MYOG Esbit Stove
- Thread starter EM - paul
- Start date
Oh, I've not had a proper look at it yet but that doesn't sound too good.
EM - paul
Thru Hiker
EM - paul
Thru Hiker
yea id agree with that. A 14g esbit will take 1l of water to a hot enough temp to use for food and brew needs (will need to be filtered water). in ideal conditions it will properly boil 800ml which is enough for a rat and a brew. 15ml of meths in my most efficient stove (caldera fkeg) will boil 500ml
Iv gotta say last time I was out I used hexamine tabs a lot, I used them in a vargo triad stove and it was excellent!!
1 tab boiled more than enough water for a big brew, my only concern is you need a brilliant wind shield for it, the flame is not to good with a breeze.
I did try to actually cook a couple of fried eggs using it but that didn't work out great tbh,but just for boiling water it's a top bit of kit.
1 tab boiled more than enough water for a big brew, my only concern is you need a brilliant wind shield for it, the flame is not to good with a breeze.
I did try to actually cook a couple of fried eggs using it but that didn't work out great tbh,but just for boiling water it's a top bit of kit.
Mole
Thru Hiker
Looks good Paul. I have some Ti foil, so will have a play sometime.
Edit: Just realised I have posted a load of stuff about my esbit setup. Maybe this should be in a seperate thread - sorry - got carried away with the excitement of joining a great new forum! (can it/should it be moved?)
I've been using Esbit for backpacking for a year or so, but only recently started doing measurements on efficiency. Like you, I've found it significantly better than meths. I always use a Caldera Cone type set up for boiling water for years now, as repeated tests showed it to be the most fuel efficient windshield setup with meths.
I do use a plain foil windshield with the Ti-wing when I take a frying pan. (I found 1x 14g esbit and a small ali frypan will perfectly cook a butchers burger with one turn needed- minimal attention needed
.
So you would say 3cm gap from base of fuel block to bottom of pan? Haven't measured it, but, by eye that agrees with the ti-wing and with the DIY stove I use in my cones.
I used Esbit for a multiday trip in May (TGO) and found it to be very good. Due to the issues with lighting it in windy conditions, I took a small 100ml squirt bottle of meths too. I used a couple drops on the fuel block each time and it lit instantly. At the end of the fortnight I was impressed that I had enough Esbit left over for 2 days use and 70ml of meths. (I boiled 500ml in mornings, 500 - 900 in the evenings and had a brew stop at lunchtime/afternoon if time and weather allowed - so about 3x14g tabs a day).
My DIY stove is actually just the based of a drinks can. It's just a dish really. It's glued (JBweld) to the base of an Starlyte stove(the older shallower model - the more recent ones are slightly deeper). I originally made it as a base for the Starlyte to raise it to the right height for meths efficiency in my cone for MSR Ti Kettle. I tried it upside down with esbit just this year and found it works perfectly. So a dual fuel setup! (It also works fine in the Evernew600 Caldera sidewinder too - meths or esbit)
Edit: Just realised I have posted a load of stuff about my esbit setup. Maybe this should be in a seperate thread - sorry - got carried away with the excitement of joining a great new forum! (can it/should it be moved?)
I've been using Esbit for backpacking for a year or so, but only recently started doing measurements on efficiency. Like you, I've found it significantly better than meths. I always use a Caldera Cone type set up for boiling water for years now, as repeated tests showed it to be the most fuel efficient windshield setup with meths.
I do use a plain foil windshield with the Ti-wing when I take a frying pan. (I found 1x 14g esbit and a small ali frypan will perfectly cook a butchers burger with one turn needed- minimal attention needed
.So you would say 3cm gap from base of fuel block to bottom of pan? Haven't measured it, but, by eye that agrees with the ti-wing and with the DIY stove I use in my cones.
I used Esbit for a multiday trip in May (TGO) and found it to be very good. Due to the issues with lighting it in windy conditions, I took a small 100ml squirt bottle of meths too. I used a couple drops on the fuel block each time and it lit instantly. At the end of the fortnight I was impressed that I had enough Esbit left over for 2 days use and 70ml of meths. (I boiled 500ml in mornings, 500 - 900 in the evenings and had a brew stop at lunchtime/afternoon if time and weather allowed - so about 3x14g tabs a day).
My DIY stove is actually just the based of a drinks can. It's just a dish really. It's glued (JBweld) to the base of an Starlyte stove(the older shallower model - the more recent ones are slightly deeper). I originally made it as a base for the Starlyte to raise it to the right height for meths efficiency in my cone for MSR Ti Kettle. I tried it upside down with esbit just this year and found it works perfectly. So a dual fuel setup!
(It also works fine in the Evernew600 Caldera sidewinder too - meths or esbit)
Last edited:
Mole
Thru Hiker
But, ESBIT is very expensive compared to meths or gas.
I was lucky, as the local surplus store was selling them 50p for 3x14g ( less than a third of rrp!) for a while, but they have run out now.
So, I tried hexamine in the cone instead. The tabs are larger, but I cut one to the same weight, and in the cone found it to be just as good/fuel efficient.
They do it for £2 a box (8 big tabs) so it works out waayyy cheaper than normal esbit prices (less than a third again).
I've also just tried this: Witabs from here: I bought them thinking they were significantly cheaper, but with postage (shh - don't tell anyone - they used Royal Mail) they work out similar to esbit, as the tabs are 7g each (I thought they might be 14g!). However, they are a nice size to use for a brew or 2. (the 4g esbits seem a bit small and overpriced) and don't come overpackaged like 14g esbit - just 12 tabs in a polybag.
Tested the Witabs work out the same efficiency - Not a rolling boil, but I got 500ml water hot enough for coffee(bubbles just forming on base of pan on 1 x 7g tab, and 400ml hot enough for a dehydrated meal (bigger bubbles/more steam).
I was lucky, as the local surplus store was selling them 50p for 3x14g ( less than a third of rrp!) for a while, but they have run out now.
So, I tried hexamine in the cone instead. The tabs are larger, but I cut one to the same weight, and in the cone found it to be just as good/fuel efficient.
They do it for £2 a box (8 big tabs) so it works out waayyy cheaper than normal esbit prices (less than a third again).
I've also just tried this: Witabs from here: I bought them thinking they were significantly cheaper, but with postage (shh - don't tell anyone - they used Royal Mail) they work out similar to esbit, as the tabs are 7g each (I thought they might be 14g!). However, they are a nice size to use for a brew or 2. (the 4g esbits seem a bit small and overpriced) and don't come overpackaged like 14g esbit - just 12 tabs in a polybag.
Tested the Witabs work out the same efficiency - Not a rolling boil, but I got 500ml water hot enough for coffee(bubbles just forming on base of pan on 1 x 7g tab, and 400ml hot enough for a dehydrated meal (bigger bubbles/more steam).
EM - paul
Thru Hiker
Yes mate, i just chuck the titanium tray in the pouch