Used the same stove for morning coffee for sixteen days of Helene. Leicester, NC. Ten miles west of Asheville. I made a liner from pie tin aluminum. The stove wouldn't hold my Stanley pot solid so I used the little round grill from the Tomshoo twig burner. This was on my largest cutting board and an upturned 15" cast iron frying pan on my coffee table in my living room. Scratch a bit of dust on the two tabs and they light instantly. One scoop of Folgers grounds (two cups worth), a 17oz bottle of water and let it boil til the floating grounds sink or the tabs die. Dinner was usually a meat cooked on the Redcamp Trangia clone with beans/veggies on the side or eggs and bacon or ham. I was cooking brats and stirfry veggies on the Sterno generic gas backpacker on the front deck. The tabs on the Coghlans or Esbit or Firedragon, I'm ok with on the inside. Front door was wide open. No noticeable scent. The Redcamp alcohol burner, I was using ethyl alcohol hand sanitizer and it had a mild scent. The gas backpacker, outside only.
Got one. Made a windscreen of a small piece of tin fit in the frame. Angled the top to add high strength to it when partially opened. Works quite well.
Underated for sure. Get that fuel tab closer to the bottom of the pot. A very handy fuel for roadside cuppa touring on a motorcycle here in Australia. If cooking a meal, use 1 fuel tab to give the good heat & feed in twigs to finish cooking. Thank you for sharing 👍
This stove is just a copy/variant of the original Esbit stove which was patented in 1939 in Germany and since then used by millions of soldiers all over the world as part of their standard cooking equipment meant to heat up their MRE's/EPA's main dishes. I'm used to the Esbit stove (and some of the knockoffs) since my childhood and might have used it since then surely much over 1.000 times. Same as with alcohol stoves, it does a great job if you use a good wind screen but has difficulties to bring water to boil when the flame is driven away. It is easy to handle and to transport, holding some of the fuel tablets readily inside when it is folded, and fits everywhere in. When the British military, which used a knockoff, decomissioned this kind of fuel (including the stoves) and switched over to gel tablets, you could get their type of hexamine tablets very cheap on European eBay platforms. Of course, I still use that type of stoves and have always one as backup with me. The fuel tablets are also very good fire starters, many people use them also to get their BBQ grills running, and scrapings/powder from these tablets works perfect as tinder which can be ignited by ferrorods. If you use three stones of the right size or put three sticks in the right distance and height in the ground, you can also use these tablets easily without the stove. Many so called multifuel stoves offer also a small platform for using these tablets. That said, and even though I have plenty of good vibes with and still use my Esbit stoves regularly, my favourite stove used during short stopovers as well as sometimes for cooking meals (with one load of fuel running upto 35 minutes or more) is meanwhile another military stove, the Swiss Military M71 alcohol gel stove. The main reason is that it can be difficult to get hexamine tablets in some places, in the UK the sale is meanwhile even banned, but there is never any shortage of burning alcohol (ethanol or isopropyl alcohol) as you get it at least in every pharmacy on this planet (just ask for medical spirit).
To speed up the boil time, don't stack the tablets! place them side by side or even seperated by a bit. More surface area=faster boil times. Been there, done that.
Just use an Esbit tab. 1 big one will boil 2 cups with flame left over. Added Later: To provide wid resistance and strengthen the stand for more weight make a quadrilateral shaped to fit the semi open stand like the English Military BCB Fire Dragons from aluminum or sheet metal. Works great.
I use the BCB stove. I use the BCB gel cubes, Esbit and small alcohol burner. The alcohol based fuels seems to burn hotter. One con is the burn tray sits directly on the surface which means you need to sit on some type of non-flammable surface
My first car survival kit has an Esbit solid fuel stove with 4 tablets inside. That’s in the pocket of a Condor hydration bag with a Stanley 2 cup cook set. I later learned about the Coghlans fuel so I added a MOLLE pistol magazine pouch to the outside with 12 tablets in a zip-top bag inside. My second kit uses a firebox nano with a Trangia alcohol stove and the solid fuel plate in an Orca hydration bag. I added a water bottle pouch to the outside with a 1/3 liter Trangia alcohol fuel bottle. I’ll add another 12 Coghlans fuel tablets in a zip-top bag to the pocket of the bag.
Great video, Ernie, i like the stove and tabs. I have no idea how many i have around, a few things. 1. an anodized aluminum cup boils water faster than my US Army canteen cup, likely has to do with the thermal transfer. 2. The tabs work with an number of wood stoves, (Firebox, Emberlit, ect.) 3. I found 1 tab to 1 cup of water unless you are using heavy stainless steel. And i finally made my own cat can alcohol stove from your video, its awesome. Thanks for all you do.👍👍
I think if you were to cut a couple of wind-screens to fit inside the stove when it is only half open, that would allow it to hold more weight. Just need some heavy duty flashing or such. I have made some for my esbit stoves and they help when the wind is blowing. 👍🏼👍🏼 My favorite stove is the Emberlit FireAnt Stove. It’s small, packs down flat, and works with solid fuel, alcohol stove, or twigs. My favorite fuel is wood 😉
👍👍👍 .. have done that with both of my Esbit Stoves .. the first, my original military issue in 1968 (and still in use, even though the 'joints', like mine are a bit wonky 😁). I re-purposed the bottom sections of Sardine Cans .. a set each for the half and fully opened stove positions.
