Winter use of Esbit tabs

[domnokmis]

Does anyone know if Esbit tabs don't perform as well in cold weather as they do normally? I've heard that about alcohol and wonder if it is true for Esbit tabs too. I know how many Esbit tabs to bring normally, but I wonder if I'll need more because of cold weather performance (GA-NC next month).

[bulldog49]

From the literature I've read, heat output is not degraded in cold weather. But the water you are boiling will presumably be pretty cold so it will take longer to boil than in warmer weather.

[Wolf - 23000]

I've done a lot of winter hiking over 8,000 miles. In the south the Esbit tabs will work but may need to use more tabs when the water becomes to icy. Up north when you start needing to use melt snow/ice for water, it doesn't work. You end up needing to carry more fuel just to melt snow for water than any weight you save vs a gas stove.

Wolf