Esbit stoves are awesome. Theyre cheap. You can get one with 6 tabs of fuel at REI or Big 5 for $15; packs of fuel tabs are about $7-10. The fuel tabs burn for about 10 minutes; which is enough to boil about a pint of water in about 5 minutes. Then you can save the unburnt portion for later. The stove itself is ultralight and small enough to fit in a shirt pocket. You can use the fuel tabs to start a fire; theyre great for this. These stove/fuel combos weigh less than a propane or white fuel camping stove. The only thing theyre not good for is cooking things that take significant time and/or intense heat. However they will warm up a can of soup, and are best for boiling water or other liquids quickly. I started out using a pop-can alcohol stove but switched to the Esbit because it was vastly more reliable and easy to use. And lighter than carrying a bottle of alcohol.