I use a similar stove as a backup stove. A BCB gel fuel stove. I don't use their fuel. I've made a couple of small alcohol burners that fit in the middle section and two 40ml bottles that fit in the end sections. There's also room for a small lighter. It can boil about one and a half litres of water.
@ Maybe you could lay hands on some of the Japanese ones that have been featured here on this channel before. They seemed pretty reasonable pricewise, would the import costs be cheaper for you with something that was closer on the globe?
@SmithandWesson22A You can make your own gel fuel from alcohol and some stuff from eggshells. Can't remember how to process the eggshells but there are a lot of tutorials. Doesn't look too difficult and uses household chemicals.
Thanks Doc, your stove reviews are my favorite. I've had this stove for many years, but just keep it as a back up. Drives my wife crazy as she thinks, "If you aren't using it get rid of it." Feels that way about my knives too. God, but I love her!
Ive used one of these for years growing up, hunting and outdoor activities. Cheap and easy to get. Then I found expedition research fuel and loaded up on it. It was one of my faves for solid fuel. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find xpedition research fuel for a hot minute... Maybe cause of the Hex ban in the UK? who knows. Lately, Ive reverted back to Coghlans or Esbit or Godora or even homemade solid fuel... Cotton balls and wax
👍👍👍 .. these folding stoves are very much an overlooked and good option. I have two of these Esbit Stoves .. the first, my original Military Issue from 1968 and still in use. Emergency use only? I have cooked, inter alia, many a 'Full English Breakfast' in my rectangular 'Dixies' Aluminium Mess Kit and others. Slot-in wind screens made from aluminium sardine cans work very well against wind and in supporting the stove from collapsing under weight, especially in the half-open position. Fuel. Here in Switzerland, the solid fuel tablets can only be sourced at specialist outlets and are quite pricey. A cheaper and more accessible option here, is Alcohol .. liquid or gel ('Brennsprit' or 'Sicherheitsbrennpaste') which I can get at almost any food or hardware store. That said, a pack of the solid fuel tablets is stored in each stove for 'just in case of'. The fuel stores well if kept dry .. thus wrapped in 'clingwrap'. A good share, thanks. Take care ..
Hey Ernie, I use solid fuel stove on my hikes, normally. However, since watching your channel, you've convinced me to get a Triangia stove. I love it!!! Thank you!!😊
For a small, lightweight emergency pack it's hard to beat the Esbit heating kit that comes with the French military 24h ration packs. They contain a very minimalistic fold-out emergency stove, 6 fuel tablets, a little box of matches, a trash bag, some tooth picks and a foldable handle for the cans they use in the ration packs. The kit is packed in a cardboard box about the size of a regular Esbit stove, weighs very little and contains everything needed to heat food or water along with a couple of useful extra items and they come with the ration packs that are some of the best, if not lightest (as they use metal cans instead of retort pouches), military field rations I have tried.
I have used this, under the Highlander brand name , with home made puck stoves . Use 2 stainless steel tent pegs, or cut down lengths of steel ruler in the supports at 90 degrees to hold smaller diameter pots . .Aluminium foil from old pie ashets.inserted into the sides make reasonable wind breaks . I ' ve had more success with meths/alcohol burners than esbit, hexamine ,fire dragon etc. My trangia burner and I are long time travelling companions . Covid lockdown had me start to look at home made meths burners . Local builders gave me part of a roll of roofing insulation when I asked permission to scavenge visible on site scraps to experiment with . I could make hundreds of puck , fancy feast stoves
I've used this stove occasionally for a while now and I like it. I'm about to go out into the woods for a few days and am taking this stove because it does well in the cold. You don't really need boiling water to rehydrate food if you filter water, so one tablet has worked fine for me for the most part.
I put together 12 containers each with 1 month supply of canned goods, 2 can openers, solid fuel stove like the one in this video the sterno stove, alcohol stove and iso-stove ( 4 stoves and 6 fuels per container) plus a fixed blade knife, cookware, utensils, water purification, cleaning supplies, basic medications and small triage kit. If you save the end caps from pillsbury croissant rolls, they make excellent bases for the solid fuel tabs and gel fuel and helps keep your stoves pristine. I’m aware that the stoves and cookware sound excessive but it’s still way cheaper and healthier than mountain meals or pre packaged zombie meals. The food in each container gets consumed and restocked for each assigned month so every consumable stays well within expiration date even though that’s really not critical. I’m a big fan of your channel and have made many purchases based on your reviews. I’ve also avoided some purchases thanks to you. Greatly appreciate you sharing.
Great video Ernie! Fully agree and actually use these regularly on day trips to boil water for herbal tea or a quick hand pumped espresso. I ‘ve even used it to heat up a can of soup. YESSSSS 2 tablets always!
You can make a lot of mods for this stove. Like a windscreen, and your own fuel pucks . You can also use it as a twig stove in a pinch. Coghlan's fuels tabs are my go-to because they are cheap and easily available. You can also store them in a pill bottle or other container.
👍 yep. Here in Switzerland, the solid fuel tabs can only be sourced from specialist outlets and are quite pricey. A cheaper and more available option is Alcohol .. liquid or gel ('Brennsprit' or 'Sicherheitsbrennpaste') .. any grocery or hardware store will do.
You can make a windscreen from coke can and it works great. It can easily store inside the stove and it slides right in place. I always use alcohol and twigs, I keep the hex tabs just in case.
Good video Ernie. My go too solid fuel system is the Esbit 3 piece cook set. It's all self contained and fairly light. Looking forward to your next video. Cheers
I bought one and packed it along on a JEEP event and using a real U.S. Army cup I used one and it didn't do a thing so I used 4 to cook up a package of ramon and OMG it boiled over.
