Considering Esbit

[Tuckahoe]

For whatever reason I have gotten the urge to tinker and play with Esbit. I see that a lot of hikers are very successfully using Esbit set ups.

I am thinking of downsizing from my 12cm Imusa pot to a 750ml pot -- either a Toaks titanium or 10cm Imusa. My water heating is in the morning for coffee, then rehydrating my supper in the pot in the evening, usually about 12 fl oz of water.

I will us a 3.5-5 ounce sized can as a combo pot stand/stove. That would involve leaving the bottom of the can in place for the fuel tab, cutting out the top and piercing the body for air flow -- much like a Tommy cooker. And I will finially play with making a titanium windscreen.

Some of yall are responsible for spreading GTD -- gear tinkering disease.

[Singto]

I like Esbit but I'm concerned about it's availability along trails, especially the AT.

[Tipi Walter]

My backpacking friend Amy Willow used a micro esbit stove on our Pisgah trip, like this---




Here's her stove in action on Upper Creek in Pisgah.

[saltysack]

My backpacking friend Amy Willow used a micro esbit stove on our Pisgah trip, like this---




Here's her stove in action on Upper Creek in Pisgah.

Looks like one packs sells $12.99....think I'm going to try 1 on jmt this year for solo use only...


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[saltysack]

Oops zpacks.....


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[ChrisJackson]

I use this Esbit cook-set: http://www.rei.com/product/852113/es...ve-and-cookset

Probably not the lightest at 7 ounces but I like the integrated wind screen. And, the pot size is just right for me. Might try something lighter in the future...but for now this is it

[Mags]

For you or anyone considering Esbit, Seems Esbit has many of the same overall pluses and minuses as alcohol with some caveats:

* Esbit is lighter overall
* Not as readily avail vs alcohol
* A little slower
* More expensive vs alcohol
* Esbit is easier to mail ahead vs other fuel in terms of packaging (less fragile, more compact in terms of packaging needed, not likely to spill of course, ). ORM-D regulations still apply.

None of these are pluses or minuses per se....just something that may or may not affect your decision.

[saltysack]

Curious as for windscreen designs for the lt weight esbit stove that Tipi posted..I'll be using w a sp 600 mug....simple tin foil wrap?


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[Just Bill]

Esbit in Caldera Cone is about as good as it gets. Especially when considering shorter trips. I think my esbit/CC setup is 34g for stove, cone, tyvek and a film can (for partial burned pieces)

If you feel like some tinkering- Matt's stove is pretty neat- http://matthewkirk.blogspot.com/2012/11/tinkering.html
There's a youtube of it someplace too.

I like it because it covers a few bases (stove fuel, nothing to spill(no extra packaging), and emergency fire starter). If you live in an area like I do and cooking on an open fire from time to time fits your style... the esbit goo gets cooked off easily. So a morning cuppa or hot lunch on the go is easy piesy and when you hit camp for the evening you cook off the crap in the fire. So a tab a day with this style is easy enough, at two tabs an ounce (the weight of an empty alchy bottle) you'd be hard pressed to find a better system.

Never checked but you'd probably need a full package of empty esbit wrappers to add up to an empty alchy bottle. Efficiency otherwise seems similar by weight and boil times.

If you have a CC and some smarts- if stuck on trail you could always whip up an alchy stove and find some heet to get you to the next town- but I maildrop or carry in my esbit and it's not the end of the world to carry a half week supply.

[saltysack]

Esbit in Caldera Cone is about as good as it gets. Especially when considering shorter trips. I think my esbit/CC setup is 34g for stove, cone, tyvek and a film can (for partial burned pieces)

If you feel like some tinkering- Matt's stove is pretty neat- http://matthewkirk.blogspot.com/2012/11/tinkering.html
There's a youtube of it someplace too.

I like it because it covers a few bases (stove fuel, nothing to spill(no extra packaging), and emergency fire starter). If you live in an area like I do and cooking on an open fire from time to time fits your style... the esbit goo gets cooked off easily. So a morning cuppa or hot lunch on the go is easy piesy and when you hit camp for the evening you cook off the crap in the fire. So a tab a day with this style is easy enough, at two tabs an ounce (the weight of an empty alchy bottle) you'd be hard pressed to find a better system.

Never checked but you'd probably need a full package of empty esbit wrappers to add up to an empty alchy bottle. Efficiency otherwise seems similar by weight and boil times.

If you have a CC and some smarts- if stuck on trail you could always whip up an alchy stove and find some heet to get you to the next town- but I maildrop or carry in my esbit and it's not the end of the world to carry a half week supply.

The cc web site lil confusing...what do u need to order seperately, cone and stove? May give it a shot but seems pricy...$50 vs zpacks for $12.....


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[Dochartaigh]

If I were to do it all over again I would get a titanium Trail Designs Caldera Cone meant for their alcohol stove. Then get their graham cracker esbit stove. I would go this route because alcohol is more touchy on pot height so you want the caldera cone set for that correct height for when you need to use the alcohol stove (most likely when esbit isn't available - Everclear -grain alcohol of some sort, or heet usually is). Esbit isn't near as picky to get a near-identical boil time (as in if you got the cone setup exclusively for esbit) when the pot height is set for alcohol (per Rand at Trail Designs). Splitting hairs here of course, but the caldera cone is setup to be as efficient as possible so these little things can matter in the long run.

