Esbit Vs Cohglan Fuel tabs

[@ScottWiecenski]

The advantage of denatured alcohol stoves is that they don't leave soot on your cookware. That said, I use both alcohol stoves and Esbit stoves. I first became familiar with Esbit stoves back in the U.S. Army infantry back in the 80's. MRE's didn't come with flameless ration heaters back then, so your choice was either eat them cold or buy a backpacking stove of some sort. The Esbit stove was the most popular back then, and most of the guys I served with privately purchased their own. Typically it would reside in an ammo pouch with the tablets as well. Butt pack contained coffee and ramen noodles. The canteen cup was always used for coffee and cooking. I guess the Army took notice, because they began to issue the canteen cup stove around 1991. The flameless ration heater came soon after in around 1992, and the canteen cup stove became obsolete.

[@granitejeepc3651]

who cares about soot on your cookware---your in the woods---stuff gets dirty

[@jbbennett2816]

Great vid, Tom. I used to bug my fellow backpackers who took costly stoves into the bush. Some of these stoves weren't cheap and they made a whole lot more noise. My backpack was just as heavy as theirs, but I used a lot more comfort items and slept like a baby on the trail. I have used both types of solid fuel tabs and some homemade ones' too. Buy my favorite solid fuel tab was Coghlans brand. I too, carry them in medicine bottles wrapped in heavy grade foil(from yogurt containers). The foil keeps out the humidity(popping) and directs the flame. I have also designed a cheap lightweight stove made from a salmon can and a small inverted dollar store sink drain cover. 4 screws hold my Stanley pot and the can acts as a windshield. This set up gets 1 fuel tab boiling 8 oz's of water in under 4 minutes. About 2/3rds of the tab is used which I blow out and use the remains as a fire starter. 2 tabs will easily boil 16 oz, but I usually stick with 8oz boiled on my treks. The costs for my tabs is under $3 for about 24 ct. This makes cooking and or boiling costs very low $'s and very lightweight in the pack. Loved the vid. ATb, Jb.

[@TomsBackwoods]

Thanks for the comment! I would love to see your set up. It sounds like a great DIY Cook kit! Thanks for watching!

[@rld1278]

A full 24 pack of the coghlan's fuel tabs will fit in two large and one small mini m&m containers you find at the check out counters. Protects them from moisture, crushing, and the smell.

[@robertw4230]

Yes , I've been doing that for a couple years, they hold 9 tablets and I add a cotton ball to keep them from rattling.

[@IntenseAngler]

Can never get enough of watchin' water boil ;) Seriously though... thanks for taking the time to do this comp vid. It's amazing how much weight savings are to be had with these tabs! ATB my brother!

[@TomsBackwoods]

Lol! Thanks for taking the time to watch brother!! I'm really surprised on how well they work and with some weight saving to! ATB my friend take care!

[@jasonwolf7767]

I realize This is three years old, but thank you. I have used Esbit before, I have never used the 4 gram or the Walmart stuff. This video has explained the difference in a clear and concise way. Thank You.

[@TomsBackwoods]

Thanks so much!

[@bartwalker474]

I just saw your video. I liked it. Thanks. If you rub disk soap on the bottom of your pots and let it dry, even for a minute or two, you won't have any trouble removing the crusty burned on residue from the fuel tablets. It works great you should try it.

[@Kalishfreak]

Good video. I love Coughlans. I pick them up dirt cheap on ebay. I just picked up 288 tablets/12 boxes of 24 for $30. That's $2.50 a box! Just an observation, but It seems like you'd get a fairer comparison by using the same pot for all the fuels. As a sidenote, I always see guys using these small-based, tall containers and expecting a speedy boil. If you want a quick boil, use a wider, shorter pot. My MSR Alpine 1.6L stowable stainless pot does a super fast job and I can even stuff it full of gear when it's stored in my pack.

[@TomsBackwoods]

Yes your right. I was really just comparing the fuel tabs rather than boil times. Watching water boil was just a bonus. Thanks for the comment & Thanks for watching!

[@MikeWood]

Good tip on the Coghlans tabs and the spitting. I found a Coghlan's folding stove and 24 tabs for $4.00 (Canadian) in a retail store last weekend. The Esbit (which I also have) was 3x as much with only 12 tabs. Tough to say no to a purchase like that. Nice comparison between the types and sizes. Much appreciated.

[@TomsBackwoods]

Thanks for watching!

