping stoves with the butane canister in the side compartment can detonate if you use over sized pans, which channel heat over the door of the compartment. There is a very simple equations here. Using the gas canister will cause it to cool down because of the expansion of gas. Whilst burning that gas will radiate heat towards the canister. As long the net sum of energy results in the canister staying cool then all is well in the world. Explosions always seem to happen when people use over sized pans, or any device that traps exhaust gases and heat, and directs them towards the gas container. With the Amazon review explosion it seems highly likely that the specific Jetboil unit used, trapped exhaust gases and created an extreme hotspot directly around the stove head. This will have heated the food quicker, made the cooking more efficient, BUT heated up both the stove and the top of the canister as it progressed. Eventually the canister gets hot, pressure builds, and it rapidly turns into a runaway combustion event (like you sometimes see with alcohol stove when it basically turns into a rocket.) Take everything I say with a pinch of salt because I am not a stove expert .... however every time I look into these stove explosions there always seems to be some compounding factor associated with transferring heat to the fuel canister. That is why I always cook on a low heat, I never thrash my stoves for extended periods, and allow cool-off time periodically. Camping stoves are simply not made to the same tolerances as domestic gas stoves, and the fuel supply is literally inches away from the ignition point. I know its nice to crank these stoves all the way to 11 and boast to your friends how they boil 50litres of water in 6.9 seconds ... but if you chill out a bit the whole process will be a lot safer.
I got my wolfyoke stove as part of 20 buck cook set. It is durable and tough but heavy in comparison. If you're going for an inexpensive stove, get one that has 3 legs. Cheap 4 legged stoves will rock and feel unstable. With 3 legged stoves you always have 3 evenly distributed contact points with zero rocking.
I have a MRS, but a friend gave me this little ultra lite stove. I haven't taken it on the trail, yet, but it is super light in weight and small in size, so I think that if you just go easy with it, it'll be fine.
Should we feel like we have to go easy on a backpacking/camping stove, though? Everyone has his own approach, but I kind of want my stuff to be fairly durable if that's an option. Saying it will be fine as long as we pamper it is kind of like when you see those reviews of a 20-degree sleeping bag and the reviewer says that it will keep you plenty comfortable at 20 degrees ... as long as you wear thermal underwear, thick socks, a puffer jacket and a beanie. :)
Gem. Better if you center the pot as perfect as you can on the stand. It looks a bit off during testing. Used mine many times, no problems. I think some of the bad reviews and failures are operator error.
I've been using the BRS-3000 & love it. With that said, I only use this stove to boil water, I've yet to cook anything with it, The don't see having any problems if I do. I too have seen the negativity but how these people are reaching this level of failure is unclear and often very questionable.
Im just wondering as to whether or not you can cook with a small frypan with this, its not a big deal for me tho because i have a stanley cook pot that should work with it
BRS was my first stove and it's ok but I did get sick of building wind forts all around it to operate good... also I think for the boil time it does use up more fuel if conditions aren't just right. As a consolation I recently upped the ante and purchased the Soto Windmaster Stove with ignitor and that thing is all kinds of awesome! BRS is on the back up shelf for now and probably for a real long time.
I chose the Reehut combo that comes with two stoves, I have not tried them yet because I have not gone out much with the virus looming over everyone's head
Probably the best apples to apples comparison would be BRS to the newer Pocket Rocket II which is a very similar design but with a couple of very significant design improvements. The BRS's biggest flaw is that single sided flange that engages with the rolled lip on the canister. That is vulnerable to damaging both the stove and the canister valve from over tightening, drops, or side strikes. Nobody else I know of is making a stove that is inherently designed to put uneven stress on the canister valve. It shaves a small fraction of an ounce and creates a fire hazard in the process.
I have the BRS stove and have used in almost every weekend this season (spring, summer and now fall) The only complaint I have is that it leaks fuel when I put in on and take it off a fuel canister. Not a lot of fuel... I just screw in on and off fast so not much gas leaks.
Backpacker Brothers That happens with my Pocket Rocket 2 as well. It's likely fairly universal and, as you mentioned, just screw it on more quickly after the first few turns to minimize any fuel loss. I wouldn't be concerned with it. Of course, maybe there is more concern when you're talking about a $15 option vs. something with better build quality and materials.
I have a piezo stove I got on EBay that does the same. I don’t like it, but it has never failed me once after hundreds of uses. I am in the market for a lighter stove though (other weighs 3.6 oz).
Used msr 2 on the AT and am switching to the snowpeak. Maybe it's a crappy knockoff of the bsr that I quickly tested but found my cannister heated up crazy quick. The read reviews like you did that showed blown out cannisters. I strongly feel that it does not have enough mass with titanium being a better heat conductor than steel.
All the tests I see measure water boiling comparisons. How about doing a drop test, e.g. 3 ft multiple drops to a concrete slab, to see how they hold up. I'm interested in this BRS stove, but still nervous about the quality.
pocket rocket for me, I know its a huge 3oz but the built in wind break is brilliant,no you wont get it in a 650g pot but you will in a small Trangia minnie pot and I have a small frying pan as well.I beleave they have finished making the old pocket rocket now so I feel blessed to have one.
I have one and a MSR PR2. I prefer to bring the PR2 along. I just dont trust the BRS one enough. The pot supports on the BRS are too small; if there's a breeze the flame isnt protected like the PR2. I also do more than just boil water and the PR2 is more versatile.
I use the Sandy Beach Fire Maple titanium stove its better quality and around $10 more expensive than the BRS that failed on me.Using the BRS full blast will cause the unit to fail it's just not strong enough to deal with the heat and causes metal fatigue so you will be buying another after six months.
