Thanks guys

I have been playing around with tuna cans and powedered milk cans to make cat stoves and rocket stoves. But I live in a desert country where wood is not very abundant. So, I will limit that to inside the house where I will burn even old furbiture or dead branches from the garden if it is SHTF situation.

Liquid fuels are not popular around here. Alcohol will not be easy to find , although I will keep looking. We do not have the (HEET) brand of fuel additives, which are explained in these forums as methanol and propanol. We have the STP fuel additives so I don't know what they are made of.

But availability of liquid fuel is not the only consideration. Gas and liquid fuels are not safe to be stored in car trunk in July/August heat. So it defies the purpose of having a GHB standby in the trunk 365 days a year. Solid fuel seems the only safe choice for me.

BTW, I don't even have an esbit stove per se. I made my own from some cans ( same diameter and half height of a coffee can ) with holes around the botton and top. Other esbit stoves I made from an electrical outlet box after opening the side holes and using a raised cover on top. The cover screws are not tightened and the cover can be sled open. Inside the box, extra esbit cubes are stored (just like the real esbit stove).

So, if it appears the only choice for secondary fuel is the charcoal tabs, they will have the additional advantage of being almost same size and shape like esbit fuel. They will be conveniently stored in there too.

Homemade cubes of sawdust and wax can be made, but again, they will be smoky. I need something that can burn clean. BBQ charcoal and charcoal tabs produce ashes, but no smoke. This is why I considered them.