Hi,

I just tried boiling 500ml of water with my pocket Esbit stove. I have detailed statistics, but the executive summary is that it took 40 minutes and 5 tablets.

The weather was warm and sunny, but quite windy. Ambient temperature about 20°C, and we are pretty much at sea level here. I was impressed at how the Esbit tablet remained lit even as the wind caught it. I will repeat the test in the garage, where there will be draughts but no wind.

Also, the fuel makes a sooty deposit on the pan, which is annoying and will make everything it touches black.

I made a cup of tea (500ml) with the boiling water, which was quite nice after waiting for 40 minutes.

A

At that point, might as well just use the tablet as a giant wetfire tinder and start a camp fire!

I have one word for you: windscreen.

Actually, a few more words: take some heavy duty aluminum foil and double it, shape it into a C shape, put it up close around the pot, and block the wind with it. You'll be amazed.

Yes, that was my plan. I figured boiling water in the garage would represent 'ideal conditions', then I could compare it with 'real-world' conditions.

I have an aluminium box in two parts, which I plan to use as a base and a shield.

More news as it's made,

A

ame, you are a better man than I am. I don't have the patience to wait 40 minutes for water to boil. To me, after 40 minutes, I better have a darn tasty hot meal to go with my hot beverage.

sotto, with your wind screen, how long does it take to get water (amount?) to boil? I tried the foil windscreen before and it didn't work very well for me. You think there is a differrence between the heavy duty versus the regular tin foil?

Easy. I simply imagined myself in an emergency situation, then instead of running around waving my arms in the air panicking I sat down and boiled some water to make tea. I sat on the front step watching the pot (hey! Maybe that's why it took ages to boil) and relaxed in the sun.

After my tea I imagined I had been rescued and full internet access had been restored so I could report my findings to you.

Would 500ml (about 1 pint) be sufficient for a cup of tea and a hot meal (one of those dehydrated ones)?

A

Esbit stoves dont work well at all. I had one in the army for years, and it never did any better than luke-warm. Someone else recently asked a thread about this same thing.
There are far better methods than an esbit stove. The trioxane tabs are great for starting a fire, THEN boiling water. As a stove, it doesnt work that well. Even with a windscreen/heat reflector. If youre using it simply to warm meals, its fantastic though. Just dont count on it to purify water.

I also found, from experience, that it will work much better in a covered pot instead of one without a lid.

Personally, I would use the esbit for warming stuff (like soup), but not for boiling. It will work well enought to keep from eating stone-cold food, but probably not a great idea for water purification.

Thanks for the info. But then why it's recommended in the SAS survival handbook for the survival pouch in the essentials chapter? Maybe you should use a thin aluminum mess tin with lid such as the Trangia? Anyway I'm considering the MSR WhisperLite International as a versatile stove for home preparedness, cold climate and snoeshowing expeditions. But that's another topic.

Frankie

Ame,

I salute you on patience. I find I can only use my esbit-type stove like that in warmer weather for boiling water for tea unless in ample shelter/windscreen. I have the best luck with shallow pans like the standard old U.S. Army mess kit to get it boiling real quickly.

Simon