Shame that the solid fuel tablets are illegal in the UK. I used to store them in a tube that held vitamin C tablets. They fit perfectly. One tip is to place a tablet over a hole in the stove and light from underneath. Much easier to light with a cigarette lighter that way.
Wait, solid fuel tablets are illegal in the UK!? I'm sorry to hear that. I guess that explains why most of the stoves I see that are from the UK are designed to use either alcohol or an alcohol-based gel.
@John-lm8ro It's a recent thing. The fuel can be made into an explosive. Mamod, maker of steam powered toys, went bust because they had a large stock of fuel tablets that they can't sell or dispose of. The government introduced the ban without warning anyone.
Apparently, hexamine is a bomb making ingredient 🤪. I used mine with an alcohol burner made from a lip salve tin . When it's full it gives a similar performance to a 75 gram tablet.
@@John-lm8ro Since 1st Oct 2023, possession of hexamine in the UK has been a criminal offence. Possible 2 year jail sentence. It's totally fucking nuts. Another example of our nanny state at it's worse. The rationale is that it can be used to make an explosive. In theory, yes it can. But it would take incredible resources to do it. And there are far easier ways of making explosives. There is an old established company, here in the UK, called Mamod. They make working scale models of steam locomotives and traction engines. They have always used hexamine to power these things. Last I heard was that they were going to have to close down because any other fuel was going to be too problematic for them.
I bought a very similar stove here in the UK many years ago. Still have a few fuel tabs to use up too. For the price, it's great and if you can get hold of solid fuel (now banned in the UK) or a little low profile alcohol burner, they are great little bits of kit.
@@SmithandWesson22A Hi , Hexamine solid fuel is now illegal in the UK (and lots of other European jurisdictions). The reason , if reduced to powder form the heximine can be used as a precursor chemical to produce illegal high explosives. Terrorist organisations were advising their followers to this, therefore the ban.
Hi Ernie, nice vid, as usual, love Esbit style stoves 'been using them for 20 some years. I keep fuel tabs in used pill containers. or empty mini M & M containers. Thanx, Sam
Ernie, I too was impressed by the strong, vertical flame of the round tablet. I rely on your explaination the round shape was the reason. What I wonder is would the 2 tablets have boiled the water if side by side rather than stacked. the top surface of a second tablet would have been allowed to burn with the rest of the tablets...more heat released faster. I don't know if it would cause a boil before flame out.
I have a few of them stoves, that have had for years. Several still in the box, same with esbit stoves. I probably paid about 3 bucks for them. I don't LOVE hexamine, but I like that most of these types can also be used with a trangia.
Awesome Ernie, this is a great cost on a stove you don’t plan to use. I have seen the tabs but didn’t think it would work well with them. 5 for fuel on Amaz is awesome. And will use my Esbit stove. I was looking for a flat Esbit stove the sell in foreign MRE’s but they are more than 9 with out fuel…
Hello Ernie. Great video. I've been using hexamine stoves since the early 80's and I love them. Perfect for trail use as well as an emergency kit. I owe a Special Forces stove and bowl combo by Lil Devil and I love it. The pot stand is high enough to use pine cones as fuel if you run out of hexamine. Always wondered if you have one of these.
I have this stove and think it's great! I do also have a small puck burner that I made myself for alcohol. And if you have the Trangia style rectangular mess tins, they work quite well with this to make a complete cook kit. And you can also put the tablets at each end to spread the heat across the cook surface
Hexamine gives off poisonous fumes, so best not use it in a tent or enclosed area. It is also now banned in the UK as apparently it can be used in making explosives. It does tend to stink in your backpack because of the smell. They can be used with a liquid gel called Fire Dragon and their stoves are of a slightly different design and don't have those holes where the burner sits, that you pointed out.
Personally, my ultimate stove for an emergency situation would be either my Biolite or my Firebox. The biolite would be useful for generating a small amout of electricity to keep cell phones and other small electronics charged. Plus, it's efficient and clean burning, and wood is extremely abundant in my area, so running out of fuel wouldn't be much of a concern. Of course, the fact that it only works with wood or wood pellets means that I'd only be able to use it outdoors. The firebox on the other hand doesn't generate electricity, but it'd be nice since it can use such a wide variety of different fuels, including some that are relatively safe to use indoors. Thankfully, when the next earthquake or other disaster hits my area, I won't have to pick one because I'll have both.
My understanding is that the Coghlans fuel tablets are 7g which is half of the Esbit small 14g tablets so it is better to compare gram to gram than tablet to tablet.
For a get home bag? A diy penny stove with an alcohol bottle is what i am planning. The bigger foldout stove of coglins for sterno cans looks like a good pairing though.
Thanks for the video - always nice to see options! One question: you were concerned about the holes in the base of the stove, wondering if the solid fuel could drip through them. Did you have any problems with that during the test, or did everything stay on the stove?
Ive used those in the past...there ok...but ive used better. Theyre good for coffee etc or water for mountain house. Scratch the top a bit with a knife and light the dust..lights easier. Do not put a heavy pot of water..bushpot etc. STOVE WILL COLLAPSE. I have a box for hurricane outages etc but not for "camp" use
I love the old tried and tested hexamine solid fuel stoves and was using them for decades, but for some mental reason the government has now made hexamine illegal to own in the UK.
