Jetboil Flash Review

The Hiker's Buddy Verdict

The Jetboil Flash is our top pick for casual backpackers heading out on overnight or weekend trips in mild conditions. If your style of camp cooking is based around simple meals (think dehydrated pre-packs, ramen, and hot drinks) then the Flash should fit the bill. It packs a big punch, bringing half a liter of water to the boil in 100 seconds. But keep in mind you will struggle to cook anything other than water in it, and shouldn’t try.

It has a built in push button igniter, which is very convenient and works reliably, though you should still bring a back up lighter. The insulating sleeve keeps the contents warm after cooking, and also makes it much easier to handle. Another valuable feature is the ‘thermochromatic color-change heat indicator’ on the sleeve - a patch on the side which changes color when the water boils. This may sound a little gimmicky, but it’s actually a very useful feature to help you avoid wasting fuel.

All in all, the Flash is a top quality stove at a good price, and will be a great choice for most casual overnight hikers.

Who Should Buy It

Casual hikers and overnight backpackers heading out in mild conditions.

If you’re a casual hiker, and you don’t mind sticking to dehydrated meals, ramen, and hot drinks, then this could be the perfect stove for you. You’ll barely have your pack off before dinner’s done, and should have no trouble getting a hot cup of coffee ready for sunrise.

Who Shouldn't Buy It

While the Flash will be a great stove for many, it won’t fit the bill for everyone. If you’re in one of the categories below, you should probably consider an alternative.

Campsite chefs: If you really fancy your campground cooking skills, you’ll be disappointed by the Flash. It is fantastic at boiling water, but the high power (9000 BTU/h), lack of variable output control and tall, thin canister shape make doing anything other than boiling water inadvisable. Try to actually cook anything*,* and you’ll end up eating charcoal from a ruined pot.

Winter adventurers: Avoid the Jetboil Flash if you’ll be heading out in winter for activities such as backcountry skiing, mountaineering or snow camping. The Flash is an unregulated stove, which means its performance will be substantially degraded in cold conditions. If you’ll be heading out in winter, you should look to a regulated stove. The MiniMo is our recommendation from Jetboil in this category. If you need a primer on regulated vs unregulated stoves, we've written up an introductory guide here.

Ultralight backpackers: If you’re the ultralight type, and weight is your number one priority, then the Flash isn’t for you. You’ll be happier splashing the extra $20 for the Stash, which slashes close to 50% off the weight.

Large groups: At 1 L, the capacity of the Flash should be just adequate to boil water for two. Any more, and you’ll be taking turns. If you do most of your hiking in larger groups, you may want to look into a higher capacity option such as the Sumo - or make sure your hike companions are bringing along their own stoves.

Weight

At 371g, the Flash is the heaviest of the unregulated Jetboil stoves. It’s a touch heavier than the cheaper Zip (340g), and almost double the more expensive, lightweight Stash (201g). However it’s worth noting that it has a 0.2L capacity advantage over both of these models.

When the regulated options are included in the comparison, the Flash ends up roughly in the middle of the pack.

Pack Volume

With dimensions of 10.16 cm x 18.03 cm, the Flash has an approximate pack volume of 1462 cm³. This falls pretty close to the Zip (1404 cm³), and is only ~14% more than the Stash (1281 cm³).

Once again, considering the additional 0.2L capacity that the Flash offers over these alternatives, the relatively compact pack volume is all the more impressive.

Boil Speed & Heat Output

When it comes to boil speed, the Flash is very impressive. In ideal conditions, it can boil 0.5L of water in 100 seconds - under 2 minutes, which is managed by the powerful 9000 BTU/h heat output. This is fully double that of the Zip and Stash, and just shy of the most powerful Jetboil offering, the MightyMo, which puts out 10000 BTU/h.

However, it’s worth asking yourself how much boil time actually matters to you. Is it really much of an inconvenience to wait an extra minute for your water? Either way, it’s worth keeping this in mind when using boil time as a metric to select a stove.