Super setup. I am green with envy (as regards to the weight). We all have slightly differing philosophies of use. There is much to learn from yours. Cheers from Montreal QC
Thank you so much. You are too kind. I think with time, experience and some experimenting most backpackers will find their ideal or favorite cooking style and kit. The journey is part of the fun and adventure of it all! Happy trails friend.
What a great video! I love seeing all the options you suggest. Thanks for including the combination weight info, that’s really helpful .... and the views in your on-trail footage are stunning!
Thanks Michelle! You are too kind! Did you like the part where I rambled stupidly for a while and then caught myself and even laughed but kept right on babbling! Lol. Yup.
Great video ! Thanks. I have a system for day hiking that uses the Evernew 400 companion cup and a titanium cone, I like making Miso soup on day hikes !
Great video. I'm a lover of canister stoves but recently have been wanting to explore esbit for solo trips. Currently thinking that I will get the ti-tri 400ml esbit setup as not only is it very light, but like you said, I can dial in my specific fuel needs to the trip. A canister cannot do that. My only hesitancy is if the 400 ml of water is enough to rehydrate a meal.
There are some really great ideas that I’m going to incorporate into my cook system. I use a “repack” right now to warm/hydrate my food but the shape is not very good for eating out of. I like the idea of using the warm sack in the system. They’ve been out of stock on the GG website but I”m going to pick one up when they come back.
I do really like the warm sack from GG. It's a very light (thin) insulation though so it needs the diy reflectix as well to really keep things HOT in the ziplock freezer bag. The combination really works. Even the last bite of food is still hot! And it's easy/pleasant to eat out of when the food is ready. More natural, like we are used to at home, than eating out of an envelope shape. A long handled spoon is still helpful though to keep the food off the fingers. What I also love about the warm sack (on top of the added insulation) is that it's a DCF stuff sack that keeps the whole kit together in a nice little package. Multi-use or multi-function gear is always top gear. Happy hiking my friend!
Hey Ben. Not any reasons that are beyond personal preference. And my reasons are petty if I'm being honest. I really like all the fuel types and stove types. And as far as all my timed boil comparisons vs weight of fuel etc... has proven to me that there is negligeable differences in the end between any of the choices. They all even out in the end. The disadvantage in my own mind with canister stoves is carrying the extra and unnecessary canister weight... even when they are empty. And the limited ability to make trip size adjustments. I like to be more precise. I think alcohol and Esbit appeal to me in their stove weights (cat can alcohol stove and gram cracker esbit namely) and the ability to take exactly what you need for each trip length. I don't need any fancy control over the heat generated except that they need to boil water eventually for my favorite meals on the trail. That's about it. So actually either method works just fine for me. I've used Heat and Fire Gel for my alcohol stoves and although Fire Gel is the safest method since it really cant "spill" if the stove is bumped or knocked over... I think Heat is more efficient. But thats a different discussion.. I suppose, now that I'm re-thinking it all to answer your question... I like esbit over alcohol because it doesn't leak, it's just as easy to calculate, it does what I need it to do, I can store it a bit easier than a bottle of alcohol/heat, and I just really like the Gram Cracker stove. Just a couple tiny bent pieces of titanium. Not very persuasive or deep reasons. So. In the end it comes down to a preference of what simple method I enjoy using on trail the most. And Esbit wins by a hair and a habit. Lol. Now... if I was prepping for a long thru-hike like the PCT or CDT, I would probably take an esbit alcohol combo stove or a gram cracker and cat can so I would have all the options for resupply in small towns with limitations. I think it's more likely to have consistent options for alcohol stoves in those cases. And for a long multi month adventure, even an ultralite canister stove could fit into the equation. Although, with my obsession with grams and ounces... I'd probably stick with the lightest way to use both alcohol and esbit along the journey. Sorry for rambling. Thank you for your question. It was a good one and it made me think about it. Happy trails my friend.
@@stephenswilderness687 I use plumbers cloth or fiberglass insulation in my diy or other stoves (Trangia, BRASSLITE, Sgt Rock ion stove, aluminum beer cap 16oz-qt size) that prevents the fire hazards of a burning spill It also lights faster & evenly but possibly it lowers the BTU? Test that one out if you could? If that helps you to try on your next hiking trip lmk Thanks !
