Hey all, 

This is just something I've been working on, for a variety of reasons. One of the more pertinent reasons is I've building a car bag for my wife and I that are essentially the same and capable to sustain us and our 2 year should something happen. (This is not a "go bag;" more of a break down bag or stranded bag, if that makes sense. Anyways, the point isn't to serve primarily as a "what if terrorists attack" or "what if there's a civil war.")

Part of what I'm including in the bags is multiple ways to create fire; since these bags must serve the lowest common denominator, and in a potentially wet and cold situation, I wanted to a way to create fire, particularly for boiling water. I don't know about y'all, but I have misgivings about keeping an alcohol stove in the car, or an isobutane canister in the car, especially in the summer. So ... I wanted to try solid fuel.

I picked up esbit tabs, which seemed well suited (potentially) for what I'm intending. But I always test things. And here's my results...

Base: Emberlit Fireant

Cup: Solo 900 mL with 16 oz water

Ambient: 58F, wind up to 13MPH, 56% humidity, 29.8 in Hg

Control: trangia alcohol. Boil time from ignition: 11:30.

Test 1: 1 esbit tab (on Emberlit's fuel tab insert): burn time 15:27, max temp 183F

Test 2: 2 esbit tabs (burning together): boil time - 9:12; burn time - 17:09.

The last several minutes of burn time for Esbit is pretty pathetic, but I included it. Biggest "failure" was 1 tab was inadequate to boil water. Biggest success was burning two tabs in tandem resulted in a boil time faster than an alcohol stove, and also maintained that boil time for almost 6 minutes. The first tab was quite difficult to light - lighter wasn't doing it, but a match lit and laid a top did the trick just before burning out. The two tabs lit easily with the lighter. The trangia was lit with a ferro rod - convenient.

I'll keep looking for a good solid fuel. It is nice to know two will do the trick, and I think using them as a fire starter would work even better, if say wet wood had to be burned. 

 

- J

Hey Ken - I have some fast fire on the way in along with a live fire, but had completely forgotten about Uberfire. I'll pick some up the next go round. My only reservation for all those is they seem to be "use this to start a fire" instead of being self-sufficient (and most of that stems from my wife's lack of recent experience), but that might not terribly practical or realistic. Thanks for the input!

- J

Good to know, I'll definitely pick some up.