Camp Cooking Kits Compared: OEX Solar X Cook Set, OEX Etna Mini Stove and Jetboil Zip

Introduction

Camp cooking gear usually comes down to one question: do you want to boil water fast, or do you want to actually cook? Integrated canister systems are compact and quick to set up, while a separate pot set and burner give you room to simmer, stir and feed more than one person.

This comparison looks at three pieces of kit that sit on either side of that divide: the OEX Solar X Cook Set, the OEX Etna Mini Stove and the Jetboil Zip. Each one solves a slightly different problem, and the differences in capacity, heat control and packed weight are what decide which one belongs in your pack.

What to Look For in a Camp Cooking Kit

Capacity is the first thing to get right. A 500 ml pot is enough for a hot drink and a dehydrated meal, while a 1000 ml pot gives you space to cook properly and share with someone else. If you regularly eat boil-in-the-bag meals, the pot needs to be wide enough to submerge the pouch completely rather than forcing it in at an angle.

Heat control matters just as much. A burner with a valve you can feather lets you hold a gentle simmer for pasta, rice or a stew. A burner that is effectively on or off is fine for boiling water but leaves you with little control once the water is rolling.

Weight should be counted as a system, not as a single item. Pots, burner, canister, stand and any wind protection all add up, and the difference between two setups is often smaller than the headline numbers suggest.

Packing is the last piece. Integrated systems collapse into themselves, while a pot set can swallow a folding stove, a spork, a gas canister and a small washing kit in the same footprint.

It also helps to be honest about how many people you are cooking for. A setup that feels generous for one person can be exactly right for two, and a setup that only ever boils water can become frustrating on a longer trip where proper meals matter.

OEX Solar X Cook Set: Capacity and Heat Exchange

The OEX Solar X Cook Set is a two pot arrangement in hard anodized aluminium, with a claimed weight of 0.31 kg for the set. That number is the first thing you notice, because the box feels lighter than the size of the pots suggests.

The set pairs a 1000 ml pot with a 500 ml pot. The larger pot carries a heat exchange base with a ring of columns, which the flame hits and then spreads around the base for more even heating. The listed features also include a windshield, stainless steel folding handles with silicone sleeves so you can lift the pots without burning your fingers, and a drawstring carry bag that keeps everything together.

The smaller 500 ml pot does not have the same heat exchange base as the larger one, so the two are not identical in how they behave on the burner. The set includes a large lid, and the pots are noticeably bigger than an integrated canister system. That extra volume is genuinely useful: you can submerge a boil-in-the-bag meal properly, cover it, and cook a real one pot dinner rather than just heating water. It also means the empty space inside the larger pot can hold a spork, a gas canister and a small washing kit.

The set is described as a one person cook set, but the capacity suggests it can comfortably handle two people sharing a single stove, whether that is a partner or a friend on the same trip.

OEX Etna Mini Stove: Compact and Adjustable

The OEX Etna Mini Stove is a small folding gas burner that screws directly onto a canister. The pot support arms fold out from the body, and the whole thing collapses back down into a compact shape that travels in its own small OEX bag.

The reason it pairs naturally with the Solar X Cook Set is the control valve. Being able to turn the flame up and down is the difference between a burner that only boils and a burner you can actually cook on, and it gives you more moderation over heat than an all or nothing setup. At roughly £10 to £15, it is an inexpensive way to add that flexibility, and it is worth noting that lighter and more refined stoves are available if saving every gram is the priority.

Used together with the pot set, the Etna Mini gives you a compact base to stand the pots on, a flame you can adjust, and a kit that still packs down small. For anyone moving from boiling water to proper cooking, that combination covers most of what a simple camp kitchen needs.

Jetboil Zip: Nifty but All-or-Nothing

The Jetboil Zip takes the opposite approach. It is an integrated canister stove and pot system where the burner head, the canister and a plastic stand all pack inside the pot itself, which makes it a genuinely tidy unit to carry. As a complete kit, including the canister and the stand, it weighs 0.44 kg.

Its weakness is heat control. The burner has always been all or nothing, which is ideal for fast boiling but offers little room to moderate the flame for slower cooking. The pot is also narrow, so a boil-in-the-bag meal is an awkward fit: the pouch has to be folded around, the lid barely closes, and only a limited amount of water goes in. It works, but it is not comfortable.

What the Zip does well is what it was designed for. It is compact, quick to set up, and nifty for a solo traveller who mainly wants hot water for drinks and dehydrated meals.

Cooking Flexibility and Simmer Control

This is where the two approaches separate most clearly. The Jetboil Zip is at its best when the job is boiling, and it is hard to argue with how little space it takes up while doing it.

The Solar X Cook Set with the Etna Mini Stove is the more flexible pairing. The valve on the stove lets you hold a gentler flame, and the larger pot means a boil-in-the-bag pouch can be fully submerged and covered instead of squeezed into a narrow canister. If you cook your own ingredients, a beef stew or a similar one pot meal fits comfortably in the 1000 ml pot, which is simply not an option in a narrow integrated system.

For hot drinks and rehydrated meals, the difference will not matter much. For anyone who wants to cook rather than just heat, the pot set and adjustable burner are the more practical combination.

Packed Weight and Portability

Weight is closer than the size difference suggests. The Jetboil Zip comes in at 0.44 kg with the canister and stand included. Putting the OEX cook set and the Etna Mini Stove together with the same canister and stand brings the total to about 0.49 kg, so the gap is roughly 50 grams.

That is a small penalty for a setup that carries more cooking capacity, and the pot set keeps everything in one bag rather than spreading it across a pack. The Zip wins on pure packability because it is a single self-contained unit, and that remains its strongest argument for solo trips where space is tight.

Buying Advice

Choose the Jetboil Zip if your priority is a fast boil, a small packed footprint and a kit that lives entirely inside its own pot. It suits solo trips, short overnights and anyone whose camp meals are mostly drinks and dehydrated pouches.

Choose the OEX Solar X Cook Set with the OEX Etna Mini Stove if you want to cook rather than just boil. The 1000 ml pot, the heat exchange base on the larger pot and the adjustable flame give you far more scope, and the whole kit is only about 50 grams heavier than the integrated alternative once fuel and a stand are counted. It also stretches comfortably to two people sharing one stove.

If you already own a canister and a stand, the Etna Mini Stove is a low cost way to add adjustable heat to almost any pot you already carry. If you are starting from nothing, buying the set and the stove together is the more coherent choice, because the pots, the burner and the bag are designed to work as one kit.

Conclusion

The Jetboil Zip and the OEX combination are not really competing for the same job. One is a compact, quick boiling system built around speed and minimal pack size. The other is a lightweight pot set with a cheap, adjustable burner that lets you actually cook a meal at camp.

For solo trips built around hot water, the Zip remains hard to beat. For anyone who wants to simmer, share and cook properly, the OEX Solar X Cook Set and Etna Mini Stove deliver noticeably more capability for roughly 50 grams of extra weight.