Gear Review Esbit stove - modified

The Esbit folding stove has been around for a long time - since 1936!

This seems to be one of these you love or hate items. I had one and (sorta) hated it because balancing a small cup on the partly folded stove is a PITA.


and if you don't fold it

small cups, like this GSI nesting cup, aren't supported.

So, I modified mine.




by adding sides and a set of spoke rails across the top.
The small piece to the left of the stove is to put under the stove when used in wood to protect the surface.

Esbit burns hot enough to turn the SS spoke red hot....and boil 2 cups of water in just a few minutes.
and now it will hold the smaller cup/pots - like the popular GSI nesting cup that fits on your 1 L Nalgene bottle


The stove folds flat and will hold 4 (large) fuel tabs, more than good for a day hike with dinner and a cuppa.


Low weight, hot fuel, no worry about spills...why isn't this in greater use?

Well, the stove fuel (un-burned) will outgas, leaving an odor like dead fish. Many find this objectionable.

To get around this, I store my working stove and several tabs in a Nesquick container. The lid is tight enough to seal in any odor. I've found that double bagging in a Ziploc bag will work as well.

It this the go-to stove of all stoves?

Not even close. But if you want a hot meal on a day hike, with no hassel - then, yes, it is a good choice.

Have a disaster beat-feet kit? I think the Esbit stove makes a good choice here as well. For indoor use, the Sterno setup is really the first, best and safest choice - just to be clear.

Enjoy

 

Totally agree with your review. I love mine for hiking backwoods and I've actually made a couple meals on it during a power outage. But not the best disaster choice, maybe the best choice to travel to bol.

 

Yeah - I tell folks outdoor use only. Proper ventilation is needed.

Edit to add

DO NOT try to carry Esbit fuel tabs on board a scheduled airline. These will set off the 'bomb' detectors and are banned for being flammable.