I've used esbit stoves and fuel for years. During Terrill Hoffman's "Practice What You Preach III" this year, I experimented with alternative fuels for the esbit stove. I used esbit, USGI hexamine and trioxane, and Coghlan's brand fuel tabs. The esbit fuel typically required two tabs to boil water for 5+ minutes. The other fuels took three or more tabs to boil water for the same or similar time frames. A windscreen of some type is a must.

I'll be heading south tomorrow afternoon, to the VA tidewaters region. An Esbit stove and fuel will be along for the ride ...

M

FWIW, I've had good luck with the Nuwick/Eco stove.



Link

It's must take weeks to boil water on two little candle flames.... <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

In my experience the ESBIT tablet has an extreemly long shelf life and I think that if you investigate , you will find that it is the plastic the tablets are wrapped in that changes colour, and NOT the tablet itself.

hey goatrider : by the term "commando stove " are you talking about the british army issue "hexy stove" it kinda looks like the esbit stove but way larger and made of lighter gage metal... or is it something t-totaly different,something i do'nt know about???? vince g. 11b inf...

I think it's the regular sized esbit. It even says "Esbit" on it. Here, I'll take a pic-



The two white tabs on the left came with the stove, the 2 strips of 3 came in the red box labeled $1.50. The box fits in the folded stove. I made a little X out of steel, I've heard that you get better results that way.

Now that you mention it, it looks like the plastic is yellow, and maybe not the tabs. It's only $1.50, I should give it a try.

Here, in France, aside the Esbit stove, we can find this "re-heating set" :



This "made in France" product contains :
- 6 solid fuel tablets ("no alcool, no petroleum, non toxic")
- 1 little box of regular safety matches (wood)
- 1 foldable piece of cardbord, to hold the hot meal metal box/carton (?)
- 1 flat pre-cut rectangle of metal (steel ?) ; has to be folded to form a support for your pan (like an Esbit stove)

It can be re-flattened after use. And re-used a few times.

A note on the side of the box explains :
"can be used to heat 6 x 400g of food or to bring a 1/2 litre of water from 20°C to 70°C"

Some of you may also be interested in a smaller "wing stove" for esbit tabs. http://www.thru-hiker.com/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=EB101



I'm planning on getting one of these soon. I would keep materials for an improvised windscreen on hand for use with it.

Goatrider:

Alright, I'll bite. What's the X for??

You put the esbit tab on top of it, then air can get under it for better burning. I haven't tried it yet, but it makes sense. Worth a try definitely.