Jetboil has been one of the most popular and easy-to-use camping stoves on the market since it hit shelves in 2001. If you already have or are considering a Jetboil camping stove and are planning a trip, you’re probably wondering: how long does jetboil fuel last?
Under normal use, a 100g Jetboil fuel canister will last up to 5 days, a 230g Jetboil fuel canister will last up to 10 days, and a 450g Jetboil fuel canister will last up to 25 days.
If you use your Jetboil stove more or less than average then this will affect how long Jetboil fuel will last.
How Long Does Jetboil Fuel Last?
The most common question we get about jetboil camping stoves is “how much jetboil fuel do I need?”.
This is understandable because Jetboil fuel claims to be up to twice as efficient as conventional stoves, but figuring out how much Jetboil fuel to bring can be tricky.
The standard for simple backpacking is boiling 2 cups of water per meal, as that’s what most freeze-dried and dehydrated backpacking meals require.
What impacts how long jetboil fuel lasts is how many hot meals you eat per day using your Jetboil stove.
Related: The 7 best campfire cooking kit options available
How Much Jetboil Fuel Do I Need For Light Use?
For this example we will define minimal use as 2 hot meals per day and making hot coffee in the morning, so you’re boiling about 6 cups of water.
It takes about 5g of Jetboil fuel to boil 2 cups of water, so you’d be using 15g of fuel per day.
Here’s how long Jetboil fuel will last you for light use:
- A Jetboil 100g canister will last up to 5 days (with a little bit left over)
- A Jetboil 230g canister will last up to 15 days
- A Jetboil 450g canister will last up to 30 days
How Much Jetboil Fuel Do I Need For Medium Use?
Let’s assume you’re making three hot meals per day and making some hot water for coffee in the morning, so now you’re boiling about 8 cups of water per day.
Again, it takes about 5g of Jetboil fuel to boil 2 cups of water, so you’re burning 20g of fuel per day.
Here’s how long Jetboil fuel will last you for medium use:
- A Jetboil 100g canister will last between 4-5 days
- A Jetboil 230g canister will last up to 11 days (with a little left over)
- A Jetboil 450g canister will last up to 22 days
How Much Jetboil Fuel Do I Need For Heavy Use
So let’s look at how fast you’ll go through jetboil fuel if you’re making three hot meals per day, making some coffee in the morning, having a hot beverage with each meal, and maybe a hot beverage before bed.
If this is the case, you’re going to be boiling about 12 cups of water each day, and since it takes 5g of jetboil fuel to boil 2 cups of water, you’re going to need about 30g of fuel each day.
Here’s how long Jetboil fuel will last you for heavy use:
- A Jetboil 100g canister will last up to 3 days
- A Jetboil 230g canister will last up to 7.5 days
- A Jetboil 450g canister will last up to 15 days
How Much Jetboil Fuel Do I Need Per Person?
Consider that the above numbers are assuming that you are boiling water or cooking for one person only. If you will be sharing your stove or fuel with a group, divide the number of days for each use case by the amount of people you have.
Using that math, a Jetboil 230g canister will last 2 people up to 7 days with light use, 5.5 days with medium use, and 7.5 days with heavy use.
Jetboil Fuel Burn Time
Jetboil claims that their most popular stove, the Jetboil Flash, can boil 2 cups of water in around 100 seconds.
This claim has been proven in independent tests as well, so we’ll use this as our guide.
We know from our earlier examples that boiling 2 cups of water will expend about 5g of Jetboil fuel, so Jetboil fuel has a burn rate of 5g per 100 seconds.
Jetboil 100g Burn Time
You can run a 100g canister of Jetboil fuel for about 30 minutes continuously.
Jetboil 230g Burn Time
You can run a 230g canister of Jetboil fuel for about 1 hour 15 minutes (75 minutes).
Jetboil 450g Burn Time
You can run a 450g canister of Jetboil fuel for about 2 hours 30 minutes (150 minutes).
How Many Meals Can Jetboil Fuel Make?
This depends on if you’re using your Jetboil fuel with a stove or cooking system like the Genesis Basecamp system or if you’re using a smaller option like the Flash.
How Many Meals Can A Jetboil 100g Fuel Canister Make?
A 100g Jetboil fuel canister will make about 12 meals if used effectively.
How Many Meals Can A Jetboil 230g Fuel Canister Make?
A 230g Jetboil fuel canister will make about 30 meals if used effectively.
How Many Meals Can A Jetboil 450g Fuel Canister Make?
A 100g Jetboil fuel canister will make about 54 meals if used effectively.
How To Figure Out How Much Jetboil Fuel You Need
Test It Out Before Your Trip
Try to simulate your common use scenario that you’ll be using your Jetboil with while backpacking or camping.
Try a 100g canister out and see how long it lasts you, paying close attention to how long it takes for you to go through it.
Factors That Affect How Long Jetboil Fuel Lasts
All the numbers we’ve covered are going to be a baseline for standard use and don’t always reflect the “real world”.
Here are some factors that will determine how much Jetboil fuel you’ll go through.
The Model Of Your Jetboil Stove
What kind of stove you use your Jetboil fuel with is going to impact your burn rate in a big way.
Something compact like the Jetboil Flash will sip much less fuel than the dual-burner Genesis, for example.
Cold Weather
Cold weather can affect how long your Jetboil fuel lasts because it can take a bit longer for you to boil water during lower outside temps, especially during extreme weather.
Power Level
If you turn the burner all the way up to cook at higher temps, you’re going to go through your Jetboil fuel faster than cooking at medium or lower temps.
Of course you can’t always control this if you need to cook foods at high heats or boil things, but bringing foods that cook at lower temperatures or trying recipes that work with simmering will help you conserve fuel.
How Long Does Jetboil Fuel Last? Wrapping Things Up
We hope this guide helped you understand how long jetboil canisters last and gave you the burn time guidelines you need to make sure you bring enough fuel with you on your next outing.
If you’re into camping, check out our other guides on the best tents that fit a queen air mattress, how to make a DIY camping bed, the best e-port tents, and what wood is toxic to burn while you’re here.
While you’re here, check out our other great camping guides:
- The best campfire cooking kits
- Our complete guide to cowboy camping
- The best camping string lights
- How to lock a tent
- The best e-port tents
- How to make a DIY camping bed
- Tents that fit a queen air mattress
- How long does wood take to dry after rain?
- How long does Jetboil fuel last?
- The best heated camping chairs