One thing to be aware of if you are considering the BRS because of how light it is: Dixie at Homemade Wanderlust just did a side-by-side boil comparison with the original Pocket Rocket, and the BRS used 50% more fuel to boil water. If you're going to be out for a while, that will probably eliminate your weight savings in extra fuel required.
But in her test the BRS reached a boil about 45% faster than the Pocket Rocket, which is a converse result to what was found in this video, which I think shows that a single test with a single pot setup with the burns performed at different times does not prove or disprove performance vs another stove. For instance her video not only had the BRS boiling significantly faster but also the flame was set too high for the diameter of the pot being used, both factors decreasing efficiency (though I know her test was for speed).
Soaringeagleoutdoors, who posted here, tested them and found the BRS to use 7 grams of fuel while the MSR used 8, to warm the same pot. That's not a huge difference.
all lightweight equiptment is delicate u cant slam your pot down on it or pack it in a way things get dammaged common scense lacks in a lot of people if u put a lightweight stove in the pot without a bandana or something similer in it to prevent banging around it will break just my thoughts
Any stove can fail in the field and the BRS is no exception. The pictures of the fail looked like someone stepped on it. Not the fault of the stove. I think the only way to really know is to own a BRS and use it. My guess is that the failures are rare,and that most were users who stepped on them or used ridiculously large and heavy pots
The only stove I have is the GSI Glacier that I got in a hurry for my son and I to use in our 1st overnighter (in the backyard) lol. It worked great with my skillet but is HUGE. I’ve tried everything to find a good way to pack it with my gear but it’s just too intrusive. I’m gonna leave it as my car/family camping stove. So lesson learned lol. I need a smaller option and thought I was sold on the BRS til this review. Think I might just both the BRS and the pocket rocket. The BRS for my haversack to solely use for coffee when I’m doing a short day hike, and the rocket for my overnight/multi day hikes. Thanks for giving me perspective fellas!!
My only complaint is that the base of the BRS at the point just above the canister gets REAL hot. Not sure if that is normal and could affect the rubber seals and was a safety issue with me. None of my other stoves get that hot just above the canister.
Sacrifices? Alcohol takes eight-minutes and never achieves a roiling boil. Esbit? C'mon? BRS weighs 1/3 it's next closest competitor. Cuben doesn't weigh 1/3 sil-nylon, yet people pay $hundreds for much-less advantage. The missing test is fuel consumption? If the Rocket boiled thirty-seconds faster, how much less fuel was consumed reaching the same level of boil? Saving weight on a stove does no good, if extra fuel (weight) is consumed and thus must be carried? Or is the BRS more fuel efficient, saving both stove-weight and fuel-weight?
Fuel usage would be a good data point for sure. There are certainly a lot of factors. That said, at the end of the day, one must weigh lightness, durability, performance, and price. The BRS is a great option, but it’s also fair to say there are much more durable stoves out there as well. Also, 1/4 weight savings when you’re talking about a large item like a shelter is much more significant than an ounce or two in a stove. Another consideration to make when comparing.
I've been using alcohol stoves (fancee feest currently) for years and I get a rolling boil of 500ml for 3 or 4 minutes on single ounce of fuel in all conditions, with a little more for windy winters. It's smaller when packed, runs completely silently (!!!), lighter in total (even with the windscreen and fuel up to 4+ nights) than my old canister setup and reliable down to freezing weather. I'm not in such a rush in the woods that a 2 min boil vs an 8 minute boil is a make or break difference to me at all. I'd rather sit and listen to nature for 8 minutes than a jet engine for 2 minutes, personally.
1/3 it's next closest competitor? Closer to half. Which is a savings of 1 oz. For that ounce, you have a product known to have poor quality control and be prone to failure in the field (not good when fire is involved in the back country). I'll take the Pocket Rocket II any day. One extra ounce to know I'm not going to have flare ups, valve failures, or total breakage when I'm three days away from civilization. And that's not to mention that one reviewer just did a side-by-side boil test with the original Pocket Rocket and the BRS and the BRS used 50% more fuel to boil a cup of water - that pretty much eliminates the weight savings right there if you have to carry 3 canisters instead of 2. As for the Cuben v. Silnylon comparison.... you're talking about a total savings of one ounce for the stove, vs. total savings of a pound or more for a Cuben tent. Not to mention that Cuben won't ever saturate, which silnylon will. Apples to oranges.
@@mre9446 Yup. I've got a lot of friends who swear by alcohol, and I see it in use a lot. I've been meaning to build a stove and start trying it on short trips. The one weakness you didn't mention is that it performs poorly in cold weather conditions. Most alcohol users I know switch to canister once the temps drop below freezing.
I'm not sure if I made a mistake or not but I just purchased Toaks pots...and I'm reading they don't cook well due to lack of good heat conduction properties...which stove would you recommend for titanium?
Terrible quality- mine failed and broke on the first use outdoors. The weld joining the pot holder to the neck snapped spilling my small pot of water. It could have been a nasty accident but the water had only been heating for about 30 seconds. I'm getting an MSR Pocket Rocket as a replacement. I want to be able to trust my equipment.
The discussion of structure is fundamentally flawed. Titanium is far more forgiving, is more elastic (which makes it more durable and one primary reason you use it for aerospace fittings and components) and will, by it's nature, be quite light.
The last photo from the Amazon reviews is my picture. I'm going to buy the pocket rocket just for piece of mind now. I was really disappointed with the BRS after being super excited about it when. I first arrived...
