mk2 crusader

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chr1sd

Full Member
Dec 6, 2012
33
0
Newcastle
I'm looking for a little advice. I recently bought a mk2 crusader. When boiling water / making drinks, with a trangia burner, the drinks taste a little off. does the funny taste disappear with use? I'm using the ethanol fuel I was sold from go outdoors.
 

decorum

Full Member
May 2, 2007
5,064
12
Warwickshire
Have you made a kettle boiled brew in it at home? If you have and it was okay then, perhaps try it again to see if it might have picked up a contaminant. Then maybe give it a good scrub in a bowl of nice soapy water (plus a rinse :rolleyes: ) and then see whether he odd taste has gone?

After the standard pre-use was I wouldn't expect to notice much in the way of odd tastes. How many uses approximately? How do you transport the fuel bottle, is it kept in the mug? Is your spoon kept away from the bottle and also the outside of the mug?

Just trying to see whether you might be unwittingly transferring a contaminant :dunno:
 

chr1sd

Full Member
Dec 6, 2012
33
0
Newcastle
Drinking water out the bottle tastes fine. I'm getting the odd taste in a normal China mug, so it's obviously coming from the water being boiled on the crusader. Maybe boiled 3 lots of water on it now. I will try and steep the metal container on some soapy water.

I have a trangia plastic fuel bottle and the trangia is always dry when finished. No fuel stored in our near the mugs.
 
Last edited:
Jul 30, 2012
3,570
224
westmidlands
I reccon it's oil in the manufacturing process. I would try biological detergent quickly, fairy and non bio stuff may not shift it. Mind you do it quickly as detergent may damage the surface of the pot!
 
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decorum

Full Member
May 2, 2007
5,064
12
Warwickshire
Shows how useful pics are as I'd thought you were drinking out of the Crusader ;)

Are you thinking that the taste is being imparted from the Crusader Mug? Brewing up in it at home from an electric or gas kettle might help identify where your issue lays. Brewing up in it before and after giving it a good scrub will let you know whether you've picked up a contaminant somewhere ;) (hence asking where the fuel is stored).

If you don't already do so I'd also suggest zip locking your burner.

I take it you're boiling up without a lid?
 

chr1sd

Full Member
Dec 6, 2012
33
0
Newcastle
Done a couple of tests. Drinking a coffee made from home kettle in the plastic mug supplied with the crusader is all ok.
Drinking a from the same cup with water boiled in a kettle from the Plastic canteen is all ok.
So its obviously the metal cup used for cooking that is causing the funny taste. either that or the fuel im using is somehow contaminating the water. Ive thoroughly cleaned the crusader cooking pot and will give it another go later.

Its this fuel that i am using. What fuel do others use in their trangia's
http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/vango-bio-ethanol-spirit-fuel-1l-p347362
 

Bert

Forager
Mar 24, 2016
128
26
middle of france
I remember when I was in basic training, preparing a meal with these hexa cubes as a fuel, the fact that I half opened the can, and the downwash into the can onto the food, of the fuelsmoke gave me one form of poisoning, and made me really sick.
 

Van-Wild

Full Member
Feb 17, 2018
1,413
1,234
44
UK
Just because of the smell I stopped using hexi when I completed training. Gas cooker all the way..... hexi is noxious and I hated it.

I read that article on Firedragon and can I vouch for its effectiveness. You learn every day dont you? Now I know it can also be used as a hand sanitiser!

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk
 

TLM

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Nov 16, 2019
3,116
1,643
Vantaa, Finland
Hexamine is ok if if you want to produce RDX as the often used additive Trioxane is useful if you want formaldehyde. As heating fuel both leave something to be desired. Hmmm ... have to check what comes out of burning TNT as we used that sometimes to light fires.
 

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