Hey Stephen, i've been playing around with a 550 set from Zelph. He kindly sent me a used set he had laying around for testing. I'm struggling to get a good boil time out of it with my starlyte/modified starlyte compared to my Keg-F setup. What kind of a time are you generally getting with esbit and why do you pick it over alcohol?
Well, don't laugh, but... I did hundreds of "time" vs "fuel" vs "weight" tests years ago with every stove and fuel type (including fire gel and hand sanitizer)... but I can't remember a single number or figure from those days of testing different systems. I actually looked for my old video footage of some of the tests to include in my cook system video but could not find them. I looked for my extensive notes but couldn't find those either. And I was too lazy to do the comparison tests over again. That being said... My choice of esbit comes down to personal preference based on all the elements that go into cooking. They are small (very small) differences, but in the end... they add up over the decades to make it my choice. A lot of backpacking preferences are that way. I like solid cubes as a simple way to measure my fuel needs for a trip. Even though it's also simple to measure ounces of alcohol or float your cannister to see how much you have left. I just prefer counting cubes. I like that I don't need a bottle or a cannister (a minor preference but still part of the over all choice). I like that the Gram Cracker stove is almost nothing at all (even though it's not much lighter than my old "cat can" alcohol stove). I literally just boil water for all my cooking now, (and cook in freezer bags) and when I cook I'm in no rush, so I don't think about the boil time on trail. I can always get a boil with espit no matter the elevation or temps as long as I have a very good wind protecting system. I think that's always a key factor in alcohol and esbit cooking. Wind protection. Once I had a method for lighting esbit that I was used to and then found the gram cracker to go with my Zelph/Toaks pot and Zelph Ti windscreen pot support I felt that I had hit the sweet spot for how I liked to boil water. With all the other prep that goes into planning and packing for a trip, I found that counting esbit cubes for the days I cooked was a way to simplify that part of prep to almost no thinking at all. And lazy person that I am (and forgetful)... that has helped. I like alcohol stoves very much. I used them for years after giving up cannister stoves for backpacking. Esbit was an experiment on one trip and I struggled with lighting them and with wind and with their slow(ish) boil time. But I liked the concept enough to keep digging for a better way to use it. And I found it and have stayed with it for the past few years. Maybe for a long thru-hike a multi fuel stove that uses both could be a great choice. Or since the gram cracker weighs nothing just bring both stoves and use what you find in town. Heat or esbit. Best of both worlds. In the end... esbit just feels the simplest for me personally. Not better. Just simple and consistent. I hope that long winded explanation helps.
I believe he makes batches of them and they aren’t always available. Also they are a bit buried on the website. Try... www.woodgaz-stove.com/zelphs-toaks-ti-ultralight-550ml-with-handle-kit.php
No sir. I purchased both wind screens. But a handy person could create similar wind screens with very little money and time. A paper clip could hold the wind screen together and a hole punch could be used for creating the ventilation holes for airflow.
There was a time when men used to count pounds before hitting the trail now they count grams and pay so much money for these "pots" that are just cups for boiling water.
