#cold-weather

I was out on the river at about 5 °C, tried to start a fire with my MSR PocketRocket 2 using a waterproof match from a 2nd‑gen UST‑200 kit. The stove just sputters and won’t light. I primed the fuel line exactly as the manual says.

Is the PocketRocket supposed to need a dry match, or does low ambient temperature kill the catalytic coil? Also, does the 1.5 L titanium canister need a pressure check at that temp? I’m using a 230 g canister that reads 8‑10 psi.

Could the match head composition be the issue? Any fixes or explanations would be appreciated.