[pct-l] comparative stove weights

[DPlotnikoff at mercurynews.com (Plotnikoff, David)]

Greetings (and happy holidays) from a longtime list lurker and section
hiker. 

As part of my planning for next year's section hikes (Peavine Creek to
Willamette Pass), I'm re-examining a lot in my packing list, including
stoves. I've had good luck with MSR Whisperlites over the years, but am
looking at other options. (I took a fair amount of ribbing from the thrus in
Sierra City last year over the weight of the whisperlite. You'd have thunk
I'd had a cast-iron skillet lashed to my pack...) 

In addition to building the Cat and Pepsi stoves, I'm also considering the
MSR Pocket Rocket or the comparable Gigapeak gas stove. (My stripped down
whisperlite with 6 oz of fuel is 20 oz. The Pocket Rocket with its smallest
cannister may be a tad less than half that.) Being unfamiliar with this fuel
type, I was hoping someone could tell me: 

What's the true weight of the smallest possible cannister these stoves will
accomodate? 

Are the gas stoves now standards-based so the cartridges are
interchangeable? 

Short of shaking the can and guessing, how can I estimate how many boils I
have left in a can? 

And, finally, any other pro or con experience that might help me make an
informed decision.

Nine months of planning and scheming is how I stay sane between my times on
the trail.... 

Many thanks.  


David Plotnikoff
San Jose Mercury News
(408) 920-5867
dplotnikoff@mercurynews.com