[@MoldAdvice1]

This was one awesome video..I was looking for this test but figured no one would do one..Well done and thanks for posting it..

[@TomsBackwoods]

thanks for watching!

[@fromtheflightdeck252]

Yep..good burn

[@backpackingonline]

a chafing fual soak will clean up the bottem of the cooking pot. I put chafing fuel on a paper towel on a surface not used for food, and place the cooking pot on that. If up the sides, wrap the sudes with that paler towel.

[@jamesaritchie1]

Things have changed since this video was made. Cohglan's are still about the same price, but Esbit fuel table have almost doubled in cost. Now there is no option but Cohglan's, as far as I'm concerned. Cleaning the bottom of your pots can cause you to use up to twice as much fuel. Leave them dirty. By buying in bulk, I can now get five Cohglan's for the price of one Esbit tablet, so it's an easy choice for me. I do keep a box of Esbit tablets on hand because sometimes I cook something that finishes perfectly with one Esbit and one Cohglan's. But ninety-nine percent of the time, I prefer Cohglan's because of the price. Anyway, alcohol stoves such as the Esbit/Trangia should not really be used the same way fuel tablets are used. They're really made for different types of cooking, and very different situation. Esbit and Cohglan's are really made for survival situations, or for times when carry an alcohol stove doesn't make sense. When you get so concerned about weight that you start counting ounces or gram, you're on the very of putting your life in danger, if you go into any place where getting lost, or getting injured and not being found, is a possibility. I worked with search and rescue for a time, and outside of falls, it was almost always a safe bet that the person we couldn't find didn't carry enough gear, and skimped on the items he did carry. There is such a thing as carrying too much gear, and many beginners do just this. But carrying too little gear, or gear that won't stand up to a survival situation, is far more dangerous than carrying too much gear. But another use for Esbit or Cohglan's fuel tabs that many don't seem to know is as a firestarter. Wrap one of the tabs in a cotton balls that has petroleum jelly on it, and you can start a fire, even with bad wood and in bad weather. Fifteen minutes of thirteen hundred degree heat will get just about anything burning. Anyway, the somewhat bigger stoves are usually a lot more efficient. Whether Esbit, Cohglan's, and alcohol stove, etc., they need room to burn at their best. It's a bit pricey, but the Esbit stove that uses both Esbit, or Cohglan's, fuel tabs, and will use an alcohol stove, whether an Esbit or a Trangia, is a great thing to carry.

[@camojoe83]

Dirty vs clean pots has been tested and tested. A pot with any sort of insulating layer (black soot or black paint) boils slower than a clean one. Learn physics.

[@1558k]

For best results on the Esbit large tablet and Cogllan tablets is to place them on their sides. It does not get as hot as fast laying flat, but they last longer. This is good for foods taking up to 15 min to get done. Since Cohglan is about 9 min burn time. Using two of them will give you a longer burn that just one Esbit. Total packaging gives the same amount of meal preparation. I prefer Coghlan's for that reason. For best results, place the second Coghlan's tablets 5-6 min burning of the first--both on their sides. The 20 tablet Esbit pack I use as fire starter for wood burning fires.

[@HectorPlasmic]

Yep, I use Coghlan's in the pill bottle (idea from Hiram). One will start most any fire, two will boil ~20 ounces of water with a windscreen, enough for meal and drink most times. Work great. So do 14g Esbit tabs but more expensive as you note. Windscreens are a must. BTW, you can scrunch up a tea light tin to fit the pan of that stove and use alcohol as well.

[@TomsBackwoods]

Great Idea! I haven't seen Hiram's video yet but He has alot of great ideas. Thanks for watching.

[@Shanecoffeyoutdoors]

I use the larger Esbit stove it helps me hold my Esbit fuel and a Bic lighter all in one unit, it's served me well. I do like the stove you were using though. Nice and light weight no fuss. I personally only use the Coghlan fuel tabs as an emergency to help my hobo stove/heater on wet cold mornings only because they pop a lot and I don't really care for that. Thanks for sharing this video I liked it.

[@PitFireOutdoors]

Great idea doing a side by side comparison! I've always wondered the difference. I do prefer the larger esbit for the pre packaging vs the cohglans. Seems to keep longer in the factory package too!

[@TomsBackwoods]

Ya the cohglans seems to start sweating as they get older. Thanks for watching!

