View Full Version : Esbit for thru hike
I'm planning a 2010 thru and i'm debating weather to use esbit tabs and small wood fires were possible or taking an achohol stove.
ShelterLeopard
08-10-2009, 00:50
I'm bringing my pocket rocket. Though I admit, I got to try downhill's alcohol stove this summer, and I was not unimpressed. My pocket rocket does a better job though.
ShelterLeopard
08-10-2009, 00:50
PS- Welcome to Whitblaze, and see you on the trail next year.
I see lots of alcohol (stoves!!) and some cannister stoves on the AT. ESBIT always made my cooking pot too dirty on the bottom.
daddytwosticks
08-10-2009, 07:25
I use esbit alot on shorter hikes. The sticky residue on the pot bottom is not a problem for me, but I use and store my pots in a cozy so the mess isn't spread around in my pack. Esbit may be quite pricey for a thru hike, especially if you cook alot. Good luck on the hike! :)
I'm planning a 2010 thru and i'm debating weather to use esbit tabs and small wood fires were possible or taking an achohol stove.From what I have learned, the Esbit tabs are good if you only plan to use them mostly to boil water for say freeze dried foods, noodle dishes, coffee, etc...You can't say use them to simmer your food, etc...Just mostly to boil. Second, they aren't as easy to find enroute, you would want to prepurchase for the trip in bulk, and then have them maildropped to yourself along the way. Also, they leave a residue and "odor" that some find offensive. You will need something to store them in, so as to contain this, possibly a stuff sack, etc...Also the "stove" that the tablet rests in is on the somewhat heavy side for a thru-hike. I decided to purchase esbit tablets for my planned hike, and saw at Backpacking light.com a super light titanium esbit stove that I purchased, saving a lot of weight in my pack, however I do not know if these are still available. If you keep your cooking to a minimum, pre-buy in bulk and maildrop along the way, I think esbit would work on a thru.
wrongway_08
08-10-2009, 10:50
I tried esbit.
dislikes:
- doesnt last long
- makes pots dirty
- smells funky
- cost a good amount if you eat a lot of hot meals
- heavy, considering how many tablets you need to buy compared to the weight of a canister fuel. For the same amount of cook time.
- all the trash from the tablets
Likes:
- compact, if you only cook once in a while and dont need a lot of tablets.
What I ended up with, MSR ti pot, small canister fuel and snow peak ti burner.
Blissful
08-10-2009, 11:49
I loved my pocket rocket stove.
summermike
08-10-2009, 13:19
I love Esbit. I soak food during the day so it only has to be cooked briefly over a flame. I use a homemade windscreen that holds the pot over the cut-off bottom of a soda can (not converted for alcohol use, literally just the bottom of the can) which holds the Esbit tablet. They burn for quite a while and when you pre-soak your meal one tablet can last 2-3 meals. I think that's lighter than an alcohol stove plus the liquid fuel. I include the tabs in my mail drops so I never have to look for them on the trail. No problem with residue, I clean my pot after each use anyway.
max patch
08-10-2009, 13:28
I'm planning a 2010 thru and i'm debating weather to use esbit tabs and small wood fires were possible or taking an achohol stove.
If those are your choices then go with the alcohol stove.
I prefer a white gas stove.
Well i think i'm gonna start with the esbit stove and if it doesn't work out I will have my parents mail me my pepsi can stove. really like the weight savings of esbit and i don't mind getting them maildroped. I just am wondering how much alchohol i'll have to carry between resupply.
Wise Old Owl
08-10-2009, 15:12
Well looks like Wrongway covered what I was going to say, I still keep two esbit in the pack not for cooking but for the best "wet" wood emergency fire.
wrongway_08
08-10-2009, 15:39
Good point Wise Old Owl, the esbit makes a better emergency fire starter then the "real" emergency fire starters.
XCskiNYC
09-16-2009, 00:11
Once you start the esbit cube do you have to burn the whole cube? Can you snuff it out partly burned and then use the remaining bit later?
daddytwosticks
09-16-2009, 07:36
Yes, you can snuff out a burning esbit cube and reuse the remaining bit. I just try to repackage it in the original container and seal in a small ziplock so as not to make a mess. Just be away when doing this, the odor of the remaining cube is quite powerful! :)
JonnyWalker
09-16-2009, 15:24
If you don't like the esbit stove couldn't you just buy a Pepsi and make a stove in town?
Esbits rock! Carry 'em as my main fuel source. They have their drawbacks. Wind is the big esbit killer. You don't need to carry the stove. Just find two rocks to balance your pot on. Just protect from the wind. I usually would put my lipton in directly at the beginning, no need to wait for the water to boil. For mashers I would wait until the water was hot, but no need to wait until it is boiling, unless you have concerns about water purity.
Also, Coghlan's fuel tabs are about 1/2 the price of Esbits and work just as well. I found a box of 24 for 1.99 on a survivalist web site.
If you do order ahead, I would carry 24 with you and do mail drops. Esbits aren't at every outfitter and if that is what you rely on, there is little alternative.
I switched from my pocket rocket to an alcohol stove because of the weight. It's lighter, and cheaper but takes much longer to cook (at least mine does).
Next time I go out I'm going to make my own stove.
The vast majority of thru hikers don't use the Esbits. That doesn't mean you shouldn't, but you should plan ahead. It's very easy to get white gas or alcohol. Not so much the Esbits.
Jester2000
09-16-2009, 16:42
Well i think i'm gonna start with the esbit stove and if it doesn't work out I will have my parents mail me my pepsi can stove. really like the weight savings of esbit and i don't mind getting them maildroped. I just am wondering how much alchohol i'll have to carry between resupply.
If you want the option of doing either, the Etowah Alcohol stove is also designed to use Esbit tabs. A good option if you prefer Esbit tabs, but might hike some places where they're not available.
daddytwosticks
09-17-2009, 07:49
Most standard "pop can" stoves can be flipped upside-down and used to burn esbit tabs in the concave bottom. I've never personally done this, but sounds like a good duel fuel option. :)
SunnyWalker
09-17-2009, 13:26
Wazsa: I have used the Esbitt stove and tabs. It was the first "lightweight" stove I tried. Like some others here, I switched to Alcohol. Lighter, cleaner, more "natural" I guess. But I do carry a couple of Esbitt tabs for emergency fire starters. Sure effective for that!
dreamsoftrails
09-20-2009, 18:35
wood fires are great. use a stove only when its real wet.