I took the remains of the previous 100g canister plus a backup 230g and only just broke into the larger canister. It was warm and lightly breezy for most of the trip. The Stash accompanied me on a five day van trip to the French bouldering mecca of Fontainebleau in early September, where I tested its compatibility with my trusty mocha pot (well, you’ve got have something wash down all that Pâtisserie), as well as cooking simple pasta and sauce meals for myself and a friend. This trip was in warm, mid-July conditions with very little wind and the boil time was impressively just shy of 2.5 minutes.

With a nearby water source we didn’t have to be frugal, and did six boils in total.

My partner and I tested the Stash’s ability to cater for two using only the components it came with (plus gas) with a dehydrated meal each followed by a cup of tea, and coffee and instant oats in the morning. The Stash was first put through its paces on the aforementioned overnight escape into the local Lakeland fells. Under various circumstances, I tested the Stash for boiling water for dehydrated meals and hot drinks using the FluxRing pot, as well as some simple meals with both the FluxRing and other pots that I already owned. Another factor is the wind, the FluxRing system on the Stash pot offers a degree of shielding, but strong gusts are certain to slow down the boil time too. For example, if you’re melting down snow it’s going to take significantly longer to reach boiling point than room temperature water. Of course, the Stash’s suggested 2.5 minute boil time is going to be affected by a number of elements. Ration packs for two might be do-able if you’re happy with the minimum amount of water or not opposed to doing a couple of boils, but you certainly wouldn’t want to be cooking for the masses. The Stash pot has an 800ml capacity, and given that most of the dehydrated meals I use require 4-500ml of water adding, it’s more than enough for solo adventures. Once the Stash is packed, the handle of the pot folds on top of the lid, which makes it feel extra secure. One big advantage of this setup is that because the canister doesn’t touch the metal cooking pot at all, you don’t get that annoying ring of rust transference if you put the canister back into a slightly damp pot, and nothing rattles around.

The gas canister clips upside-down into the innovative lid, which has a slightly raised section so that a mini lighter will sit in the recess on the underside of the canister. The handle of the pot folds on top of the lid, which makes it feel extra secure Assembling it for use is straightforward, you simply secure the canister to the fuel stabiliser and screw the burner into the canister. Instructions on how to pack the Stash are printed on the side of the pot, making it virtually idiot-proof (so naturally, I got it right on the second try). I unpacked the stove and reassembled it with a 100g JetPower gas canister (you have to buy these separately), and a lighter. When the Stash arrived on my doorstep, I picked up the package and was immediately surprised by how light it felt.

Jetboil piezo lighter not working