Jetboil PCS

Update: In February 2009, the Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled thousands of Jetboil PCS stoves sold between July and November 2008. The stoves had a faulty valve near the fuel source that could lead to a gas leak, and several consumers reported fires. Campers looking for a more reliable backpacking stove should take a look at the MSR Reactor (*Est. $140), an integrated stove that gets high marks for reliability and fast boiling times.

The Jetboil Personal Cooking System (PCS) was the first integrated stove -- a modular combination of burner and snap-on cooking cup -- to hit the market. It's ideal for simple meals, such as dehydrated foods, and boiling water for one or two people. The Jetboil PCS is a long-running favorite in user reviews, but it's important to note its limitations: It can only boil two cups of water at once and isn't designed for slow cooking. Soups or other prepared foods may burn, as this stove works best on high. At 15 ounces, it's heavier than many backpacking camp stoves.

We found dozens of expert and user reviews of the Jetboil PCS camping stove on outdoors websites. An article in The Seattle Times reports on field tests of this stove. Compared to other stoves, the Jetboil PCS has garnered a lot of attention. Major retail sites such as Amazon.com don't have many reviews of these kinds of camping stoves compared to other products.