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#80328 - 12/15/06 03:54 AM Esbit stove
ame Offline
Member

Registered: 10/15/05
Posts: 162
Loc: Korea
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

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#80329 - 12/15/06 04:09 AM Re: Esbit stove
Burncycle Offline
Addict

Registered: 09/16/04
Posts: 577
At that point, might as well just use the tablet as a giant wetfire tinder and start a camp fire!

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#80330 - 12/15/06 04:10 AM Re: Esbit stove
sotto Offline
Addict

Registered: 06/04/03
Posts: 450
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.

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#80331 - 12/15/06 04:18 AM Re: Esbit stove
ame Offline
Member

Registered: 10/15/05
Posts: 162
Loc: Korea
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

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#80332 - 12/15/06 05:52 AM Re: Esbit stove
aloha Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 11/16/05
Posts: 1059
Loc: Hawaii, USA
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?
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#80333 - 12/15/06 07:36 AM Re: Esbit stove
ame Offline
Member

Registered: 10/15/05
Posts: 162
Loc: Korea
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

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#80334 - 12/15/06 01:08 PM Re: Esbit stove
oldsoldier Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 11/25/06
Posts: 742
Loc: MA
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.
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#80335 - 12/15/06 03:32 PM Re: Esbit stove
harrkev Offline
Enthusiast

Registered: 09/05/01
Posts: 384
Loc: Colorado Springs, CO
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.
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Darwin was wrong -- I'm still alive

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#80336 - 12/15/06 04:06 PM Re: Esbit stove
Frankie Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 09/19/03
Posts: 736
Loc: Montréal, Québec, Canada
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

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#80337 - 12/15/06 04:25 PM Re: Esbit stove
Simon Offline


Registered: 04/24/06
Posts: 398
Loc: Tennessee
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
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