Snow Peak Litemax Stove Review
/The Snow Peak Litemax is one of the lightest and most compact backpacking stoves on the market. This tiny powerhouse can boil a liter of water in just under five minutes, and then it folds away nicely to fit into pretty much any cookpot when you’re done. Because of how lightweight and compact the Litemax is, it's one of the top picks on our Best Backpacking Stoves list.
PROS
ULTRALIGHT - The 1.9 oz. Litemax is one of the lightest stoves on the market, and its titanium construction offers a great balance of strength to weight.
COMPACT - The Litemax is impressively compact when folded, and it easily fits into most cookpots along with a small fuel canister. The small burner of this stove works best with pots that have a capacity of one liter or less to avoid balance issues. We typically use the Litemax with compact pots like the Toaks 750 mL or 550 mL. For more cookset recommendations, check out our Best Backpacking Cookware guide.
GOOD SIMMER CONTROL - The Litemax gives you full control over your flame, so you have a range of cooking power from a very low simmer to a full boil. Whether you're wanting a rolling boil for a freeze-dried meal or you're a backcountry chef who needs the ability to simmer your DIY culinary masterpieces, the Litemax can handle the job.
CONS
EXPENSIVE - The Litemax is at the higher end of the cost spectrum for canister stoves on our Best Backpacking Stoves list. But since it’s made with high-quality titanium, it’s no surprise that this stove is priced $10-$20 more than other canister stoves.
LESS FUEL EFFICIENT THAN SOME - Because the burner head is so small, heat will primarily be directed to the center of your pot. That means it will take a bit longer to heat water, and it’s a little less fuel efficient than some stoves. We found that the boil time for one liter in good conditions was just under five minutes, which is slightly longer than average for similar canister stoves.
NOT AS GOOD AS SOME IN WINDY CONDITIONS - The wind performance of the Litemax isn’t the best. The small burner head is exposed, so any amount of wind will have an impact on the flame. If conditions aren’t too gusty, we typically find that blocking the wind with something, like a sit pad, will remedy most of the wind’s effects.
SNOW PEAK LITEMAX VS MSR POCKET ROCKET 2
The Snow Peak Litemax and the MSR Pocket Rocket 2 are both excellent backpacking stoves, and the one that’s right for you will depend on what specs you find to be most important. If you don’t mind trading a bit of performance efficiency to get the lightest and most compact backpacking stove, go with the Litemax. If you’re okay with a small increase in weight and bulk for better wind performance, a small boost to fuel efficiency, and a more stable burner head for larger cookpots, go with the Pocket Rocket. Take a look at our full Pocket Rocket 2 review to learn more, or head over to our Best Backpacking Stoves list to see how both of these stoves compare to others.
BOTTOM LINE
For those who value weight savings and compact size above all else, the Snow Peak Litemax is the way to go. It’s small but mighty, and it gives you full control over your flame for precise cooking. While it isn’t as efficient as some of the other canister stoves on our Best Backpacking Stoves list, we often take it on solo ultralight trips when keeping size and weight low is top priority.
MORE INFORMATION
We hope this review helps you determine if the Snow Peak Litemax is right for you. As always, please leave a comment below if you have any recommendations, questions, or suggestions or visit our Facebook page and Instagram to join the community conversation. If you found this review helpful, please share on social media and click the little heart button below to give us a digital high five!
If you enjoyed this review, you'll probably like our other gear lists as well. Here are some popular resources from the CleverHiker Gear Guide:
Best Stoves, Food, Water Filters, Jackets & More: CleverHiker Gear Guide
Some of the links on this page are affiliate links, which means we may receive a modest commission if purchases are made through those links. This adds no cost to our readers and helps us keep our site up and running. Our reputation is our most important asset, which is why we only provide completely honest and unbiased recommendations.