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  1. #1
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    Default Esbit for jmt thru?

    I'm sure this has been discussed before......I've never used esbit before but after reading another thread by coffee I'm thinking it might be a good option for jmt..........
    I usually heat 1 full sp 600 mug in the morning for coffee w carnation breakfast. Then evening heat full mug for coffee and dinner. Seems would be good for solo use and able to know exactly how much full to carry....example I assume u can mail esbit tabs in mtr resupply bucket....
    If u plan for 7 days from mtr to Whitney at 2 boils per day = 14 tabs? This seem logical or should I stick with the canister? Thoughts?


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  2. #2
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    For me it's about 1.5 tabs a day for 2 boils but I use a Caldera cone which is pretty efficient. I save my leftover tablets in a ziplock and reuse them when I have enough pieces for 1 boil.

    With esbit you'll need a good windscreen, just like with an alcohol stove. It also creates a sticky, somewhat odorous fishy smell on the bottom of your pot. You can scrape most of it off by rubbing it on sand or something but if you're a neat freak it'll drive you nuts....

    I used esbit exclusively on the JMT where it runs concurrent with the PCT.

    You can mail it using any kind of mail - 1st class, priority, overnight, etc. etc.

    A few other good things about it is that when it's gone, it's gone. No empty container to carry. It doesn't spill, require a bottle or any particular special handling. Mine stays in a ziplock in my food bag.

  3. #3
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    I would be very careful about using any kind of stove in California that does not have an on/off valve. Every season there are fire bans and given how dry it is in California I wouldn't be surprised if there are bans in place already, or if not, bans later this summer. Probably the best way to determine the current status is to call Inyo National Forest and/or Yosemite's wilderness office and to recheck right before the hike.

    Personally I was so nervous about fire on the SoCal section of the PCT I hiked this summer that I *never* had a campfire except once when other hikers started one and I happened to be there. And I was super careful about clearing the ground near my canister stove of all potentially combustible material. It is super dry out there ...

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    this summer - this spring actually.

  5. #5
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    Another suggestion, the flame output varies with the size of the remaining cube. So as you approach boil you get less heat out of it - sometimes not enough to boil depending on how much water you want. I sometimes add the remaining esbit from my last burn as my cube burns down to give it the 'kick' it need to get the boil down (the reclaiming what is left). Sometimes even starting with the remaining piece first then adding the new block in the middle o the burn. That plan does seem to conserve fuel but leaves me with some pieces sometimes.

  6. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by saltysack View Post
    If u plan for 7 days from mtr to Whitney at 2 boils per day = 14 tabs? This seem logical or should I stick with the canister? Thoughts?
    Warning: I'm a huge esbit fan.

    Those 14 tabs will weigh 7oz. Each time you use one your fuel weight decreases, until your fuel weight is zero. Pretty cool. You'll always be carrying the extra weight of a canister, empty or not.

    You can blow them out and use the rest at a later time also. At about 50 cents a piece, they are a bit pricey and they smell bad. They can be difficult to light in a breeze, but I've never been unable to light one with a bic lighter. They leave a residue on the bottom of your pot, but a quick rub in the dirt after each use keeps it off.

    The big thing with canisters is they are 'faster'. So if speed is important to you, a canister may be a better bet. With a proper wind screen I use a whole tablet to cook 1 liter of something in a 1.2 liter pot. It takes ~12-14 minutes. With a canister you can do that in less than half the time.

    Cooking for me is a time to stretch out and relax, so time is no issue for me.

    -postholer

  7. #7
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    Thx for all the great info....cooking speed isn't a concern for me...enjoy relaxing while food boils/rehydrates...really like not carrying canister and unused fuel wt if can help it. I also hate the half empty canisters sitting in my garage...the one trip I decided I use a partial full canister it failed!!!Winter trip several years back didn't realize how much the cold effects a canister especially if not full!!! First time going stove less...not by choice in 15 deg weather...frozen snickers and clif bars suck!!!!what type of wind screen y'all recommend? Made from aluminum can? The one coffee posted from zpacks looks good or have also heard of using tent stakes... I'll prob try esbit in 2 weeks doing section near hot springs. Looks like a good alternative to canister for solo hikes. I've tried achy stives...didn't really like them.


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  8. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by saltysack View Post
    what type of wind screen y'all recommend? Made from aluminum can? The one coffee posted from zpacks looks good or have also heard of using tent stakes... I'll prob try esbit in 2 weeks doing section near hot springs.
    For a stove, stones or tent stakes do work. I prefer the simple folding stove. No hassle, always the same height and lasts indefinitely, so far.

    A wind screen is 3 or 4 folds of aluminum foil. It reaches from the ground to the lip of the pot with no more than a 1/2 inch gap all the way around. My current wind screen has lasted over 3,000 trail miles. You can press it flat and stow on top of your pot. It weighs almost nothing.