@@BackpackerBrothers it was the 2nd morning of use boiling water for coffee. I have the Walmart knockoff GSR cook kit and I was boiling water for 3 cup noodles on it that morning. Right before I put on the pot, the stove had already boiled water in my kettle for my coffee. Just as the pot was coming to a really good boil, the pot tips over and water spills all over the picnic table. My 2 year old nephew was just few feet away. I wanted to really love the BRS, but I'm not gonna sacrifice the quality for the price again.
My BSR stove failed in a similar way. Only on our third day of using it on the Long Trail. Using a small titanium pot only 16 oz of water. Boiled water for first couple of meals. Cooled Raman noodles the second night. Third night went to boil water and the arm warped and pot fell off. I wanted it to be a good stove because it is so light weight and fit inside my little cook kit. Thankfully we were able to have another stove brought to us with our resupply
Wow! It’s really interesting hearing from multiple people that the failures are real. We’ll have to use it more and see. What did you use instead then?
@@BackpackerBrothers my father in law brought us an older heavier butane stove since I had fuel for it. It worked and that is what mattered. I have since purchased a Jetboil (not my first choice but my wife really likes them).
My scouts and I have used the Etekcity and have found it durable - all are still working fine. It's not the lightest weight wise but it is light weight budget wise. We also like the plastic case for protecting the unit and the lighter which eliminates the need for matches - one less thing to pack . . . or lose.
I believe all those stoves have great uses but if there were a stand where large pots or frypans could sit on and these mini stoves never need to prove the strength of their arms to hold the large pots I believe these mini stoves would be perfect. I just received my chinese knock off of the BRS 3000T and believe it can heat up any amount of water even gallons if never having those arms to hold such amounts of water. a heavy wire stand with several openings for several stoves and adjustable heights would be perfect to fit from small wide canisters to tall Butane and 1lb Propane tanks
Well, everything has a melting point. And it can fail prior to melting. Most metals have a strength curve that declines with increasing temperature, and that typically drops off before the melting point is reached. Titanium certainly has higher strength at temp than aluminum or plain carbon steel, but at such a small cross section, it’s definitely possible.
Thanks for reviewing and comparing, but I find that your conclusion is not consistent with the results of the experiment you did. They all passed but you ranked them based on your perception. I think the problem with low-priced goods is that they are perceived as inferior. But that doesn't make the higher-priced product superior. You judged the MSR as superior because it hasn't failed on you, but you haven't used the other two as often, which makes that an anecdotal account. Perhaps you should have a durability test? And by the way, Amazon has failure reports on the MSR as well, only that there are more user reviews of the BRS because it probably has sold more, whereas the MSR could be purchased at other stores like REI.
Also, I hacve noticed that virtually nobody who conducts these tests takes into consideration 2 EXTREMELY important variables. first, the test should always be conducted with a brand new gas can because as the gas volume decreases, so does it's output. this is irrespective of the adjustment on the valver :obviously the valve should be maximized for flow to ensure that there is no variable there). Secondly, the test should also be conducted using a brand new gas can each time because if you were to run 2 or three consecutive tests with the same can, the can will also get cold as it discharges the gas. the colder the gas can the less output. Please re-conduct these tests for more reliable results. Thank you!!
@@BackpackerBrothers your comment on how flimsy it is. To does not need to be as thick to be as strong. I don't expect the BRS to be as derable as my Whisperlite but then again I don't take my Whisperlite out any more. Just know the limitations. Fist and for most use a windscreen.
Adventures with Frodo The joints are probably not titanium, and he’s likely talking about how it’s held together rather than the material it’s made out of.
I actually an aerospace engineer for my day job, and have worked with many metals including titanium - frequently used in flight hardware. It certainly has a higher tensile strength than most aluminum or low grade stainless steel alloys, and holds its strength well up to relatively high temps. That said, it is still not infinitely strong, and moreover, like someone else commented, the joists and the design of how it folds out and keeps together is definitely less robust than a lot of stoves I've seen. Finally, we have no way of truly knowing what titanium alloy it is, but I can tell you it is very likely not a high grade alloy. All that being said, these are the reasons we tested it. Since filming this video, I've used this stove many times on multiple trips and it has held up well without issue. Overall, I recommend trying it.
You really didn't do a tolerance test. I'm sorry but this didn't show me anything but it works. You talk about how it would be good for an ultralight backpacker. Well that's in the name. What I'm guessing is negative reviews are people trying to use it as a propane stove. It's built for small amounts of cooking. That's obvious. I love my MSR but after using this, I will say for what it's built for it exceeds expectations. If you want to do a good comparison review, boil multiple cups in succession. The reviews I saw look like extreme abuse that even my MSR wouldn't tolerate.
Thanks for the feedback. I have never needed to boil multiple cups in succession while backpacking. We tested it to the degree we felt it needs to be for a backpacker. It turns out that was apparently sufficient, because I’ve used it on multiple trips since with no issues. Sorry you didn’t find it useful. We’re happy many other people have.
4 years with the BRS. Never skipped a beat.
You're using the original Pocket Rocket which is no longer made but the simplicity of the pot brackets still makes it number one for me.
I am a long distance motorcycle rider and love to camp. I stay gone up to 45 days straight. Since my camping is a lot different than a person carrying the weight I can be more selective when it comes to what I choose to take with me. I always take my Camp Chef Stryker as a primary means to prepare a Mountain House meal. I did buy the BRS mini and have yet to receive it from Amazon. Since my other cooker can accommodate a small pan for other than freeze dried meals, I can use the BRS for hot coffee, tea or a side dish. I have room for both. I do have a couple of other inexpensive butane stoves and they still work great, so I expect the cheapie BRS will also give me good service. I am combining it with a 750ml Toaks pot, and foldable spoon, bic lighter, small butane canister and if possible a clean-up cloth...it will serve as an alternate cook set. Great video, thanks for being objective and honest in your review.
