Taking a look at an $8 clone of the MSR Pocket Rocket Stove. I recently ordered this piece of little piece of gear as an inexpensive way to start experimenting with Canister Stoves. My current go-to setup is a DIY alcohol stove that I love for the light weight (ultralight actually), but Winter is coming, along with cold weather, and the price was right. See where this is going?

The manufacturer claimed a weight of 3.9 ounces. According to my scale, that includes the case (that I’ll never use), so the true weight rang it at 3.25 ounces. I didn’t have an MSR Pocket Rocket to weigh at the time of filming, but the REI website lists it at 3oz, so the weights are similar. The $8 clone also boasts a Piezo Ignition system, which the real Pocket Rocket actually doesn’t come equipped with. Most wouldn’t rely solely on a Piezo ignition without an a reliable, back-up fire source though, so that’s not really the end of the world. It also probably adds a bit of weight, but if you’re hardcore enough, you could probably snip it off.

Now let’s see if it works…