EsbitStainless Steel Solid Lightweight Fuel Stove

Lightweight, flat packable.

エスビット

Some assembly required, but when properly assembled, the stove is strong and light. The reviewers who reported problems with the stove just comming apart most likely did not assemble it properly. Let me explain.Pretend each of the three walls of the stove is a playing card. When laid face up, the top of each card has two tabs pointing up, and the bottom of each card has two slots to accept the tabs. One way to assemble the stove is to lay each card down in a line, with the tabs of one card inserted into the slots of the card at the top. Once three playing cards have been laid down in this manner, there are two ways to proceed:1) Complete the structure by inserting the final set of tabs into the final set of slots, such that the face of the cards is towards the INSIDE of the stove. The stove will immediately fall apart.2) Complete the structure in a slightly non-intuitive manner: place the final set of tabs in the final set of slots such that the face of the cards is towards the OUTSIDE of the stove. This is the correct assembly. You will need to flex the stove to get the final tabs into those slots, but they will go without too much force.Inserting either the round tray (for solid fuel tablets), or the Esbitt alcohol burner will flex the walls out and then the stove will be quite solid. Note that the stove is rather small, so if you have a broad pot it will not be very stable. Also, when using it with an alcohol burner, you're really using the "stove" as a windscreen.Why the one star deduction? The assembly is somewhat awkward, especially in field conditions, where it may be dark, or you may wish you could keep your hands in those gloves. It also seems a bit expensive for what you're getting. Those were my reasons for 4 stars instead of 5. I like the stove and will be using it when hiking or backpacking.A note for those who have not used Esbitt solid fuel tablets before. In actual field conditions (night time with a mild breeze), I found them hard to light with a standard lighter. My thumb got a pretty good cooking by the dancing flame but the fuel tablet did not ignite. Fortunately, I have a windproof lighter (they are sort of like a mini blow torch), and it got the job done very nicely.

The Esbit ultralight folding pot stand and tray is a very nice pot stand that is also compatible with the Trangia alcohol stove. Composed of four pieces of interlocking stainless steel, you can quickly assemble these pieces into a relatively stable stand and wind block even with gloves. With an alcohol stove, you snap the lip of the stove into the horizontal grooves on each edge of the triangle. Using Esbit solid fuel, you snap the included circular fuel mount into the same horizontal grooves. If you're not planning on using solid fuel, you can leave this disk at home, saving a bit more weight.The good:Light weight: I don't have a scale, but it's fairly light. Essentially four pieces of thin stainless steel with tabs. You can leave the disk at home if using only an alcohol stove. You also don't necessarily need their pouch.Packs down very small: All of the pieces nest into each other, making for a very small pack size.Dual fuel: Works with an alcohol stove OR Esbit solid fuel. Would probably not work well for wood because there's no good way of feeding it.Will work with the GSI cup/pot.Mounts the alcohol stove off the ground, useful for when the ground is cold.The bad:Not a lot of room for the (Trangia) alcohol stove simmer ring: There isn't a lot of room between the stove and the edges of the stand - meaning you can't open up the simmer ring more than a crack.Tough to "toss" the simmer ring onto the stove to snuff it out: The walls of the stand are really close to the stove. You need to come down nearly vertically with the simmer ring to snuff out the stove. The hot flame can make this difficult.Not the best wind blocker: It blocks some wind, but not as well as a foil block or equivalent.For short trips, I carry this and a Trangia stove filled with ~3oz of fuel. Gives you ~30 min burn time with no wind and warm temps. Good for ~2 boils with the GSI cup/pot or ~3 boils with a MSR Ti Quick pot.

This is stainless steel but very springy and thin. I have always been a fan of the Esbit Tabs except for the crud that they deposit on my pot. This stove also is made for a alcohol burner that Esbit produces. Buy the burner. The burner is practically identical to my 30 year old Trangia burner that is built like a tank and I am using with this stove. I vacuum sealed 4 Esbit Tabs as a backup. With the burner (or platform) incorporated this stove is very stable due to it's wide stance. It protects the flame from the wind much better than the original Esbit stove. I use it with a Toaks 550 mug. (Perfect fit). One tip, to snuff the flame press the 3 corners to release the burner. Lift the stove-screen away and calmly scuff the burner with the snuffer . I take out the gasket and use the lid. I leave the snuffer at home to save weight. I also removed the belt loop on the bag to bring the weight of the stove with platform down to 90 grams. Sure there may be lighter options out there but none as stable. I recommend this stove!Update: On my upcoming AT trip I will be using the tablets as my only fuel source. The tablets absolutely cannot be beaten for safety and weight savings. After using this stove with the tablets in a trial at home with my Toaks mug, I can deal with the soot that the tablets leave behind. The base plate can be protected from wax buildup with a 1" x 1" piece of thin household aluminium foil.Second update: I actually didn't use the Esbit Tabs on my trip. I used the 3 sides with my alcohol burner. I am so pleased with this setup that I feel as though I will never need to change my system again. It is best to check the wind direction and rotate the stove so that the handles of the pot stay cool.