First Look: Jetboil Joule™

 

Joule inverts the canister and preheats the fuel for more efficient output.

Joule inverts the canister and preheats the fuel for more efficient output.

Jetboil is upping the ante with Joule, their new stove system that combines the fuel efficient improvements of their Helios stove with a larger pot for car camping or groups. As with all Jetboil systems, it packs down nice and neat inside its own 2½-liter pot.

Not only does the Joule eek out every last drop of butane fuel by inverting the canister, but it also preheats the fuel by running the fuel line through the flame for maximum efficiency. The preheat of the fuel will really help at altitude, or snow camping. An updated valve also allows for more adjustment range on the flame, so you can bring water to a boil fast, then turn it down to simmer while your dehydrated food cooks, or for cooking perishables slowly on an old fashioned cast iron skillet.

The overall package is a lot larger than you may be used to with a Jetboil logo on it, something you will appreciate if you want a lot of capacity, something Jetboil’s classic Flash and Sol systems simply lack. The extra bulk of the 2-quart pot make the Joule something you wouldn’t normally carry in a pack on a long trip, except if you’re divvying up group gear in which case, it takes less space than two or three smaller systems.

Another, less obvious improvement is the metal walls around the heat exchanger coils. This does two things. First, it protects the exchanger grid from being easily damaged and two, it provides a way for the pot to latch to the stove.


 
Jetboil is claiming boil times for one liter with the Helios style stove at 2 minutes, 40 seconds. After a long day on the trail being that means 3-4 people could be eating withing 15 minutes of firing the Joule up. That’ll be music to a lot of folks ears, and tummies. Biggest bummer is it won’t be available until February 2014.

Jetboil
Joule
MSRP: $170
Weight (stove+pot): 25.2 ounces (
Boiling time: 2′ 40” (at sea level)

w/Alpinist Kit (windscreen and hanging jig)
MSRP: $200

© 2013
 

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