Lighting Esbit Tablets

[Tony Wong]

This idea came from my friend, David Vassallo:

Rutland, One Match, Gelled Fire Starter

http://www.rutland.com/productinfo.php?product_id=11

Product Data Sheet:

http://www.rutland.com/back/msds/document_11.pdf

For less than $10 a bottle that would last you a life time.

Transfer some of it to a BPL dropper bottle.

Squeeze out a little bead of it on the side of the esbit tablet and light with mini bick and watch it burn hot and long enough to get the esbit going.

I was frustrated with how long it took to use a lighter to ignite my esbit tablets…using the mini bick just burned my fingers from the heat and I found that I needed to take a full sized lighter.

Used this twice in the field with no problems.

Lights quick with one flick of the bic and is much better than using hand sanitizer to try to do the same thing.

I just wonder if this gel could also be used in place of hand sanitizer for duel usage?

Data on 2-Propanol A.K.A. Isopropyl alcohol:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isopropyl_alcohol

Data on Hand Sanitizer:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hand_sanitizer

-Tony

[Bob Gross]

This is gelled isopropyl alcohol.

Hand sanitizer is gelled 62% ethyl alcohol, which is much better for its intended purpose.

–B.G.–

[Tony Wong]

Bob,

Thanks for the additional data.

I have added some information to my original post with data on the fire starter gel and hand sanitizer.

From what I am seeing, it looks like the are the same, but the concentration of "alcohol" is higher in the fire gel.

As such, seems to me that it could be use sparingly as a hand sanitizer too.

Is that your conclusion too?

-Tony

[Bob Gross]

My opinion is that there is a reason why they make hand sanitizer with ethyl alcohol. As a germicide, it is more effective. I doubt that ethyl alcohol is cheaper or anything else.

As a fire gel, I would expect ethyl alcohol to be hotter.

OBTW, it is a cute trick to take some of the standard hand sanitizer gel (ethyl alcohol) and mix it with some ordinary table salt. Immediately the salt binds with the gel agent and liquid ethyl alcohol runs out. Don't get me wrong, I know it wouldn't be drinkable, but it would probably burn faster than in the gel form. However, it is just one of those fun tricks from the chem lab.

–B.G.–

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