stove for exped to s. america

[Brixton]

I'm going to S. America for three weeks
I normally use my trangia
but it is a large lump and fairly heavy plus getting meths abroad I am told can be problematical
I have to get everything for three weeks into my rucksack and so am wondering if I should by one of those hexi solid fuel jobs and a wee billy.

Has any one any advice
Can you take the fuel tabs onto an aeroplane?
How long does each tab last?
Can you put them out mid burn?
etc.

And for a bonus point what do you recon to footwear?
I have some scapa SLs but would they be ideal for trekking through equatorial forests?

Cheers Brixton

 

[addyb]

Brixton,

In answer to your questions:

1) Yes, I am quite sure than Hexamine can be mailed. However, I wouldn't quote me on that. E-mailing

2) Don't bother with hexi down there, it's not even worth the hassle.

3) My Dad went climbing in Peru three times in early 1970's. I specifically remember him telling me that you'll be able to get white gas (naptha) down there for stoves. I just asked him where to get it, he says at any drugstore. (Go figure!)

4) I said white gas, because the truth is, if you're going down there, I wouldn't risk hexi tabs and a billy, let alone a fire. Plus, you never really know what kind of weather you'll run into. Most of us here all love Trangia stoves, but since you won't be able to get meths down there, I'd honestly white gas is your second best choice, due to it's high BTU output. You won't find LPG down there, either.

Which leads me to fuel tablets:

There are two types:

Hexamine: UK Army, esbit, Coghlan's, etc etc..... it's actually compressed methanamine, smells like rotten fish, is very difficult to light and makes the bottoms of your pots and pants all sticky and sooty. BUT: Once you get it lit (and wipe the sweat off your forehead) you'll find that it burns for a good amount of time (some tablets 12-15 minutes) and you CAN cook on it. I've made rice and sausages on my Esbit stove. Hexamine (methanamine) tablets can be blown out and re-used later. They leave a horribly gooey ash on the bottom of the Esbit stove. I'd suggest scraping it off. They're also bloody expensive and stink up your kit.

Trioxane: US Army "heat tabs." These are made of compressed formeldahyde. (the stuff that preserves body parts in laboratories) They're much larger than Hexamine, because their calorific value is a bit lower. Heat tabs come in sealed packages, because they evaporate over time. Sometimes you can buy a box from a surplus store, and find a few empty, punctured packages. Each bar is scored in 3 places, and they're much more poisonous that methanamine, if you breathe in the fumes, you'll get a nosebleed, and you'd better wash your hands after touching them, or you'll get a wicked headache. On the plus side, and I actually prefer them over methanamine tablets: They light in a flash, you can actually get them lit with a fire steel (so I've heard) and they burn much hotter and cleaner than methamamine; so they don't leave any residue on the bottoms of your pots and pants. They also leave little or no ash. Unfortunately, they only burn 7-9 minutes, which is not enough to cook a meal. They're basically only good for heating a canteen cup of coffee, or lighting a fire. But fot all those drawbacks, I prefer them. Also, they're so cheap it's not even funny.

Footwear: Well, that depends. If you're going mountaineering, go buy a pair of stiff climbing boots. If you're humping around in the jungle, go buy a pair of US army boots (they'll last forever) some good insoles, cushioned wollen socks, and some footpowder. Each night, change your socks, and powder your feet. The reason I suggested you get jungle boots if you're not in the mountains is that they actually DO prevent jungle rot. Have a look at this.

Whew, is that a long enough post for ya mate?

Cheers,

Adam

 

[running bare]

under no circumstances use hexamine blocks in an enclosed shelter they are killers literally. when i was in the forces that was the first thing that was drummed into our heads!!

 

[redflex]

When trekking in mountains and rain forest I ended up taking my old faithful light weight fabric boots which are waterproof.

The reason for this as they were well broken in and comfortable. They did me well and I would use them again.

Used heavy leather boots before found them very tiring asnd feet stayed wet in them.

 

[Celt_Ginger]

Hi.
You can't take any combustable material on an aircraft. Not gas, meths, or even hexi tabs. (of course you ARE allowed to take bottles of whisky etc. They say NO to a fuel bottle, but yes to a glass bottle of highly flamable liquid??? Go figure)
Personally, I'd take a multi fuel stove that will burn Gasoline, diesel, kerosine etc. It's about the most widely available fuel you will find there. As for footware, get some ex army jungle boots for jungle travel.

