Outbound Reviewed: MSR PocketRocket 2 Mini Stove Kit

The PocketRocket isn’t the newest kid on the block. In fact, I purchased my first PocketRocket in 2004, and it still performs. Far from being a detriment, the PocketRocket’s long history makes it a rock star. How many pieces of gear did you own 14 years ago that you still use today? With the PocketRocket 2, MSR has made small changes that improve the stove without messing with the features that make it a long-standing favorite.

The PocketRocket 2 is a micro stove, and an ultralight one at that. I tried out the PocketRocket 2 Mini Stove Kit, which includes the stove, a 0.75 liter hard-anodized aluminum pot, a 16 ounce BPA-free bowl, a lid with straining ports, a mini pot handle, and a stuff sack. All that weighs in at a diminutive 9.9 ounces. The entire set packs up tiny, and still leaves room to nest a 4 ounce fuel canister inside.

The PocketRocket 2 boils faster than its predecessors (1 liter of water in under 4 minutes) and MSR has vastly improved the stove's ability to simmer. The simmer function alone — a rare ability in the market of micro stoves — makes the PocketRocket 2 at the head of the pack. The included pot is perfectly sized to make a single pouch meal, a single cup of coffee or tea, and can double as a cereal or oatmeal bowl in the morning.

MSR missed no detail when adding straining ports to the pot’s lid (for easy dumping of cooking liquids) and thoughtfully cut out a notch in the lid for the tiny pot handle. The edges of the pot are covered in a rubber grip, which means once your morining coffee cools a bit you can sip straight from the pot.

The design of the PocketRocket has changed little over the years, though the legs have gotten slightly smaller and the overall effect is a bit more elegant. Still, I was happy to see the basics remained the same. I expect my PocketRocket 2 to last just as long — or perhaps even longer — as my original PocketRocket.