SOTO WindMaster with 4Flex: Weight, Price and Alternatives
The SOTO WindMaster with 4Flex has a published weight of 3.0 oz and a listed price of $69.95, which is about 2 percent of a 10 lb ultralight base weight.
The SOTO WindMaster with 4Flex is our expert tier pick in stoves, with a published weight of 3.0 oz and a listed price of $69.95. The recessed burner head keeps the flame lit in wind that blows out every other canister stove, and the micro regulator holds output as the canister cools. That is a real fuel saving on an exposed ridge, not a spec sheet claim.
What is the SOTO WindMaster with 4Flex actually good at?
The recessed burner head keeps the flame lit in wind that blows out every other canister stove, and the micro regulator holds output as the canister cools. That is a real fuel saving on an exposed ridge, not a spec sheet claim.
Best for: Alpine and desert trips where there is no sheltered spot to cook, and late season use in the cold.
Compare cook systems, not stoves. A sub-ounce burner that needs a separate pot, a windscreen and more fuel can weigh more in the pack than an integrated system that boils faster on less gas, and the fuel is the part that scales with trip length.
What does it do to your base weight?
At 3.0 oz this item accounts for roughly 2 percent of a 10 lb ultralight base weight and about 1 percent of a 20 lb traditional one. That framing matters more than the raw number: an ounce saved on a headlamp is noise, and a pound saved on a shelter is a category of its own. Put your real figures into the gear list builder and the same item will show you what it costs against your list rather than against an average one.
Published weights are taken in the manufacturer's favour: usually the smallest size, usually without the stuff sack, stakes or guylines that come in the box. Expect a real-world figure an ounce or two heavier and weigh it once when it arrives. A $9 kitchen scale is the cheapest useful upgrade to any gear list, because it stops the spreadsheet lying to you.
How does it compare with the rest of the stoves?
Every item below has been verified against the retailer listing, and every weight is the manufacturer's published figure for the configuration named. Sorted lightest first, so the trade between weight and everything else is visible in one pass.
| Model | Published weight | Listed price | Tier | Where to buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SOTO WindMaster with 4Flex | 3.0 oz | $69.95 | Expert | Backcountry, Amazon |
| BRS 3000T Ultralight Titanium Stove | 0.9 oz | $16.89 | Beginner | Backcountry, Amazon |
| MSR PocketRocket 2 Backpacking Stove | 2.6 oz | $49.95 | Intermediate | Backcountry, Amazon |
| Jetboil Stash Cooking System | 7.1 oz | $164.99 | Expert | Backcountry, Amazon |
Lighter alternatives: BRS 3000T Ultralight Titanium Stove at 0.9 oz, MSR PocketRocket 2 Backpacking Stove at 2.6 oz. Heavier but more capable: Jetboil Stash Cooking System at 7.1 oz. Weight alone never decides this. The lightest option in a category is usually the one with the narrowest window of conditions it works in, which is exactly the trade the roundup spells out tier by tier.
Compare cook systems, not stove weights
A sub-ounce burner is not a sub-ounce cook system. Add the pot, the windscreen, the lighter and the fuel and the picture changes, and fuel is the part that scales with trip length rather than staying fixed. A 110 g isobutane canister weighs about 7.8 oz full and holds roughly 3.9 oz of gas, which is around a dozen two cup boils. A stove that boils faster on less gas can carry a smaller canister on a long trip and come out lighter overall despite weighing more on the shelf, which is why the comparison that matters is the whole system at a stated trip length.
Who should skip it?
Anyone buying their first version of this item. Expert tier gear is specialised, and specialised means it is better at a narrower set of conditions rather than better at everything. Buying it first usually means discovering an expensive preference rather than confirming one.
Going lighter must not mean going unprepared. Shelter adequate to the actual conditions, insulation, rain protection, water treatment and a way to call for help are fixed costs on any list. If a lighter version of this item means cutting into one of those, it is the wrong purchase however good the spec sheet looks. You are responsible for what you walk into, and the forecast is not the conditions.
Related reading
- Our full stoves roundup, split into beginner, intermediate and expert tiers
- Canister versus alcohol stoves
- Calories per ounce chart
- Gear list builder: see what this item does to your own base weight
- Base weight calculator
- Six complete example gear lists, every item priced and linked
- All verified gear specs, A to Z
Frequently asked questions
How much does the SOTO WindMaster with 4Flex weigh?
The published weight is 3.0 oz, which is 3.0 ounces or about 85 grams. That is roughly 2 percent of a 10 lb ultralight base weight on its own. This figure is the manufacturer's for the size and configuration named, not a weight we measured, and published figures run light often enough that it is worth putting your own scale under it.
Is the SOTO WindMaster with 4Flex worth the money?
The recessed burner head keeps the flame lit in wind that blows out every other canister stove, and the micro regulator holds output as the canister cools. That is a real fuel saving on an exposed ridge, not a spec sheet claim. At the listed $69.95 it sits toward the affordable end of its category, and prices move constantly, so confirm before you buy.
Where can you buy the SOTO WindMaster with 4Flex?
Backcountry carries this category and is the first link on this page, because it is where this audience shops and it pays us a higher commission than Amazon does. Amazon is the second button. Stock and pricing differ between the two often enough that checking both is worth the extra thirty seconds.
What does the SOTO WindMaster with 4Flex compete against?
On the same shelf: BRS 3000T Ultralight Titanium Stove, MSR PocketRocket 2 Backpacking Stove, Jetboil Stash Cooking System. The comparison table on this page lines them up by published weight and price so the trade is visible rather than argued. Our full ranking of the category, split into beginner, intermediate and expert tiers, is in the roundup linked below.
Are the weights on this page measured or published?
Published. We compare manufacturer specifications and verified owner reviews, and we do not test gear in person or run a gear lab. Manufacturer weights are usually taken from the lightest size, without stuff sacks, stakes or guylines, so a real-world figure is often an ounce or two heavier. Weigh your own kit and put the real numbers into the gear list builder.
How we choose: we compare published manufacturer specifications, listed weights, and verified owner reviews across retailers. We do not test gear in person, and every weight quoted here is the manufacturer's figure unless we say otherwise, so weigh your own kit before you trust a total. Going lighter also means carrying less margin, so treat insulation, navigation, water treatment and an emergency plan as fixed costs rather than places to save grams.