So true Ben! I did Mt. Whitney almost 30 years ago with a 50-60 lb pack load! Everything was heavier back then and that was with NO mandatory bear cannisters! Lol. I've aged badly since then, sadly. Plantar Fasciitis in my feet and a bad knee that locks up sometimes (from work). Decades as a Local 80 Grip carrying hundreds of pounds of equipment 12-16 hours a day gave me a herniated lower disc and degenerated discs all the way up my spine. I'm actually 1 1/2" shorter than I was when I hiked Whitney the first time. An MRI a few years ago showed arthritis through my lower back on top of all that. The only way I'm able to keep backpacking is to take the lightest load possible. That's one of the reasons I've tried to lighten my equipment over the years. I really hope I don't come off in my videos as a "weight shamer" or judgmental towards stronger hikers than myself who enjoy carrying a heavier load. I honestly don't care one tiny bit what peoples pack weight is as long as they are enjoying themselves in their own way in the great big beautiful outdoors. The mountains are calling to everyone. And they are worth the effort to get out there and see and discover. If you watch my South Lake/North Lake hike video I don't mention it but the morning after the big storm that lasted half the night my knee locked up painfully and I hiked the next two days without the use of my right knee. I couldn't step up or down with that leg the whole way out. Had to use my left leg to bend and let myself down every stair step of granite the next 40 miles. I am always that close to my last backpacking trip. My body is a trainwreck. Lol. But I'll keep heading out to the trail until I just can't do it any more. Then I'll just car camp! Happy trails and best wishes to you my fellow backpacker. Thank you for taking the time to watch one of my videos. The hiking ones are way better than the "gear videos". Which is why I don't really post any gear videos (except 2).
@@stephenswilderness687 Damn! Almost the exactly same issue with the back. No knee issue for now, knock on wood. But that's the same reason I go ultralight at 61. Same fear that every trip might be my last, though I keep on pushing the boulder up the hill for now. Will car camp when I have to. Going out to central PA this weekend and excited for it. Thanks for your posts. 250 subscribers. Should be more. Oh well, their loss. I'm one now. Will check out your locked knee vid. Happy trails!
@@kelwenator You are too kind. And I'm sorry you have similar physical issues. It's almost the only thing I dislike about getting older. But on the up-side... I'm glad to hear you aren't letting that hold you back! Pennsylvania is a beautiful state. I camped in the Welsh Mountains (barely hills actually. lol) with some local Lancaster County friends a few decades ago. Also was asked to drive a group of Amish north for game night into the Allegheny Mountains. Snow and black ice and a fun all-nighter with board game loving young people. I was the first one to fall asleep. Have a great time in PA Kevin. Thanks for watching my videos.
Keep pouring boiling water into a ziplock plastic bag and eating the content, and you will eventually have ingested enough estrogenic PBA, to really enjoy cleaning your pots
@atleandersen1924... thank you for the health information/warning! I appreciate comments like yours that inform "less plastic educated people" (like me) on an important plastic health issue. And I think you have a dark wit that generations of my family members would have enjoyed if they were still alive to read it. Unfortunately aluminum poisoning, asbestos, radiation, fast food, led paint, pesticides, war, and the air that they were breathing killed them all before the BPA rang their death knell. But... I will look into BPA issues with the Freezer Bag versions of Zip Locs to verify what you are warning me of! All dark humor aside, I do take you seriously. And I will change my trail habits if it is a real health risk. Thank you for commenting. Once again... I like how you expressed yourself, your sarcasm. It runs in my family too. And it grabbed my attention and made me chuckle.
@@stephenswilderness687 :-) Forgive me, I'm Scandinavian - and a old fart! The pitch black humor is baked into me. Really enjoy your content. Thanks a million.
@@atleandersen1924 No no no "sorry"! We are from the same DNA. I'm mostly Swedish in my heritage... even if I'm also a European mutt mixed in. One of my best friends is Swedish royalty, born and raised in Stockholm. No need for apology! I enjoyed your black humor and I understood it. That's why I fired back with some family death humor! I'm also an old fart! Class of 84. Joy Division. Bauhaus. New Order. Simple Minds. Siouxsie. And all the old classic rock and proto-punk. We'd get along just fine on the trail my friend. take care and happy trails!
Great Video! Thanks for uploading. Can't wait to see more videos 😊
Thank you so much!
Super setup. I am green with envy (as regards to the weight). We all have slightly differing philosophies of use. There is much to learn from yours. Cheers from Montreal QC
Thank you so much. You are too kind. I think with time, experience and some experimenting most backpackers will find their ideal or favorite cooking style and kit. The journey is part of the fun and adventure of it all! Happy trails friend.
What a great video! I love seeing all the options you suggest. Thanks for including the combination weight info, that’s really helpful .... and the views in your on-trail footage are stunning!
Thanks Michelle! You are too kind! Did you like the part where I rambled stupidly for a while and then caught myself and even laughed but kept right on babbling! Lol. Yup.
