GSI Pinnacle Canister Stove & Windscreen

I tested the GSI Pinnacle Canister Stove and Windscreen using several GSI Outdoors hard anodized, aluminum backpacking pots, from the 4-inch wide Minimalist pot up to the 5½-inch wide Dualist-HS pot.

This review shows how to attach the windscreen, and includes operating instructions, weights, dimensions, and boil times.

In mild weather, the GSI Pinnacle Canister Stove boils water as fast as any canister stove without the windscreen, but in windy conditions, the stove & windscreen combination saves fuel and shortens boil times.

GSI Pinnacle Canister Stove Components

Photo: GSI Pinnacle canister stove set up under 1.4 L GSI Microdualist backpacking pot.

Three pot support arms fold out, and the lower attachment supports twist outward (clockwise) when cooking. The support arms fold down when the stove is stowed.

The stove’s three pot support arms have spurs under them, which hold the GSI windscreen base and windscreen above the fuel canister.

The flame adjuster valve turns-counter clockwise to begin the flow of fuel, and clockwise to turn off stove. The wire handle flips over the valve body when stowed.

Photo: The valve body is secured to the valve stem with two phillips head screws.

Important: Before taking the stove on a backpacking trip, make sure the screws are tight. After using my GSI Pinnacle Canister Stove about twenty-five times, I noticed one of these tiny screws had come out. Fortunately, it came out on my desk and not at a campsite.

Photo: GSI Pinnacle Canister Stove stowed for transport in sack.

During transport, the GSI canister stove stows inside the pot above or below the fuel canister. The windscreen base stows below the pot, and the windscreen wraps around the outside of the pot.

Attaching the GSI Windscreen

The GSI Windscreen only works with a GSI Pinnacle Canister Stove, and is sold separately.

Photo: Each GSI stove support arm has a spur on the underside. The three spurs support the GSI Windscreen base.

With the pot support arms tilted up like a teepee, slide the base over them, allowing the arms to widen against the base until the spurs catch. You’ll get the hang of it after a couple of tries.

Photo above: GSI Windscreen base positioned on stove spurs.

Photo: Side view of windscreen base with support arms extended.

The base has three support arms which fold out to support the windscreen. It’s easier if you extend them before you attach the base.

Photo: Top view of windscreen base.

The base arms have two notches at the ends that the windscreen sits in, so this is the side of the base that faces up.

Photo: Top view with windscreen in place.

The windscreen has three cut-outs on the bottom edge. Position them over the notches at the ends of the base arms. For the best fit, place them in the arm notches that are second from the end.

Photo: The ends of the windscreen are crimped so they hold together when interlocked. One end is folded inward, and the other end is folded outward.

The first few times I used the windscreen, the ends did not stay interlocked, but after working with it several times, the aluminum relaxed from its original stiffness and the ends held together well.

The pot sits on the support arms of the stove, and the windscreen sits on the arms of the windscreen base.

Maximum Pot Width

The maximum width of a pot that will work with the GSI Windscreen attached is 5½ inches.

When cooking with a 1.8 L GSI Dualist-HS pot, which is 5½ inches wide, there will be a ⅜-inch gap all the way around between the pot and the windscreen. Keeping that gap makes it easy to lift the pot on and off the stove.

Pot Handle Position

Photo: GSI Windscreen in use with 5½-inch wide GSI Dualist-HS pot.

The windscreen effectively blocks wind from blowing across the flame, which improves stove efficiency. It also helps retain heat around the lower half of the pot.

Weights, Dimensions & Boil Times

Stove & Sack

• 71 g (2.5 oz.) *
• 3” x 2.1” (76 mm x 53 mm)

* The GSI Pinnacle Stove is 10–12 grams lighter than the Optimus Crux and MSR PocketRocket Deluxe canister stoves.

Windscreen & Base

• 74 g (2.6 oz.)
• Metal Base: 4.9” x 4.9” (124 mm x 124 mm)
• Aluminum Windscreen: 3.2” x 20” (8 cm x 50.8 cm)

Boil Times

Boil times will vary with all canister stoves depending on outside temperatures, wind, type and size of pot, and amount of fuel remaining in the canister. As the fuel in a canister gets low, there is less pressure, and flame strength diminishes until the fuel runs out. This is only a factor the last one or two times you use the stove before the fuel runs out. Output also decreases in cold weather, unless the stove has a built-in pressure regulator, such as with the MSR PocketRocket Deluxe Canister Stove.

The chart below shows a sampling of boil times achieved in cool weather with a GSI Pinnacle Canister Stove and Windscreen, using a variety of hard anodized aluminum pots from GSI Outdoors.

