Best stove that you don’t intend to use

Esbit would be perfect. A Ti wing stove and two esbit tabs is like 1.5 oz. I bring a pot to eat out of even when I go no cook so that's all the extra weight it would cost. Esbit is fantastic for getting a fire going when it's wet too, so addresses your concern about being cold and wet in a storm.

Alternatively, depending on where you hike, you could just cook over a small fire. Zero ounces.

In the winter when I go X-C skiing, I test myself. I carry a titanium Sierra cup and a lighter, and that is all for this test. The goal is to find some dry grass or twigs and to build a small fire, enough to melt snow in the cup to make hot water.

In the summer when I go hiking, it is much easier to start a fire, so I don't have to test myself on that. Instead, I carry just what you suggest. This is a titanium Sierra cup with folding handle, a lighter, and a couple of cubes of Esbit fuel. It might be just enough to get me through a night if I were injured and couldn't walk.

In fact, I think the 14 gram tablets would be too large for this, and the smaller tablets would be better.

Alternatively, I have an open cup alcohol burner that could do this. One plastic 35mm film can full of alcohol fuel fits inside the burner.

–B.G.–

Trail Designs included their "all altitudes" 12-10 alky burner with my ti Sidewinder stove kit. I've never used it and likely never will.

As most here know I'm an ESBIT fanboy and don't intend to ever use the 12-10 alky stove, my Vargo ti alky stove or my homemade pop can alky stove. Alky just isn't efficient enough. But I do keep a can of alky in my fuel cabinet just in case all other fuels are used during the coming zombie apocalypse.

(Keep yer ammo and ESBIT dry sonny! Them Roosians can't be trusted.;o)

Get the Caldera Cone for foster's pot. Use their esbit burner. Get the StarLyte burner add-on for alcohol back-up. 12-10 works great also.

Jon Fong's Snow Leopard Cub would be perfect:

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=91489

Roll the pot up in the windscreen for protection. I made a MYOG version of this system last year and that is what I would use in the situation you describe:

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=78235&skip_to_post=667230#667230

All,

Thanks for all the suggestions!

One option I like very much is the Esbit Ti wing + Ti mug. Something like this:

+

would weigh in at 1.3 oz + 0.4 oz = 1.7 oz. Plus whatever a MYOG windscreen, lid and rubber band add up to.

Jon Fong's looks good too, but if I prefer Esbit, it's not quite clear what I'm paying for–a windscreen and pot stand?

To those who've used Foster's cans and Esbit together–how easy is it scraping the gunk off? Do you have to be careful not to crush the can? How about otherwise damaging the can?

I imagine I'd put this at the bottom of an external mesh pocket and forget about it. Hate to have to use it, and find a hole in the can. I doubt I'd find a hole in a Ti mug.

Your text mentions Esbit Tri-ti, but the photo shows an Esbit wing stove. Which is it?

–B.G.–

Thanks Bob–I meant the Ti wing.

Original post fixed.

Best stove that I don't intend to use would be…

1. Toaks 550ml mug (or Lite Trail's lighter version of the same thing when it's in stock)

2. A small piece of aluminum foil to protect the ground and act as windscreen and…

3. A few rocks to place the mug on.

4. Mini Bic

5. Two Esbit Tablets

All of this would weigh about 4oz assuming that you use rocks from a fire pit and don't bring them from home.

"All of this would weigh about 4oz assuming that you use rocks from a fire pit and don't bring them from home."

What if you factored in some pumice?

"What if you factored in some pumice?"

Hmmm….

Pumice could be used as a stove and to remove callouses from feet. Does it have to make sense if it's multi-use?

Hmm, so essentially, leave the 0.4 oz folding Ti stove at home.

It's probably worth the 0.4 oz to carry the stove for me, since if I'm using the stove, I'm already pretty displeased with the universe.

Yes but will it remove corns from your feet?

Well wait, I thought I was hunting for the pumice. If I'm carrying the pumice in, sure.

I guess I'll e-mail Litetrail and see if it can remove corns.

It definitely looks like it would make a decorative stand for the watermelons I pack in.

In all seriousness the wing stove with some fuel tablets in a mug is about as light as it gets without using a campfire. Compact as it gets too.

Ti trapper mug, esbit tablets, foil for lid.

That Esbit ti wing stove is sweet. Picked one up.

I like the idea in Mike Clelland's book where 3 metal tent stakes (multi-use!) are used for the pot stand with either esbit, alcohol or wood for fuel.

Another Ti-Wing user here (long time, in fact).

Paired with the 475ml Ti mug is tiny and L-I-G-H-T. Here's a useful tip: find a plastic lid to go on top and things won't fall into your pack (I use a dog food lid, although Blue Diamond almond lids may work – can't remember) and no stuffsack required!

If you want smaller, use a side cut opener on Blue Diamond almond tin. Can't do but around 10oz at a time, but paired with the wing stove and a foil windscreen you have a great system and mug. It gets more fiddly, but add a tea light on top of the wing stove and you can get a rolling boil with little fuel!

"Blue Diamond almond tin"

In many areas, the Blue Diamond almond tin is made out of cardboard with only a metal bottom.

–B.G.–

"In many areas, the Blue Diamond almond tin is made out of cardboard with only a metal bottom."

Single use stove.