Hexi to esbit

[MikeLA]

Sadly running short of my favourite hexi and haven’t used esbit tablets for many many years. Does anyone still use esbit and what is it like compared to my faithful hexi ?

Please don’t mention dragon fuel as an alternative, hate it, rubbish

 

[TLM]

As far as I know Esbit tablets are hexamine. US military has during ages apparently used hexamine and mixture of hexamine/trioxane.

Hexamine is a fairly useful industrial chemical but as a best guess it is going to be phased out of the civilian market quite soon. A bit like one cannot buy large amounts of Aspirin.

There were recently some Esbit packets at Leka so I bought a few.

 

[Hammock_man]

Meths ???

 

[MikeLA]

Used to own a trangia for meths and don’t want to upset all you meths faithfull, it’s not for me

 

[MikeLA]

As far as I know Esbit tablets are hexamine. US military has during ages apparently used hexamine and mixture of hexamine/trioxane.

Hexamine is a fairly useful industrial chemical but as a best guess it is going to be phased out of the civilian market quite soon. A bit like one cannot buy large amounts of Aspirin.

There were recently some Esbit packets at Leka so I bought a few.

That would be a shame find hexi so easy and useful to carry and use.

 

[Hammock_man]

Truly, truly do not wish to start a war but the smell of hexi, ugg nauh, bad, evil. Even now as I type it is leaving a bad taste. What is so wrong with Dragon gel then?

 

[MikeLA]

The packets left behind, tried it it’s just not the same or as good for me. Like the smell of hexi, never ever bothered me, wind takes most of it away. Like hexi I can pack loads of broken hexi bits in a bag and feed the stove from these bits when needed. Never leaves plastic packets I have to take home and much more. Burns good for me and lights easy.

 

[MikeLA]

Used hexi since 1985 and just like it basically.

 

[Hammock_man]

Get the point about the packets but tend to use more "loose" gel. While the wind may take some hexi smell, it (to me) it is still some where on the planet and affecting me.

 

[Nice65]

It’s not good stuff at all.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hexamine_fuel_tablet#:~:text=Esbit's%20Safety%20Data%20Sheet%20states,gastrointestinal%20disturbances%2C%20and%20kidney%20damage.

There are fuel sachets available that don’t leave any plastic for you to take home, like the Tiger Tim kerosene based ones. None of them are as clean as the alcohols like meths, but Hexamine and Trioxane are toxic enough to require a tight fitting lid as they release horrible chemicals.

 

[TLM]

At the moment I am "converting" some simple hexamine stoves to gelled alcohol by fastening a small metal cup inside. The main problem seems to be to find a proper size bottle for the alcohol so it fits inside the space meant for the tablets.

 

[Erbswurst]

I can't imagine that they close the gates of the Esbit factory.
The stuff is issued in the German army.

 

[TLM]

It will still be issued for the military and be used industrially. The problem is that hexamine is one easy step away from RDX.

 

[BumblingAlong]

For ease of transport and so I'm not totally dependent on meths I've been using Coghlans solid fuel tablets hexamine tablets x 24 at £6.50 a box. They are lightweight, excellent for boiling water (one tab only) but can leave external residues. Occasionally I get a 4 box deal for £19.99 which really is good value. They can be used two at a time for simple cooking but anything beyond fried eggs would be back to the meths. Leave the Dragon on the shelf

 

[MikeLA]

If I can’t get hexi or even esbit will try the coghlans solid fuel tablets. See how they go.