I just got the Titanium BRS here with the green bag.
This is a crazy small & crazy light stove.
It’s called the Hornet btw.
Crazy light
I have had my BRS for almost 2 years. It has been on no less than 10 backpacking trips with at least 100 uses. I have not experienced any issues with temp regulation as some people have reported with theirs and I really have no complaints. I do believe that the fuel consumption on the BRS is slightly more than the MRS but a sacrifice I gladly make for reduced weight and size. If it ever fails I will replace it with the exact same thing.
Hi! It sounds great! Did it working well in some tough situation? Such like high altitude, strong wind, heavy rain... I mainly use in bicycling, now is a Primus omnifuel stove, and thinking whether I sould buy a BRS instead it, for some route one gas canister could finish or trouble to got some petrol, it at least could save 800 grams, feeling is a temptation😲. Thanks!
I used the BRS for 450 AT miles. My biggest complaint was the regulator flare up that happens when you go to turn it off. Before taking it on the AT, I did a fuel consumption test against my Pocket Rocket. To boil 2 cups it took 8 gm for the BRS and 7 gm for the Pocket Rocket. After getting back I picked up the Soto stove. The same test yielded only 5 gm to boil the 2 cups. Just FYI
Soaring Eagle Outdoors which Soto stove did you pick up?time to boil isn’t a big deal to me but being economical is,all the best from a windy north wales uk👍
Probably the Soto Windmaster. I just did a consumption test today and my Soto used only 5gms as well for 2 cups at 60degrees-F outdoor temp. Against my pocket rocket deluxe which used 7gm and my brs yielded 7gm as well. The Soto is definitely the current king when it comes to economical use.
@@Chriswilliams-lx9mx I missed your question, sorry. The Soto stove in the Regulator.
Used the BRS more than 50 times now. It doesn’t regulate temps very well, but we only boil water. Also, it gets a little funky when breezy. Big fan of how small it is. Fuel, stove, lighter, windscreen & hanky all fit in my mug. I’m a BRS guy!
Sweet! Thanks for the feedback. Great to hear from someone who uses one.
If you want to actually cook & need temp regulation. Go with pocket rocket. If just boiling like me...the BRS is a win. Sometimes we have to get creative with “wind-blocking” if it’s breezy...
The wind aspect is great feedback to have. It was breezy during the testing, but not windy. Yeah, we typically are just boiling water, although with our recent new love of Packit Gourmet, that has slightly changed!
Have you had any issues with the arms melting? I'm seeing a lot of bad reviews from people saying that's the case. Are they just putting too much weight on the stove or is the product faulty with bad quality control? I have one but I don't want to get stuck out in the back country with this stove if it will fail on me. I was excited about cutting a lot of weight but I'm trying to decide if it's worth the risk with the BRS.
I have it as a back up to my twig stove, it’s exactly what it looks like, a tiny torch that makes things you put on top hot. For that purpose I don’t care if it does it quickly, or efficiently, I care that if I set 700 mililiters of water on it, it will bring it to a boil without exploding or setting the forest on fire. As long as you operate with its limitations in mind, it’s more than serviceable.
The BRS performs best when you use it with lighter, half a liter, or less, pots ; Like in a solo-camping situation when you don't need more. You only boil some water to hydrate your food or make some tea or coffee.
That’s exactly what our thoughts are. A good fit for the solo ultralight backpacker.
Tons of them on the AT, CDT & PCT. Not a better testing ground than that.
So I've had my MSR Pocket Rocket for 12 years. It's super reliable and the built in burner wind screen is great. There is always a BUT though. It's big and expensive. I've used the brs and it works well. With it's size and price, you can buy and pack two for the weight and cost. I'm actually thinking of ditching my MSR for two brs just for redundancy but still small enough to carry in my cook system and have a back up. One is none and two is one mentality. Either way MSR or brs pros and cons I'll take either. Keep in mind you can't forget maintenance and inspection for both. Great video!
"you can buy and pack two for the weight and cost"
This is actually pretty smart.
Used the Snowpeak for years. Bought the SOTO for its work on winter trips. The BR is on its way to me for a test run.
love the anodizing that starts to happen when you run a new stove for awhile.
Thanks for the review guys. I have the BRS stove, and it has worked perfectly for me. My son has one, and a friend of mine has one. We’ve used them several times hiking the SHT, and have zero complaints.
Great! Three more solid data points, and on the SHT no less!
At the recommendation of multiple YT videos, I invested in a BRS stove. After the first two minutes, it conked out and never started up again. Fortunately, I got a refund through Amazon and then went to REI and picked up a Pocket Rocket 2.
I'm sure I was just unfortunate to get a lemon, but when you're talking about something that cheap (and yes, it does feel as cheap as it sells for), you're never again going to feel comfortable relying on it to work when you're out in the wilderness for days on end. The Pocket Rocket weighs about 3x as much, but it's still a light, compact option and is top 3 in pretty much every ranking of stoves. The peace of mind I have when hiking and camping is worth the extra $30.
All really good points, and definitely interesting to hear you experienced the failure. It could be poor quality control in the manufacturing process - as in the video, this one didn’t fail, but it seems like a steady 10% or so do. Overall, a cool very UL stove, but yep it seems less reliable than the MSR.
