Cooking with a Trangia stove

[Tombo]

Hey guys! I've recently gotten into all things bushcraft as well as camping. I've been going camping recently and been using a good old Campingaz bistro stove which actually works very well but like many newbies to this world, I've since been pining for one of those cool, little Trangia stoves. I think it could be handy to use as well as the Campingaz, when cooking a couple of things at once, or when I'd like to save some space.

I was wondering whether some of you experienced bushcrafters could give me some advice on actually using the Trangia stove, and any thoughts you might have on using them with a mess kit- and possibly any good mess kits for sale in the UK you have experience with. Of course I'd like to hear any other methods of using this stove but the idea of having a little mess kit with a windshield included is very appealing to me.
Any help would be much appreciated,
Cheers

 

[Kadushu]

The Trangia gives out a steady heat that won't win any races to boil a cup of water but is excellent for cooking. Lighting it in summer is easy but in winter, at low temperatures, the alcohol is less willing to ignite. You can warm it in your pocket, use a long match or dip a twig in the alcohol, light that and use it as a match. Use the simmer plate to snuff it out, not the screw on lid because you'll bugger the o ring.

I can't comment on the mess kit because I don't have that. I keep mine nested inside a 500ml cup inside a 1litre kettle along with ferro rod and lighter which makes for a compact but capable kit. For some reason resting my phone on it improves reception :-D

 

[Laurentius]

Got a Trangia 25 cookset, really neat piece of kit, I have the gas burner as well as the alcohol burner, so I can't go wrong with that.

 

[Tombo]

The Trangia gives out a steady heat that won't win any races to boil a cup of water but is excellent for cooking. Lighting it in summer is easy but in winter, at low temperatures, the alcohol is less willing to ignite. You can warm it in your pocket, use a long match or dip a twig in the alcohol, light that and use it as a match. Use the simmer plate to snuff it out, not the screw on lid because you'll bugger the o ring.

I can't comment on the mess kit because I don't have that. I keep mine nested inside a 500ml cup inside a 1litre kettle along with ferro rod and lighter which makes for a compact but capable kit. For some reason resting my phone on it improves reception :-D

Got a Trangia 25 cookset, really neat piece of kit, I have the gas burner as well as the alcohol burner, so I can't go wrong with that.

Thanks so much, guys! I bit the bullet on the Trangia, may look into the full set also!
One more thing I was wondering, was how you guys carry your fuel?
I'm going to use methylated spirit and I just noticed Trangia make a fuel bottle with a valve etc. I'm just wondering whether it's really necessary to get one of these fuel bottles immediately or if it'd be fine to just be careful with the original bottle the spirit comes in?

Cheers guys

 

[Brizzlebush]

Thanks so much, guys! I bit the bullet on the Trangia, may look into the full set also!
One more thing I was wondering, was how you guys carry your fuel?
I'm going to use methylated spirit and I just noticed Trangia make a fuel bottle with a valve etc. I'm just wondering whether it's really necessary to get one of these fuel bottles immediately or if it'd be fine to just be careful with the original bottle the spirit comes in?

Cheers guys

I really like the Trangia bottle. The valve system works perfectly and you can measure out as much fuel as you need, let go with your finger and it switches off! It drips a tiny bit after you've used it, but not so as to be an issue. Much better than an open bottle top imho. But much more expensive too!
They're very robust and difficult to crush too. Mine barely has any labelling left on it but it's still going strong!

 

[Oliver G]

Trangias are great for long slow cooking, risottos and chilis and the like.

If you're going to be using the fuel in the winter I would recommend the trangia fuel bottle as it seals really well. I tend to sling my fuel in a canoe bag at the bottom of my sleeping bag overnight in winter, that way you have fuel at near enough body temperature for your morning meal and it makes them easier to light.

If you're concerned about fuel in a sleeping bag and want to just keep fuel in your bergen then the bottle the meths comes in is fine, it's lasted the logistics chain to get to you after all.

 

[Erbswurst]

The really cool boys have the Swedish army mess kit. It's a bit heavy though.