Great video ! Thanks. I have a system for day hiking that uses the Evernew 400 companion cup and a titanium cone, I like making Miso soup on day hikes !
Awesome! Thanks for watching!
Very cool. Tx for sharing.
Thank you for watching. I’m glad you liked it!
Great video. I'm a lover of canister stoves but recently have been wanting to explore esbit for solo trips. Currently thinking that I will get the ti-tri 400ml esbit setup as not only is it very light, but like you said, I can dial in my specific fuel needs to the trip. A canister cannot do that.
My only hesitancy is if the 400 ml of water is enough to rehydrate a meal.
I never did try taking my 400ml out on the trail. I've stuck with the custom 550 Toaks. I think 550 is very reasonable.
There are some really great ideas that I’m going to incorporate into my cook system. I use a “repack” right now to warm/hydrate my food but the shape is not very good for eating out of. I like the idea of using the warm sack in the system. They’ve been out of stock on the GG website but I”m going to pick one up when they come back.
I do really like the warm sack from GG. It's a very light (thin) insulation though so it needs the diy reflectix as well to really keep things HOT in the ziplock freezer bag. The combination really works. Even the last bite of food is still hot! And it's easy/pleasant to eat out of when the food is ready. More natural, like we are used to at home, than eating out of an envelope shape. A long handled spoon is still helpful though to keep the food off the fingers.
What I also love about the warm sack (on top of the added insulation) is that it's a DCF stuff sack that keeps the whole kit together in a nice little package. Multi-use or multi-function gear is always top gear. Happy hiking my friend!
Is there a reason you prefer the Esbit over and alcohol stove?
Hey Ben. Not any reasons that are beyond personal preference. And my reasons are petty if I'm being honest. I really like all the fuel types and stove types. And as far as all my timed boil comparisons vs weight of fuel etc... has proven to me that there is negligeable differences in the end between any of the choices. They all even out in the end. The disadvantage in my own mind with canister stoves is carrying the extra and unnecessary canister weight... even when they are empty. And the limited ability to make trip size adjustments. I like to be more precise.
I think alcohol and Esbit appeal to me in their stove weights (cat can alcohol stove and gram cracker esbit namely) and the ability to take exactly what you need for each trip length. I don't need any fancy control over the heat generated except that they need to boil water eventually for my favorite meals on the trail. That's about it. So actually either method works just fine for me. I've used Heat and Fire Gel for my alcohol stoves and although Fire Gel is the safest method since it really cant "spill" if the stove is bumped or knocked over... I think Heat is more efficient. But thats a different discussion..
I suppose, now that I'm re-thinking it all to answer your question... I like esbit over alcohol because it doesn't leak, it's just as easy to calculate, it does what I need it to do, I can store it a bit easier than a bottle of alcohol/heat, and I just really like the Gram Cracker stove. Just a couple tiny bent pieces of titanium. Not very persuasive or deep reasons. So. In the end it comes down to a preference of what simple method I enjoy using on trail the most. And Esbit wins by a hair and a habit. Lol.
Now... if I was prepping for a long thru-hike like the PCT or CDT, I would probably take an esbit alcohol combo stove or a gram cracker and cat can so I would have all the options for resupply in small towns with limitations. I think it's more likely to have consistent options for alcohol stoves in those cases. And for a long multi month adventure, even an ultralite canister stove could fit into the equation. Although, with my obsession with grams and ounces... I'd probably stick with the lightest way to use both alcohol and esbit along the journey.
Sorry for rambling. Thank you for your question. It was a good one and it made me think about it.
Happy trails my friend.
@@stephenswilderness687
I use plumbers cloth or fiberglass insulation in my diy or other stoves (Trangia, BRASSLITE, Sgt Rock ion stove, aluminum beer cap 16oz-qt size) that prevents the fire hazards of a burning spill
It also lights faster & evenly but possibly it lowers the BTU?
Test that one out if you could?
If that helps you to try on your next hiking trip lmk
Thanks !
