The lightest, most efficient and compact SUL esbit stove kit may be here (with photos)

Cool Beans! I am getting ready for an ALPHA product release and it looks like I will need to make changes to the Base Plate. I'll be contacting you – Best regards, Jon

That's great, Jon! Really glad these modifications are going to help in the design phase. Looking forward to the new model.

Curious what the BPL'ers think of this stove kit.

Yeah, this is one awesome little setup. TrailDesigns willing to make the Sidewinder for the EBY265 was really the key to this whole thing. For me, going with the fiberglass wick wrap was just the nail that really finished it. Something worth trying… ditch the FF14 and see how much of a faster boil time you will get!

This might be a dumb question, but do you only need the pegs for the FF14 (to get the extra height above stove required) or do you also need them if you are using a gram cracker? Is there space under there (without the pegs) to fit a modified starlyte stove?

This might be a dumb question, but do you only need the pegs for the FF14 (to get the extra height above stove required) or do you also need them if you are using a gram cracker? Is there space under there (without the pegs) to fit a modified starlyte stove?

He is using them because the EBY265 needs something to rest on with regards to the TD Sidewinder – they were unable to get it rest on the cup lip. The only options are (a) stupid idiotical 'beer bands' that snap because the cup is so short, (b) going with wrap like I have done, or (c) using stakes/pegs.

As for a Starlyte… hmm, just went and grabbed mine and it seems there is enough room under there… probably not the "ideal height" but yeah, enough room to fit it under the pot.

Oh. I saw the title of this thread and thought for sure it was just going to be a rock! :)

ESBIT is my favorite fuel and my little Trail Designs Sidewinder W/3 cup pot is the most efficient ESBIT stove yet.

Now with Gary's modding of Jon's "chimney" base we may see even greater efficiency.

For me this is a daypack survival stove. Gary's version is another step on the ESBIT efficiency path.

Do I hear an AMEN! for Gary's work?

"Yeah, this is one awesome little setup. TrailDesigns willing to make the Sidewinder for the EBY265 was really the key to this whole thing. For me, going with the fiberglass wick wrap was just the nail that really finished it. Something worth trying… ditch the FF14 and see how much of a faster boil time you will get!"

John – what size fiberglass wick wrap are you using to wrap the pot? I'm currently using the silicon band approach and I like your solution better.

I used some 1/16th from MBD. I wrapped the EBY265 four times, but it was one more than necessary, so only three times around the pot will be good. Sorry, I did not record how long it was. See here for more info on what I did.

Thanks for the quick response John.

"For me, going with the fiberglass wick wrap was just the nail that really finished it. Something worth trying… ditch the FF14 and see how much of a faster boil time you will get!"

John,

Can you expand on the above? I'm not sure I totally understand – are you saying to not use FF14 and use something else? Also, I have the same fibergalss wick wrap, but if I put it on, it'll make the system heavier. The two stakes are part of the tent weight right now. How does the wick help? What exactly did you do with it? Quite curious.

Thanks!

Can you expand on the above? I'm not sure I totally understand – are you saying to not use FF14 and use something else?

Hey Gary.

The FF14 is designed for efficiently but not speed. It really only saves about 1/4 – 1/3 of a 4g esbit (meaning, it takes one full 4g + part of another one to heat to a decent level for coffee/food, but not boil). So, I have just found that I would rather just have the water get hot faster and not worry about that extra 1 gram or so of esbit. You should notice the water gets faster a fair amount faster without the FF14.

Gotta remember, Jon designed that device for the 14g esbits, not these little dinky 4g ones. With the larger ones, having less esbit be used matters more because the left over is more viable to be used later.

Hope my explanation makes sense… not sure it does.

Also, I have the same fibergalss wick wrap, but if I put it on, it'll make the system heavier. The two stakes are part of the tent weight right now. How does the wick help? What exactly did you do with it? Quite curious.

So, when one of your stakes to hold up your shelter gets so bent you can no longer use it, or when you lose one of them, what the hehe are you going to do about heating up your water… you'll be screwed because your "spare" stakes that you use for your cook system are now being used to hold down your shelter because its raining and windy and you gotta have that stake in use for the shelter. I find it unwise to depend upon a "spare tent stake" as the means for holding up a cook pot. Eventually, maybe not this weekend, or even the next few hikes, but eventually, perhaps sooner than later, you are going to find yourself screwed – all because you were expecting something to do double-duty when it can only be used as a single-duty piece of gear and you REALLY need it to be holding your tent down because you lost the last stake you had to hold up your shelter the night before.

The wick helps because it removes the issue above (SHTF & you need the stake to keep your tent staked down) and it nullifies the issue with those stupid beer bands snapping because the EBY265 is too close to the flame and they snap.

So, what it does is it makes the cook system completely self-dependant. No more worries of having to have the stake being used and no more worries about beer bands snapping. I am sure TD would do this themselves but its something beyond what should be expected on their end.

A bit of superglue and a couple feet of the fiberglass wick and all these problems are solved. Since I first did this and posted photos on my facebook page, pretty much everybody I know with the EBY265+Sidewinder have done the same.

(sorry for the mini-rant if this reads as one… I just hate having gear that can fail or put me in a situation of being screwed because of things outside my control. 3 grams of fiberglass wick to make all these issues go away is a no-brainer in my book)

Thanks for the detailed post. It makes sense about the double duty being not fully dependable in dire situations. I think for two-three day hikes the stake system should be good, but for longer the wick is nice. I may just have to pots with and without the wick. :)

So that takes care of the wick.

What's the FF14 alternative you use? Or do you just use the base itself. I find the TrailDesigns GramCracker to be slow and not that efficient. I also find the FF14 to not that efficient… But FF14 is super fast and does the boil in 6-6.5 mins, so efficiency is really not an issue. For bigger then 550ml pots pots, I think it could be an issue. I tried messing with the Gramcracker to add small side trays, per Brian Green's design. That worked a bit, but not as well as FF14.

Your point about FF14 being designed for large esbit tabs is totally true. It's funny, but I asked Jon (the FF14 creator) that same question last night. I also suggested making two stoves, one smaller one, for 4g bits and one for large esbit cubes. But. That may not be profitable for him… Not sure. But after doing a whole lot of tests I see it being no slower for 4g bits.

Great thread!  The fiberglass wick wrap to the rescue.  Trail Designs Sidewinder stoves have been my go-to stoves for a decade in the Sierra, and this beer band crap is literally the only issue I’ve ever had with a TD stove, which is impressive.  As a point of feedback though, it seems embarrassing for TD that the stove failed right out of the box.  In all of about 4 minutes into its very first test run in the kitchen, my beer band snapped.  I emailed TD, but didn’t get a response.  Happy to update this post to reflect any response I might get.  I know this post is old, but it’s still just as applicable.  Thanks to those who found a solution to make this cool little stove reliable.  Sidewinder stoves are the bomb…I just with they’d come up with a solution to this problem that has been around for years.  Zero evolution doesn’t seem like a good thing.

Wow what an awesome system! I think that FF14 is slick!

ANY designs that advances the use of ESBIT is great. I’m looking your design over closely to see if I can use ideas with my own ESBIT stove.

The Open Country anodized aluminum 3 cup pot that came with my Trail Designs titanium Sidewinder stove is perfect (for me). Plus in winter I use the optional Inferno “gassifier” woodburning insert for melting snow.

I’ve had this stove for over 10 years and only could improve on it by using a Brian Green “BGET” fuel tablet holder.