The Highlander Fastboil III gas stove is good value for money
19.8.2024
Translation: Elicia Payne
Prefer to camp when you travel? Then a gas stove belongs in your rucksack. If Jetboil and the like are too expensive for you, I’ll show you a cheaper alternative. It offers almost – but only almost – as much as the well-known Jetboil stove.
Ever since Jetboil launched Flash, an extra-fast camping stove that reliably heats water even in windy and cold conditions, an entire product segment has developed.
Manufacturers such as Primus, MSR, Bushpeak and others now offer gas stoves with strong wind protection and an attachable, insulated cup. The conductive ribs or fins between the vessel and the flame ensure efficient heating. Camping stoves from the various manufacturers have a relatively small pack size and can be stored in the corresponding cup. So far, they’re all similar.
Source: Siri Schubert
Wind-protected gas stoves are particularly suitable for quickly heating water to make coffee, tea or freeze-dried camping food. Heating a soup or fresh pasta, such as tortellini, for two minutes also works. In my experience, however, camping pressure stoves aren’t suitable for more elaborate dishes.
I’ve been using the Jetboil Flash for years and have always been happy with how quickly the water heated. So I’m already convinced of the concept. When I got the chance to test a cheaper alternative, the Highlander Fastboil III, I was burning to test it.
First impressions: it looks familiar
In fact, at first glance I can see a clear similarity to other fast gas stoves. Like all stoves in this segment, the lightweight, 1.1-litre (filiable to max 900ml) cup is encased in an insulating sleeve. In this case made of neoprene. This keeps the liquid inside warm. The fold-out butterfly handles are insulated so that you can grip them even after the contents have been heated.
The soft plastic lid has one opening for pouring out water and a second for draining pasta water, for example, without the pasta slipping away. You’ll find most attachable stove cups have two openings nowadays.
Source: Siri Schubert
However, what I’d like to see (and what the competitor Jetboil offers) is a lid with a built-in French press strainer. This means you can prepare your coffee directly in the cup and don’t have to take a coffee maker with you. Perhaps Highlander will offer this in the future, but so far I’ve not been able to find one.
The Fastboil III stove can be screwed onto standard gas canisters and has Piezo ignition. This allows you to ignite the gas at the touch of a button and saves you the hassle of fiddling with matches in windy conditions.
Source: Siri Schubert
The cup is made of a hardened aluminium compound and you can easily fix it in place on the stove using the twist and lock mechanism. In my experience, this works somewhat better than with the Jetboil model. Even in strong winds, the cup is secure. Another practical feature is the anti-tip protection, which you can attach to the bottom of the gas canister so nothing falls over when cooking in strong winds.
The plastic coating on the metal parts underneath the cup is a positive feature. They insulate and protect you from burns when you separate the cylindrical cup of boiling water from the stove.
Practical test: fast and reliable
On the first camping trip, temperatures were still in the single digits and the wind was blowing strongly. This didn’t bother the stove though – it heated around 500 millilitres of water in just over three minutes. Since then, I’ve had the same results: the stove works well and heats up the contents in a short time.
The only thing I really miss is a temperature dial. Jetboil’s Flash is one step ahead with its heat-sensitive flame design on the cup that lights up orange as soon as the water’s hot.
With the Highlander stove, I couldn’t exactly hear whether the water was already boiling because of the strong, loud wind. And lifting the lid is also slightly counterproductive. That’s why I’d love to see a temperature dial. This was my main criticism too, because overall I was very satisfied with the stove.
Source: Siri Schubert
Even if such stoves are not primarily suitable for cooking food in, I put a pot on the stove. The attachment for this is included in the scope of delivery. However, the attachment destroys what’s so special about camping pressure stoves – the connection between the gas flame and the cooking vessel and thus the pressure cooking effect. It was possible to heat my food in a pot, but it took just as long as on any conventional camping stove without a pressure cooker design.
In a nutshell
A reliable stove for a good price
The Highlander Fastboil III is a strong contender in the stove segment. It’s suitable for solo travellers who want to quickly eat or drink something hot after their hike or bike ride. It works well as a pressure stove and heats the water within minutes, even at low outside temperatures and in windy conditions. The connection between the cup and the gas flame is firm and nothing wobbles even in windy conditions. The stabiliser included makes the whole thing even more sturdy.
I would have liked a temperature display, for example in the form of a colour change on the cup, like competitor Jetboil offers. Accessories such as an attachment for making coffee would also be useful.
Overall, however, the stove won me over with its weight of 409 grammes and its compact size. As a cheaper alternative, it can certainly keep up with other camping pressure stoves, especially the Jetboil Flash. I give it a small point deduction for the lack of a temperature dial.
Pro
- Good value for money
- Protection against burns and neoprene insulation
- Solid finish and wobble-free stand
- Works with standard camping gas canisters
- Heats water within a few minutes
Contra
- Few attachments e.g. no French press
- No temperature dial
Header image: Siri Schubert
Siri Schubert
Senior Editor
Siri.Schubert@digitecgalaxus.chResearch diver, outdoor guide and SUP instructor – I love being in, on and around water. Lakes, rivers and the ocean are my playgrounds. For a change of perspective, I look at the world from above while trail running or flying drones.
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