    Another good thing about the folding stove, the wind screen always 'just fits'. With stones or stakes the height may differ from use to use. Also, you can leave a partially used tablet 'stuck' to it and it will be there next time you use it.

    -postholer

  9. #9
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    Use the esbit in conjunction with a Caldera Cone. For maximum efficiency make yourself a Brian Green Esbit Tray or purchase one.

  10. #10

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    I used Esbit on my JMT thru in 2014. I use a Caldera Cone / Stanco Greasepot set up when using Esbit. I heat 4 cups of water at dinner time (using 1.5 Esbit tabs) and 2-3 cups in the morning (0.5 to 1.0 Esbit tabs) so 2 to 2.5 tabs a day is my minimum budget; I usually carry a few extra tabs for pre-dinner hot beverage making as desired. The pot/Cone combination I use is very efficient - you should test your setup before you head out on trail as a less efficient setup will need more fuel.
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  11. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by Coffee View Post
    I would be very careful about using any kind of stove in California that does not have an on/off valve. Every season there are fire bans and given how dry it is in California I wouldn't be surprised if there are bans in place already, or if not, bans later this summer. Probably the best way to determine the current status is to call Inyo National Forest and/or Yosemite's wilderness office and to recheck right before the hike.

    Personally I was so nervous about fire on the SoCal section of the PCT I hiked this summer that I *never* had a campfire except once when other hikers started one and I happened to be there. And I was super careful about clearing the ground near my canister stove of all potentially combustible material. It is super dry out there ...
    Yes, check before you go. Last year Esbit was OK with all the agencies that the JMT goes through from Yosemite through to Whitney.
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  12. #12
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    I planned on using esbit for the JMT last year, but called around to all the outfitters in the Mammoth/Yosemite area - none carried it, not even the ACE Hardware in their camping section (was told by the outfitters that they may carry it). It was illegal to take on the flight. Had to send it to myself via properly labeled USPS. Reds Meadow store, VVR, nor MTR carried it for resupply. In the end, I bought a SnowPeak stove in Mammoth and just carried that.
    Last edited by Lyle; 07-03-2015 at 12:44.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lyle View Post
    I planned on using esbit for the JMT last year, but called around to all the outfitters in the Mammoth/Yosemite area - none carried it, not even the ACE Hardware in their camping section (was told by the outfitters that they may carry it). It was illegal to take on the flight. Had to send it to myself via properly labeled USPS. Reds Meadow store, VVR, nor MTR carried it for resupply. In the end, I bought a SnowPeak stove in Mammoth and just carried that.
    If sealed in packaging you can't fly with it? Checked bag...


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  14. #14
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    According to the TSA site, no. No cooking fuel is allowed, in any form apparently, in carry on or checked bags.

    http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-informat...ibited-items#9

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lyle View Post
    According to the TSA site, no. No cooking fuel is allowed, in any form apparently, in carry on or checked bags.

    http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-informat...ibited-items#9
    Thx...For heads up...I'll mail ahead to hotel...cinnamon bear and resupply at mtr


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  16. #16
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    MTR may carry esbit. Suggest emailing them:

    http://www.muirtrailranch.com/resupply-info.html
    If you’re an Esbit tablet user, you may want to change to something else since they are losing popularity. We still have a few in stock but it's a good idea to contact us first.

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by Coffee View Post
    MTR may carry esbit. Suggest emailing them:

    http://www.muirtrailranch.com/resupply-info.html
    If you’re an Esbit tablet user, you may want to change to something else since they are losing popularity. We still have a few in stock but it's a good idea to contact us first.
    Yep...if I go that route I'll prob just mail in my bucket to be safe...thc


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  18. #18

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    Coffee: MTR may carry esbit. Suggest emailing them:

    http://www.muirtrailranch.com/resupply-info.html
    If you’re an Esbit tablet user, you may want to change to something else since they are losing popularity. We still have a few in stock but it's a good idea to contact us first.


    Quote Originally Posted by saltysack View Post
    Yep...if I go that route I'll prob just mail in my bucket to be safe...thc
    I mailed Esbit to myself in resupply packages for the JMT. Having called TSA and asked about Esbit, it is very clear that TSA is not familiar with it. When asked about Esbit as a "stove fuel", TSA will say that it does not allow "stove fuel" in checked or carry-on luggage. However, you CAN pack candles in carry-on or checked luggage. Esbit is non-explosive; used to warm up food; it's a cube that can be lit and burns like a squat candle with multiple wicks would burn; it's actually harder to light than a candle in fact. If described in this way rather than as a stove fuel, I have been told by TSA that Esbit is OK in both carry-on and packed luggage. Certainly there is no guarantee that you and your Esbit will go through unchallenged. YMMV.
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  19. #19
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    I have used esbits exclusively for about 20 years including the JMT ...no issues.

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