Frankly, I purify my water with a First Need purifier. Boiling water kills bacteria and some little critters. Boiling does NOT kill virus. Nor does boiling handle runoff from agriculture or industry. Mere,y filtering water produces about the same results -a partial job at best. Also, boiling water is too hot yet to drink when used to make coffee or tea. Your test with 1 fuel tab under 2 cups of water reached 171F. That’s pretty close to just perfect for coffee, tea, and rehydrating freeze dried meals. Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
I can't get around the smell of solid fuel tabs, migraine trigger. My stove choice is the Goshawk Ti multi-fuel wood-gas burner Eddy-200 Pioneer* with hardwood pellets, alcohol (Lixada siphon with simmer/snuffer mods), and then wood or charcoal. It all nests in my Boundless Voyage Ti 900ml tall pot with locking folding handle, including folding spork, lighter, 2 carbon felt trivets, one wrapped in aluminum foil so as to protect my wife's precious plastic tablecloth (happy wife, happy life😅), 125ml HDPE fuel container good for 4-30ml burns 2 cups of water, tho 8-15ml burns using simmer ring, coffee/tea bags, cream & sugar. *Now discontinued, but replaced by the Eddy-200 Pioneer 2.0 which is formed titanium & weighs 125g vs titanium plates pop riveted together which weighed 100g
Bit of a secret here, but water only has to reach 165F for about ten mins to kill anything living in it. The "boil your water" is simply an easy benchmark that folks can measure without special tools. Folks use the boiling point as an easy mark when testing stoves etc simply because it's easy.
Keep one in my Get Home Bag. I can leave it in my truck and forget about it. I’m not to sure about leaving ISO/Butane canisters in a hot vehicle. It is just cheap insurance.
No date....and I've never seen any age out. In Helene, I was using half box that was opened before my heart attack. That was Oct of last year. They burned as well as a new box just opened. They have a faint smell if you sniff the full package but I have never experienced a smell like other folks say.
4 pack of larger, square hexi tabs was issued inside Australian military 24 hour ration packs. If you didn't have a stove, your buddy should. If nobody had one, use a pile of rocks.
Ernie, Don Kevilus of Four Dog Stove did a great video on the benefits of Hexamine as a fuel source. About 11 years ago. It’s on RUclips. ruclips.net/video/wO-92xtyvl8/видео.htmlsi=43ytMNNxTjAove3e
Those stoves are nice to keep in the back of your vehicle for emergencies, but store the fuel in a glass or heavy plastic container, that stuff makes everything near it STINk!
Sorry! I have to strongly disagree. I have one of these Coghlan solid fuel stoves and have used it under various conditions. And I have tried my best to like them because I really like the idea of them. But if we use the term "emergency" as a starting point, then this is NOT the stove fuel to pack in your bug-out bag. For emergencies, I don't need cheap. I need reliability. And I don't need items that add additional negative factors to unstable situations. Emergency equipment needs to work every single time. Coghlan fuel needs to be kept in an air-tight container that also protects the tablets from damage. Coghlan tablets break apart into shards from the least amount of stress. A bug-out emergency is not the time to pull your stove out only to find broken tablets and white dust. Also, you need to pack a windscreen with these stoves (or any stove). In real-world windy conditions, you will need more than two tablets to boil enough water, especially for two people. Finally, Coghlan fuel really stinks! This is important because emergencies are not the time to pollute shared breathing space, especially if you have women and children you are evacuating. Morale is important to maintain during emergencies. That is why I pack candies and other treats in the family bug-out bags. It is the reason I packed little toys and other goodies in my pack when I served on the National Ski Patrol to hand out to frightened children or women. Smells are just as important as taste when cooking a meal or drink to give to hungry family members. For a bug-out bag, something like the jet-boil or BSR-3000 in a Stanley Adventure pot is foolproof and easy to use without the smell. You need a pot in order to use a stove, anyway so why not pack something that you can depend upon every time.
I do not disagree with anything you have said, except that I have never had Coghlan's fuel tabs disintegrate. That said, every problem has a solution and one's ability to find solutions to problems is the very essence of survival.
Used the same stove for morning coffee for sixteen days of Helene. Leicester, NC. Ten miles west of Asheville. I made a liner from pie tin aluminum. The stove wouldn't hold my Stanley pot solid so I used the little round grill from the Tomshoo twig burner. This was on my largest cutting board and an upturned 15" cast iron frying pan on my coffee table in my living room. Scratch a bit of dust on the two tabs and they light instantly. One scoop of Folgers grounds (two cups worth), a 17oz bottle of water and let it boil til the floating grounds sink or the tabs die.
Dinner was usually a meat cooked on the Redcamp Trangia clone with beans/veggies on the side or eggs and bacon or ham. I was cooking brats and stirfry veggies on the Sterno generic gas backpacker on the front deck.
The tabs on the Coghlans or Esbit or Firedragon, I'm ok with on the inside. Front door was wide open. No noticeable scent. The Redcamp alcohol burner, I was using ethyl alcohol hand sanitizer and it had a mild scent. The gas backpacker, outside only.
Got one. Made a windscreen of a small piece of tin fit in the frame. Angled the top to add high strength to it when partially opened. Works quite well.
Underated for sure. Get that fuel tab closer to the bottom of the pot. A very handy fuel for roadside cuppa touring on a motorcycle here in Australia. If cooking a meal, use 1 fuel tab to give the good heat & feed in twigs to finish cooking. Thank you for sharing 👍
This stove is just a copy/variant of the original Esbit stove which was patented in 1939 in Germany and since then used by millions of soldiers all over the world as part of their standard cooking equipment meant to heat up their MRE's/EPA's main dishes.