Single kitchen w/40/44 incl. cookware

Army camping stove in used or unused condition, from the Swedish military. Comes complete with pots and pans...

en.flobyoverskottslager.se

 

[Kadushu]

Thanks so much, guys! I bit the bullet on the Trangia, may look into the full set also!
One more thing I was wondering, was how you guys carry your fuel?
I'm going to use methylated spirit and I just noticed Trangia make a fuel bottle with a valve etc. I'm just wondering whether it's really necessary to get one of these fuel bottles immediately or if it'd be fine to just be careful with the original bottle the spirit comes in?

Cheers guys

I just use a steel bottle that used to hold paint thinner.

(Don't use paint thinner in your Trangia!!)

I'm not saying that's a brilliant solution but it's worked for a couple of years and looks suitably different from the kind of thing you'd use for drinking water.

 

[Tombo]

The really cool boys have the Swedish army mess kit. It's a bit heavy though.

Single kitchen w/40/44 incl. cookware

Army camping stove in used or unused condition, from the Swedish military. Comes complete with pots and pans...

en.flobyoverskottslager.se

now that, is flipping cool!

 

[Tombo]

I just use a steel bottle that used to hold paint thinner.

(Don't use paint thinner in your Trangia!!)

I'm not saying that's a brilliant solution but it's worked for a couple of years and looks suitably different from the kind of thing you'd use for drinking water.

haha, thanks mate ! That's a good one! Cheers

 

[Erbswurst]

There are 3 versions of the Swedish mess kit available.

1.) Aluminium without hook. Good.

2.) Aluminium with hook. Better.

3.) Stainless steel. This is relatively rare, very robust but very heavy. Sometimes people seem to pay crazy prices for it.

This pots can be used with the alcohol stove or over a campfire. That's sensible even if you plan to cook exclusively with the alcohol stove, because you never know if you will run out of fuel sometimes.

 

[Tombo]

There are 3 versions of the Swedish mess kit available.

1.) Aluminium without hook. Good.

2.) Aluminium with hook. Better.

3.) Stainless steel. This is relatively rare, very robust but very heavy. Sometimes people seem to pay crazy prices for it.

This pots can be used with the alcohol stove or over a campfire. That's sensible even if you plan to cook exclusively with the alcohol stove, because you never know if you will run out of fuel sometimes.

Awesome mate, thanks for that! I actually just bought one of those Hungarian mess kits for pretty cheap- just to try that kind of thing. I think it comes with the Swedish windshield or some kind of windshield anyway, but I don't think it has the hook- maybe I'll get the Swede one someday, the design seems great!

 

[JonathanD]

Swedish mess kits are the mutts nuts. I remember when they were all the rage some years back and they became quite rare because of the mass demand. Especially the stainless steel version.

 

[Erbswurst]

The Hungarian mess kit, that I never used, looks to me like a bad copy of the well working German mess kits. I think the bail handle of the Hungarian pot is attached to low.

It's hard to admit it, but I think that the Swedish ones are the best constructed military mess kits, even better than the current German army mess kit.

The hook that is made to hang the mess kit over a fire serves as a handle too somehow, you surely can find a YouTube video about that, the rings on the handle of the lid are made to put a stick as a longer pan handle onto it, what's sensible if used at a camp fire.

The Swedes are pretty calm in their corner there, but their engineers aren't worse than the German ones. And in this case you can see it.

The reason for the differences between German and Swedish mess kit is, that the German army issued the centrally cooked food and kept the option open that the single man can cook for himself too if needed. The Swedes obviously thought that the soldier cooks his own meal more often.

You see in this case also the differences between the equipment of an army that is prepared to attack and the different concept of an army that is meant to defend only the own country. Old German equipment is always a lightweight construction, the same you see if you look at Russian stuff. Old Swiss and Swedish stuff is more robust and far heavier. The Germans always thought that they need to beat the enemy on both frontlines as fast as possible and possibly change from west to east and east to west very fast and perhaps even on foot. Swiss and Swedes planed to digg themselves into the ground around strategical points and wait and see if an enemy will come along.

The Swiss shoe maintenance kit is is the best example: We will sit by the canon at the bridge and clean the boots until the war is over...
No other army issued such an incredibly heavy brush and leather grease kit.

