Hexamine Vs Trioxane- What to Pick?

Picking the right fuel for camping is super important. Because some wrong fuel in the wrong situation can bring down the sky on you. 

And things get even tougher when it comes to comparing two solid fuel types. Because most of these have pretty similar features. 

Here’s the thing-

One of the super-popular debates in this sector is choosing between hexamine and trioxane. 

So, which is the best option when it comes to – hexamine vs trioxane? 

Although hexamine has a high heat value, it can’t be lit easily and provides uneven heat distribution. Plus, it can only work with a specific stove and tends to leave a residue. On the other hand, trioxane tablets are the exact opposite in every aspect. However, their toxicity and low heat value can cause issues. It also evaporates quite easily.

This was just an overview. Now, let’s burn right through the details-

Hexamine Vs Trioxane- Head-to-Head Comparison

If you’re in a rush and need to know the basic differences between hexamine and trioxane, we have a quick comparison ready for you. Let’s take a tour of the differences between these two solid fuels.

Hexamine- The Basics

Hexamine fuel tablets are usually used by campers, hikers, cadets, the military, and relief organizations for cooking. These are solid fuels used for cooking in limited space. Hexamine tablets can be used with disposable metal stoves. These stoves usually come with field ration packs. 

These little blocks of solid fuel actually burn smokeless and odorless. They also have a high energy density. Moreover, when these buddies are on fire, they don’t liquefy. So, it saves money. Most importantly, hexamine does not leave ashes when they burn. How amazing is that!?

Hexamine fuel tablets burn for about 5-7 minutes quite furiously with a yellow flame. This is enough to bring 240 ml of water to a boil.

Each cube usually has a burn time of 12-15 minutes. This saves quite a lot of money.

If you don’t know which hexamine tablet to opt for, here are our top choices of hexamine tablets-

Pros

Using hexamine fuel tablets have a few benefits. For instance, these are extremely useful for emergency purposes. So let’s jump right into the specific advantages.

Ultra-lightweight

The hexamine fuel solids are extremely lightweight and portable. So, campers and militants can easily carry a lot of these in their rucksacks without having to worry about extra load. Hexamine tablet packs usually contain 8 or 12 tablets. Hence being lightweight. So, these are pretty convenient.

More Compact

These tablets are a lot more compact than general fuel systems. The whole stove system including the fuel can be stored inside a 0.5-liter pot. Moreover, if you learn how to make hexamine tablets, you can make your own ones for saving money.

Higher Heat Value

Hexamine tablets have a higher heat value which means it takes quite a long time to burn out. So you can actually save up money since all of the blocks won’t be required to heat up or cook your food. So a pack of these can last longer than the other fuels.

Hexamine tablets have been seen to burn for 12-15 minutes. This is quite a good amount of time. And it’s enough to boil water or heat up your food. This makes it very efficient.

Weather Resistant

Hexamine tablets seem to work even at higher altitudes such as mountain tops. So you can carry them when you’re hiking or taking a shelter during military missions. Moreover, these work quite well at sub-zero temperatures. So even if it’s freezing cold or snowing, you’ll easily be able to heat up our food and keep yourself warm. 

Now your hexamine packs may get wet due to heavy rain or humidity. But these still work properly under wet conditions. But that won’t stop it from lighting up. 

Do not Evaporate

Hexamine tablets seem to have a long shelf life. Because these tablets do not evaporate, even when it is exposed to wind and humidity. It is quite reliable and convenient to use as cooking fuel. This makes the storage process easier because you don’t have to be worried about the tablets evaporating if the package gets torn.

Cons

Even though hexamine fuel tablets have quite a few advantages, these little cubes also have some disadvantages. So, let’s take a look at the cons of hexamine fuel tablets.

Hard To Light

Hexamine tablets take a much longer time to light than other fuel systems. These cubes use up a few matchsticks to start a fire.  This causes the entire cooking process to slow down. This makes the tablets less reliable. 

Needs A Particular Stove

Hexamine tablets work best with one specific stove that is made for these tablets solely. So you’ll have to purchase the hexamine stove alongside the tablet pack. This way, it works more efficiently. You can also make your own homemade hexamine stove or alcohol stoves to make these tablets work well. 

But these tablets do not work the same way with all stoves. So, it’s best to use the stove that comes with these packs. 

Here are a few of our top choices of stoves for hexamine tablets:

Uneven Heat Distribution

Hexamine tablets burn for longer than any other fuel system but not as uniformly. After the 10 minutes mark of being lit, the fuel seems to burn with low heat. This might cause the cooking time to be longer and often cook the food unevenly.

These fuel tablets are good for cooking food that needs boiling but not simmering. Hence, they are mostly used to heat pre-cooked food. 