I'm used to the Esbit stove (and some of the knockoffs) since my childhood and might have used it since then surely much over 1.000 times. Same as with alcohol stoves, it does a great job if you use a good wind screen but has difficulties to bring water to boil when the flame is driven away. It is easy to handle and to transport, holding some of the fuel tablets readily inside when it is folded, and fits everywhere in. When the British military, which used a knockoff, decomissioned this kind of fuel (including the stoves) and switched over to gel tablets, you could get their type of hexamine tablets very cheap on European eBay platforms.
Of course, I still use that type of stoves and have always one as backup with me.
The fuel tablets are also very good fire starters, many people use them also to get their BBQ grills running, and scrapings/powder from these tablets works perfect as tinder which can be ignited by ferrorods. If you use three stones of the right size or put three sticks in the right distance and height in the ground, you can also use these tablets easily without the stove. Many so called multifuel stoves offer also a small platform for using these tablets.
That said, and even though I have plenty of good vibes with and still use my Esbit stoves regularly, my favourite stove used during short stopovers as well as sometimes for cooking meals (with one load of fuel running upto 35 minutes or more) is meanwhile another military stove, the Swiss Military M71 alcohol gel stove. The main reason is that it can be difficult to get hexamine tablets in some places, in the UK the sale is meanwhile even banned, but there is never any shortage of burning alcohol (ethanol or isopropyl alcohol) as you get it at least in every pharmacy on this planet (just ask for medical spirit).
To speed up the boil time, don't stack the tablets! place them side by side or even seperated by a bit. More surface area=faster boil times. Been there, done that.
Thanks John👍
Yep, side by side and scratch a tiny bit of dust on top to make lighting easy.
Just use an Esbit tab. 1 big one will boil 2 cups with flame left over.
Added Later:
To provide wid resistance and strengthen the stand for more weight make a quadrilateral shaped to fit the semi open stand like the English Military BCB Fire Dragons from aluminum or sheet metal. Works great.
I use this stove in e-kits. Just fits an altoids tin alcohol stove. Made wind screens for the ends that also act as supports. Works great this way.
I use the BCB stove. I use the BCB gel cubes, Esbit and small alcohol burner. The alcohol based fuels seems to burn hotter. One con is the burn tray sits directly on the surface which means you need to sit on some type of non-flammable surface
One thing you can do with Coghlan's fuel is to use a single tablet along with a few twigs.
Same same with all solid fuel stoves.
Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
Thanks for another great video of watching water boil, Ernie 😊
My first car survival kit has an Esbit solid fuel stove with 4 tablets inside. That’s in the pocket of a Condor hydration bag with a Stanley 2 cup cook set. I later learned about the Coghlans fuel so I added a MOLLE pistol magazine pouch to the outside with 12 tablets in a zip-top bag inside.
My second kit uses a firebox nano with a Trangia alcohol stove and the solid fuel plate in an Orca hydration bag. I added a water bottle pouch to the outside with a 1/3 liter Trangia alcohol fuel bottle. I’ll add another 12 Coghlans fuel tablets in a zip-top bag to the pocket of the bag.
Great video, Ernie, i like the stove and tabs. I have no idea how many i have around, a few things. 1. an anodized aluminum cup boils water faster than my US Army canteen cup, likely has to do with the thermal transfer. 2. The tabs work with an number of wood stoves, (Firebox, Emberlit, ect.) 3. I found 1 tab to 1 cup of water unless you are using heavy stainless steel. And i finally made my own cat can alcohol stove from your video, its awesome. Thanks for all you do.👍👍
I think if you were to cut a couple of wind-screens to fit inside the stove when it is only half open, that would allow it to hold more weight. Just need some heavy duty flashing or such.
I have made some for my esbit stoves and they help when the wind is blowing.
👍🏼👍🏼
My favorite stove is the Emberlit FireAnt Stove. It’s small, packs down flat, and works with solid fuel, alcohol stove, or twigs.
My favorite fuel is wood 😉
👍👍👍 .. have done that with both of my Esbit Stoves .. the first, my original military issue in 1968 (and still in use, even though the 'joints', like mine are a bit wonky 😁).
I re-purposed the bottom sections of Sardine Cans .. a set each for the half and fully opened stove positions.
I use a similar stove as a backup stove. A BCB gel fuel stove. I don't use their fuel. I've made a couple of small alcohol burners that fit in the middle section and two 40ml bottles that fit in the end sections. There's also room for a small lighter. It can boil about one and a half litres of water.
I love my Fire Dragon. I use it in a similar fashion with a little puck burner I made.
The gel always intrigued me but where I am ( Australia) it is too expensive to try it. ( over $10 ea)
@ Maybe you could lay hands on some of the Japanese ones that have been featured here on this channel before. They seemed pretty reasonable pricewise, would the import costs be cheaper for you with something that was closer on the globe?
@SmithandWesson22A
You can make your own gel fuel from alcohol and some stuff from eggshells. Can't remember how to process the eggshells but there are a lot of tutorials. Doesn't look too difficult and uses household chemicals.
Try unscented %80 ethyl hand sanitizer. Quart goes less than $3 here. I've picked up half gallon bottles for $2 on sale at Lowes.
Thanks Doc, your stove reviews are my favorite. I've had this stove for many years, but just keep it as a back up. Drives my wife crazy as she thinks, "If you aren't using it get rid of it." Feels that way about my knives too. God, but I love her!