Mine crapped out after 2 minutes of use. Got a Etekcity one with piezoelectric start and never looked back.
Just got the BRS , Only time will tell. This video definitely urges me to learn more about editing
I've had the BRS for about 5 months now, mainly use it just to boil water. For light kitchen duties, its the perfect stove. That being said you wouldn't want to cook an entire meal on it.
Thanks! Consistent with most comments and our findings so far.
Excellent video. I've used a jetboil for the last few years. Everything is contained and can boil a pot then boil a cup for tea. Never had an issue with it. May get a another with an igniter as a spare as I like that feature.
Nice, never used a jet boil, would love to try one at some point though.
I have a couple of these stoves. Very happy with them. The little stuff sack included will hold the stove and a mini bic lighter.
Sweet, thanks for sharing.
It's great that they keep it light by constructing it primarily out of titanium. I only wish they'd build another, more robust titanium stove. I'd be happy with a titanium stove that weighs slightly over an ounce, if that adds a significant amount of reliability. If BRS did that, they'd likely be able to eliminate those few negative reviews, and they'd have a solid winner.
Agreed!
Good review thank you. Very much.
I would guess those ones broke in two, were overtightened. They have to be snug....it's not a car tire.
I use the BRS but I usually don’t boil more than 500ml of water a time! Great video! Cheers!
Seems like it’d be solid for that kind of use. Thanks!
I got a cheap one on eBay and it’s great for boiling water and soups. Great for solo backpacking. It’s cheap and cheerful, but does the job.
BRS all the way. Your not supposed to stand on it! I've know of just a couple failures and guess what they replaced it with. Yep a BRS.
It’s definitely a compelling option at that price and weight!
Great review guys! I've had my BRS and for a year and have just a few boils with it. So far so good. I purchased it mainly for solo hikes which I feel fits the bill and purpose.
of note, some people are buying knock off BRS stoves as well. It's a cheap chinese stove, but there's always a cheaper chinese stove. It's worth doing the bit of due diligence to make sure it's from the actual brs folks... But for what it costs and what it is, it's a great stove. It's not as efficient as a higher cost stove like MSR. and i find it sputters out a bit in windy situations, but i also bring a shitty cheap alum flashing wind screen in my cook setup as well. And i'd bring that with nearly any stove setup. my whole setup... fuel canister, BRS stove, wind screen, all fit in my 750 ml pot.
I just read the review of this blowing up.
I am not familiar with the Jetboil unit involved, but I HAVE done my homework on camp cooker explosions. The main cause always seem to be one very simple dynamic: Heater the fuel container.
Even the large, flat family camping stoves with the butane canister in the side compartment can detonate if you use over sized pans, which channel heat over the door of the compartment.
There is a very simple equations here. Using the gas canister will cause it to cool down because of the expansion of gas. Whilst burning that gas will radiate heat towards the canister. As long the net sum of energy results in the canister staying cool then all is well in the world.
Explosions always seem to happen when people use over sized pans, or any device that traps exhaust gases and heat, and directs them towards the gas container. With the Amazon review explosion it seems highly likely that the specific Jetboil unit used, trapped exhaust gases and created an extreme hotspot directly around the stove head. This will have heated the food quicker, made the cooking more efficient, BUT heated up both the stove and the top of the canister as it progressed. Eventually the canister gets hot, pressure builds, and it rapidly turns into a runaway combustion event (like you sometimes see with alcohol stove when it basically turns into a rocket.)
Take everything I say with a pinch of salt because I am not a stove expert .... however every time I look into these stove explosions there always seems to be some compounding factor associated with transferring heat to the fuel canister. That is why I always cook on a low heat, I never thrash my stoves for extended periods, and allow cool-off time periodically. Camping stoves are simply not made to the same tolerances as domestic gas stoves, and the fuel supply is literally inches away from the ignition point. I know its nice to crank these stoves all the way to 11 and boast to your friends how they boil 50litres of water in 6.9 seconds ... but if you chill out a bit the whole process will be a lot safer.
stopped watching the review and had a lil dance party..
I got my wolfyoke stove as part of 20 buck cook set. It is durable and tough but heavy in comparison. If you're going for an inexpensive stove, get one that has 3 legs. Cheap 4 legged stoves will rock and feel unstable. With 3 legged stoves you always have 3 evenly distributed contact points with zero rocking.
Cool! Just picked one up to go with my titanium cookset! Always ran the MSR pocket rocket but wanted to try something lighter!
Thank you - good comparison review.
You're welcome!
I have a MRS, but a friend gave me this little ultra lite stove. I haven't taken it on the trail, yet, but it is super light in weight and small in size, so I think that if you just go easy with it, it'll be fine.
That was our ultimate takeaway. The MSR is a lightweight workhorse, but if you take a some care with the BRS, you’ve got a really ultralight stove.
Should we feel like we have to go easy on a backpacking/camping stove, though? Everyone has his own approach, but I kind of want my stuff to be fairly durable if that's an option.
Saying it will be fine as long as we pamper it is kind of like when you see those reviews of a 20-degree sleeping bag and the reviewer says that it will keep you plenty comfortable at 20 degrees ... as long as you wear thermal underwear, thick socks, a puffer jacket and a beanie. :)
Yep, that’s the struggle when you really go deep into UL. At some point you do sacrifice durability. All depends on what you’re willing to do!
Gem. Better if you center the pot as perfect as you can on the stand. It looks a bit off during testing. Used mine many times, no problems. I think some of the bad reviews and failures are operator error.
