WanderLearn Forum with Francis Tapon

I didn't take a stove on the PCT, but I could still cook! Here's how:

1. Push 3-4 tarp stakes into the dirt so that you can rest your pot on top of the stakes.

2. Slide a small piece of aluminum foil in the center of your stakes so it will be centered under your pot. (You can put a bigger piece and make a built-in wind screen).

3. Place an Esbit tablet on the foil.

4. Light it.

5. Place the pot on top of stake platform.

6. Enjoy!

The advantage of this method is that you don't carry a stove-you just carry fuel (i.e., the Esbit tablets).

Another advantage is that you can choose a safe location so that you don't accidentally start a forest fire. Unlike alcohol stoves, Esbits burn in a very controlled fashion.

One safe place to do this is in an established fire ring. The advantage of that is that you can throw small twigs to supplement the Esbit fire. :idea:

Happy Stoveless Cooking!

Your idea of stoveless cooking sounds great, but after my experience esbit is not very effective in cooking, so maybe it is o.k. to cook up freeze dried meals with it, but I can't imagine to cook a pot of spaghetti with it.
I think to use a Hobo stove, which can also be very light is far better. You have the same advantage not to need to carry fuel, and you can really cook with it. When it is wet sometimes it is nice to have esbit as a starter for it, but in coniferous forests there is usually enough dry fuel even when it is raining.
Like with all stoves one needs to be very careful not to start a forest fire!

Greetings Gerald

Gerald,
You're right, the Hobo stove is an excellent light weight solution. On the CDT I hiked for four days with an experienced thru-hiker named Lint and he used a Hobo/Wood stove. It worked well for him too.

I agree that a Esbits are painfully slow at boiling spagetti, although I did it all the time on the PCT and AT. It would take two tablets to boil enough water for two people to eat. That's over 15 minutes of cooking. On the other hand, I was not in a rush on the PCT or AT, so I didn't mind waiting.

If you're a ultralight nut, then Esbits are a lighter solution than a Hobo stove. However, if you like flexibility and a faster boil, then Hobo is a great solution.