The Esbit folding pocket stove has been in service since the mid-1930’s. It has seen use by the German military, NATO and several government agencies for the past 80 years or so.
For our purposes, lets examine the Esbit as a simple, fool-proof stove that’s small enough and light enough to fit in any car kit, bug-out bag or backpack.
The Esbit measures 3 ¾” x 2 7/8” x ¾” and weighs just 3.5 oz.
Each solid fuel cube weighs just .5 oz. and will burn at approximately 1400 F for 12-15 minutes.
The Esbit is best at boiling 1-2 cups of water for hot drinks or reconstituting dehydrated or freeze-dried foods. Once lit the solid fuel cube burns at full intensity. One can blow the cube out if there is any left and re-light for the next heating chore. Be advised, however, that despite the literature the solid fuel does give off an unpleasant odor and will smoke for a few moments after the fire is extinguished.
I would not recommend using the Esbit in an enclosed shelter because of the fumes and smoke.
I conducted 3 timed tests to determine the boil times for the Esbit.
Test 1: 2 cups of water in a GSI Bottle Cup with a homemade lid from a cookie can.
Beginning water temp was 70 F, outside temperature was 77.9 F with a slight breeze.
For this test I used just the Esbit stove, one solid fuel cube and no windscreen.
The water did not come to a complete boil in the breezy conditions. It did reach 160 F and the fuel cube burned for 12:35.
Test 2: 2 cups of water in the same container. This time I used a home made windscreen made of an aluminum oven drip pan. Total weight for the screen is .5 oz.
This time the water reached a full, rolling boil in 6:54.
The cube continued to burn for an additional 6:19.
Total burn time for the cube was 13:13. In this instance the cube could have been extinguished and then used to heat another container of water and get very close to a boil on the second container.
As you can see, having the windscreen increases the efficiency of the Esbit stove dramatically. It allows your water to come to a full boil and does so with less fuel.
Test 3: For this test I filled a GSI Soloist aluminum pot with 32 oz. of water.
The water starting temperature was 68 F.
I used 2 solid fuel cubes in the stove and the windscreen.
The time to a full rolling boil was 14:31 and there was just a little wafer of tablet left from each fuel cube.
Using the stove in this fashion, 2 people could team up for preparing freeze dried meals and hot drinks. While not quite as efficient as heating 2 cups at time, at least the option is available.
The bottoms of the containers will collect some soot and residue from the Esbit fuel cubes. It is easily removed with soap and water or a quick scrub from sand in a nearby stream.
Lets discuss the components mentioned above and how they can be combined and integrated to assemble an excellent lightweight cooking solution for your hiking, backpacking or BOB kit.
The GSI Bottle Cup is a versatile and robust piece of kit. It’s made of stainless steel with two folding handles. It slips easily over the bottom of a standard 32 oz. Nalgene bottle. You can find the cup at Campmor for $10.95. The one downside to the cup is that it has no lid. I solved the problem by scouring the internet and found a couple of interesting solutions. The best I have found to date and have been using for at least 5 years is the lid off a can of Pirouette cookies from Pepperidge Farm. I drilled a hole in the center and installed a pop rivet for a small handle. The lid allows me to keep beverages hot, boil water faster and keeps my 50-foot hank of paracord, a silk bandana and my Zebra light safely stowed in my pack. Note: Some cups and cookie tin lids do not fit as well as the ones I have. You may have to find several cups and eat several tins of cookies to find a good fit.
My windscreen is simply a heavy aluminum foil drip pan for the oven. I roll it tightly to store in my pack and hold it together with two large paperclips. The aluminum can easily be cut with old scissors or kitchen shears. Make yours large enough to surround your stove and the container you use the most. I cut mine to be as high as the stove with the container on it. I also cut a little slot for the handles to protrude from so I can easily remove the cup from the stove. A few vent holes punched around the bottom with a paper punch and you’re good to go!
The kit that I have constructed consists of the Esbit folding stove, butane lighter, fuel cubes, the GSI cup and lid, windscreen and a GSI spoon. The stove, lighter and fuel cubes are conveniently carried in a custom container designed and sewn by my wife. With 16 fuel cubes the entire kit weighs in at 16 oz. The 16 cubes should easily get a person by for 4-5 days of cooking chores heating water for meals and drinks. In fact I took only my Esbit kit on an extended high-country mule deer hunt a few years ago to see how the system works long term. After 6 days in the rain I still had 3 fuel tabs left over and no empty fuel canisters to haul home, just a few of the fuel tab wrappers.
Bottom line: The Esbit makes a great back-up stove for your kit or a primary source for heating water if you want to go ultra-light.
It’s not as sexy as a new Jet Boil or MSR Reactor, but there are no seals to wear out or leak. No fuel jets to keep clean and maintain and literally no moving parts to break and no empty fuel cans to carry home and dispose of. And for $10.99 at Campmor it makes a great option for those just getting started in assembling an emergency pack or a basic camping set-up.