I've been using the BRS-3000 & love it. With that said, I only use this stove to boil water, I've yet to cook anything with it, The don't see having any problems if I do. I too have seen the negativity but how these people are reaching this level of failure is unclear and often very questionable.
love the sound track!
Im just wondering as to whether or not you can cook with a small frypan with this, its not a big deal for me tho because i have a stanley cook pot that should work with it
BRS was my first stove and it's ok but I did get sick of building wind forts all around it to operate good... also I think for the boil time it does use up more fuel if conditions aren't just right.
As a consolation I recently upped the ante and purchased the Soto Windmaster Stove with ignitor and that thing is all kinds of awesome! BRS is on the back up shelf for now and probably for a real long time.
I chose the Reehut combo that comes with two stoves, I have not tried them yet because I have not gone out much with the virus looming over everyone's head
gotta appreciate the synthwave music.
Probably the best apples to apples comparison would be BRS to the newer Pocket Rocket II which is a very similar design but with a couple of very significant design improvements. The BRS's biggest flaw is that single sided flange that engages with the rolled lip on the canister. That is vulnerable to damaging both the stove and the canister valve from over tightening, drops, or side strikes. Nobody else I know of is making a stove that is inherently designed to put uneven stress on the canister valve. It shaves a small fraction of an ounce and creates a fire hazard in the process.
I have the BRS stove and have used in almost every weekend this season (spring, summer and now fall) The only complaint I have is that it leaks fuel when I put in on and take it off a fuel canister. Not a lot of fuel... I just screw in on and off fast so not much gas leaks.
Very good info to have - I was wondering about whether that would ever be an issue because the other two stoves have gaskets. Thanks!
Backpacker Brothers That happens with my Pocket Rocket 2 as well. It's likely fairly universal and, as you mentioned, just screw it on more quickly after the first few turns to minimize any fuel loss. I wouldn't be concerned with it. Of course, maybe there is more concern when you're talking about a $15 option vs. something with better build quality and materials.
I have a piezo stove I got on EBay that does the same. I don’t like it, but it has never failed me once after hundreds of uses. I am in the market for a lighter stove though (other weighs 3.6 oz).
Give the BRS a try. I have used it many many times since filming this video and it is still holding up fine and working well.
Used msr 2 on the AT and am switching to the snowpeak. Maybe it's a crappy knockoff of the bsr that I quickly tested but found my cannister heated up crazy quick. The read reviews like you did that showed blown out cannisters. I strongly feel that it does not have enough mass with titanium being a better heat conductor than steel.
All the tests I see measure water boiling comparisons. How about doing a drop test, e.g. 3 ft multiple drops to a concrete slab, to see how they hold up. I'm interested in this BRS stove, but still nervous about the quality.
Fair point! We will follow up more as we use the stove.
My BRS just came in today. Gonna give it a test run tonight!
Good luck!
pocket rocket for me, I know its a huge 3oz but the built in wind break is brilliant,no you wont get it in a 650g pot but you will in a small Trangia minnie pot and I have a small frying pan as well.I beleave they have finished making the old pocket rocket now so I feel blessed to have one.
How does this video address the concerns left by the Amazon reviewers you quoted?
I have one and a MSR PR2. I prefer to bring the PR2 along. I just dont trust the BRS one enough. The pot supports on the BRS are too small; if there's a breeze the flame isnt protected like the PR2. I also do more than just boil water and the PR2 is more versatile.
The base of support made by the BRS is definitely small - great point.
I use the Sandy Beach Fire Maple titanium stove its better quality and around $10 more expensive than the BRS that failed on me.Using the BRS full blast will cause the unit to fail it's just not strong enough to deal with the heat and causes metal fatigue so you will be buying another after six months.
One thing to be aware of if you are considering the BRS because of how light it is: Dixie at Homemade Wanderlust just did a side-by-side boil comparison with the original Pocket Rocket, and the BRS used 50% more fuel to boil water. If you're going to be out for a while, that will probably eliminate your weight savings in extra fuel required.
But in her test the BRS reached a boil about 45% faster than the Pocket Rocket, which is a converse result to what was found in this video, which I think shows that a single test with a single pot setup with the burns performed at different times does not prove or disprove performance vs another stove. For instance her video not only had the BRS boiling significantly faster but also the flame was set too high for the diameter of the pot being used, both factors decreasing efficiency (though I know her test was for speed).
Soaringeagleoutdoors, who posted here, tested them and found the BRS to use 7 grams of fuel while the MSR used 8, to warm the same pot. That's not a huge difference.
all lightweight equiptment is delicate u cant slam your pot down on it or pack it in a way things get dammaged common scense lacks in a lot of people if u put a lightweight stove in the pot without a bandana or something similer in it to prevent banging around it will break just my thoughts
It’s titanium which is stronger and lighter than steel. Would you not trust a Toaks pot because it feels lighter and thinner than stainless steel pot?
Bonjour so which one is the best ?
And Windproof ?
Any stove can fail in the field and the BRS is no exception.
The pictures of the fail looked like someone stepped on it.
Not the fault of the stove.
I think the only way to really know is to own a BRS and use it.
My guess is that the failures are rare,and that most were users who stepped on them or used ridiculously
large and heavy pots
Since this video I’ve used it a lot more, still going strong.
The only stove I have is the GSI Glacier that I got in a hurry for my son and I to use in our 1st overnighter (in the backyard) lol. It worked great with my skillet but is HUGE. I’ve tried everything to find a good way to pack it with my gear but it’s just too intrusive. I’m gonna leave it as my car/family camping stove. So lesson learned lol.