 

[Spacemonkey]

Trioxane: US Army "heat tabs." These are made of compressed formeldahyde. (the stuff that preserves body parts in laboratories)

And also what I use for embalming during the week. I can't believe they issue this stuff for cooking!! We have to work in very ventilated rooms wearing gloves at all times, with breathing gear and eye protection. The solid formaldehyde works by giving off formaldehyde gas which is lethal. Burning it would give off lots more fomraldehyde gas which would be very lethal.

However.... if you inhale a lungful, a few breaths of clean fresh air will fix you. Sitting in a tent filling with formaldehyde will kill you. It's one of the most effective biocides you can get. It is however heavier than air. Used outdoors shouldn't be too bad though. I shall have to get some for experimenting with as I have the MOD contract for embalming people abroad, yet when we had a call to go to Afghanistan we had trouble getting formaldehyde on the plane. It would be useful to know of a source abroad, as we always get sent to military bases, and the Americans are never far away...

Do all American forces get issued these?

 

[addyb]

Spacemonkey,

I'm glad you asked about "heat tabs," because the subject is something I've recently researched. When I'm not working or studying for my college courses, I spend a fair amount of time reasearching outdoor gear. And I think this research that I do is one of the reasons that my posts are so informative. Anyway, here's the deal with Trioxonane tablets:

They WERE issued to US troops until quite recently when someone in higher-higher decided that they were harmful to the troops, and they are no longer issued. I personally think that this is a mistake, because without heat tabs, soldiers are reduced to using FRH. (flameless ration heaters) I also read some reports by US troops in Afghanistan, complaining that the FRH's were useless at altitude and extreme cold weather. Without heat tabs, there really isn't much of a way for a soldier to brew up, unless he/she decides to hump around heavy Coleman petrol stoves.

On top of that, I also read a paper that quoted that the US is thinking of getting rid of the plastic 1 quart canteens in lieu of Camelbak hydration systems. I think this is yet another mistake, because if a troop has no canteen, then he has no canteen cup, which means he has even less to make a brew with. Camelbaks are great for carrying large amounts of water, but they are prone to breakage, and the tubes tend to freeze in cold weather. 1 quart canteens are easily to refill, and very difficult to put holes into.

Luckily, the US troops are supposed to getting a sort of "beverage bag heater", an FRH that can be used to heat up water. But, I still think that that is a poor substitute for a heat tab and a canteen cup. My local surplus store has quite literally hundreds of boxes of Trioxane tablets, there's three tablets per box, and they're $1 each. As far as I know, our Canadian troops still have Hexi tabs, but I don't honestly how much longer they will be around.

So yes, trioxane tabs are hazardous if you breathe in the fumes, but on plus side, they're easy to light, and put out enough to heat to boil a canteen cup of water. From a civilian point of view, I think that if a soldier has nothing to brew up with, it's a sad state of affairs. Napoleon once said "An army marches on it's stomach." and I think he's right!

Cheers,

Adam

PS: Most of this information can easily found on Google!

 

[Spacemonkey]

Isn't it a concern that the US military relies so heavily on high technology to get simple things done? Didn't they learn anything in Vietnam? Whatever happened to 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' ??

At the mo' its at freezing, and 13 below at night in Kabul, so they're gonna be in trouble without good heat sources for cooking!

 

[filcon]

I would take a coleman multifuel stove if the trip is over a week.Petrol would be cheap and abundent over there,and a small solid fuel stove like rapidboy,s.cheers fil ,good luck.

 

[Nemisis]

What about a wood burning camping stove? http://www.trailstove.com/ or see if you can find esbits version of the hexi stove its fuel isn't toxic like a hexi but you'd have the same problem taking it on the plane I suppose. I think the wood stove a better alternative as it will burn any twigs scrap wood etc so no need to carry any other fuel
Dave.

 

[oops56]

Kelly kettle its a two in one cook and boil do not always need wood put heat tabs in the fire box or anything that will burn plus a grate for cooking all you got to do get a 1 in. by 1/8 thick steel slot the middle make a cross makes a good grate put in kettle find a lid of some kind for the top to keep things in.