 

[Tombo]

You see in this case also the differences between the equipment of an army that is prepared to attack and the different concept of an army that is meant to defend only the own country. Old German equipment is always a lightweight construction, the same you see if you look at Russian stuff. Old Swiss and Swedish stuff is more robust and far heavier. The Germans always thought that they need to beat the enemy on both frontlines as fast as possible and possibly change from west to east and east to west very fast and perhaps even on foot. Swiss and Swedes planed to digg themselves into the ground around strategical points and wait and see if an enemy will come along.

Interesting!! Thanks very much for all the info mate I can tell the swede one is the job, I just couldn't find it anywhere and to be honest, the Hungarian one being so cheap was hard to refuse. This stuff is very, very cool and It probably going to lead down a bit of a rabbit hole....and possibly to a few more mess kits for me!

 

[Erbswurst]

One needs to pay attention that one doesn't end up with a private military museum.

You will see if the Hungarian mess kit works well for you. That's quite possible.

The Swedish one is relatively rare. Don't expect to find it everywhere.

Sweden is regarding the population a small country, it had 1960 only 7,5 million inhabitants. Between 1941 and 1945 Germany had more soldiers than Sweden inhabitants. Of course they don't throw the Swedish army equipment behind you every corner.

 

[Herman30]

I have the swedish steel mess kit pot but it is not in use. Reserved as a backup in case of real bad catastrophe coupled with the Winnerwell woodstove.

 

[SaraR]

Hey guys! I've recently gotten into all things bushcraft as well as camping. I've been going camping recently and been using a good old Campingaz bistro stove which actually works very well but like many newbies to this world, I've since been pining for one of those cool, little Trangia stoves. I think it could be handy to use as well as the Campingaz, when cooking a couple of things at once, or when I'd like to save some space.

I was wondering whether some of you experienced bushcrafters could give me some advice on actually using the Trangia stove, and any thoughts you might have on using them with a mess kit- and possibly any good mess kits for sale in the UK you have experience with. Of course I'd like to hear any other methods of using this stove but the idea of having a little mess kit with a windshield included is very appealing to me.
Any help would be much appreciated,
Cheers

I'm not sure which version you are looking at, but since they are heavy, do think through what you're needs are before you buy one. The ordinary ones are very sturdy and will put up with almost anything! They stand has a built in windshield and air vent, so you can adjust the flames to suit the wind by rotating the whole thing.

Since the Trangia Mini came out, I have seen more people experimenting with other small or collapsible stands for it.

We always used to use a Sigg fuel bottle, for the fuel. It has two small holes in the thread portion of the cap so you can pour the fuel out without taking the cap off. (Never ever refuel the burner before it's cooled down enough to comfortable hold in your hand!) You can snuff out the flames by putting/throwing the closed up simmer ring lid on to the burner. Some people carry fuel in the burner (with the transport lid in place) but I don't want to risk spilling fuel in the pots.

 

[Tombo]

I'm not sure which version you are looking at, but since they are heavy, do think through what you're needs are before you buy one. The ordinary ones are very sturdy and will put up with almost anything! They stand has a built in windshield and air vent, so you can adjust the flames to suit the wind by rotating the whole thing.

Since the Trangia Mini came out, I have seen more people experimenting with other small or collapsible stands for it.

We always used to use a Sigg fuel bottle, for the fuel. It has two small holes in the thread portion of the cap so you can pour the fuel out without taking the cap off. (Never ever refuel the burner before it's cooled down enough to comfortable hold in your hand!) You can snuff out the flames by putting/throwing the closed up simmer ring lid on to the burner. Some people carry fuel in the burner (with the transport lid in place) but I don't want to risk spilling fuel in the pots.

Thanks! I've actually been on a bit of a spending spree and have since purchased the Trangia 27 kit which comes with the Trangia with the simmer ring; ....as well as a Hungarian mess kit that comes with the Swedish army Trangia. Oh and I bought the Trangia fuel bottle too ;-) I think I'll have plenty to experiment with for a while haha

 

[Tombo]

Thanks for all the input ladies and gents!