I need a smaller option and thought I was sold on the BRS til this review. Think I might just both the BRS and the pocket rocket. The BRS for my haversack to solely use for coffee when I’m doing a short day hike, and the rocket for my overnight/multi day hikes. Thanks for giving me perspective fellas!!
Great, best of luck! Glad to offer the insight.
My only complaint is that the base of the BRS at the point just above the canister gets REAL hot. Not sure if that is normal and could affect the rubber seals and was a safety issue with me. None of my other stoves get that hot just above the canister.
Thanks for the heads up, will use caution.
Sacrifices? Alcohol takes eight-minutes and never achieves a roiling boil. Esbit? C'mon? BRS weighs 1/3 it's next closest competitor. Cuben doesn't weigh 1/3 sil-nylon, yet people pay $hundreds for much-less advantage. The missing test is fuel consumption? If the Rocket boiled thirty-seconds faster, how much less fuel was consumed reaching the same level of boil? Saving weight on a stove does no good, if extra fuel (weight) is consumed and thus must be carried? Or is the BRS more fuel efficient, saving both stove-weight and fuel-weight?
Fuel usage would be a good data point for sure. There are certainly a lot of factors. That said, at the end of the day, one must weigh lightness, durability, performance, and price. The BRS is a great option, but it’s also fair to say there are much more durable stoves out there as well.
Also, 1/4 weight savings when you’re talking about a large item like a shelter is much more significant than an ounce or two in a stove. Another consideration to make when comparing.
I've been using alcohol stoves (fancee feest currently) for years and I get a rolling boil of 500ml for 3 or 4 minutes on single ounce of fuel in all conditions, with a little more for windy winters. It's smaller when packed, runs completely silently (!!!), lighter in total (even with the windscreen and fuel up to 4+ nights) than my old canister setup and reliable down to freezing weather. I'm not in such a rush in the woods that a 2 min boil vs an 8 minute boil is a make or break difference to me at all. I'd rather sit and listen to nature for 8 minutes than a jet engine for 2 minutes, personally.
1/3 it's next closest competitor? Closer to half. Which is a savings of 1 oz. For that ounce, you have a product known to have poor quality control and be prone to failure in the field (not good when fire is involved in the back country). I'll take the Pocket Rocket II any day. One extra ounce to know I'm not going to have flare ups, valve failures, or total breakage when I'm three days away from civilization. And that's not to mention that one reviewer just did a side-by-side boil test with the original Pocket Rocket and the BRS and the BRS used 50% more fuel to boil a cup of water - that pretty much eliminates the weight savings right there if you have to carry 3 canisters instead of 2. As for the Cuben v. Silnylon comparison.... you're talking about a total savings of one ounce for the stove, vs. total savings of a pound or more for a Cuben tent. Not to mention that Cuben won't ever saturate, which silnylon will. Apples to oranges.
@@mre9446 Yup. I've got a lot of friends who swear by alcohol, and I see it in use a lot. I've been meaning to build a stove and start trying it on short trips. The one weakness you didn't mention is that it performs poorly in cold weather conditions. Most alcohol users I know switch to canister once the temps drop below freezing.
I used this BRS titanium stove and it makes the top of the stove quite hot. Is this normal?
I'm not sure if I made a mistake or not but I just purchased Toaks pots...and I'm reading they don't cook well due to lack of good heat conduction properties...which stove would you recommend for titanium?
No special requirements for a stove with a Ti pot. Check out some of our videos for our favorite stoves!
Terrible quality- mine failed and broke on the first use outdoors. The weld joining the pot holder to the neck snapped spilling my small pot of water. It could have been a nasty accident but the water had only been heating for about 30 seconds. I'm getting an MSR Pocket Rocket as a replacement. I want to be able to trust my equipment.
Great video, I'm about to make a decision on a backpacking stove. What are you using to record?
On trail we use iPhones. Off trail we sometimes (like in this video) use a Canon Rebel T5i.
@@BackpackerBrothers Thank you for your reply, you can tell the video was shot with quality equipment. For me, that really matters.
What about efficiency? How many boils from bsr vs pocket rocket?
The discussion of structure is fundamentally flawed. Titanium is far more forgiving, is more elastic (which makes it more durable and one primary reason you use it for aerospace fittings and components) and will, by it's nature, be quite light.
The last photo from the Amazon reviews is my picture. I'm going to buy the pocket rocket just for piece of mind now. I was really disappointed with the BRS after being super excited about it when. I first arrived...
No kidding, that’s really cool you found this! What were the conditions in which it failed?
@@BackpackerBrothers it was the 2nd morning of use boiling water for coffee. I have the Walmart knockoff GSR cook kit and I was boiling water for 3 cup noodles on it that morning. Right before I put on the pot, the stove had already boiled water in my kettle for my coffee. Just as the pot was coming to a really good boil, the pot tips over and water spills all over the picnic table. My 2 year old nephew was just few feet away. I wanted to really love the BRS, but I'm not gonna sacrifice the quality for the price again.
My BSR stove failed in a similar way. Only on our third day of using it on the Long Trail. Using a small titanium pot only 16 oz of water. Boiled water for first couple of meals. Cooled Raman noodles the second night. Third night went to boil water and the arm warped and pot fell off. I wanted it to be a good stove because it is so light weight and fit inside my little cook kit. Thankfully we were able to have another stove brought to us with our resupply
Wow! It’s really interesting hearing from multiple people that the failures are real. We’ll have to use it more and see. What did you use instead then?
