Canister vs Esbit

Good post Cameron.
The canisters are certainly more efficient.
But on 2 to 3 day SUL trips it sure is nice to only pack 6 Esbits (3 oz) instead of 8 oz for the can and stove.

Man that BRS-3000T really is a beautiful work of art though.

OK for longer trips, but for shorter trips the weight penalty is unspent fuel plus the ~100g weight of the empty canister.

It's going to take some very careful planning and fuel management for optimal efficiency with canisters. And while it's not a huge deal, on the last day you'll be carrying an extra 100g, with your "break-even point" relative to weight having come after only 7 boils (100/14) with Esbit.

"the canister is capable of getting the water hotter than the Esbit, if you desire."

I'm sure I'm missing something somewhere, but boiling water will be the same temperature regardless of the heat source.

A canister is quicker to reach boiling?

I assume esbit Will bring that same amount of water to a boil?

What is the volume of water you're boiling?

I regularly bring to a rolling boil 3 cups of water with one 14g tab…

I never thought about having to pack out the empty canister weight.
I quit using the cans years ago.

Below freezing temps never effect Esbits and they take up a lot less space.
I also cut the cubes in halves and quarters because I usually only boil 12 oz of water. Then I only need 7 to 10 grams of the hexamine, depending on the wind. Of course a Ti stand and alu windshield adds .8 oz.

I do think you can get water to boil faster with the canister though.

I can never get the water to the same "rolling boil" with the Esbit as with a stove, and there is definitely a temperature difference. The stove-boiled water can and does deform my plastic cup; the Esbit boils never do. I get the feeling that the surface area temperature loss of the 700ml container begins to compete with the slow speed with which the Esbit can crank it up.

Knowing the number of canister boils, there are some longer hikes where I may want to supplement my canister fuel allowance with only two or four Esbits. So it does not have to be an either / or situation. And yes, if I only need ten boils on a hike, I don't want to carry the extra weight of the canister plus unused fuel, not to mention accumulating another less useful canister for my closet.

Here is the set-up I use to boil 3 cups with Esbit.

I’m using a 3-cup Open Country hard-anodized aluminum pot, MYOG pot stand, BGET Esbit tray (without the “legs”) and aluminum windscreen. It achieves a full boil that continues for about 2 minutes.

I dont worry about the fuel/weight efficiency issues between these two stove types, but more about convenience. Canister stoves are hot and quick, Esbit rigs are compact and light. If camping with a group, a canister can crank out lots of hot water in a hurry and everyone can carry a can (and empties). Esbit with a Ti wing stove and foil windscreen is great for solo overnights or day hikes with a small mug.

If you dont mind waiting, Esbit is reliable. It wont leak, plug up or get cranky in the cold. There are the fire restriction issues.

Bottom line, I want both in the gear locker.

For me, on short SUL trips I am now going with no cooking. On my longer 4 to 7 day trips, with only one boil per day (dinner), nothing beats Esbit. However, like Dale said, if I am hiking with one or both of my daughters and cooking for all of us, I take my MSR Pocket Rocket for its pure speed. The Pocket Rocket is also my car camping stove of choice.

I also like the convenience of being to do some other things (safely) while waiting for the boil with Esbit. If I take an extra minute to get back to the stove, no biggie, but with a canister I feel I need to be there to babysit it so as to not waste any fuel.

Esbit is much more travel freindly (you can take it on a plane). I like to get in quick 1-3 day trips while traveling for work. Before switching to Esbit I would need to go out and buy a new canister for a handful of boils. On the bright side some people were lucky enough to find nearly full fuel canisters waiting at a trailhead.

Of course, groups or winter it’s canister. And for canoe camping with no long portages, we even use the Whisperlite with white gas.

I love the JB for melting snow now that I have a system that operates reliably in extreme cold.

edit to fix link… hopefully it works now

Actually, you can't legally take Esbit on a plane (and in most cases, you can't bring it on a boat either).

uh oh, your link is broke. It said "my compass is broken". Very clever.

and your technique for cold weather is good. I've tried it before and will refine it a bit this winter.

Pasta is difficult to rehydrate? Must be a new version of pasta that I haven't tried.

Most of the rice pastas rehydrate well just sitting in hot water.

Also, Barilla Tortellini (wheat flour) is ready after soaking for 15 minutes.