BcB Firedragon gel.

[Rasta]

I have just finished a 2 night trip on the South Downs. For cooking, on 1 to 2 night trips, I usually use hexamine tablets from the army surplus shop. A trangia for long trips and gaz in winter. I enjoy slow relaxed boiling times. (I won't mention my fires, just in case management is reading).

This trip I tried the BcB Firedragon gels. Either whole or cut in half, then put in a shallow dish and put in my mini firebox.
My first opinion was that they were rubbish. I just wanted to ask if there is some clever trick to using them and to hear other opinions.


PS : The pheasant hunters were going crazy. Is it a special week for them?

[Bearbonesnorm]

I've tried fuel gel in the past - different brand though and touted as a substitute for meths. Found it to be very poor and certainly no substitute for meths, especially in any kind of meths stove even a basic open chamber one.

[Rasta]

These gels are more like jelly, not liquid. They are supposed to replace the hexamine tablets for the military. Strangely enough, they can be used as a hand sanitizer. The hexamines were the opposite. You could crumble a trail around your bed and no insects would pass over it.

[Bearbonesnorm]

You're right, the one I tried was like jelly but it was marketed as a meths substitute - the manufacturers weren't very happy when I reviewed it in that context. They said they were in the process of developing a 'special' stove which in fact was simply a dish and didn't make the stuff any less crap.

[Rasta]

Sounds familiar.

I read somewhere that these were commissioned by the military to boil 1 litre ( or 1 pint? ) per gel packet. They failed dismally and the company said they had to be used with their new improved stove to get the required results.

[Trail-rat]

Wife tried to use the popular eco substitute for meths now that the preferred school supplier (a popular outdoor shop) will no longer supply meths or white gas but instead the substitute

What really happened was I ended up comissioned to buy meths from the DIY shop and donate it to the doe scheme or the kids were going to starve

The gel was a joke. A triumph of marketing getting the shops to stop stocking the alternatives and forcing folk to try it and then vote with their feet.

[barney]

Went for a curry the other night and they were being used to heat the bowls instead of candles... I know I've been accused of over packing on bivy trips but even I've not taken balti bowls with me!

[Mbnut]

I bought some gel stuff to use in my natty little BBs stove thingy.

Utter poor show, wondered if I'd misunderstood it's purpose bug this thread has reassured me.

Never again.

[Bearbonesnorm]

I bought some gel stuff to use in my natty little BBs stove thingy.

Does the stove still work Nige? The residue from the burning gel tends to block the jets up.

For anyone interested, this is what I concluded: https://bearbonesbikepacking.blogspot.c ... ve-to.html

[sean_iow]

I tried a gel stove some years back, it came complete and looked like a small paint tin, I was also unimpressed with the output.

I see after you review of the gel the makers advised there is a special stove and advised,

We have (in partnership with trangia) created a new burner that allows the gel to perform at its best

I have looked up the 'special' stove.... basically a pot to put gel in

https://www.vango.co.uk/gb/trangia/70-t ... urner.html

[Bearbonesnorm]

I have looked up the 'special' stove.... basically a pot to put gel in

Aye, which I why I wrote earlier in the thread

They said they were in the process of developing a 'special' stove which in fact was simply a dish and didn't make the stuff any less crap.

[sean_iow]

Aye, which I why I wrote earlier in the thread

I must have missed that

It's a shame it doesn't work. That trangia burner, assuming that it's gel tight, would be handy for short trips as the fuel could be stored in the stove. Of course a windsheild/pot-stand would also be needed.