Slimline all-in-one personal cooking systems – such as the MSR WindBurner, Jetboil Flash or Primus Lite Plus – are fantastic for fast and light backpacking. However, they can also be top-heavy, prone to wobble, and have gas valves and simmer controls placed uncomfortably close to the flame and directly under the (hot!) pot.
The LowDown Remote Stove Adapter from MSR solves these issues. It looks and functions like a typical off-canister stove, but instead of having a built-in burner at the end it has a mount to which almost any burner can be attached. It’s a simple idea, and one we’re surprised not to have seen before. In fact, so simple is it that we were convinced there must be loads of them about that we’d missed. However, a quick Google revealed that is indeed a new idea.
Although far from heavy, the LowDown is a little weightier than we might have expected, and the price seems quite high for an accessory. However, the fact that it makes so many stoves increasingly useable means the LowDown Remote Stove Adapter is an easy way to get even more out of some of the best wild-cooking devices available, and that may justify its addition to your kit.
Five things you need to know about the new MSR LowDown Remote Stove Adapter
Low & stable
With a wide 22cm diameter stance that holds an attached burner a little over 3cm above the ground, the LowDown offers greater stability than any gas canister, even one with supporting legs attached. This means the tall and narrow pots typically provided with personal cooking systems feel decidedly more secure on the mount, and you can even get away with using larger pots that would otherwise be an accident waiting to happen.
Easier control
The LowDown keeps the gas control valve on the canister, so it’s no longer situated directly below the burner and a pot full of bubbling boiling water. This makes it much easier (not to mention safer) to adjust the simmer control and turn the gas off when finished.