X-Boil alcohol stove
X-Boil is an alcohol stove that consists of a windscreen, pot holders and a burner. It is an excellent modern ultralight alcohol stove for hiking and backpacking. X-Boil is ultralight, compact and safe to use.
The remarkable point about X-Boil is that it uses the windscreen as a pot stand, so you save the weight of a separate stand. Windscreen is easily stowed inside the pot, and it takes up no space. When stowed away, X-Boil almost vanishes: it does not take up space, and weighs minimally.
X-boil is a stable cooker: you can stir the food without needing to hold on to the pot handles. This is not possible with most ultralight alcohol stoves, but you will soon find out that it is a handy feature. You do not need to put the lid down on the ground while stirring.
The included burner is filled with graphite mat. The mat wicks the alcohol, and there are no spills even if you tip over the burner. In very dry conditions, it is prudent to use a folded aluminum foil under the stove to prevent the burner bottom scorching the ground.
Sizing:
Select the right size X-Boil by measuring the pot diameter and selecting from the table below. X-Boil works with many pot types, but we feel it is especially cool with tall and narrow pots, such as Evernew Mug Pot 900 ml, Toaks 750 ml and Toaks 900 ml D 115mm. The only limitation is that the pot handles need to be 18mm above the bottom of the pot. Standard model X-Boils can also be used with lightweight frying pans!
Type | for pot diameter | Windscreen | Pot hooks | Safety burner | Total weight | Price |
FS 75-85 UL | 75-85mm | 24g Stainless steel | 3×1,8g Titanium | 7g Alu + 5g Felt | 41g | 47,50 € |
FS 90-100 UL | 90-100mm | 29g Stainless steel | 3×1,8g Titanium | 7g Alu + 5g Felt | 47g | 49,50 € |
FS 90-100 Standard | 90-100mm | 39g Stainless steel | 3×3,5g Stainless steel | 11g Alu + 6g Felt | 67g | 49,50 € |
FS 105-115 Standard | 105-115mm | 45g Stainless steel | 3×3,5g Stainless steel | 11g Alu + 6g Felt | 72g | 49,50 € |
FS 120-130 Standard | 120-130mm | 50g Stainless steel | 3×3,5g Stainless steel | 11g Alu + 6g Felt | 77g | 51,50 € |
FS 135-145 Standard | 135-145mm | 55g Stainless steel | 3×3,5g Stainless steel | 11g Alu + 6g Felt | 82g | 51,50 € |
How to use the X-Boil:
- Set up windscreen by connecting the two sides
- Insert the three pot holders to the top of the windscreen
- Pour alcohol to the burner
- Light up the alcohol, set the windscreen around the burner, and set the pot on to the holders.
X-boil price includes a 30 ml alcohol bottle that is the right size for day trips. An excellent companion for X-Boil are the larger alcohol bottles made by the same manufacturer.
Tips and tricks for using X-Boil:
- There are holes in the windscreen in which you can stick titanium tent pegs. With this setup you can leave the pot holders at home, and you get two tent pegs for extra guylines!
- You can use the burner with a graphite mat if you want safety, but you can also use the burner without it. With this method, you can save a little fuel: when the water boils, lift the pot and put the windscreen aside using a stick. Snuff the burner with the bottom of the pot. Wait for the fuel to cool down, and pour it back in the bottle. Burn the fuel film left inside the burner, so the denaturing chemical does not ruin your next food.
- The burner lights up with the graphite mat much better in cold temperatures than without it. Because of this, you can use X-boil even in cold weather. This makes it a very nice stove for small winter use when you don’t have to melt large amounts of snow. In the winter, using a small plywood board under the stove prevents it from sinking in the snow.
- A small piece of leather is a good tool when using X-Boil. You can use it to adjust the windscreen and grab the pot handles when they are hot.
- You can use a ferrocerium rod to light the burner. Another trick is to dip a small stick in the fuel, light the stick and bring the flame in to the burner.
- The X-Boil burner works well as a backup for wood stove and as a booster for Trangia in the winter. You can also burn Esbit cubes inside it (remove the graphite mat first).
Made in Bavaria, Germany.