Leaves Black Residue

Now hexamine blocks tend to leave a sticky black residue on the cooking pots. So, the pot needs to be cleaned up pretty well. This will avoid the residue from becoming toxic. Hence, cleaning the pot every time could be a load.

Trioxane- The Basics

Trioxane fuel tablets and bars are also similar to hexamine fuel tablets. It is made of 1,3,5-trioxane which is a component used for fuel. Trioxane is also used to heat and cook food such as MRE food, ration packed food.

 Trioxane bars come in waterproof wrappers so these will not get wet or break down in case of heavy rain or humidity. Trioxane is great for starting fires. Often militants and campers use trioxane fuel to start a fire. This is done to warm up the surroundings or heat up their water and food. These bars burn for about 8 minutes with a blue flame that makes them seem almost invisible.

If you want to get your hands on these bars, here’s a quality trioxane you can buy-

Pros

Let’s take a look at the good sides of this bar and its usefulness. Here are some of the advantages of trioxane bars below.

Easy to Light

The trioxane tablets are easier to light as it takes less time. These disks can be lighted using just 1 match stick. So the work becomes easy. Even the whole bar can be ignited with just a spark. It’s actually that easy. Thus, makes it quite reliable for starting fires in the woods or a cold environment.

Even Heat Distribution

Trioxane bars have a low heat content. But even the lowest heat is distributed evenly. The fire burns with the same intensity until it burns out. This helps a lot when it comes to boiling water or heating up pre-cooked food. 

Works with Any Stove

Unlike hexamine tablets, trioxane bars don’t need a particular stove to burn in. These solid fuels can burn on any stove. So you don’t have to buy yourself a specific type of stove when using these bars.

Leaves no residue

Trioxane bars leave no residue on the cooking pot. Not even any black soot underneath. Isn’t that amazing?

In case you’re lazy or on the go, you don’t even have to clean up the bottom very well. The pot will still look brand new. Because the fire burns clean, the clean-up process becomes very easy and convenient.

Cons

As good as these bars seem to be, there definitely are some disadvantages. Let’s look at why these could be bad for you.

Toxic

Now the burnt trioxane bar needs to be thrown away because even the slightest bit can create a hazardous situation like catching fire. These fuels are highly toxic and become harmful if not handled properly. Moreover, if you’re stuck in a poorly ventilated area like a bunker, never use this fuel because it can get seriously toxic.

Low Heat Value

Trioxane tablets or bars have a low heat value which means it takes a long time to heat up the food. Moreover, the low heat value causes the tablet to release less heat and burn out quickly.

Inefficient

The bars burn for about 7-8 minutes only. Moreover, since the bars have a low heat value, more bars or tablets are used up. This requires both extra money and time. So, these are not very efficient. 

Evaporates Easily

Now, trioxane bars tend to evaporate. So, if the packaging is left with even the tiniest hole in it, the whole thing will evaporate. And you’ll be left with nothing. So, make sure there are no prickly or pointy tools near the trioxane pack to avoid evaporation.

How to Use Solid Fuel Tablets?

Using solid fuel tablets isn’t as complicated as you might think. You just simply pop out a solid fuel tablet or bar and put it inside the tray of the stove. Now all that’s left is to light the fire with a match or a lighter. Depending on the time of each type of fuel. It’ll light up and start to burn. 

Verdict: Which One to Choose?

Now that you’ve come to this point of the article, you may be able to select the right fuel for your camp days or military missions. If you ask me? I’d say each of these solid fuels is made for different use. While the hexamine tablets are good for boiling, heating up food, or even cooking food. The trioxane bars are quite better for starting fires in case of a night stay. So, you can use these two for their own purposes because these  

FAQs

Question: How long does a hexamine tablet last?

Answer: Hexamine tablets can last up to 12-15 minutes straight. The tablet will burn vigorously till the 10-minute mark and then burn with slightly lower energy.

Question: Do solid fuels smell bad?

Answer: Solid fuels typically don’t smell bad but hexamine can often smell funny. Especially when it’s dry but trioxane does not smell at all.

Question: Are solid fuels poisonous?

Answer: Yes, solid fuels can be quite toxic in a poorly ventilated area. Smoke from these fuels produces a cocktail of toxic particles that are harmful to the body.

Question: How to store solid fuels?

Answer: Solid fuels can be stored in the basement or in plastic containers. This keeps them dry and good for a long time. 

Conclusion

That was all from us. Reading our in-depth comparison of Hexamine Vs Trioxane should help you decide on which one to go for when you’re camping next. 

We hope that through our article, all your queries related to hexamine and trioxane fuel tablets have been answered.