Next to the joy of a summit, the thrill of the descent, or the pride of a PR, the most gratifying element of any outdoor adventure has got to be the meal that follows. Released on 3 March 2026, Jetboil's new TrailCook stove systems offer a new way to enhance the cooking experience for every backcountry chef, even the type who mostly just boil water for instant ramen and dehydrated backpacking meals. With new features like an integrated starter and precise burner control, the new TrailCook stoves improve the outdoor cooking experience on any sort of excursion, whether that be a multi-day expedition or a weekend spent posted up in a truck camper.
Last fall I was given the opportunity to test the new and updated TrailCook and Flash systems during an abridged three-day paddle through the Allagash Wilderness Waterway in Jetboil’s backyard of northern Maine. Following the outing, I gravitated towards the TrailCook 1.2L model for its backpack-friendly size and precision flame control. Below, my thoughts on the new stove's design, features, and how it works for camp gourmands like myself.
- Capacity 1.2 liters
- Weight 1 LB 3 OZ
- Dimensions 5 x 3.8 (in)
- Power 6000 BTU
- Fuel Isobutane/propane
- Price $180
Pros:
- Quick to boil
- Precise flame control
- Fuel efficient
Cons:
- Bulkier than more minimal options
Jetboil TrailCook Design and Features
Jetboil stoves have become legendary for their FluxRing design, which features a corrugated metal ring on the bottom of the pot that captures more heat from the stove’s flame, enabling impressively quick boil times. Without the FluxRing, campers would have to carry a pot with a much larger bottom surface area to capture an equal amount of the flame’s heat before transferring it into the water or food inside. You can rest any small camp cook pot atop the TrailCook (up to nine inches wide and two liters in volume), but you'll be downgrading the setup by pulling the FluxRing out of the equation.
This efficient transfer of thermal energy doesn’t just make water hot, faster—it actually saves fuel, too. If you opt to use one of the brand's Jetpower Fuel cans, you can expect to get 12 liters of boiling water from one 100-gram can.
Any camp chef worth their weight in granola will tell you that maximum heat is not the objective for cooking most ingredients. That’s where the flame control knob comes in, enabling precision adjustments that rival just about every home gas range I’ve ever lived with. This same knob also activates a built-in lighter once turned all the way open to the lightning bolt icon, just like a backyard gas grill, which makes getting the stove going easy peasy, without a lighter.
