REVIEW: Outdoorkocher 2 - Solid fuel stove

Typical and widely spread example of this is the folding cooker of the Bundeswehr. In this type of cooker, a solid fuel in tablet form is burned: Esbit. A major advantage is its easy handling - light it up, off you go - and its compact size. Folded up and with the fuel tablets inserted, the cooker is usually no bigger than a cigarette box. In addition, the fuel is quite safe (as long as it remains dry).

Even though it is possible to be on the road for 2-3 weeks with just such a cooker, this does not hide the serious disadvantages. Firstly, Esbit offers a poor heating value compared to its weight, so for longer trips you have to lug around a lot of fuel tablets, which adds up. Furthermore, the cooker is more suited for heating up, anyone who has tried to bring 0.5l of water in a metal cup to a boil with it will curse the device!

The heat supply can only be regulated with ON or OFF and you should let the fuel tablets burn completely. Even though the Esbit is usually well packaged, once it has become damp, you should refrain from using it, as wet Esbit tends to explode (experienced firsthand in a Swedish day hut, a fellow guest gave us all a good scare and produced burn holes in the sleeping bags).

For heating up canned/ready meals an alternative for the minimalist; as a full-fledged cooker replacement, unfortunately hardly usable, as the fuel is too heavy for larger quantities. The heat output is very low, but the cooker fits in any trouser pocket. With 2-40€ and 1€ per 10 Esbit tablets for occasional use very cheap and safe to handle. When on tours abroad, it should be noted that the tablets are not available everywhere. HERE you can go directly to Esbit. They also have a larger selection of different cookers.

Barthel

HERE is the link to the first part of the article: about Hobos.

To be continued