A little background on how I was first introduced to the Esbit Pocket Stove, I was helping teach a class for a Greek Army unit and traveling light. During class I was spending extended periods of time out in the field during November in Greece. As the temp started to drop, one of the students offered me the use of his stove to make some warm tea. After a bit of familiarization I had a warm mug of tea. As is common with the Greeks, when I went to return the stove I was informed that it was now mine and a simple thank you was all that would be accepted. Thanks guys, you know who you are.
I still have that stove today and after many years of use in the field it still works as well as new. In fact the stove has worked so well that I keep them stashed in many of my gear bags and foot lockers ready for travel. So here is a quick overview to get those that are new to the Esbit Pocket Stove familiar with this great piece of kit.
The kit (as pictured below) includes the stove which is stamped out of galvanized hardened steel for durability and resistance to corrosion and six large solid fuel cubes.
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Details from the manufacturer:
"The Esbit story began in 1936. Since than, Esbit stands for safe and highly efficient solid fuel cubes and stoves that have been used the world over. This compact solid fuel source will provide a steady and reliable heat for cooking, boiling water or for warmth in the outdoors. Esbit solid fuel cubes and stoves are used by various NATO forces, expeditions, in the aftermath of disasters, by a wide variety of outdoor enthusiasts and for powering toy steam engines.
Contains:
-1 compact (3"x4"x3/4"), lightweight (3.25oz.) Esbit Pocket Stove made of galvanized, hardened steel
-6 Large Esbit Solid Fuel Cubes (1/2oz. ea.) up to 80 minutes cook time
Esbit Large Solid Fuel Cubes:
-Individually packaged in water resistant, perforated blister packs
-Non-explosive
-Does not liquify when burning
-Ignites with match or lighter
-Approximately 13 minutes burn time per cube
-Can be extinguished and re-lit, reusable
-One cube will bring 1 pint of water to a rolling boil in less than 8 minutes
-Burns well at higher altitudes
-Strong heating output with no visible smoke and no sparks
-Makes a great campfire starter
-In high winds, place windscreen around the base of stove
-Stand on level, non-flammable surface when in use
The stove has two cooking positions allowing for use of small cups and mugs or medium to large pots, and a stowed position.
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To see a demonstration of the stove in use with the solid fuel cubes as well as a rough cook time check out this video. No need to watch the entire video unless you just feel like viewing minute after minute of water coming to a boil but you can fast forward to see how long it takes to get half a liter of water to boil. The mug is a Snowpeak Ti Mug that I have had for years, comes with a lid but that would defeat the purpose of showing you when it starts to boil.
A note on cook times: These videos were taken in a work shop on December 11, 2009, ambient temp was 48F although being inside obviously no wind was present. Take that into consideration when assessing fuel needs.
However, should you run out of fuel or need to augment your solid fuel cubes you can use small organic materials to feed the fire, something you cant do on that multifuel stove. On a recent hike I stopped for a warm cup of hot cocoa and shot some photos of using small twigs to supplement the solid fuel cubes.
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Worried about how much weight this stove can hold? Or stability under an awkward load? Don't. As long as you do a reasonable job of finding a flat surface the ESBIT Pocket Stove can support quite a bit of weight, as shown below. Yep, that is 500 rounds of XM193 (just under 15 pounds of weight).
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In conclusion, the Esbit Pocket Stove is another piece of gear that we at Austere Provisions Company recommend based on years of personal use out in the real world.
ESBIT Pocket Stove with Six Large Fuel Cubes at Austere Provisions Company
ESBIT Large Fuel Cubes, 12 Pack at Austere Provisions Company
Thanks for checking in,
Mike
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