@@BackpackerBrothers my father in law brought us an older heavier butane stove since I had fuel for it. It worked and that is what mattered. I have since purchased a Jetboil (not my first choice but my wife really likes them).
Excellent video guys, keep it up!
Thanks you, sir!
Cant go wrong with the pocket rocket 😉
Agreed! It’s heavier than the BRS but it’s still so solid!
You forgot to mention the used gaz die these stoves.
Die=for
BRS FTW.
My scouts and I have used the Etekcity and have found it durable - all are still working fine. It's not the lightest weight wise but it is light weight budget wise. We also like the plastic case for protecting the unit and the lighter which eliminates the need for matches - one less thing to pack . . . or lose.
I own this stove and it failed after only 3 uses. the fuel flow slowed dramitically and then stopped permanently after only about 4-5 uses.
I would pick BRS
The problem with reviews are that companies pay people $100 to give a 1 star review.
I have a cheap stove and it doesnt feel stable or reliable. I have mine as a back-up only
I have seen boiling 2 liters of water and a lot of spaghetti on a BRS, it's not made for that kind of load.
Somebody owes Beck a thank you card and fruit basket.
I believe all those stoves have great uses but if there were a stand where large pots or frypans could sit on and these mini stoves never need to prove the strength of their arms to hold the large pots I believe these mini stoves would be perfect. I just received my chinese knock off of the BRS 3000T and believe it can heat up any amount of water even gallons if never having those arms to hold such amounts of water. a heavy wire stand with several openings for several stoves and adjustable heights would be perfect to fit from small wide canisters to tall Butane and 1lb Propane tanks
Interesting proposal. Is that something you’d make or buy?
Failure is probably due to a fake product. Titanium can flex, but it does not melt. Keep that in mind if yours fails.
Well, everything has a melting point. And it can fail prior to melting. Most metals have a strength curve that declines with increasing temperature, and that typically drops off before the melting point is reached. Titanium certainly has higher strength at temp than aluminum or plain carbon steel, but at such a small cross section, it’s definitely possible.
12oz?? What is it in bananas?
Like anything else, you get what you pay for ; if you're fortunate, and don't get conned :-) :-)
Thanks for reviewing and comparing, but I find that your conclusion is not consistent with the results of the experiment you did. They all passed but you ranked them based on your perception. I think the problem with low-priced goods is that they are perceived as inferior. But that doesn't make the higher-priced product superior. You judged the MSR as superior because it hasn't failed on you, but you haven't used the other two as often, which makes that an anecdotal account. Perhaps you should have a durability test? And by the way, Amazon has failure reports on the MSR as well, only that there are more user reviews of the BRS because it probably has sold more, whereas the MSR could be purchased at other stores like REI.
BRS only 16 dollars
Also, I hacve noticed that virtually nobody who conducts these tests takes into consideration 2 EXTREMELY important variables. first, the test should always be conducted with a brand new gas can because as the gas volume decreases, so does it's output. this is irrespective of the adjustment on the valver :obviously the valve should be maximized for flow to ensure that there is no variable there). Secondly, the test should also be conducted using a brand new gas can each time because if you were to run 2 or three consecutive tests with the same can, the can will also get cold as it discharges the gas. the colder the gas can the less output. Please re-conduct these tests for more reliable results. Thank you!!
Have you no idea what titanium is? From your comments you don't.
Yes I know what titanium is. Could you please elaborate?
@@BackpackerBrothers your comment on how flimsy it is. To does not need to be as thick to be as strong. I don't expect the BRS to be as derable as my Whisperlite but then again I don't take my Whisperlite out any more. Just know the limitations. Fist and for most use a windscreen.
Adventures with Frodo
The joints are probably not titanium, and he’s likely talking about how it’s held together rather than the material it’s made out of.
Backpacker Brothers very respectful reply to a potentially inflammatory comment. Kudos.
I actually an aerospace engineer for my day job, and have worked with many metals including titanium - frequently used in flight hardware. It certainly has a higher tensile strength than most aluminum or low grade stainless steel alloys, and holds its strength well up to relatively high temps. That said, it is still not infinitely strong, and moreover, like someone else commented, the joists and the design of how it folds out and keeps together is definitely less robust than a lot of stoves I've seen. Finally, we have no way of truly knowing what titanium alloy it is, but I can tell you it is very likely not a high grade alloy. All that being said, these are the reasons we tested it. Since filming this video, I've used this stove many times on multiple trips and it has held up well without issue. Overall, I recommend trying it.
Anderson Karen Martin James Brown David
The BRS stove is poor quality. I had two and one was DOA. The 2nd one cut out after 2 minutes. A light stove is useless if it's dead.
Yikes, that’s pretty bad!
You really didn't do a tolerance test. I'm sorry but this didn't show me anything but it works. You talk about how it would be good for an ultralight backpacker. Well that's in the name. What I'm guessing is negative reviews are people trying to use it as a propane stove. It's built for small amounts of cooking. That's obvious. I love my MSR but after using this, I will say for what it's built for it exceeds expectations. If you want to do a good comparison review, boil multiple cups in succession. The reviews I saw look like extreme abuse that even my MSR wouldn't tolerate.
Thanks for the feedback. I have never needed to boil multiple cups in succession while backpacking. We tested it to the degree we felt it needs to be for a backpacker. It turns out that was apparently sufficient, because I’ve used it on multiple trips since with no issues. Sorry you didn’t find it useful. We’re happy many other people have.
love the anodizing that starts to happen when you run a new stove for awhile.
love the anodizing that starts to happen when you run a new stove for awhile.