MSR MicroRocket Stove Review
The MSR MicroRocket Stove is the baby brother of the popular MSR Pocket Rocket stove. It’s smaller and lighter, ideal for those who like to travel as light as possible. While still carrying the high-quality finish of an MSR product, and delivering when it comes to making some coffee or some food.
This backpacking stove is aimed at people who have simple cooking requirements, and prefer to travel light. You can set it up in a matter of moments and have something on the boil with minimal fuss.
Setup and Design Features
Like all small compact stoves, the MSR MicroRocket stove is a breeze to set up. Always perform a safety check that the gas is connected securely, but the canister twists in securely and easily on this model. When the burner head is attached, fold out the arms. The arms are strong enough to support large pots of water, and the body of the stove is very solid with a wide base. So if you set up on some decent ground there isn’t much concern of the stove toppling.
The flame is regulated with a fold-out wire adjuster. Keeping your hand far enough away from the flame to be safe, and giving you good control over the flame. The three armed clasp on the top of the flame is called a ‘windclip‘, and is designed to shield the flame from wind. It does a decent job, but you may need additional cover in bad conditions.
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At 2.7 oz the Micro Rocket falls firmly into the very light category. It comes with a piezo-ignition pen so it’s easy to light, no need to carry any other forms of lighter. It’s a great all round stove, and certainly one of MSR’s best at this size.
Dimensions – 5″ x 4″ x 3.5″ and weighs 2.7 oz.
Comparison Information
The Micro lives up to its name, being about half an ounce lighter than it’s big brother the Pocket Rocket. The burner diameter is a litter smaller, but MSR claim they both boil a liter of water in around 3.5 minutes. This means, if you’re looking for the smallest possible stove it’s an easy choice in my opinion. MSR are well known for this build quality, and delivering reliable products, so not doubts there either.
It’s a little larger than the Snow Peak Gigapower, and takes a little longer to boil a liter. There isn’t a lot to separate these two, but the MSR name carries a lot of weight with a lot of the outdoors community.
A huge plus point to these small stoves is the lack of maintenance involved. I love how they are easy to just pick up and use. The micro is probably at the limit to how small you need a stove to be while still functioning at a high output and being sturdy in design.
Pros
- Ultralight and very portable
- Strong pot support arms and secure design
- Packs a lot of power for a small stove
Cons
- More expensive than some slightly larger models
- Additional wind protection needed in bad conditions
Insider Tips
With small compact stoves you need to be aware of their limits. You need to find a decent spot to set up, ideally on a bench or other flat ground. They perform best in good or average conditions, if it’s windy out you usually need some additional form of windshield. I recommend taking a backup fuel canister at all times too, an 8 oz canister typically gives out around 60 mins of burn time.
MSR MicroRocket Stove Summary
If you’re on a mission to reduce the weight in your backpack you’re not going to do much better than the Micro Rocket. It’s incredibly light, compact, and easy to set up. It has a good balance of weight and carries pots well, ideal for beginners and experienced outdoors enthusiasts alike.
Conclusion
I love reviewing these MSR stoves, they always deliver on quality and reliability. The MSR MicroRocket Stove is no exception, if you’ve never owned an MSR stove before this stove is the perfect model to try one out. You can keep it as a backup, or just take it on the smaller trips. Click the link below to see some user feedback and additional comments.