Why The Jetboil Is My Ultimate Car Camping Stove: A Day in the Life
The sun began to crest above the alpine peaks and peer down through my car window and onto my face. My eyes slowly peel open to greet the first light of the day. With a big yawn and a slow deep stretch, I make ready my clothes and prepare to step outside for the first time. With the sun fully illuminating the landscape, the processes and excitement of the day begin to take shape. However, first, meditation.
I enjoy the mornings to sleep in and catch up on much needed rest after the long work week, but the early hours of the day where hardly anyone is stirring and the light is just beginning to paint the landscape is my favorite part of the day. I often wish night would creep in sooner so as I can go to sleep to look forward to early morning light and solitude sooner. But the quiet hours of the morning are briefly interrupted with just a few moments of the Jetboil firing to life to brew the greatest liquid on the planet, coffee.
Either with a separately purchased French press or the Jetboil French press adapter, long are the days of instant coffee. Once the coffee is poured, the camp chair is pulled out and the early morning sun filled with the first sounds of birds fill the senses with each taste washed down my throat. I can go on and on about the pleasures of coffee and morning bliss, but so much more is to come to fill the day.
With the Jetboil now emptied out and into my coffee mug, that free space can now be used for the most important meal of the day. With my schedule, the last thing I want to do is grill up something greasy or heavy to fill my stomach and limit my energy for the activities planned. So either a quick boil for some oatmeal is in order or a cup of granola and a splash of almond milk are now in the Jetboil waiting for a spoon.
After the breakfast and caffeine begin to awaken the soul, the feeling of excitement and depression arise. Excitement in that I am ready to tackle my day filled with all of the activities I love to do. But also, depression as the coffee is gone. Usually that also coincides with the morning also being gone, therefore the fly rod is rigged and a fun mid-morning to late afternoon casting to rising trout is on the forecast.
The day warms and the sound of grasshoppers scratching their legs together in the tall blades of grass, mixed with various alpine flowers adjacent to the cascading creek filled with trout. The grasshopper pattern is tied on and the casting begins in the deep pockets behind the boulders. A few casts in and a dark shadow bursts out of nowhere and lurches for the floating terrestrial. I set the hook and the fight ensues. Gorgeous colors of brown, red, yellow, and orange come to hand and just for a second I take in the simple splendor of the conversation we had while living in very different environments. Keeping it wet, I watch as the trout bends its body off of my moist hand and back into the creek where it belongs. A few more moments like that and subtle craving and urge for a second cup of coffee brings me back to the car to prepare for another fun activity for the day.
With the sun finally beginning to fade behind the nearby ridge, shadowing the landscape and slowly cooling the earth, the running shoes are laced and the trails in the drainage are beckoning. Though a tough workout, the trail going up always grants a view of what lives below always making it worth every drop of sweat. Atop the trail, lay an accomplishment as the goal of achieving the view is present and with the best part of the run now about to begin, the sun cresting down on the horizon is the metaphorical starting gun to the fun trail run down back to the car for dinner.
My axe splits the wood easily and the leftover scrap cardboard from the sparkling water is a great fire starter. With the fire now crackling to life, the pea soup is poured into the Jetboil to slowly simmer in preparation for some salt, pepper, and crackers. Once ready, the camp chair is pulled next to the fire and the soup is cooled enough for a spoonful, no bowl needed as well.
With dinner settling nicely in the stomach, and the glow of the fire keeping me company, the only chore from dinner is dishes and for that, just a splash of creek water and the movement from my index finger gently around the edges of the Jetboil washes away any residue just in time for the second greatest liquid of the day, tea. Using the same creek water, I fire up the Jetboil one last time and pour boiling water into my mug over a peppermint tea bag. With night fully crept in and only the glow of the fire and my headlamp to paint the landscape, the last and final chore of the day needs to be done; to put the Jetboil away.
With a simple unscrewing of the stove from its fuel canister, they both come apart and fit perfectly within the pot of the Jetboil design. With enough practice, one can put the whole setup away with their eyes closed. With the glow of the fire descending, the sparkle of the stars take over and another day in paradise, living in my car, with my Jetboil bringing me coffee, breakfast, dinner, and tea are all resting for use again the following day, wherever and whatever I may be doing.
Blog by Sean Jansen