Esbit 5g tab: first impressions

[Bob Moulder]

sacrificial first post

[Bob Moulder]

So I got these in the mail yesterday and couldn’t wait to test.

Crude parameters: Test water temp 55°F, ambient temp 78°F, light wind on my deck, tested with Toaks 550 and IMUSA 10cm cups, both with well-fitting lids, Esbit tri-wing stove, Ti foil windscreen.

Results: Full boil of 2 cups with both rigs with 2 x 5g tabs. With 1 tab and 1 cup of water, up to 207°F — very respectable and more than good enough for a spot of afternoon coffee or tea. Time for 2 cups about 9.5 minutes but pointless to measure as long as it’s within the 9-12 minute window.

The 5g tabs are packaged in sets of 4, which weigh 20.8g. They have exactly the same smell as the 14g Esbit tabs, which doesn’t bother me in the least (sick, maybe, but I kinda like it) although some people really can’t tolerate it at all.

[DAN-Y]

Are you able to get a full boil with 2 four gram tablets?

I suspect you are someone that smokes cigarettes because of what you said:

The 5g tabs are packaged in sets of 4, which weigh 20.8g. They have exactly the same smell as the 14g Esbit tabs, which doesn’t bother me in the least (sick, maybe, but I kinda like it) although some people really can’t tolerate it at all.

Bob…….that is sick! LOL

2 days ago I did some burn tests using the large esbit. I was on my deck with my wife who was sitting about 6 feet away. When I opened one of the cubes she could smell it right away. She said “that stinks” move it farther away. My wife and I do not smoke and have an acute sense of smell. If I were to use esbit, it would be the odor free 4 gram. And then again, I could be tempted to use the 5 gram if I were to open the package and off gas them for a day or two and then repackage. A small hassle but doable.

Thanks for your report/findings and great photos.

 

[Bob Moulder]

I have not tried the 4g tabs but I would reckon that 2 of them would get 2 cups pretty hot, enough for most situations. Based on the fact that one 5g tab did not quite boil one cup, I’d hazard a guess that two 4g tabs would not quite boil 2 cups.

No I never smoked cigarettes but I recently gave up cigars, although I smoked only 2-3 per month. However, long before I took up cigar smoking I did a lot of building model aircraft and got used to the strong smells of the various glues, to the point that even 5-min epoxy doesn’t bother me at all, and hasn’t for many, many years.

Now, the Esbit smell has the same effect on me that napalm had on LtCol Kilgore in Apocalypse Now. 

[DAN-Y]

As I watched that clip i saw you with a cigar hanging from the side of your mouth as you used your 2 hands wafting up the smell of a freshly opened package of three 14 grammer tablets….ahhh the sweet smell of esbit in the morning 

[Bob Moulder]

lol, good imagery…

Great idea for a funny trail video.

[DAN-Y]

I would venture to say Flat Cat Gear would love doing a video showing that 2 handed wafting and saying “love the smell of esbit in the morning”

[Author]

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