esbit stove users

“I have been thinking about getting one of these to lighten up the pack a little. I have been reading reviews about them and have a few questions if anyone is kind enough to reply. :) 1.) I read that to get these things to simmer they blow out the esbit and replace it with a tealight candle. Has any one tried this? And how hard is it to blow out this type of fuel? 2.) Has anyone tried to use this in really cold weather?
Thank you for your time and consideration.”

“I saw a review from backpacker magazine and they said Esbit tablets don't work good enough to cook with. I have no experience with them, but did have good results with the Pepsi can stove and it's free.”

“I'm down with the Pepsi can stove. And the cat food can from STG Rock's page is good, however the flame is out of controll.

-Wrath of the Hiker”

“I've used the esbit and find that it's ok for boiling water and that's about it. You can blow the fuel tab out without much effort. It actually has a good flame and boils quicker than I would have thought. Be sure to use a wind screen (I use a piece of tin foil). The cold or rain doesn't seem to have much affect.”

“Wrath of the hiker, the pepsi can stove can have an adjustable flame if you know how to make it. Mine throttles down really well by using a simmer mask.”

“Do tell”

“Esbit works good for cooking. You light and leave it. I use 2 or so tabs depending on what I am cooking. I have not tried to simmer with a candle. Backpackers recent review was while using esbit in the winter and trying to melt snow for water. Not what it was made for IMHO. I also melted a small hole in my cookpot while baking muffins so they get pretty toasty. For the cost somewhere around $10 you cant go wrong. If you dont like it than oh well, no great loss.”

“Check out the pepsi can stove upgrade thread for details on how to make these stoves simmer.”

“Hyperpacker, How do you bake with esbit? Just wondering, I haven't heard of many people attempting anything but boiling water.

RichB, I admit it. I'm a weeny when it comes to homemade stoves. Are they safe?

Thanks everyone for answering.”

“Willow, you can bake with any stove. Cut a pop can in half. Fill the botton 1/3 of the pop with muffin mix or cornbread etc...Place the pop can in your cookpot. Place some small pebbles under the pop can so it doesnt directly touch the cookpot. Put on lid and cook till the dough wont stick to a tooth pick or twig. BTW grease the pop can well and practise at home first.”

“...and be careful not to melt a hole in yer pot! :^)”

“Willow, I believe they are safe. Alcohol is supposed to be non-explosive, but you still need to take precautions when using any stove. If you decide to try an alcohol stove realize the flame is invisible in daylight, clear away all combustable materials underneath and around the stove, don't wear synthetic gloves when operating one and finally just use common sense to prevent mishaps and you'll enjoy using something you made for yourself on the trail. Happy cooking!”

“...and don't dump more fuel into the burner when flames are still present...and don't spill any of that fuel on yer foot!”

“Thanks everyone, this is good advice and ideas. I just love tinkering with gear. I am going to try that baking idea this weekend.”

“www.cheaperthandirt.com has esbit stoves for 99 cents!!!!!!”

“I witnessed alley oop use his at Tuolumne Meadows last summer.
I was impressed.
I would take one on a long trip to save weight, and use it for the heavy duty cooking and coffee water.
I would also take my MSR for everything else.
I could probably take off half the weight of white gas that way.
Does anyone here know where I can get an Esbit, AND the fuel for cheap?”

“REI:

Esbit Pocket Stove + 6 fuel tablets - $9.95

Esbit Fuel Tablets (12) - $4.95”

“For some reason REI has stopped carrying the esbits and fuel in the stores. Bums me out to have to pay shipping and handling!”

“EEEEK!
REI ain't cheap, and now they don't carry them in the stores?
Anyone else got an idea?”

“Mel, How about I send you one? The local Military base sells them in the PX for 4.50, and the fuel is available in town...”

“How about some of those mil. heat tabs?”

“triox is tough stuff. i got a big box at the surplus store.”

“Now mind you I am not an expert. From the reviews I read they said although the triox is cheaper it doesn't burn as long and also gives off poisonous fumes. I guess triox has more of a residue after burning too. Of course this is second hand info since I don't have one yet. :)

Lounge Lizard , Have you tried both? What do you think?”

“Triox is nasty smellin stuff. The esbit works better (hotter) plus is nearly odor free.”

“Your local boy scout store sells a lighter weight (1.5oz) esbit knockoff. $6.50 I think with a dozen fuel tabs.”

“birch is right, but they all suck and cost more per meal than fuel. get a stove.

triox lights a helluvalot faster though.”

“Rad you may confuse folks when you refer to me by my old moniker.”

“sorry, hyper-birch-packer.

birch rules!”

“Ruff....
You're on boy!
I want one of those.
It'll be the first new stove I've had in 20 years.
E-mail
sierramel@qnet.com
And I'll work out the details with you.
Gracias....
Tonto”

“Coming to ya mel...I'll have it in the mail today!”

“It went out Priority Mail at around noon CST. The Postie who took it said about 3 days to get to you....I threw in a few Triox tabs so you could do your own comparison boil test...”

“Yesterday, I got my order from REI. I used my dividend check to buy some nick nack stuff. I purchased three boxes of esbit fuel tabs, the "jumbo" size. The thing is, when I opened the package, I noticed something smelled like a$$. I looked at my 2 year old son, but he didn't have a deposit. The dog was no where to be found. I smelled the esbit boxes and the smell about knocked me to the floor. Of course, I needed a second opinion, so I quickly shoved the box under the nose of my lovely wife for her assesment and she about knocked me to the floor as well. Is it me, or does this stuff smell very bad? I have used trioxane fuel bars in the past, so this is my first hand experiance with it.”

“ROFLMAO”

“I've bought those tabs by the case from Cabella's. Came with no A$$ smell.”

“Better wash your hands!”

“I never noticed a smell from my Esbit tabs, but I have the normal-sized ones. I didn't know they came in a jumbo size!”

“Mine don't stink until I take them out of the wrapper - and then not like a dirty diaper.

You got crapped on!

LOL!”

“Bad batch, maybe? I dunno. It sure is a funky smell. Thank for all of the helpful info!”

“My Esbit is coming this week, for use next weekend. Never used one before.”

“I'm a big fan of the Esbit - except for the black sticky spooge it leaves on the bottom of my pot.

I put a sheet of aluminum foil over the bottom of the pot ONE time, it didn't work very well. The water didn't boil!

Otherwise, it's lightweight and boils water in about 5-6 minutes. I'm sold on the Esbit.

Although, I'm switching to alcohol for my next hike in a few weeks.

If ya'll have any tips to keep the black sticky goop off the bottom of the pot then pass them along.”

“I had heard that coating the bottom with soap made cleanup easy but I don't know if that applies to esbit gunk - it was mentioned re soot from zip stove.”

“Get a black pot,you will never notice it.”

“On the last Savage Gulf trip, SuperTroll was kind enough to lend me some babywipes....they took the spooge off the bottom of my pot right nice. They left a little soapy residue on there, but it wasn't too bad. Normally I don't worry about it, I just put the pot in a plastic bag like a Wal-Mart bag so it won't get anything else in my food bag dirty. But the baby wipes did work really well.”

“Why is a little black spooge on the bottom of a pot such a crisis?”

“I agree the creosote on the bottom of my pot never bothered me - I just keep the pot in a plastic grocery bag”

“It wouldn't be if it would stay on the pot. But it doesn't and it gets all over everything in your pack, staining it. Not to mention that as the residue of some sort of burning chemical, it's probably toxic.

So I either clean my pot with something, or tie it up my a plastic bag. Solves most of the problems.”