Hey Stephen, i've been playing around with a 550 set from Zelph. He kindly sent me a used set he had laying around for testing. I'm struggling to get a good boil time out of it with my starlyte/modified starlyte compared to my Keg-F setup. What kind of a time are you generally getting with esbit and why do you pick it over alcohol?
Well, don't laugh, but... I did hundreds of "time" vs "fuel" vs "weight" tests years ago with every stove and fuel type (including fire gel and hand sanitizer)... but I can't remember a single number or figure from those days of testing different systems. I actually looked for my old video footage of some of the tests to include in my cook system video but could not find them. I looked for my extensive notes but couldn't find those either. And I was too lazy to do the comparison tests over again. That being said...
My choice of esbit comes down to personal preference based on all the elements that go into cooking. They are small (very small) differences, but in the end... they add up over the decades to make it my choice. A lot of backpacking preferences are that way.
I like solid cubes as a simple way to measure my fuel needs for a trip. Even though it's also simple to measure ounces of alcohol or float your cannister to see how much you have left. I just prefer counting cubes. I like that I don't need a bottle or a cannister (a minor preference but still part of the over all choice). I like that the Gram Cracker stove is almost nothing at all (even though it's not much lighter than my old "cat can" alcohol stove). I literally just boil water for all my cooking now, (and cook in freezer bags) and when I cook I'm in no rush, so I don't think about the boil time on trail. I can always get a boil with espit no matter the elevation or temps as long as I have a very good wind protecting system. I think that's always a key factor in alcohol and esbit cooking. Wind protection. Once I had a method for lighting esbit that I was used to and then found the gram cracker to go with my Zelph/Toaks pot and Zelph Ti windscreen pot support I felt that I had hit the sweet spot for how I liked to boil water. With all the other prep that goes into planning and packing for a trip, I found that counting esbit cubes for the days I cooked was a way to simplify that part of prep to almost no thinking at all. And lazy person that I am (and forgetful)... that has helped.
I like alcohol stoves very much. I used them for years after giving up cannister stoves for backpacking. Esbit was an experiment on one trip and I struggled with lighting them and with wind and with their slow(ish) boil time. But I liked the concept enough to keep digging for a better way to use it. And I found it and have stayed with it for the past few years. Maybe for a long thru-hike a multi fuel stove that uses both could be a great choice. Or since the gram cracker weighs nothing just bring both stoves and use what you find in town. Heat or esbit. Best of both worlds. In the end... esbit just feels the simplest for me personally. Not better. Just simple and consistent.
I hope that long winded explanation helps.
@@stephenswilderness687 I like thorough explanations. Thanks!
Is Zelph not selling those modified pots anymore?
I believe he makes batches of them and they aren’t always available. Also they are a bit buried on the website. Try...
www.woodgaz-stove.com/zelphs-toaks-ti-ultralight-550ml-with-handle-kit.php
If you’re using a phone try...
www.woodgaz-stove.com/zelphs-toaks-ti-ultralight-550ml-with-handle-kit.php?disable_mobile=true
@@stephenswilderness687 Thanks
@@MrRourk I hope it helped.
His site is down today. Anyone know what's up with that?
what tarp/tent is that at 7:15 ?
YAMA Mountain Gear 1P Cirriform Tarp - Dyneema (2020 Updated Version)
I have a first impressions video review of this tarp in my video list if you want to see more about it.
That's wind s green is your creation.
No sir. I purchased both wind screens. But a handy person could create similar wind screens with very little money and time. A paper clip could hold the wind screen together and a hole punch could be used for creating the ventilation holes for airflow.
There was a time when men used to count pounds before hitting the trail now they count grams and pay so much money for these "pots" that are just cups for boiling water.
So true Ben! I did Mt. Whitney almost 30 years ago with a 50-60 lb pack load! Everything was heavier back then and that was with NO mandatory bear cannisters! Lol.
