There's a lot generic versions of expensive brands out there, and I'm always keen to figure out why something might cost twice as much, and if the cheaper version does the same job. That's what led me to buy this $50 'Jetboil' from Kmart this week. They call it a Ultra Jet Butane Hicking Stove. Ultraboil, Jetboil. Well played, Kmart, well played.

I was primarily sick of transferring the Jetboil from the van to the Defender and back again. Hence this little waste of a nifty fifty.

First of all, let's just rewind to the Jetboil itself, which retails for around 150 bucks AUD. I love it. It's one of my favourite bits of kit, boiling water in about a minute. Better than that (in case you think 'meh'), it does it IN THE WIND. Yep. Worth it's weight in gold! And it's also how we do a coffee in the morning - boil the hot water, add it to the stove top coffee pot, make a coffee cloud (that's when it steams and hisses and tells ya the coffee is done), pour into two cups, and top with milk and hot water. It's the way we like our coffee the best.

So, does the Kmart version do the same job? Let's look at the components.

In a neat little box and a mesh bag, you get the kettle itself, a stand for the canister, and a cup. The gas canister will cost you about $4.50. I immediately chucked the stand and the cup as from experience I don't need them. The stovetop is of larger diameter than the Jetboil.

I boiled a kettle of water inside and it took a little longer than the Jetboil, which was disappointing, but no real issue. Patience is a virtue and all that. It was still going to be good in the wind - you try boiling an ordinary kettle on an open flame in the wind and see how long that takes! Reading online reviews, people seem to think it's just as fast - I don't know. I would have to see them side by side and time them properly. Also, it's missing the special material on the side which glows orange when it's boiled, but to be honest, the noise and the steam coming out was a good indicator as well.

When I went for a surf and made my first coffee of the day, I quickly realised that the Kmart version doesn't come with the stove accessory like the Jetboil does. And the jetboil one was going to be too small - damn. But I quickly realised it would sit inside the Kmart one, which worked perfectly, truth be told.

The coffee cloud took longer, but that's okay - I was busy getting changed and having a shower so it didn't bother me and I didn't really notice. All good. THe other bonus is the ignition switch actually works - it doesn't on the Jetboil anymore and I have to use a lighter which is a pain.

Now, if I had the choice again, I'd go the Jetboil. It's more compact, faster, and I just like it. Saying that, if you don't have the money, the KMart one is going to do the job for sure. And certainly, now I've saved myself $70, I can spend that on other camping shite for the Landrover.