😁 .. "if you don't use it, lose it". This appears to be a 'Woman' thing 🙄 .. they just don't .. understand .. we Men and our 'stuff' 😏.
Ive used one of these for years growing up, hunting and outdoor activities. Cheap and easy to get. Then I found expedition research fuel and loaded up on it. It was one of my faves for solid fuel. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find xpedition research fuel for a hot minute... Maybe cause of the Hex ban in the UK? who knows. Lately, Ive reverted back to Coghlans or Esbit or Godora or even homemade solid fuel... Cotton balls and wax
Coghlan's has a lot of products that aren't very different from others but are readily available just about everywhere.
👍👍👍 .. these folding stoves are very much an overlooked and good option.
I have two of these Esbit Stoves .. the first, my original Military Issue from 1968 and still in use.
Emergency use only? I have cooked, inter alia, many a 'Full English Breakfast' in my rectangular 'Dixies' Aluminium Mess Kit and others.
Slot-in wind screens made from aluminium sardine cans work very well against wind and in supporting the stove from collapsing under weight, especially in the half-open position.
Fuel. Here in Switzerland, the solid fuel tablets can only be sourced at specialist outlets and are quite pricey.
A cheaper and more accessible option here, is Alcohol .. liquid or gel ('Brennsprit' or 'Sicherheitsbrennpaste') which I can get at almost any food or hardware store.
That said, a pack of the solid fuel tablets is stored in each stove for 'just in case of'. The fuel stores well if kept dry .. thus wrapped in 'clingwrap'.
A good share, thanks. Take care ..
Hey Ernie, I use solid fuel stove on my hikes, normally. However, since watching your channel, you've convinced me to get a Triangia stove. I love it!!! Thank you!!😊
For a small, lightweight emergency pack it's hard to beat the Esbit heating kit that comes with the French military 24h ration packs. They contain a very minimalistic fold-out emergency stove, 6 fuel tablets, a little box of matches, a trash bag, some tooth picks and a foldable handle for the cans they use in the ration packs. The kit is packed in a cardboard box about the size of a regular Esbit stove, weighs very little and contains everything needed to heat food or water along with a couple of useful extra items and they come with the ration packs that are some of the best, if not lightest (as they use metal cans instead of retort pouches), military field rations I have tried.
I have used this, under the Highlander brand name , with home made puck stoves . Use 2 stainless steel tent pegs, or cut down lengths of steel ruler in the supports at 90 degrees to hold smaller diameter pots . .Aluminium foil from old pie ashets.inserted into the sides make reasonable wind breaks . I ' ve had more success with meths/alcohol burners than esbit, hexamine ,fire dragon etc. My trangia burner and I are long time travelling companions . Covid lockdown had me start to look at home made meths burners . Local builders gave me part of a roll of roofing insulation when I asked permission to scavenge visible on site scraps to experiment with . I could make hundreds of puck , fancy feast stoves
I've used this stove occasionally for a while now and I like it. I'm about to go out into the woods for a few days and am taking this stove because it does well in the cold. You don't really need boiling water to rehydrate food if you filter water, so one tablet has worked fine for me for the most part.
I put together 12 containers each with 1 month supply of canned goods, 2 can openers, solid fuel stove like the one in this video the sterno stove, alcohol stove and iso-stove ( 4 stoves and 6 fuels per container) plus a fixed blade knife, cookware, utensils, water purification, cleaning supplies, basic medications and small triage kit.
If you save the end caps from pillsbury croissant rolls, they make excellent bases for the solid fuel tabs and gel fuel and helps keep your stoves pristine.
I’m aware that the stoves and cookware sound excessive but it’s still way cheaper and healthier than mountain meals or pre packaged zombie meals.
The food in each container gets consumed and restocked for each assigned month so every consumable stays well within expiration date even though that’s really not critical.
I’m a big fan of your channel and have made many purchases based on your reviews. I’ve also avoided some purchases thanks to you.
Greatly appreciate you sharing.
I like the Esbit titanium folding stove, very small. Yes, need foil or some type of windbreak, but very convenient.
Great video Ernie! Fully agree and actually use these regularly on day trips to boil water for herbal tea or a quick hand pumped espresso.
I ‘ve even used it to heat up a can of soup.
YESSSSS 2 tablets always!
You can make a lot of mods for this stove. Like a windscreen, and your own fuel pucks . You can also use it as a twig stove in a pinch. Coghlan's fuels tabs are my go-to because they are cheap and easily available. You can also store them in a pill bottle or other container.
They also fit in those tubes they sell mini M&Ms in.
@@SDWNJ Right on. 👍
I like that the burn time can be expanded with twigs. To save on fuel of you need to in an emergency
👍 yep.
Here in Switzerland, the solid fuel tabs can only be sourced from specialist outlets and are quite pricey.
A cheaper and more available option is Alcohol .. liquid or gel ('Brennsprit' or 'Sicherheitsbrennpaste') .. any grocery or hardware store will do.
You can make a windscreen from coke can and it works great. It can easily store inside the stove and it slides right in place. I always use alcohol and twigs, I keep the hex tabs just in case.
Someday I would like to see a stove you designed.
Good video Ernie.
My go too solid fuel system is the Esbit 3 piece cook set.
It's all self contained and fairly light.
Looking forward to your next video.
Cheers
I bought one and packed it along on a JEEP event and using a real U.S. Army cup I used one and it didn't do a thing so I used 4 to cook up a package of ramon and OMG it boiled over.
