Fire Maple FMS-X3 review: the backpacking stove that makes a Jetboil hard to justify

There is a moment on almost every long walk where you find a good spot, drop your pack, and think: right. This is where I'm stopping for a bit. The view is doing its job. The legs need a rest. And a coffee would make this perfect.

That moment is why I bought a backpacking stove. Not for wild camping, not for cooking elaborate trail meals — just for the ability to sit somewhere remote and unreachable by any coffee shop, pull something the size of a water bottle out of my pack, and make a proper hot drink while I take my boots off and let my feet air.

The Fire Maple FMS-X3 is what I use. Here's why I chose it over the Jetboil — and whether I'd make the same call again.

Why I bought the Fire Maple instead of a Jetboil

The Jetboil is the name everyone knows in backpacking stoves. It's well-made, fast, and genuinely excellent. It's also £80 to £120 depending on the model. The Fire Maple FMS-X3 does the same job — boils water for coffee, heats instant noodles, fits in the bottom of a day pack — for around £60.

I didn't need the fastest boil time on the market. I needed something that would reliably make a hot drink in a reasonable amount of time, pack small enough to not be a nuisance, and not cost so much that I'd resent bringing it on walks where I wasn't sure I'd use it. I picked mine up for £47.45 on offer — they regularly discount on Amazon, so it's worth checking before you buy at full price.

The Fire Maple answered all three. The Jetboil failed on the last one.

If you genuinely need water boiling in under 90 seconds — for winter camping, altitude, or cooking for several people — the Jetboil earns its price premium. If you're a day hiker or solo backpacker who wants hot coffee somewhere beautiful and doesn't mind waiting an extra two minutes while you enjoy the view, the Fire Maple is a smarter buy.

What you get in the box

The FMS-X3 is an integrated cooking system — everything nests inside the 0.8L hard anodised aluminium pot and packs down to a compact unit you can hold in one hand.

What's included:

• 0.8L hard anodised aluminium pot with heat exchanger fins on the base
• Burner head with built-in piezo igniter
• Canister stand for stability
• Pot support
• Neoprene insulating sleeve for the pot
• Locking stainless steel handle with heat-resistant grip
• Mesh carry bag

The heat exchanger fins on the base of the pot are the key piece of engineering. They increase the surface area exposed to the flame and reduce the amount of heat lost to wind, which is why Fire Maple claims the system boils 30% faster than a standard pot and stove combination. In practice, 500ml of water boils in under two minutes in good conditions. A full 0.8L in around three minutes.

Specs:

• Power output: 2,200W
• Pot capacity: 0.8L
• System weight: 600g (including pot, stove, stand)
• Boil time: ~1 min 42 sec for 500ml (claimed)
• Fuel: standard isobutane/propane screw canisters
• Ignition: built-in piezo — no matches needed

The Fire Maple range — X2, X2 Pro and X3

Fire Maple make several integrated stove systems. The three worth knowing about:

FMS-X3 — 0.8L — ~£60 The smallest and most compact. Ideal for solo use — a cup of coffee, a sachet of instant noodles, a small meal for one. Everything nests inside. This is the one I use and the one I'd recommend for day hiking and solo backpacking.

FMS-X2 — 1L — ~£40 Slightly larger pot, same burner. The better choice if you're regularly cooking for two or want more capacity for proper meals. The X2 also includes wind protection, which is a meaningful practical difference in UK conditions.

FMS-X2 Pro — 1L — ~£55 The premium version — improved simmer control, better build quality throughout, and a more refined overall system. Worth the extra if you plan to do real cooking rather than just boiling water.

Real use — coffee on the trail

My standard setup: the night before a long walk, I drop the FMS-X3 into the bottom of my Osprey Talon 33 alongside a 100g gas canister, two Costa Salted Caramel Latte sachets and a small carton of long-life milk. It takes up almost no space and adds very little weight.

Somewhere on the walk — usually at a view I've been working toward, or at the point where legs start to suggest a sit down — I find a flat spot, pull the stove out, connect the canister, press the igniter and wait. It takes about three seconds to set up. Two minutes later there's a hot coffee.

While the water boils I take my boots off, let my feet air, eat something, and just sit for a bit. By the time I'm ready to move on the stove has cooled down enough to pack away safely.

That's the entire point. It's not about optimising the boil time — it's about having a ritual that makes the walk feel like more than just covering distance. If a Jetboil boiled water in 90 seconds instead of two minutes, I'd still be sitting there for the same amount of time. The stove isn't the limiting factor. The view is.

For something savoury, instant noodles work brilliantly. The 0.8L pot is the right size for one portion with water, and the noodles themselves often contain a good amount of salt — useful on warm days when you're sweating and need to replace electrolytes. Not the most glamorous trail food, but genuinely effective.

