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On the CDT, our friend Yoda used this tiny, affordable little stove called the BRS-3000T. It looked a little flimsy, but it lasted the entire trail. It’s not typically found in outdoor gear shops, instead one of the cheap commodities sold by the likes of Amazon/Walmart. We decided to give it a try and see how it compared to our prior stoves: the MSR Pocket Rocket 2 and the Snow Peak LiteMax.
We’ve been using the stove on our outdoor trips for a few years now. It gets the job done, boiling water fairly quickly. The regulator is sensitive so getting a simmer temperature can be tricky, but not impossible. It’s cheap, compact, and also incredibly light, weighing only 25 grams.
Cost
At less than $20, this stove costs a fraction of any comparable ultralight gas stove you can find at a major retailer. Granted, the stove is not as durable as those more expensive varieties, but with a little care it can certainly last a thru-hike. Similar products from mainstream brands cost around $50.
Weight
At less than an ounce, the BRS (0.9 oz) is also half the weight of the LiteMax (2 oz), and even less than half the weight of the Pocket Rocket (2.5 oz). We’re not talking about grams here, it is a full ounce or more lighter.
Effectiveness
While I no longer have the LiteMax stove to do a three-way comparison, I did compare the BRS against the Pocket Rocket in boiling equal volumes of room temperature water. Granted, this was a totally unscientific experiment, but I did aim for consistent conditions and ran a few trials. The BRS brought 2 cups of water to a boil in about 2 and a half minutes, a full 40 seconds to a minute faster than the Pocket Rocket was able to.
That being said, the BRS does have some consistency issues. It tends to sputter from time to time. It is much louder than the Pocket Rocket. It is a little trickier to regulate the temperature. It has a smaller base, meaning it is somewhat less stable than the Pocket Rocket. And like many products found on Amazon or Walmart, it is murky who made it and what kind of company they actually are.
Conclusion
This stove is lighter and cheaper than most stoves available out there, and it can boil water faster as well. While it is not made as well as more mainstream options, you get what you pay for. A budget-conscious hiker who takes care of their gear should be able to get an entire thru-hike out of this stove. And for once, the lightest option isn’t the most expensive!