Shame that the solid fuel tablets are illegal in the UK. I used to store them in a tube that held vitamin C tablets. They fit perfectly. One tip is to place a tablet over a hole in the stove and light from underneath. Much easier to light with a cigarette lighter that way.
Wait, solid fuel tablets are illegal in the UK!? I'm sorry to hear that. I guess that explains why most of the stoves I see that are from the UK are designed to use either alcohol or an alcohol-based gel.
@John-lm8ro
It's a recent thing. The fuel can be made into an explosive. Mamod, maker of steam powered toys, went bust because they had a large stock of fuel tablets that they can't sell or dispose of. The government introduced the ban without warning anyone.
Apparently, hexamine is a bomb making ingredient 🤪. I used mine with an alcohol burner made from a lip salve tin . When it's full it gives a similar performance to a 75 gram tablet.
@@John-lm8ro Since 1st Oct 2023, possession of hexamine in the UK has been a criminal offence. Possible 2 year jail sentence. It's totally fucking nuts. Another example of our nanny state at it's worse. The rationale is that it can be used to make an explosive. In theory, yes it can. But it would take incredible resources to do it. And there are far easier ways of making explosives.
There is an old established company, here in the UK, called Mamod. They make working scale models of steam locomotives and traction engines. They have always used hexamine to power these things. Last I heard was that they were going to have to close down because any other fuel was going to be too problematic for them.
Yep those are nice definitely want to zipper bag the fuel smells like fish . Used them a bit in the Army . Have fun stay safe yes.
I bought a very similar stove here in the UK many years ago. Still have a few fuel tabs to use up too.
For the price, it's great and if you can get hold of solid fuel (now banned in the UK) or a little low profile alcohol burner, they are great little bits of kit.
Is that the now illegal in the UK hexamine? Don't answer if it is. 😅
@@SmithandWesson22A yes, it's now illegal to make a coffee with this fuel.
@@SmithandWesson22Asome ppl use it to make boms (misspelled on purpose)
@@SmithandWesson22A Hi , Hexamine solid fuel is now illegal in the UK (and lots of other European jurisdictions). The reason , if reduced to powder form the heximine can be used as a precursor chemical to produce illegal high explosives. Terrorist organisations were advising their followers to this, therefore the ban.
Hi Ernie, nice vid, as usual, love Esbit style stoves 'been using them for 20 some years. I keep fuel tabs in used pill containers. or empty mini M & M containers. Thanx, Sam
Ernie, I too was impressed by the strong, vertical flame of the round tablet. I rely on your explaination the round shape was the reason. What I wonder is would the 2 tablets have boiled the water if side by side rather than stacked. the top surface of a second tablet would have been allowed to burn with the rest of the tablets...more heat released faster. I don't know if it would cause a boil before flame out.
I have a few of them stoves, that have had for years. Several still in the box, same with esbit stoves. I probably paid about 3 bucks for them. I don't LOVE hexamine, but I like that most of these types can also be used with a trangia.
Awesome Ernie, this is a great cost on a stove you don’t plan to use. I have seen the tabs but didn’t think it would work well with them. 5 for fuel on Amaz is awesome. And will use my Esbit stove. I was looking for a flat Esbit stove the sell in foreign MRE’s but they are more than 9 with out fuel…
Hello Ernie. Great video. I've been using hexamine stoves since the early 80's and I love them. Perfect for trail use as well as an emergency kit. I owe a Special Forces stove and bowl combo by Lil Devil and I love it. The pot stand is high enough to use pine cones as fuel if you run out of hexamine. Always wondered if you have one of these.
FYI: Hexamine has been BANNED in the UK 🤪
I have this stove and think it's great! I do also have a small puck burner that I made myself for alcohol. And if you have the Trangia style rectangular mess tins, they work quite well with this to make a complete cook kit. And you can also put the tablets at each end to spread the heat across the cook surface
I have the UST version, I do gave a number of Coglans items
Great Video, ty
Hexamine gives off poisonous fumes, so best not use it in a tent or enclosed area.
It is also now banned in the UK as apparently it can be used in making explosives.
It does tend to stink in your backpack because of the smell.
They can be used with a liquid gel called Fire Dragon and their stoves are of a slightly different design and don't have those holes where the burner sits, that you pointed out.
Personally, my ultimate stove for an emergency situation would be either my Biolite or my Firebox.
The biolite would be useful for generating a small amout of electricity to keep cell phones and other small electronics charged. Plus, it's efficient and clean burning, and wood is extremely abundant in my area, so running out of fuel wouldn't be much of a concern. Of course, the fact that it only works with wood or wood pellets means that I'd only be able to use it outdoors.
The firebox on the other hand doesn't generate electricity, but it'd be nice since it can use such a wide variety of different fuels, including some that are relatively safe to use indoors.
Thankfully, when the next earthquake or other disaster hits my area, I won't have to pick one because I'll have both.
Good stuff. Thanks
I store my fuel tables in a used plastic pill bottle.
Thanks for the video. How would it work as a twig stove?
Turn in on it's side, light twig fire inside the open arms, cup or pan on top.
Get the Caldera cone version to try.
My understanding is that the Coghlans fuel tablets are 7g which is half of the Esbit small 14g tablets so it is better to compare gram to gram than tablet to tablet.
I have found those tablets inferior to the "fuel tablets" I find in the bbq section of the big box hardware store.
For a get home bag? A diy penny stove with an alcohol bottle is what i am planning. The bigger foldout stove of coglins for sterno cans looks like a good pairing though.
