Esbit stove

[Cheyou]

http://www.mountainultralight.com/20...imal-fuel.html


I can always smell an odd fish like odor with stored and burning Esbit that I find attaches itself to ditty rags, Esbit stoves, rocks, cookware, clothes one cooks in using Esbit, etc.

Smells better then most summer hikers ! ;0)

[scrabbler]

If burning/burnt Esbit(hexamine) can leave residue on the bottom of a cook pot I question using it to start a grill or campfire where food is being prepared placed directly on the grill.

Of course you would wait for it to be burned out. Do you usually start cooking with fire accelerants in place?

[Dogwood]

Smells better then most summer hikers ! ;0)

Indeed!

Interesting that a little debate ensued on a BPL thread regarding the smell comparing 4 g to 14 g Esbit tabs. I personally have only seen the smaller tabs very very rarely. One or two folks over there were saying the 4 g tabs have less(no?, questionable) smell. It was an old thread.

Some good threads on different fuel efficiencies.
https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/70526/
https://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/arc.../t-120600.html

I was seeking some alchy fuel saving/alchy cooking/fuel wt reducing tips from those more in the know than me.

[zelph]

The 4 gram have very little odor, practically none in the opinion of my nose

BPL has an indepth discussion(15 pages), smell, size, stoves, boil times etc. on esbit at this link:

https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/101822/

[Dogwood]

Of course you would wait for it to be burned out. Do you usually start cooking with fire accelerants in place?

Have you never tasted lighter fuel residue on grilled food long after the fluid and briquettes are just low embers? I have. Residue still persists despite human eye visual appearances all is "burned out" - gone and yes it can affect food taste. Odors are part of mouth taste too.

[Dogwood]

Gonna look for and try out the 4 g tabs for odor before making any conclusions on odor. Thx Zelph. Hoped you chime in.

[Dogwood]

In all fairness, and to repeat myself, I've little Esbit experience

[earlyriser26]

I tried an esbit stove, but I had to use so many cubes to boil water I gave up. Why do so many people look for a better stove when a canister stove is best.

[Dogwood]

Because what is "best" is differrntly defined by different peoeple having different priorities that change. What stove one wants on a winter hike or climb to 20k or for a weekend summer trip on the GA AT or a LD Eurppean multi wk or Andes multi month hike or one with a conventional weighted kit or with a UL/SUL philosophy or...can be different.

[zelph]

My latest adventure with a 14 gram esbit allowed me to raise the temp of 4 cups of water to 202 degrees using a Kmart grease pot. A 6" tall aluminum windscreen was used in close proximity of the pot. I'ts easy to boil 3 cups using a cone windscreen and Toaks 700 Light pot with handles. Calm conditions, 70 degree start water temp.

[cmoulder]

I tried an esbit stove, but I had to use so many cubes to boil water I gave up. Why do so many people look for a better stove when a canister stove is best.

Were you using a wind screen?

I also use canister and alcohol stoves but sometimes Esbit is perfect for short trips when the lightest possible gear is desired.

[Leo L.]

There are good resons why I use Esbit:
- readily available here in EU
- easy and save to use
- easy knowing how much supply is left
- no empty bottle/canister after use
- goes with check-in luggage (don't know if its legal, it just worked for me so far)

Some of the above does not apply for the US and your hiking style, so I doubt if Esbit would make so much sense on the AT.

[Dogwood]

THX Leo. I appreciate the reports of conditions outside the U.S and off the AT.

[scrabbler]

I wonder why Esbit is more popular in the EU? Im a fan, just wondering WHY.

[Leo L.]

In Germany and Austria, an Esbit stove and fuel is part of the mess kit you get when being in the service.
So every male here knows it.
Esbit is not a sexy fancy stuff, and most men have learned to hate it when leaving the military service.
But after many a year in civilian life, many people come back to Esbit - because they know it well, because it simply works, because its widely available.
There is no technical reason that would put Esbit over any other fuel - at least not any big one.

Esbit is a German company, btw.

[zelph]

Today 4 boil tests completed. Starting temps were 69-71 degrees avg. 3 cups in a toaks 900 ti pot with handles. It’s the best size pot for 3 cups, has good amount of head room for ease of pouring water into freezer bags. The handles on a pot are a must when heating 3 cups. Using a pot gripper is old school and a PITA. Extra parts are a nuisance ;-)

Time to boil averaged 13.5 – 14.5 min, with approx 2 min. more of boil till flame out.I used the 3.250 dia titanium pot support and the titanium esbit concentrator. (weight 10 grams total for 2 pcs) With this set up I can say with confidence, one 14 gram esbit will boil 3 cups of water under calm conditions and summer time air temps. Todays humidity was around 75%(rain is imminent)

This is the set-up used today (no windscreen)
DSCF3623.JPG[/COLOR]

[Deacon]

Esbit is all I have ever used on the AT.

When cooking with others, everyone else had canisters. I always seemed to be the subject of curiosity with my Foster's Caldera Cone setup. A couple of people even made fun of my setup, with all the pieces and parts.

I use Esbit for all the reasons Leo L. listed in post #92 above. One additional reason, it's easy to blow out.

[cmoulder]

with all the pieces and parts.

I have been using this setup lately for Esbit... not too many parts!

Total weight including coffee cup (inCycle... 4.5g) GSI spoon, Bic and fuel for 3 dinners and 3 breakfasts and stuff sack is 6.7 oz. Boils 2 cups with 10g Esbit.

esbit3.jpg

[Suzzz]

I used my Esbit stove during my recent section and I'm now ambivalent as to whether or not I'll keep using it.

Main reasons being :
- On a few occasions I wished I could have controlled the intensity of the heat, however once the Esbit tab is lit, what you see is what you get.
- My canister cooking neighbor's meals always seemed to be ready much faster than mine (or was it just my hungry paranoid stomach who thought so?)

I got rid of my MSR Simmerlite because I found it was complicated to operate, high maintenance, and I always worried that the canister would leak in my pack. I also did not want an alcohol stove because of the same possible leak issue. The canister stove seems like a great no muss no fuss system but I don't like the idea of having to carry out empty canisters but also mostly because they're not reusable.

So I'll ponder on this during winter. I realize that all stove systems have their pros and cons... I just need to figure out which one is the best one for me.

[Deacon]

I used my Esbit stove during my recent section and I'm now ambivalent as to whether or not I'll keep using it.

Main reasons being :
- On a few occasions I wished I could have controlled the intensity of the heat, however once the Esbit tab is lit, what you see is what you get.
- My canister cooking neighbor's meals always seemed to be ready much faster than mine (or was it just my hungry paranoid stomach who thought so?)

I got rid of my MSR Simmerlite because I found it was complicated to operate, high maintenance, and I always worried that the canister would leak in my pack. I also did not want an alcohol stove because of the same possible leak issue. The canister stove seems like a great no muss no fuss system but I don't like the idea of having to carry out empty canisters but also mostly because they're not reusable.

So I'll ponder on this during winter. I realize that all stove systems have their pros and cons... I just need to figure out which one is the best one for me.

Yeah it's pretty much true that the most convenient, fastest systems are also the heaviest to carry. Got to pick the point you're comfortable with.