[@robaldridge6505]

coghlins tabs fit in a U.S. quarter tube perfectly,I stand 1 of them on edge and light it, when it gets to about 1/2 gone, I put another in my stove standing on edge with the round edge against the flat side of the 1st one, it will boil the heck out of a canteen cup of water..

[@robaldridge6505]

always cover your cook pot with aluminum foil to simplify cleanup

[@MrPoppabear255]

Excellent video I tend to use alcohol or a small wood burning stove. After watching this I believe that I am going to give fuel tabs a try. Thanks!

[@TomsBackwoods]

Right on! Thanks for watching!

[@DonMilligan]

Great Comparison Tom. Have never used Cohglan tabs before and with all the spitting during the burn they would definitely be a second choice. I have been using Esbit exclusively and I have noticed that if you wipe the bottom of the pot while it is still very warm with a damp wipe the residue will come off completely and very easy.

[@TomsBackwoods]

Great thanks for the info! I have heard that spreading a small bit of bio soap on the bottom before the burn helps to. I have not tried it yet but I will. Thanks for watching!

[@dseednorwayn47]

thanks for testing out and comparing mate, always cool to see Vs. videos of gear and stuff :)

[@TomsBackwoods]

Thank you and thanks for watching!

[@abdullaex4119]

Check out the Weber Lighter Cubes. Lowes, #7417, 24 in a box @ $4.00. Used them for years and never failed. Good price and the soot as well... Thanks

[@TomsBackwoods]

Thanks I will!

[@josephrenow8495]

Great demonstration...I agree about not hesitating on the Cohglan's...thanks!

[@normlor8109]

had you put those tabs from Esbit on their sides I think this would increase the heat and reduce the boiling time as one fellow did

[@andrewtimms4299]

'Astonish' cleans up pots pretty good.

[@TomsBackwoods]

not to bad! Thanks for watching!

[@jeffcorbin9967]

Really great video and enjoyed your test review. I just prefer Coghlans over Esbit and its due to the cost. I also buy a lot of Coghlan and use them when I hike the AT. After I set my camp up for the night and get my water I start my dinner which means boil some water. There is no cooking on the AT if you are doing a long distance hike, I also enjoy that down time too.

[@TomsBackwoods]

Thanks so much!

[@michaelstann3390]

What kind of little mini foldings stove is that? I need one

[@timothyheath6396]

The Esbit tabs that I’ve used do leave a black mark on the pot, but I’ve never seen them leave a residue. I wonder if that’s from the other brand.

[@levidoug]

Great video. I always wondered if there was much difference. I used the 14g esbits last summer on a couple of sections of the PCT.I noticed that cleaning the residue off when its a bit was easier though.Did you notice any smell to the Cohglans? What about smell on the 4g esbits?I felt the tabs take up a bit less space. Also kept mine in a zip lock bag.

[@TomsBackwoods]

There was a small odor but nothing to objectionable from both of the tabs. I will definitely start to clean the pot when its warmer. Thanks for watching!

[@BushmanofYukon]

Hey brother, all pots are measured to the top lip :) That's what's so silly...haha! Great show man! I have yet to use my ezbit tabs for the ezbit triangle thingy for the trangia but I have used the Cohglan ones years ago. They seemed to do the job. Until next time :)

[@TomsBackwoods]

Ya not to bad eh...Later gater!

[@keithlancaster2228]

Good Video, All in all per Gram, they're about the same overall. I generally keep the small esbit's in my bushcraft bag, incase I can't start a fire in Wet Conditions.

[@TomsBackwoods]

There a great back up! Thanks for watching!

[@Expeditionmarc]

Cool demonstration Tom. I Never tried them i tend to use my snow peak 900 and fill here up for food and coffee in one shot. I wonder if there efficient for larger volumes.What is your experience with that? Thanks for sharing!!

[@TomsBackwoods]

Hey Marc Just for you I broke out my SP900 and filled it to within a half inch of the top above the 25oz mark on the pot. I used the 14g tab and as that one burned out I added a 4g tab. I had a rolling boil at 18:30 min and a total burn of 22:16min I also used a wind screen in the house to keep as much of the heat next to pot as possible. That's a lot of water for a meal plus coffee!! LOL I hope you try it out! Later bro!

[@Expeditionmarc]

TomsBackwoods Wow Tom thats great i didnt expect that!! Thanks!!!I Guess it depends what you eat a Mountain House Beef strog takes 400 ml of water and my cup takes That as well. 800 ML .I dont do small cups in winter that's when i do most my camping lots of hot water warms u up.lol Thanks again!!

