I’ve searched forums on this and only found one reference. Has anyone had a foul brown gunk form on the bottom of their cook pot when using Esbit tabs? I tested Esbits tonight and had that happen. It’s foul. Also, is the weight savings worth carrying Esbit versus denatured?
~~thanks.
Tyger
I tried esbits for some workup stuff, but now use alcohol - it is available everywhere, and at least in the winter, you can carry an awful lot of heating power in a small 16oz bottle - also, in spite of the no harmful vapors ad - I find the vapors to be rather noxious from solid fuel tabs, and a korea vet told me about guy dying trying to use them inside their ponchos - not that anything in an enclosed space is good, but I wonder about the solid fuel stuff more than “regular” fuels - alcohol stoves are the lightest, hands down, but they require patience, but it isn’t like you don’t have time on your hands.
scuba
I hiked with esbit and got along fine. cleaned the bottom of my pot whenever I was in town and had a sink. The stuff comes off pretty easily with soap and a scrubber. had my fuel mail-dropped to me because of the availability issue.
pippi
The residue left on the bottom of a pot can be easily wiped off with a paper towel. The same half-paper-towel I use to clean the inside of my pot (after swishing around a little water) is used to then clean the bottom of my pot.
If you do this each time you cook, the gunk won’t build up. If you let it build up, you may need to use something stronger like an SOS pad when you get into town.
As far as Esbits being toxic, the German source insists they’re not, tho I don’t think I’d chew on one no matter how hungry I got. There is some confusion that lumps all the solid tablet fuel into the same category. Other products out there like Coughlin’s Solid Fuel Tablets are hexamine-based, and are toxic. They are cheaper than Esbits, but also don’t burn as hot or as long as Esbits, so you wind up using more.
I like Esbits better than alcohol. They are easier to use, are lighter, and get water to boil faster IF you use a windscreen. Negatives: smell fishy, they cost more, and aren’t as readily available (probably would necessitate maildrops).
Skyline
I just wipe the black residue off the pot with a paper towel after I use it to clean my cooking pot. Esbits are very light and can be reused , just blow out the flame and let it cool off. I haven’t had a problem finding them at most outfitter along the trail, but this may vary during peak hiking season. Esbits do have a faint odor but so do many hikers. Quick and easy to use…Life is good on the trail.
Swamp Dawg
Swamp Dawg
Yup, Esbit gets brown gunk on the bottom of your pot. Then, when you put it away, you get brown gunk on the inside of the pot bag. If you don’t orient the pot in the bag the same way every time, the gunk then gets all over everywhere.
Aside from that, Esbit has a lot of good features-- it is light, simple, non-spillable, and you know precisely how much you have. And it is pretty easy to find in stores along the Appalachian Trail. It is a good option.
On the down side, I don’t think Esbit boils water nearly as fast as a good alcohol stove. And Esbit creates heat at a single point-- like a candle. In contrast, alcohol stoves distribute heat over a much larger area. This is important because thin-walled cooking pots don’t conduct heat very well. So with Esbit you have to be really careful to avoid getting scorched food at the heating point.
Eric
I have an Esbit stove but was using army surplus Trioxane tablets. In an enclosed space I think they would not be good for you. The fumes burn your eyes and sinus cavities. I switched to an alcohol stove and have never gone back. Now I’m stuck with about 50 trioxane tablets.
Big B
I carry baby wipes in a ziploc with my stove kit to take care of the Esbit gunk. I have also used leaves to get it off in a pinch, but it would probably be best to pack those leaves out after using them for that. Also, I carry my pot in a plastic Wal-mart style bag to keep the gunk off of the rest of my cook kit.
bitpusher
Big B, I’m not a chemist but I think I remember another thread a few years back where a chemist did weigh in, and he indicated that the properties of the Coughlin’s Solid Fuel Tabs and the military’s trioxane tabs are similar–and yes, both are toxic.
I’ve never experienced the burning eyes and sinus issues you describe using Esbit tabs, and I’ve cooked with Esbits in the vestibules of two different tents or tarp-tents.
Skyline
Eric, there must be different types of alcohol stoves–some of which I’ve never used. My experience re: boil times, alcohol vs. Esbit, was the opposite of yours. I did try the Trangia alcohol stove about 1997 and it seemed to take FOREVER to boil 2 cups of water. An Esbit tab gets it to a rolling boil in about 7 minutes, but you MUST use a windscreen.
Are there improvements out there (even homemade ones) that boil faster than the Trangias?
One other thing I didn’t like about the alcohol burners, and I see others having the same issues when I watch them cook at shelters, is that in daylight you can’t see the flame. Good way to burn some fingers if you’re not paying real close attention.
Skyline
Pippi is correct… and I used esbit. I had a homemade pot stand made of chicken wire with a little aluminum plate to hold the fuel tablet. The holder fit into my titanium pot. I used a lightweight windscreen. I also maildropped my fuel. I bought it in bulk and actually found that I could get 4-5 meals out of 3 tablets. I just blew the flame out once I got my water as hot as I needed it. I stored the tablets in a plastic bag to reduce the residue getting on my pot (everything fit in the pot) and also took the time to scrape off the residue from the fuel tabs before I stuck the pot in my bag. I found that on the trail, dried leaves, rocks, and twigs make a nice scouring pad. For solo hiking… I like that esbit won’t spill, is lightweight, and won’t let me blow myself up. I would never use it for backpacking with my husband, but for solos it is great!:girl
windex