The titanium caldera cone meant to double as a wood burning stove means you now have 3 fuel sources at your disposal (alcohol, esbit, and wood). If you ever get in a situation when one of those won't work for you, you should have just gotten a canister stove

[Deacon]

The cc web site lil confusing...what do u need to order seperately, cone and stove? May give it a shot but seems pricy...$50 vs zpacks for $12.....


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You can order the Foster Can Caldera Cone as a complete kit for $60. Has everything, including the gram cracker Esbit stove, the 10-12 stove, and the caddy which doubles as you cup and bowl. This is all I've ever used cause I can't find anything lighter or simpler.

[saltysack]

You can order the Foster Can Caldera Cone as a complete kit for $60. Has everything, including the gram cracker Esbit stove, the 10-12 stove, and the caddy which doubles as you cup and bowl. This is all I've ever used cause I can't find anything lighter or simpler.

I already use sp600 mug/pot...didn't see fosters set up on web site


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[Coffee]

As far as I know, the same restrictions governing the mailing of canisters also applies to esbit, namely that one has to specify the package as "ORM-D" and send it ground only. That means that you can't use priority mail because the postal service cannot route a priority mail package exclusively by ground. This limitation makes mailing fuel a non-starter for many people due to the slow and unreliable nature of parcel post vs. priority mail.

Please correct me if I'm wrong and you CAN mail esbit in priority mail packages because, if so, I think that I have a viable solution for my desire to have hot coffee but go stoveless otherwise on the PCT next year. I will probably use mail drops almost exclusively because I plan to tightly control my diet and I could just include however many esbits are needed for my coffee for a segment. The only additional weight would be the tiny zPacks esbit setup and a ti single walled cup (maybe 2-3 ounces).

Of course this would be a no-go in fire ban areas, but could be viable elsewhere, if indeed priority mail can be used to send esbit.

[10-K]

You can order the Foster Can Caldera Cone as a complete kit for $60. Has everything, including the gram cracker Esbit stove, the 10-12 stove, and the caddy which doubles as you cup and bowl. This is all I've ever used cause I can't find anything lighter or simpler.

This is exactly what I have. For longer hikes it's perfect. Shorter hikes I'll carry a canister for convenience.

[10-K]

Please correct me if I'm wrong and you CAN mail esbit in priority mail packages because, if so, I think that I have a viable solution for my desire to have hot coffee but go stoveless otherwise on the PCT next year.

I order it via Amazon and it arrives with no signage on the box. (edited to add: It DOES come with the ORM-D sticker on the box - shipped UPS.

[Just Bill]

I already use sp600 mug/pot...didn't see fosters set up on web site


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The hardest thing with the CC is picking a pot.
If you know what you like to use the best thing is to reach out to Rand and get his recommendation.

That said- I would stick with the sidewinder style- less parts and pieces and the short fat pots seem to be most efficient.
The other options are only worth a look if you have an odd sized pot that you are in love with and insist on using.

The gram cracker comes standard in all the stoves.
If you never plan to use wood- you don't need the floor or inferno.
That said- I don't often go in very sensitive areas so I don't own the floor or the inferno and I cook with wood often. In a tough spot a turned over rock or sod hunk does the job. But to be honest, in a tough spot I'll just use the esbit tab and call it a day.

I would strongly recommend the TI ti-tri stove, despite the cost. YOU CANNOT BURN WOOD IN THE REGULAR!

My 12-10 stove still sits in it's little zip-loc tub and has never been used- but if I go that route- it's there- and it was free.

When I burn wood I usually cook over an open fire, that said, the cone can be used as an extra firestarting aid (like a charcoal starter cone in a BBQ) in damp/windy weather. It also comes in handy if you do want to trail bake (food not MJ) or simmer- you can scrape some coals off the main fire into a small pile and set the cone on top of your little pile without using the stakes and make an impromptu UL version of a dutch oven for simmering a stew or some grains.

[Mags]

As far as I know, the same restrictions governing the mailing of canisters also applies to esbit, namely that one has to specify the package as "ORM-D" and send it ground only. .

Solid anything is easier to mail than liquid (alcohol as the original comparison) in general..at least in my experience. Less chance of spillage, easier to package, more compact (do not need extra packing due to fragility or spillage issues). The thin metal of canister also need a little more TLC in terms of extra packaging...at least if you are on the cautious side as I am when it comes to fuel.


I was not discussing so much the ease of red tape. That appears to be the same. My apologies for not making that more clear. I have updated my post.

Having said that, this is the best link I've seen for shipping fuel.
http://www.gottawalk.com/planning/57-2/

I sure hope so.. I've mailed the stuff around since 2007...

Also, I order it via Amazon and it arrives with no signage on the box.

Interesting. Ken and Marcia do state they are being cautious in their document.

10k, does it arrive via UPS or USPS when you receive it? If it USPS, then..volia...easy peasy mac-n-cheesy for us normal folks.

[10-K]

10k, does it arrive via UPS or USPS when you receive it? If it USPS, then..volia...easy peasy mac-n-cheesy for us normal folks.

Holy cow... they come UPS with the ORM-D sticker on them.

[zelph]

Here is some good info on test results of esbit:

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-...to_post=877133