Chart: Fast boil times from 2½ - 4½ minutes.

Operating a GSI Pinnacle Canister Stove

Always consult the safety information and user instructions provided in the owner’s manual.

Disclaimer: Backpacking Chef provides this information as a courtesy, makes no warranty as to its accuracy or completeness, and assumes no liability for its use.

Like other canister stoves, the GSI Pinnacle Canister Stove works with IsoButane Propane Fuel Canisters in either the 110 gram or 230 gram size.

Connect Stove to Fuel Canister

Close flame adjuster valve (clockwise rotation).

Align stove valve body with the fuel cartridge nipple and screw stove onto cartridge (clockwise) until connection is secure. A small amount of gas may escape when connecting or disconnecting fuel cartridge.

Set up the Stove

Select an outdoor cooking area with minimal traffic from humans and pets, and away from any combustible materials or flammable liquids or vapors.

Safety Note: Never operate a canister stove inside a tent.

Open pot supports by rotating upwards until horizontal, then rotate lower supports out from the burner head (clockwise) until they stop.

Attach GSI Outdoors Pinnacle Windscreen (if using).

Place stove assembly on a stable, level surface.

Add Food & Water to Pot

If cooking a dehydrated meal in the pot, add the dried food and water to the pot 5–10 minutes before lighting the stove to give the dried food more time to rehydrate.

Light the Stove

Safety Note: When using the windscreen, only light the stove from under the windscreen, not above it. Lighting from above the windscreen could cause burns to fingers.

Hold a lit match or lighter flame over the edge of the burner head.

Open flame adjuster valve ¾-turn (counter clockwise) to release and ignite fuel.

Once stove is lit, turn flame adjuster valve clockwise to reduce flame.

Center pot—with water in it—on stove over the support arms. Never place an empty pot on a lit stove or you will ruin the pot.

Cooking with the Stove

Adjust heat by turning the flame adjuster valve. A ¼-turn counter clockwise from off is usually the sweet spot for boiling water in moderate weather. In cold weather, you may need to turn up the gas counter clockwise.

When used with GSI Outdoors hard anodized aluminum pots, you can bring two cups of water to a boil in 2–3 minutes.

For a small pot where the liquid fills the pot to near the top, remove the pot lid as soon as you see steam coming out. This will prevent boil overs.

Photos: Kickin’ Veggie Mac & Cheese cooked in pot on left, or cooked freezer-bag-style on right.

Turn Off the Stove

Turn flame adjuster valve clockwise until it stops.

Wait ten minutes for stove to cool before handling.

Unscrew stove from cartridge by turning the valve body counter clockwise.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Stove ignites quickly with a lighter or match.

Boils water fast, but can be dialed down for simmering.

Pot support arms fold down, so stove stows compactly inside pot with fuel canister.

Windscreen components pack under and around pot, taking up no additional space.

Cons

The valve body which houses the flame adjuster valve is secured to the valve stem above it with two tiny phillips head screws. The screws can loosen and fall out. Without the screws, the valve stem can rotate. Both screws came out of my stove after about twenty-five uses. Fortunately, they came out while I was handling the stove on my desk. After I put the screws back in place and tightened them down, they have held fine.

Conclusion

The potential loose screw issue with the GSI Pinnacle Canister Stove can be avoided by checking that the screws are tight before leaving home.  When it comes to boiling power and packability, the GSI Canister Stove and Windscreen are a great fuel-saving combination. The windscreen works with pots from 4-inches wide up to 5½-inches wide. The windscreen weighs as much as the stove (2.6 oz.), so take that into consideration if packing ultra-light is a priority and wind is minimal where you hike.

Other Canister Stove Options

Optimus Crux Folding Canister Stove

The unique folding design of the Optimus Crux Folding Canister Stove allows you to stow it in the concave space under a fuel canister. It boils water as fast as the GSI Pinnacle, weighs 12 grams more, and is priced the same at $50.

My Optimus Crux stove performed well on a 5-day backpacking trip in cool weather cooking for two people in a 1.3 liter titanium pot.

View on Amazon: Optimus Crux Folding Canister Stove.

MSR PocketRocket Deluxe Canister Stove

I don’t own the MSR PocketRocket Deluxe Canister Stove (yet), but I trust the MSR brand, and I still have one of the original PocketRocket stoves in my stove collection.

Features that set the PocketRocket Deluxe apart from other canister stoves:

• A pressure regulator keeps fuel flow consistent in cold weather or when canister is almost empty.
• The stove lights quickly with the built-in piezo spark igniter.
• A broad burner head with a slightly raised lip improves wind resistance, even while simmering.

View on Amazon: MSR PocketRocket Deluxe Canister Stove.

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