GSI Outdoors Glacier Canister-Top Stove Review

As a backpacker, I have always been skeptical of integrated stove systems. Why spend over $130 on a fancy contraption when I just want something to boil water? After testing the GSI Glacier Canister Top Stove for several months, I am once again reassured in my skepticism. This device proves that a pot, fuel, and a reliable canister stove are all you need.

GSI Outdoors recently redesigned its flagship stove, and the new version is lighter and more compact. I used this stove on several camping trips in the spring and on a week-long backpacking trip along the Oregon coast.

In short: If you want an easy-to-use, lightweight, no-frills stove, the GSI Outdoors Glacier Canister-Top ($65) is the ticket. In an age when almost every piece of backpacking gear costs over $100, it’s refreshing to find a functional piece of gear at an extremely affordable price.

Compare the Glacier Canister-Top Stove with other picks in our guide to the Best Backpacking Stoves.

GSI Outdoors Glacier Canister Top Stove Review

Design and Features

The stove has a simple, easy-to-use design. There are three legs to rest a pot on. They each pivot and rotate inwards so you can collapse the stove for storage. There is a standard fuel valve to control the burner, and a piezo ignitor.

When packed away, the stove easily fit in my Snow Peak 14-ounce titanium cup, which I then nestled in my pot. It was quite handy to have such a small stove that took up so little space in my pack.

I used a 750 mL titanium pot from TOAKS with this stove. I was along the beach in Oregon, so it was quite windy. The three legs of the GSI stove are spaced in such a way that the pot seemed pretty sturdy on the stove. I was never worried that the blustering winds would blow off the pot.

Using the Stove

Several of the stoves I’ve used in the past — including the MSR Pocket Rocket and the Coastal Range Equipment stove — always leaked fuel when I screwed on and took off the container of isobutane. This isn’t a huge deal, but it was an annoying way to waste fuel. This never happened with the GSI stove; I never heard the telltale hiss of fuel coming out.

One hiccup of this stove is that to get it to fully stow away, you have to twist the gas control valve slightly into the open position. This means that when you set the stove up, you have to remember to turn the gas control valve back if you don’t want any to escape.

I timed the boil time of water with this stove over the course of several days, using room temperature water at sea level. I got 240 mL of water and 350 mL of water to boil in 2 minutes, 10 seconds, and 3 minutes, 25 seconds, respectively. One liter took 4:00. This is slower than other stoves, as the Jetboil Stash can get 1 L of water to a boil in 2:25, and the MSR XGK EX gets it done in 3:30.

As someone who typically goes backpacking alone, I never need to boil that much water. I usually only boil enough for one dehydrated meal, so a slow boil time isn’t a huge concern for me. However, for people in larger groups who need to boil more water, this stove’s slow boil time might be a deal-breaker.

Premature Piezo Failure & Leg Concerns

The stove has a piezo ignitor. Past GearJunkie reviewers have noted that piezo ignitors often aren’t the most durable; they often fail in the presence of dust or moisture, which there’s plenty of on trail. After my Oregon trip, I set up the stove on my back porch to boil water to retest its boiling time. I clicked the igniter, but nothing happened. After less than a month of total use, the piezo ignitor is now defunct, and I am back to using a lighter.

Another area of durability concern is the legs on the stove. As mentioned, they are screwed in at one point, from which they rotate in and out of their folded positions. I would be worried that this joint could eventually fail with enough repetitive use. I prefer the design of stoves like the MSR Pocket Rocket, which just moves in and out, instead of also rotating.

How Lightweight Is It?

The GSI Glacier stove weighs 3.1 ounces. This is in the same neighborhood as most other canister-top stoves. MSR’s Pocket Rocket Deluxe weighs 2.6 ounces, and SOTO’s Windmaster weighs 3 ounces.

My 750mL TOAKS pot weighs 3.6 ounces, bringing my cooking set-up to a total weight of 7.7 ounces. Comparing that to integrated systems like Jetboils, this setup is much lighter. Jetboil’s MiniMo weighs 14 ounces, while its Flash Fast weighs 13 ounces. The stove-and-pot method saves nearly half a pound, so if you’re solo or an ultralighter, it’s worth considering.

A Budget Winner

The GSI Glacier stove retails for $65, which is about average for canister stoves. Of course, you’ll need a pot as well. You can grab a lightweight titanium pot for anywhere from $26 to $65, depending on the size. For simplicity’s sake, we can estimate the all-in cost at $100. This is far cheaper than integrated stoves like Jetboils, which start at $145 and can go up to $180. Coastal Range Equipment’s version of the integrated stove costs $150.

What you choose to purchase is all about trade-offs. Obviously, the higher price tag of a Jetboil comes with more features and a faster boil time. If you’re a backpacker on a budget, or want to save space, a simple stove like the GSI Glacier is a great pick. My stove nestled inside my 750mL pot takes up much less real estate in my pack than a Jetboil would.

GSI Outdoors Glacier Canister Stove: Conclusions

When I’m on trail, I’m not cooking with my stove; I literally just boil water. If I’m car camping, I use a two-burner Coleman stove to actually sauté veggies, cook chicken, or make eggs. If, like me, you live on freeze-dried meals while backpacking and only want and need a way to boil water, the GSI Glacier Canister-Top stove is a solid choice. The ignitor can be faulty, but the stove is compact, lightweight, and simple to use.

This streamlined setup means you’re sacrificing a fast boil time. At the end of a long day of hiking, you might have to wait a few extra minutes for your water to boil. How much that bothers you should help you decide whether to purchase a canister top stove or an integrated one.

If you’re on a budget and want a no-muss, no-fuss stove, the GSI Outdoors Glacier is worth consideration.