I've aged badly since then, sadly. Plantar Fasciitis in my feet and a bad knee that locks up sometimes (from work). Decades as a Local 80 Grip carrying hundreds of pounds of equipment 12-16 hours a day gave me a herniated lower disc and degenerated discs all the way up my spine. I'm actually 1 1/2" shorter than I was when I hiked Whitney the first time. An MRI a few years ago showed arthritis through my lower back on top of all that. The only way I'm able to keep backpacking is to take the lightest load possible. That's one of the reasons I've tried to lighten my equipment over the years.
I really hope I don't come off in my videos as a "weight shamer" or judgmental towards stronger hikers than myself who enjoy carrying a heavier load. I honestly don't care one tiny bit what peoples pack weight is as long as they are enjoying themselves in their own way in the great big beautiful outdoors. The mountains are calling to everyone. And they are worth the effort to get out there and see and discover. If you watch my South Lake/North Lake hike video I don't mention it but the morning after the big storm that lasted half the night my knee locked up painfully and I hiked the next two days without the use of my right knee. I couldn't step up or down with that leg the whole way out. Had to use my left leg to bend and let myself down every stair step of granite the next 40 miles. I am always that close to my last backpacking trip. My body is a trainwreck. Lol. But I'll keep heading out to the trail until I just can't do it any more. Then I'll just car camp!
Happy trails and best wishes to you my fellow backpacker. Thank you for taking the time to watch one of my videos. The hiking ones are way better than the "gear videos". Which is why I don't really post any gear videos (except 2).
@@stephenswilderness687 Damn! Almost the exactly same issue with the back. No knee issue for now, knock on wood. But that's the same reason I go ultralight at 61. Same fear that every trip might be my last, though I keep on pushing the boulder up the hill for now. Will car camp when I have to. Going out to central PA this weekend and excited for it. Thanks for your posts. 250 subscribers. Should be more. Oh well, their loss. I'm one now. Will check out your locked knee vid. Happy trails!
@@kelwenator You are too kind. And I'm sorry you have similar physical issues. It's almost the only thing I dislike about getting older. But on the up-side... I'm glad to hear you aren't letting that hold you back! Pennsylvania is a beautiful state. I camped in the Welsh Mountains (barely hills actually. lol) with some local Lancaster County friends a few decades ago. Also was asked to drive a group of Amish north for game night into the Allegheny Mountains. Snow and black ice and a fun all-nighter with board game loving young people. I was the first one to fall asleep. Have a great time in PA Kevin. Thanks for watching my videos.
Good info, but you sound depressed
Thank you. But I'm not depressed at all in the video. I'm just not that comfortable in front of the camera, so perhaps you're feeling that from me.
Keep pouring boiling water into a ziplock plastic bag and eating the content, and you will eventually have ingested enough estrogenic PBA, to really enjoy cleaning your pots
@atleandersen1924... thank you for the health information/warning! I appreciate comments like yours that inform "less plastic educated people" (like me) on an important plastic health issue. And I think you have a dark wit that generations of my family members would have enjoyed if they were still alive to read it. Unfortunately aluminum poisoning, asbestos, radiation, fast food, led paint, pesticides, war, and the air that they were breathing killed them all before the BPA rang their death knell. But... I will look into BPA issues with the Freezer Bag versions of Zip Locs to verify what you are warning me of!
All dark humor aside, I do take you seriously. And I will change my trail habits if it is a real health risk. Thank you for commenting. Once again... I like how you expressed yourself, your sarcasm. It runs in my family too. And it grabbed my attention and made me chuckle.
@@stephenswilderness687 :-) Forgive me, I'm Scandinavian - and a old fart! The pitch black humor is baked into me. Really enjoy your content. Thanks a million.
@@atleandersen1924 No no no "sorry"! We are from the same DNA. I'm mostly Swedish in my heritage... even if I'm also a European mutt mixed in. One of my best friends is Swedish royalty, born and raised in Stockholm. No need for apology! I enjoyed your black humor and I understood it. That's why I fired back with some family death humor! I'm also an old fart! Class of 84. Joy Division. Bauhaus. New Order. Simple Minds. Siouxsie. And all the old classic rock and proto-punk. We'd get along just fine on the trail my friend. take care and happy trails!
@@stephenswilderness687 It was an apology with a wink and a smile. Absolutely no offense taken 🙂