aychabot2114436

I have been using the GCS for about a year and a half now. I would recommend this for anyone. It has worked well at altitude and in the winter. A single canister lasted through a 5 day winter trip cooking 3x's a day for two. We made everything from stew to pasta to boiled eggs & pancakes. It was excellent for a quick cup of tea in the afternoon, very fast! I do agree that the cover is a HUGE hassle to put back on after awhile. Even when I do get it on, every now and again it will come off in my pack making it a huge pain! It does need a pour spout, but at least the dribbles are easy to clean. I was a little leery of proprietary fuel cans, but so far I haven't had trouble finding replacements. Last note, the auto starter never worked after the first week but that is not really that big of a deal.

For money I was very impressed with the Apex. It looks sharp and is super comfortable. This jacket shines as a mid-weight jacket. Despite what others may say this is NOT a 4 season jacket, depending where you are it is barely 3 seasons. It is not nearly as warm as I had hoped. It breathes well when you are active but the moment you take a rest you can feel the wind and the cold immediately. It fits great into any layering system, but as a stand alone jacket I wouldn't trust it below mid-40s.