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The Jetboil Sol is an iteration of the Jetboil Flash. Overall we prefer the Flash because it is a better value, has more capacity, can often be found on sale, and is cheaper to replace parts down the road.
There are three main differences between the Flash and the Sol. 1) The Sol uses a smaller 0.8 liter cup as compared the 1.0 liter cup on the Flash. 2) The Sol uses a new "Thermo Regulate" burner that gives "consistent heat down to 20 degrees F." According to Jetboil, it only boils water a little faster: the Sol boils 16 oz of water in 2:15 while the Flash takes 2:30. 3) The Sol weighs 3.5 ounces less than the Flash. Consider that most of this weight savings comes from a 20 percent smaller cup - not a big improvement.
Considering the Sol costs $20 more than the Flash yet is smaller, we don't think its the best buy unless you think you will notice saving 3.5 ounces. The better system to buy if you don't mind dropping cash to shave weight is the Jetboil Sol Ti ($149, 8.5 oz, 0.8 L). This system is 40 percent lighter than the Flash, 50 percent more expensive, and has 20 percent less capacity. The Sol is less versatile, slower, and not as storm-proof as the MSR Windburner.
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Jetboil Sol is small and light, a great choice for minimalist activities.
Performance Comparison
The Jetboil Sol and Flash. The Sol is the more minimalist cousin to the Flash.
Credit: Jessica Haist
Versatility
Integrated canisters are water boiling machines and that is all, so don't expect to be cooking elaborate meals on the Sol. With a great deal of additional stirring we were able to successfully make a pasta meal for two in the Sol - which was, however, painfully laborious. It's also a challenge to safely boil more than .65 liters of water. Our favorite feature on the Sol is its neoprene covered pot. This pot has a webbing handle, clip-in point, and coffee-mug-style lid. Slip your hand in to use the pot as a mug. By clipping in a carabiner and you can cook on a big wall. Unfortunately, these cozy's are notorious for loosing their shape over time and becoming saggy. You can buy a hanging kit to reduce the stress on the cozy for those big wall missions. No matter how and where you cook, the pot and the burner lock together, forming a one-piece unit that's secure and stable.
All Jetboil stoves include a built-in igniter, which we find to be wonderfully convenient but not trustworthy in the long term (we've heard so many many stories of them breaking).
Fuel Efficiency
We found the pot on the Sol to be incredibly well insulated. When it is not windy the Jetboil Sol is incredibly fuel efficient. If you are out in windy conditions with the Sol we recommend finding a sheltered place to use it or its fuel efficiency will be greatly reduced. If you want an integrated canister stove for bad weather, consider either the MSR Windburner or the MSR Reactor, both of which perform well in wind.
We tested all the backpacking stoves head-to-head in our garage for a timed boil test.
Credit: Jessica Haist
Boil Time
In our tests we boiled half a liter of water in the Sol in 2 minutes, 26 seconds — The Jetboil Flash took 2 minutes and 49 seconds.
Weight
The Jetboil Sol is the lightest of the integrated canister stoves we tested, weighing in at 10.1 ounces. The heaviest of the integrated canister stoves we tested was the Windburner weighing 14.8oz.
Stability
Because the Jetboil Sol has the smallest, shortest pot, it is the least tippy of the integrated canister stoves, but we still find them all a bit unstable. The Sol comes with a canister stand to help with this problem, but we seldom carry that into the backcountry when we're trying to go fast and light.
Packed Size
The burner assembly, pot support, and a 100g fuel canister all fit neatly inside the pot. Yes, that means your entire kitchen fits in a 4" x 6.5" package.
Jetboil Flash Sol Canister
Credit: Jetboil
Best Application
The Sol is a fast and light stove. We recommend using it only for your more extreme exploits like alpine climbing and trusting a more durable workhorse such as the MSR Whisperlite for casual camping and expeditions.
Value
The Sol is solid buy but not nearly the value of the Flash, which is bigger and at least $20 less (it can often be found on sale). Over the long term, the Flash replacement parts cost less than the Sol.
Conclusion
We appreciate Jetboil's stylish and snappy approach to stove design, but we also value durability. In the long haul, after five years of extended use and abuse, our prediction is that the igniter will have long ceased functioning, the colored neoprene cozy will be brownish and tattered, and the plastic burner housing may have broken. A friend who has had two of these stoves has had both plastic igniters break after only a few months. This isn't that big of a deal, it just means that you then need to light the stove manually with a lighter. Our friend does not like the stove any less; a broken igniter just comes with the territory.
