Ultralight Upstart Challenges Jetboil on Speed, Weight, Price: Coastal Range Backpacker Stove Review

After a 21-mile, 10-hour day on the Superior Hiking Trail (SHT), all I wanted was my calorically dense dehydrated pasta meal. I whipped out the Coastal Range Equipment Backpacker Stove ($149), and in less than a minute, I had enough water boiled for my meal, which was great because I had approximately zero patience left. 

I tested the upstart brand Coastal Range Equipment’s integrated Backpacker Stove over 3 days on the SHT in Minnesota and while camping in Illinois. For the last 15 years, I have been using the same MSR PocketRocket backpacking stove, and at this point, it would take a lot to change my allegiance.

After using Coastal Range’s Backpacker, however, I might just be ready to switch teams. The Coastal Range setup is the lightest cooking system I’ve ever used, and excels at the simple yet crucial task of getting water hot fast. 

In short: The Coastal Range Equipment Backpacker Stove ($149) is very light, intuitive to use, and costs about the same as big-name competitors. Its streamlined design makes it easy to pack, and its 9.2-ounce weight will appeal to gram-counting backpackers. If you’re in the market for a fast-boil integrated camping stove system and want to cut weight, this is a great option from a new brand.

Compare the Coastal Range Backpacker Stove to those on GearJunkie’s guide to the Best Backpacking Stoves.

Coastal Range Equipment Stove Review

Testing & Packing 

I used the Coastal Range stove as my only cooking/eating vessel while backpacking for 3 days on the SHT. I also used it to boil water and cook meals with a skillet while camping for several weekends in southern Illinois. 

Except for the pot insulation covering getting a little dirty, I noticed no substantial wear or tear. While backpacking, I found the inside of the pot easy to wipe out and clean with just water and a baby wipe. 

Storing and carrying the stove is a cinch. The gas burner and stove supports fit inside the pot, with room to store even more items. I even managed to fit my water filter inside. A plastic bowl/cover protects the underside of the pot. I appreciated how little room the stove took up in my pack and how neatly it fit alongside other cylindrical items like my sleeping pad. 

In the Field

Setting up the cooking system took very little time. The gas burner attaches to the Isopro fuel canister, and the bottom of the pot attaches to the burner. It’s almost identical to the standard Jetboil design, with a few notable differences (we’ll get to those later).

I tested boiling times, and the Coastal Range really did deliver. I boiled over 0.5 L of water (295 mL) in 50 seconds. The simple Piezo ignition system worked well and saved me the hassle of using a lighter. These can sometimes stop working as efficiently over time, but this one hasn’t failed me yet.

The lid has a strainer, which is handy if you don’t have a dehydrated meal and need to cook inside the Backpacker’s container. It was great for foods like ramen and mac ‘n’ cheese.

While camping, I used the burner as my primary stove, adding in the stove supports while I used a skillet to cook dishes like eggs. Like all stoves, it takes a minute to get the hang of adjusting the heat to the right levels. However, the stove supports added enough stability that I had no issue heating up leftovers for dinner or toasting bagels in the morning.

Coastal Range vs. Competitors

When comparing the Coastal Range to its competitors, the Jetboil Stash ($165) seems the most comparable. 

The Stash costs $15 more and with just 0.8 L of capacity, it has 0.4 L less volume than the Backpacker. The Backpacker also beats the Stash on boil time — just barely. The Stash claims to boil its 0.8L capacity in 5 minutes, whereas the Coastal Range boils 1 L in 5 minutes.

Of course, for backpackers, the most important stat is weight. Here, the JetBoil takes a decisive win. It is 7.1 ounces, compared to the Coastal Range Backpacker’s 9.1 ounces. But the Stash is Jetboil’s lightest stove ever. Compared to other Jetboil models, the Coastal Range Backpacker is lighter across the board.

Compared to other stoves on GearJunkie’s guide to the Best Backpacking Stoves, the Backpacker is also lighter than most. The Toaks Ti Siphon Alcohol Stove, the SOTO Windmaster, the MSR Pocket Rocket, the GSI Outdoors Glacier, and the Jetboil Stash are the only lighter stoves on the list. Notably, the Stash is the only stove among the lighter options listed that offers a boil time near that of the Coastal Range Backpacker’s.

So it isn’t the cheapest, fastest, or lightest option out there, but it’s pretty close. And for a brand that’s just emerging, that’s impressive.

Drawbacks

When I hooked up a fresh-from-the-store fuel canister to the Coastal Range, some gas would escape, liquefy, and leak, making my hands wet. The same thing happens with my MSR Pocket Rocket (but not with a Jetboil).

Once the fuel canister was more empty, or if I was using a half-empty canister, this didn’t happen with the Backpacker.

My only other issue with the Backpacker stove is the thickness of the insulation around the aluminum pot. If I tried to touch the vessel to pour water right after it had boiled, the insulation wasn’t thick enough, and it was too hot to touch. I had to pull up the sleeves of my sun hoodie to protect my hands. 

GearJunkie’s Camping and Hiking Editor Will Brendza did not experience the same kind of liquid gas leak from his Jetboil Mini that I did with the Coastal Range. He also has no problem grabbing his Jetboil when water is actively boiling; the insulation is sufficient. 

Coastal Range Backpacker Stove: Conclusions

My old MSR Pocket Rocket and 1.2L REI Co-op brand titanium pot weighed slightly more than the Coastal Range, at 9.73 ounces. However, it boiled water much more slowly. For most lighter-weight stoves, that will be the case. The Jetboil Stash is the only true competitor in both weight and boil time.

If you’re interested in making the switch to an integrated stove system, Coastal Range is worth checking out. It’s covered by a 3-year warranty and makes cooking on the trail a cinch. If you buy yours while the Kickstarter campaign has inventory left, you can get yours for $130 or two for $230. All production units will ship in October 2025. Then it will be available on the Coastal Range website for the retail price of $150.

This small, independent brand is just getting started on Kickstarter, and it will be interesting to see how its product line grows and changes. While competitors (specifically Jetboil) might have the functionality edge over Coastal Range for now, this stove will no doubt attract the attention of ultralighters. Future versions may soon rank among the lightest backpacking fast-cook stoves out there.