The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Down Range Cafe => Topic started by: Big Frank on March 03, 2024, 12:01:27 AM
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I have a camping stove that's just a burner that screws onto the top of a propane bottle, with a plastic base ring to help the bottle stand up. But I don't use it when I go camping. I have 2 stoves that are a little bigger than the Esbit brand large pocket stove, but thinner. Mine are 6"x4.5"x1", instead of 5.2"x3.8"x1.4". When I started running low on G.I. Trioxane fuel tabs, I bought 7 dozen Hexamine tabs from Survival Frog. These are round, unlike Esbit tabs. Speaking of which, Esbit tabs used to be advertised as being non-toxic. They're probably less toxic than trioxane, but I don't think I should have licked one back when I was in Germany. The site says:
Avoid breathing dust.
Wearing safety gloves.
IF CONTACT WITH SKIN: wash with plenty of water and soap.
If skin irritation or rash occurs: Get medical advice / attention.
IIRC I had a small Esbit brand pocket stove back then, but it never made it home to me. Maybe I didn't have one, but my roommate Wild Dog, who lives about 45 miles north of me in Bay city, had one for sure. I think I posted about my stoves before. I made the big grill from the side of a ceramic space heater. The smaller grid is made from thick sheet metal from the chassis of a VCR or something like that. It fits inside the stove, along with some fuel tabs.
https://esbit.de/en/product/pocket-stove-large-including-12x14g-solid-fuel-tablets-002-890-00/
https://www.survivalfrog.com/products/portable-stove-hexamine-fuel-tablets
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I keep a snuff can I use as a match box in the foot square cardboard box I keep the stoves in. I bought an Exotac MATCHCAP XL Refill Kit that has an O-ring, 5 Safety Match Strikers and 2 Strike-Anywhere Strikers and put all 5 of the Safety Match Strikers on and in the snuff can. There's 1 on the side, 2 on the bottom, and 2 on the inside of the lid. I also have the strikers from a box of UCO Stormproof Matches in there, folded so the matches can't touch the striker surfaces. In there are 25 of those matches, and a whole bunch of Ohio Blue Tip match. Neither are the strike anywhere variety. These aren't the Titan Stormproof Matches, but they're still good matches. I had to cut about 1/2" off the ends to get them in the snuff can with the regular matches.
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I've had a Coghlan's Watertight Match Box - Brass since I was a kid, I kept it in the pocket of my hunting jacket, but now it's in my ALICE butt pack. That's on a pistol belt with suspenders, along with 2 canteens, 4 mag pouches, a bayonet scabbard, and there's still room for my G.I. pistol holster. I put both of the Strike-Anywhere Strikers on the match box, but it only has regular matches in it. I put the 2 extra striker strips form the UCO storm proof matches on it. I have a FOX 40 Classic pealess whistle attached to the match box.
https://ucogear.com/
https://fox40shopusa.com/products/fox-40-classic-safety-pealess-whistle
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Here are some videos for the storm proof matches. https://ucogear.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5quxR3bn9k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5vIuXAMXh8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hta9yloT6wQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQAkZYYdXkU
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I also bought an Exotac fireSLEEVE with a BIC classic lighter. They come in Orange, Black, and Glow-In-The-Dark, like mine. It creates a waterproof barrier around the lighter while providing two separate lashing points for cordage. The body is molded from flexible TPE similar to silicon. Due to its flexibility, the TPE body acts as a gasket around the circumference of the BIC lighter sealing it off from moisture intrusion. The cap is molded from a super-tough glass-filled nylon like Zytel. When capped, the fireSLEEVE will float and is waterproof to not less than 3 feet. The flexible body has a high-grip surface to keep it in your hand when it becomes wet. I took the cord off a 14-IN-1 Pocket Survival Card, also known as the Credit Card Survival Tool. I folded the cord into thirds and braided it, then tied it to the fireSLEEVE with square knots. I'm putting it in the box with my pocket stoves, and new ferro rod. I also have a bunch of Coghlan's Fire Lighters, and Coghlan's Fire Sticks you strike like a match in the box. I have 11 of the Coghlan's Fire Sticks in a waterproof Witz Sports Cases Camo Keep It Safe with a big striker off the cardboard box they came in. I like to break one of the Coghlan's Fire Lighters in half and light both of them to get a campfire going. They don't make the brass match boxes anymore, but you can still find them online at places like Sunny Sports if you don't want a plastic match box.
https://coghlans.com/collections/firestarters
https://witzsportcases.com/shop/large-cases/camo-keep-it-safe/
https://www.sunnysports.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-V1tpI9uWc
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That one shot of the Coghlan's Watertight Match Box looks a lot like a slice of salami. Now I want a nice slice of Italian cured meat. Dammit.
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That one shot of the Coghlan's Watertight Match Box looks a lot like a slice of salami. Now I want a nice slice of Italian cured meat. Dammit.
It may look like salami, but it tastes like emery cloth and glue. ;D