Thanks for the video - always nice to see options!
One question: you were concerned about the holes in the base of the stove, wondering if the solid fuel could drip through them. Did you have any problems with that during the test, or did everything stay on the stove?
Having used these a lot...they don't drip.
Ive used those in the past...there ok...but ive used better. Theyre good for coffee etc or water for mountain house. Scratch the top a bit with a knife and light the dust..lights easier. Do not put a heavy pot of water..bushpot etc. STOVE WILL COLLAPSE. I have a box for hurricane outages etc but not for "camp" use
I love the old tried and tested hexamine solid fuel stoves and was using them for decades, but for some mental reason the government has now made hexamine illegal to own in the UK.
Frankly, I purify my water with a First Need purifier. Boiling water kills bacteria and some little critters. Boiling does NOT kill virus. Nor does boiling handle runoff from agriculture or industry. Mere,y filtering water produces about the same results -a partial job at best. Also, boiling water is too hot yet to drink when used to make coffee or tea.
Your test with 1 fuel tab under 2 cups of water reached 171F. That’s pretty close to just perfect for coffee, tea, and rehydrating freeze dried meals.
Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
I didn't know viruses were so heat tolerant, they survive boiling water?😮
Would 1 tablet to 170 degrees Be hot enough for coffee or tea?
Is favorite fuel? Sticks
I can't get around the smell of solid fuel tabs, migraine trigger.
My stove choice is the Goshawk Ti multi-fuel wood-gas burner Eddy-200 Pioneer* with hardwood pellets, alcohol (Lixada siphon with simmer/snuffer mods), and then wood or charcoal.
It all nests in my Boundless Voyage Ti 900ml tall pot with locking folding handle, including folding spork, lighter, 2 carbon felt trivets, one wrapped in aluminum foil so as to protect my wife's precious plastic tablecloth (happy wife, happy life😅), 125ml HDPE fuel container good for 4-30ml burns 2 cups of water, tho 8-15ml burns using simmer ring, coffee/tea bags, cream & sugar.
*Now discontinued, but replaced by the Eddy-200 Pioneer 2.0 which is formed titanium & weighs 125g vs titanium plates pop riveted together which weighed 100g
If you are filtering your water does it really need to boil every time? Seems decent enough for the price.
Bit of a secret here, but water only has to reach 165F for about ten mins to kill anything living in it. The "boil your water" is simply an easy benchmark that folks can measure without special tools. Folks use the boiling point as an easy mark when testing stoves etc simply because it's easy.
Keep one in my Get Home Bag. I can leave it in my truck and forget about it. I’m not to sure about leaving ISO/Butane canisters in a hot vehicle. It is just cheap insurance.
To use an alcohol burner, flip the stove upside down.
You can always use twigs if you run out of fuel
Good video , thanks for sharing, YAH bless !
Two questions:
Is there an expiration date on the fuel ?
Does it smell like fish as Ezbit does ?
No date....and I've never seen any age out. In Helene, I was using half box that was opened before my heart attack. That was Oct of last year. They burned as well as a new box just opened. They have a faint smell if you sniff the full package but I have never experienced a smell like other folks say.
Stacking tablets costs extra money and depletes resources quicker. Outdoor research and esbit cost more but much better
4 pack of larger, square hexi tabs was issued inside Australian military 24 hour ration packs. If you didn't have a stove, your buddy should. If nobody had one, use a pile of rocks.
Ernie,
Don Kevilus of Four Dog Stove did a great video on the benefits of Hexamine as a fuel source. About 11 years ago. It’s on RUclips. ruclips.net/video/wO-92xtyvl8/видео.htmlsi=43ytMNNxTjAove3e
This feels like a re-upload of a video you made years ago..........
Those stoves are nice to keep in the back of your vehicle for emergencies, but store the fuel in a glass or heavy plastic container, that stuff makes everything near it STINk!
Sorry! I have to strongly disagree. I have one of these Coghlan solid fuel stoves and have used it under various conditions. And I have tried my best to like them because I really like the idea of them. But if we use the term "emergency" as a starting point, then this is NOT the stove fuel to pack in your bug-out bag. For emergencies, I don't need cheap. I need reliability. And I don't need items that add additional negative factors to unstable situations. Emergency equipment needs to work every single time. Coghlan fuel needs to be kept in an air-tight container that also protects the tablets from damage. Coghlan tablets break apart into shards from the least amount of stress. A bug-out emergency is not the time to pull your stove out only to find broken tablets and white dust. Also, you need to pack a windscreen with these stoves (or any stove). In real-world windy conditions, you will need more than two tablets to boil enough water, especially for two people.
Finally, Coghlan fuel really stinks! This is important because emergencies are not the time to pollute shared breathing space, especially if you have women and children you are evacuating. Morale is important to maintain during emergencies. That is why I pack candies and other treats in the family bug-out bags. It is the reason I packed little toys and other goodies in my pack when I served on the National Ski Patrol to hand out to frightened children or women. Smells are just as important as taste when cooking a meal or drink to give to hungry family members. For a bug-out bag, something like the jet-boil or BSR-3000 in a Stanley Adventure pot is foolproof and easy to use without the smell. You need a pot in order to use a stove, anyway so why not pack something that you can depend upon every time.
I do not disagree with anything you have said, except that I have never had Coghlan's fuel tabs disintegrate. That said, every problem has a solution and one's ability to find solutions to problems is the very essence of survival.
No offense but solid fuel sucks in every way