Fire Maple vs Jetboil — honest comparison

The Jetboil is a better stove in some measurable ways. This table is honest about that.

What the Jetboil does better:

• Boils water meaningfully faster — particularly the Flash at 3,100W
• Lighter system weight — nearly half the weight of the Fire Maple
• Better wind performance built into the design
• More refined overall system

What the Fire Maple does better:

• Costs roughly half the price
• 3-year warranty versus Jetboil's limited coverage
• Larger pot relative to price
• Good enough for everything a day hiker or solo backpacker needs

The honest conclusion: If you need speed — altitude camping, cold weather, cooking for multiple people — pay for the Jetboil. If you need hot coffee somewhere beautiful and want to spend the difference on something else, the Fire Maple is a genuinely capable alternative that you won't regret.

Which gas canister to buy

The FMS-X3 is compatible with standard isobutane/propane screw-top canisters — the kind you'll find in any outdoor shop or on Amazon. Three sizes cover most needs:

100g canister — ~£5 The one I use for day hiking. Fits inside the pot when everything is packed. A 100g canister contains enough gas for approximately 10-12 cups of coffee or 6-8 small meals, depending on conditions. More than enough for a full day out with a few hot drinks.

230g canister — ~£7 The step up for weekend trips or if you plan to cook as well as make drinks. Around double the fuel of the 100g and worth carrying if you're out for more than one day.

450g canister — ~£10 For multi-day wild camping where you're cooking proper meals. Heavier to carry but the most economical option per gram of fuel if you're going to use it all.

One practical note: gas canisters perform less well in cold temperatures. Butane specifically struggles below around 0°C. For winter camping or high-altitude use, look for canisters with a higher propane content which maintains pressure in colder conditions. For typical UK day hiking the standard mix is fine.

If you want to actually cook

The FMS-X3 is designed primarily for boiling water — for coffee, tea, instant noodles, freeze-dried meals and similar. If you want to do real cooking — pasta, rice, proper meals for multiple people — you'll want a dedicated cookware set.

The Fire Maple Feast 4 cookware set is worth considering if you're heading into wild camping territory with a group. It includes a pot, kettle, pan, bowls and spatula — a complete kitchen that packs down into a single unit. Properly overkill for a day walk but exactly right for multi-night trips where you want to eat well.

For something in between — a windshield makes a meaningful difference to performance in British conditions, particularly on exposed coastal or upland terrain. The one below has over 5,000 sales and fits all standard canister stoves including the Fire Maple range.

Wind protection

The FMS-X3's one meaningful limitation for UK use is wind resistance. The X2 includes a built-in windscreen; the X3 does not. On a calm day this doesn't matter at all — the heat exchanger fins do a reasonable job of keeping the flame efficient. On a gusty exposed hilltop it can slow things down noticeably.

Solutions: find a sheltered spot (a rock, a wall, a natural dip in the ground), use your pack as a windbreak, or pick up an inexpensive windshield. None of these are difficult — it just requires a moment of thought when you're setting up rather than lighting the stove in the middle of an exposed ridge.

Safety — open flames outdoors

A few things worth knowing before you use any gas stove outdoors:

Check the rules where you're going. Open flames are not permitted in all areas — some National Parks, nature reserves and landowner agreements restrict or prohibit them. In very dry conditions some areas introduce temporary fire bans. Always check before you go. In England there is no blanket legal right to wild camp or use open flames on private land — access rights vary significantly from Scotland.

Never leave the flame unattended. It sounds obvious. It bears saying. A stove on a hillside with dry grass nearby is a serious risk if the wind picks up or the canister shifts. Keep your eye on it the whole time it's lit.

Let it cool completely before packing away. The pot, the burner head and the canister all retain heat after use. Trying to pack a hot stove is a good way to burn yourself or melt the contents of your pack. Give it five to ten minutes. Have another coffee. There's no rush.

Use a stable surface. The canister stand helps significantly, but the FMS-X3 on a soft or uneven surface can tip. Find somewhere flat, use the stand, and if you're on soft ground press the canister slightly into the earth before lighting.

Verdict

The Fire Maple FMS-X3 has been on every long walk I've done since I bought it. Not because it's the best backpacking stove money can buy — it isn't. But because it reliably makes a hot drink wherever I am, packs into the bottom of my day pack without drama, and cost me £47.45 on offer — around £60 at full price.

The Jetboil will boil water faster. If that matters to you — if you're cold, if you're in a hurry, if you're cooking for multiple people in serious conditions — it's worth the extra money. But if your primary use case is a coffee at a viewpoint while you take your boots off and enjoy being somewhere the rest of the world hasn't reached today, the two extra minutes honestly don't matter.

I've never once sat on a hillside wishing my stove was faster. I've sat there wishing the view would last longer. Those are different problems.