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Ultimate Survival WetFire Stove and Fuel

Pack this unflappable tinder and tiny solid fuel stove in your emergency kit.
Text and photos by Joe Flowers.
«
  • The WetFire Stove is a compact featherweight cooker designed to heat water and cook small meals, using a specialized heat source that will ignite even in drenching weather. It comes in a leak-proof bag and weighs .4 oz., as much as 2 quarters & a penny.
  • The stove comes with one solid fuel tablet called WetFire Tinder, a non-toxic fire starter and fuel source. WetFire cubes are better than many solid fuel tabs I've used–they don't stink or stick and they burn for 8 minutes each.
  • The WetFire stove boiled 2 cups of water in 7 min. and 48 sec. on 1 tablet. This was during 63°F temps, in 3,200 ft. North Carolina mountains. In colder conditions, you might need to use multiple cubes to get a full boil. This is a minimalist's stove.
  • To light, just place the fuel cube in the rectangle and add fire. I also used the stove with denatured alcohol. It burned for 3 minutes and 40 seconds and heated 8 ounces of water, but it doesn't hold enough fuel to be able to reach a boiling point.
  • To test its weather resistance, I soaked an unlit cube in water for 30 seconds. I then had to scrape a little off to reveal a dry spot that would light. Once started, the flame withstood a light dousing of water, more than any thunderstorm could produce.
  • You can also extinguish the fuel tab (I cut off the oxygen using a cup or by blowing with hard, sharp gusts) and relight them later.
  • <b>The Specs</b><br><b>Weight:</b> .4 oz. (Fuel is .1 oz. per tab) <br><b>Price</b> Stove: $18; Tinder (packages of 8): $8<Br> ultimatesurvival.com
>
»
The WetFire Stove is a compact featherweight cooker designed to heat water and cook small meals, using a specialized heat source that will ignite even in drenching weather. It comes in a leak-proof bag and weighs .4 oz., as much as 2 quarters & a penny.
Image 1 of 7

The WetFire Stove is a compact featherweight cooker designed to heat water and cook small meals, using a specialized heat source that will ignite even in drenching weather. It comes in a leak-proof bag and weighs .4 oz., as much as 2 quarters & a penny.

READERS COMMENTS

Page 1 | 2

Looks exactly like the Esbit titanium stove. Granted I'm not sure if there's a big difference between Esbit's hexamine tablets and UST's' Wet Fire Tinder. All the same I'm inclined to think that UST is trying to ride Esbit's coat tails, and trying to turn what was originally marketed as a fire starting aid into a fuel source.
— Pete J.

I had purchased this item just to try it and consider using it for dayhikes to cook Ramen, etc. One fuel cube did not even come close to boiling the water in my pot.
— Bruce

I could pack my alcohol stove in about the same space.
A small container of alcohol would weight about as much
as the fuel cubes. I have a Swedish Army Triangia that
packs along with an alcohol cotainer in its own mess kit.
— Mark

Wonderful, simple design at a great price. Time will tell if this design in fact does operate well under extremely wet conditions. Regardless, while this is clearly a survival-based tool, I could see a market for portable fire solutions for average campers.

Ramin Streets
Monk Pak Designs
www.monkpak.com
— Ramin

Esbit tabs also fit nicely into the stove, burn longer , and have less soot.
— hikeq

Esbit has been around since the 1950s and I've been using the Esbit folding stove and fuel tabs since the 70s. I don't see where the Wet Fire Stove has any advantages over the Esbit. I recently picked up the Esbit cook set. All selfcontained and holds 11 fuel tabs inside. Sometimes there's just no need to change.
— TNTimberWolf

Would this work better wiht a wind-screen?
— giniajim

Esbit have has an smell to it. This doesn't. It's like Weber FireStarter Cubes, but a lot more expensive
— Wy

I have one of these, but have not used it yet. I have wondered if it would be possible to make a little alcohol holder with the dimensions of an Esbit cube, out of heavy aluminum foil. I wonder if it would hold enough fuel to boil water?
— dave

i bought the stove it works ok with the wet fire tinder i tried the rutland fire starters from tractor supply that cost 2.99 for 24 squares that are twice the size of the stove holder so you get 48 and they start easy with a flint it you fluff it some. ive used it at 10 below with no problems
— Anonymous


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