Why I love my MSR Pocket Rocket Deluxe Stove

The MSR Pocket Rocket Deluxe Stove is an ultralight stove for backpacking and camping. Designed to be durable, it builds on the MSR Pocket Rocket by introducing an Auto Ignitor, broad head for better simmering control, and a concave burner to protect the flame from the wind.

Quick review

Fantastic. Ultralight. Always came through for me. Never faltered. Held up to the wind, the soggy days, the long days. When I needed hot food, a hot sip of cocoa, or even just a blaze to start my fire because I was lazy, the PocketRocket came through for me.

I give a four-star rating only because I paid extra for the Deluxe, which has the push-start igniter. It worked great for a month or two of my Appalachian Trail thru-hike, but then began to only sporadically light the stove.

Review policy

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The Technical Details

Why I love my MSR Pocket Rocket

When I was looking for a stove to take with me on the Appalachian Trail, I knew I needed a couple of things. I needed a stove that was lightweight, had a fuel source I could easily obtain, and wouldn’t break after five months of daily use.

The MSR PocketRocket checked each one of those boxes.

Since purchasing it, I’ve used this stove consistently. From breakfasts on Georgia mountain overlooks to the bitter cold nights in the Great Smoky Mountains to wet dinners in Massechuetts and Vermont, my PocketRocket has never let me down.

The concave burner concept protects the flame from the wind, and the broad head increases your control over the flame. Backcountry gourmet chief, anyone? It was very fuel-efficient, making sure that each drop of propane was used effectively to heat my food.

Plus, it’s ultralight, and pretty compactible. The prongs fold up along the body, and it can slide into a black drawstring bag. I could also tuck my lighter in there with it, and that fit inside my pot atop my fuel can.

Why I didn’t like the MSR PocketRocket Deluxe

The main reason I bought the MSR PocketRocket Deluxe was because of the Auto Initiation. Wouldn’t it be nice, I thought, to not have to wrestle with my fingers and lighters and that annoying little burn you get on your thumb when you’ve lit too many things over and over and over? It didn’t even add that much weight.

And it was nice. Just open up the propane, click down on the ignitor, and the fuel burst into flame.

However, it didn’t last all that long. It wasn’t until about two months into my five-month journey that I realized it was taking more strikes to get the flame. By the halfway point, I wasn’t even using the ignitor anymore, just back to the regular lighter.

From what I’ve heard from others who’ve bought the Deluxe, it sounds like the same story. The auto ignition was great, but it just didn’t last that long.

The stove itself is still by far my favorite stove I’ve ever used. The wide burner head and concave design still makes it worth it in my eyes, but do be aware that the auto ignition is a limited-time perk.

Where to buy the PocketRocket

I highly recommend the MSR PocketRocket Deluxe Stove. You’ll see me with it on almost every trip I go on. If you’re interested in getting one for yourself, you can find them here.