[pct-l] Re: stove debate

[jgranite at lycos.com (JGranite)]

I just started testing out an Esbit stove, in the hopes to leave my heavier whisperlite at home.  At 6500', a cube lasted around 10-11 minutes, enough for me to boil water for my oatmeal and cup of tea (a little more than 2 cups).  Dinner (risotto for two people), however, took 3 cubes.  I'm looking into how many 'instant' dinners I can handle, as opposed to dinners like rice or pasta that need some additional cooking time.  Though I'll try O David's method of letting food sit, and see if that works.

There was a little bit of residue from the cube, but really nothing to speak of -- I always burned the entire cube, so I can't speak to 'leftovers'.  The soot at the bottom of the pot was annoying, but the whisperlite can do that at times as well.  I used my whisperlite's windscreen, which worked fine.  The only occasional hitch for me was lighting the cube, since  it took a few seconds for the cube to light and so had to be protected from the wind while doing so.

I don't know yet if I'll take it on my JMT trip, but at least it's a cheap, lightweight alternative to experiment with.

--------- Original Message ---------

DATE: Sat, 12 Jul 2003 15:30:02
From: O David <o123david@yahoo.com>
To: pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
Cc: 

>>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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