just found this thread again - update from April, when I used a new stove for the first time:
For cold weather and more efficient snow melting, I scored a new Jetboil Helios on ebay. Also useful for summer hikes with the growing hungry kids (1.5 L pot was getting too small, this one is 2L). It's heavier than anyhting I've used before at 29.3 oz including pot and windscreen and two plastic plates (double as covers and frisbees). Most of that weight is in the pot, which is heavy for two reasons: aluminum (better heat conductor than titanium, by a longshot)and copper heat exchanger on the bottom to extract the most out of your flame. This makes it much more fuel efficient and on longer hikes saves enough weight to offset the big pot luxury
I've not done any fuel use testing, but others have done so:
http://www.backpackgeartest.org/reviews/...ill%20Rietveld/I tried it at home with a near empty canister that didn't really do anything on my old stove, but on this thing it ran for another 20 minutes in the upside down position.
things I don't like are the fact that you can't pour from the pot without spilling or getting the neoprene cozy all wet. It's bulky, too, but then a 2L pot won't just disappear in your pack.
For solo hikes, I will be soon be adding the new ultra light Jetboil Sol to my gear kit. Am pretty impressed by the Helios and don't like my dinky and inefficient Vargo stove setup (picture in post above) for heating water.