[@marcclarke01]

A digital thermometer with its probe in the pot, not touching the bottom, would be a wonderful addition to this video .

[@TomsBackwoods]

sure would!

[@RViscara]

use the esprit 14 for my cooking or boiling water but beak em in half and that is perfect to almost boil 2 cups of water for most drink and rehydrate jobs. I just like the esbits better the reason the coligan brand pops is because they are the hexi tabs like they is in military kits. the esbit are a different formula and that's uh they tend to have that odd fishy smell. suggestion or the dirty pot bottoms out a bit if camp soap on bottom of cup prior to using it as it will cost the bottom and make I easy to clean intenseangler did a vid on that a while back but it's a old campers trick going way way back. thanks for the video info!

[@TomsBackwoods]

Ya its a very old camp trick that we used when cooking on a camp fire when I was a kid. Thanks for watching!

[@RViscara]

Sorry for the incorrect wording on the comment above "Silly auto correct on iphone" LoL.. Quick question what do you use for a windscreen on these esbit stands? as I am sure myself and other will want to know.

[@TwistedIntentions79]

Wonder how we can make those

[@Naturliebe]

Hi Tom, great video and good comparison. Amazing what you can save on weight. Thanks for the very informative test. All the best my friend. Greetings Tito

[@TomsBackwoods]

Thanks for watching Tito! Cheers!

[@annmaes7550]

I wish you would have done this outside where you will have wind issues

[@garygoldsmith9844]

Great review, and I too am a great fan of boiling water…..gary

[@TomsBackwoods]

LOl! Thanks Gary!

[@camojoe83]

Pots are labled according to the volume they take up, not what they hold.

[@drahunter213]

5:50 I see a phenomenon What’s that called? The fire isn’t touching the metal..theres a millimeter or 2 gap formed there...

[@tiberiu_nicolae]

The incandescent gases are cooling through conduction when approaching the pot and they dont emit light as they get cooler.

[@nwlady1844]

Roughly, how far below the pot should the tablets be placed? thank you

[@TomsBackwoods]

2 inches is the norm.

[@KosukiFire]

Check out weber lighter cubes

[@mertkoral]

Thank you for this post but can ı use this for charcoal bbq as well? Does it help me burn the coals faster and effectively? Thanks.

[@TomsBackwoods]

Possibly. But I think there are better alternatives for charcoal than this .Thanks for watching!

[@michaelkilinski2809]

Thank you for the review

[@TomsBackwoods]

My pleasure!

[@SpiffyguyAdventures]

Good vid, thanks for posting it. I am looking at Esbit as a replacement to alcohol. Surprised the Cohglan spit so bad. I would probably just stick with the Esbit brand. Seems to burn down to nothing too. Thanks again.

[@TomsBackwoods]

Thank you and thanks for watching!

[@Woodenarrows]

Good test and example but... I've never been excited about fuel tabs :-) Guess I'm still an alcohol fan at heart...

[@TomsBackwoods]

Its all good Jim! As long as your having fun it doesn't matter how you get some grub! Thanks for watching!

[@MiamiValleyGearGuys]

great vid. i've used the esbit but never the cohglan. hike on .

[@TomsBackwoods]

It might be worth experimenting with. A person just need to be a little more careful with it. Thanks for watching!

[@visamedic]

Nice video. Just goes to show you can find anything on youtube. I don't like the fact they are not wrapped individually either. But for the price I'll just pack to each in mylar and keep them with the stove in a zipper bags.

[@TomsBackwoods]

Thanks for watching!

[@fromtheflightdeck252]

Good burn

[@TomsBackwoods]

Thanks for watching!

[@geraldhenrickson7472]

This was a nice test. Thanks.

[@honeyclover80]

You sound like George Clooney...

[@annmaes7550]

I still stick with the Esbit 14g - I don’t like the ‘spitting’ sparks with the Cohglan’s

[@hydraman5]

fuel tabs were never meant to boil water. They were designed to warm up ration packs for soldiers

[@TomsBackwoods]

ok....Thanks for watching!

[@camojoe83]

You know whats funny, mr knowitall? The best way to warm any ration (pouch, can, or peel top foil can) is to put it in boiling water.

[@talkinglens1]

Spitting of fuel wasteful, inefficient and possibly dangerous! Leaves that out.