I apologize about Esbit stoves

A university professor went to visit a famous Zen master. While the master quietly served tea, the professor talked about Zen. The master poured the visitor’s cup to the brim, and then kept pouring. The professor watched the overflowing cup until he could no longer restrain himself. “It’s overfull! No more will go in!” the professor blurted. “You are like this cup,” the master replied, “How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup.”

What I like about Esbit systems is that they are just dead simple– there is nothing to fail. A simple foil wind screen makes them really useable. I think they are great for solo use. The fuel makes a good back-up fire starter too.

I’ve been a big fan of esbit for a couple of years now. The stove and fuel are the lightest options out there shy of cooking over a fire. More importantly, esbit are mail droppable. White gas and cannisters are not. (I’m pretty sure denatured alcohol is OK, classified in the same grouping as mailing a bottle of high proof alcohol, but this is another discussion).

On long-distance hikes over the last couple of years (Benton MacKaye Trail, Colorado Trail, AT from NOC to Hot Springs, NC), I have been able to resupply by maildrop and cook simple meals very effectively with esbit. In warm weather, it is my “go-to” stove type. I also like being able to carry a couple of tabs in my possibles kit in case I should run low on cannister fuel. It makes an awesome lightweight backup.

Yeah, I was actually impressed by the Esbit and I wasnt expecting to be impressed. Honestly, I was expecting it to bring two cups to a simmer or a real hot “pre-boil” state, but it brought it to a rolling boil as long as I kept the pot covered with aluminum foil. I used no wind screen, although there was no wind when I tested it.

I tested it at night, in mid thirties F temperature.

I am thinking that probably the reason it wouldnt work with the Vargo Triad titanium stove flipped upside down is due to the fact I was using a GI canteen cup to covered with aluminum foil as my container. And those alumnium canteen cups are shaped to fit into onto a US GI canteen. The GI canteen cup didnt fit squarely on the Triad Vargo stove and sank down a little bit.

I am going to try the Vargo stove again, but with a traditional style round mug or pot that will sit squarely, and hopefully not so low that it actually touches the Esbit cartridge. Maybe then it will bring the water to a full boil as the Vargo Triad titanium stove is lighter than the German made steel Esbit stove.

Still…the German Esbit stove is only 3 oz I read, very light for a steel stove and still very lightweight.

In the past, I have used Sterno stove and Sterno for personal shortish term trips in not too severe weather. I used Sterno for twenty years…but forget that now. That Sterno stove is heavy and no matter how hard you try, you cant get a Sterno cartridge to boil water…just heat it up and that takes forever.

For more serious trips in the past, Ive used various white gas stoves (MSR, Coleman Peak 1) and recently, the Jetboil PCS.

Ive been experimenting with several types of alcohol stoves and dont care for them. They remind me too much of sterno, very reliable but not hot enough. And denatured alcohol is bad for you to be around on a regular basis. And Everclear, while it burns really good, the stuff is expensive.

I bought a bottle of Everclear at my ABC store a while back. And I dont drink anymore…stopped drinking around the age of 29. I told the ABC store clerk what I was buying it for…that I was going to burn the stuff in a stove. And he thought that was the funniest thing he’d ever heard of. I dont think he believed me. He told me “well, Ive heard of people coming in here and telling me they put it in their car engine, but never heard of it being used to burn in a stove.” He was cracking up.

I like the Jetboil PCS. That thing brings water to a boil as fast or faster than my home stove. And I like this Esbit system. If all your needs are to boil small amounts of water once or twice a day for one or two people, this Esbit thing is the ticket. SUPER RELIABLE!

Esbit seems KISS and I have always been a fan of KISS gear. Thats one of the reasons I like wool clothing so much for cold weather…cause wool works.

Vlad

And about the legal mailing aspect of Esbit. I totally agree. In fact, these cartridges I got were received through the mail no hassles whatsoever. About the only place Ive been able to find that carries them in the store is REI, otherwise, I have to order them.

Vlad

>(I’m pretty sure denatured alcohol is OK, classified in the same grouping as mailing a bottle of high proof alcohol, but this is another discussion).

According to the USPS:

* Fuels or gasoline

“Other items, such as alcoholic beverages (beer, wine, liquor), are not considered hazardous but are prohibited and boxes displaying such markings are also prohibited.”

http://www.usps.com/aviationsecurity/

I’m not sure if Denatured Alcohol counts under the “fuels” category, but I expect it is.

Publication 52 of the USPS lists what may and what may not be shipped. This is their official publication which many postal workers are not familiar with, so as someone else suggested a couple of years ago, bring your copy with you when attempting to ship some of these fuels by surface/ground transport only.

in the case of butane and propane <1L may be shipped by surface only (cf. Section 342.22a-c of Pub 52).

not sure if any of this info has been superceded by newer anti-terrorist admendments.

Does this mean I need to forget all that I have in my “cup” before it can be truely filled with the knowledge of UL backpacking? Just curious. I want to know the truth.

I have an a Thermojet alchohol stove (I did receive it no problem) that boils water with what seems to be great efficiency.

Only if it is filled with the wrong things.

Here are just a few of my favorite Zen Koans/Proverbs (koan = a seemingly paradoxical puzzle, sometimes called a riddle) to occupy your mind with when you are trekking:

“The secret to life is that there is no secret.”
-Zen Koan

The obstacle is the path.
–Zen Proverb

[phony Chinese proverb (not Zen & not Chinese) “Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it.”]

If you understand, things are just as they are…
if you do not understand, things are just as they are
–Zen proverb

Andfrom Gong Fu Tze (aka Confucius), while not strictly Zen, another wise saying:
About half your trouble is from wanting your way. The other half comes from getting it.”

A Compilation of Japanese Folk Zen Sayings
translated by Soiku Shigematsu

A Wish
To go to
Heaven is
The very beginning of
Falling into hell.

What is this seed, a mustard
Or a poppy? It’s hard to tell
Which is which.
But when fully grown,
The flowers will tell.

The best
Defense
Against a thief is
Not a six-foot rod,
But poverty.

Desire, regret,
Hatred, affection,
Once rid of them all,
This world is
Yours.

I fear nothing
In this world
But a leaking roof,
A fool,
And debt.

A woman’s tongue,
Three inches long,
Rules over men,
Six feet tall.

One thing I’m confused about is that I can order Esbit from BPL for shipment to Canada… but it looks like I can’t order FireLite tabs?! What’s up with that? Are they not essentially the same thing? The FireLite tabs sound somewhat better than Esbit.

p.s. The new 80 gram BPL Ti Pot looks pretty nice! That’s almost light enough for me to consider giving up my beer can pot! Almost. I would more than double the weight of my kitchen (currently 50 grams for pot, handle, lid, screen, stand and esbit holder)… but it would be bombproof… relatively speaking… relative to an aluminum beer can.