[pct-l] Re: stove debate

[o123david at yahoo.com (O David)]

>Esbit stoves: my question is, isn't their boil time quite slow (I like to 
>eat the occasional pasta dinner, or things that require a sustained boil for

>a few minutes), and how annoying is the burned out fuel pellet?  How long 
>will 2 c. water boil with one pellet?

Solid fuel stoves get going almost immediately and cook more slowly than
liquid fuel or pressurized gas. For boiling a pint of water from start to
finish, pressurized gas is probably fastest followed by alcohol and solid
fuel followed by liquid fuel.
Once food and water reach a boil for most foods you can put on the lid, turn
off the stove, and just wait for the food to finish cooking without adding
any additional heat.
Esbits don't leave any residue. Coghlan's fuel tablets leave a small amount
of ash.

my recent message to another list- cheaper than Esbits...

I used Esbits for my last 10,000 miles of long-distance hiking without any
problems. Burn them on some aluminum (a piece of your MSR windscreen), hold
the pot up with a 1 3/4" wide strip of hardware cloth, and use a cut-down MSR
windscreen. You need around half the weight with Esbits (or Coghlan's) as you
would with alcohol for the same amount of cooking.

Coghlan's fuel tablets are just as efficient as Esbits. You need the same
amount of fuel for the same amount of cooking.
The difference is that Coghlan's cost less than half as much as Esbits for
the same amount of fuel.

They are packaged differently. Esbits come in a box of 12 tablets of 1/2 oz
each and Coghlan's come in a box of 24 tablets of 1/4 oz each. You need less
than 1/2 oz of either for a Lipton's dinner. Both are nontoxic but have a
somewhat objectionable smell. When done cooking you can blow out either one
and use what remains to cook your next meal. Both leave a residue on the
bottom of the pot that can easily be removed with a little dirt and water.
Both can - unlike alcohol - be sent by air.

If you can't find Coghlan's locally then you can buy them from Rob Coghlan in
Canada. Phone (204)284-9550 or fax (204)475-4175.
Pay by visa, check, or money order - 2.49/box.
David - who never had anything to do with Coghlan's but thinks the Germans
charge too much for Esbits

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