small 1 man cooking system

[crazyclimber]

I've been thinking a lot recently about the ultimate cooking system. It's you lot, discussing your stoves and ideas in front of me, I swear!

Random thoughts and questions - this really is me almost thinking aloud...

I love KISS, I love light weight, and almost more importantly than light weight, I love low bulk. 98% of my cooking is for brews or boil in the bags.

I currently use the crusader cooker with hexi / esbit for quick brews because it's a windshield and stand in one, and it's simple and low bulk. Problem is that as a fuel source I prefer alcohol and the trangia. SAT is too big and heavy, normal trangias are too big. Mini trangia is too inefficient in wind, and though I've never used a clikstand, I don't like the look of all those parts and the fiddliness of it all.

1st question: has anyone tried pulling the bottom round part of the crusader cooker out, and fitting a standard trangia burner in instead? I only have a SAT burner at the moment and it's too big. If it does fit, does the mug sit OK on top of it in transit?
I've thought about the coke / red bull can stove... advantage with the real trangia though is higher efficiency plus you can screw the lid back on to carry unburnt fuel inside, so I'd prefer that.

2nd question: if someone HAS got a trangia burner inside, anyone got any idea whether drilling holes in the crusader cooker would improve efficiency?
Less weight in metal (if marginal) + less weight in fuel...

3rd: I was thinking about lids. I've got a plastic BCB one but rarely carry it. I should for the extra efficiency, but it's annoying to use and I don't like the plastic.
A better idea maybe would be something in almost exactly the same shape as the cooker unit. It would fit neatly under the cooker in transit in the same way the cooker sits under the mug, or sit inverted (as in an upside-down U shape) when in use as a lid. PLUS that would mean I'd no longer have to cram boil in the bags into the mug to get it all heated up. Also it could be use upside down again - I'm thinking here how the small SAT saucepan can be used as the lid for the big pot, or as a small saucepan which can sit on top of the big saucepan while that's being cooked on. To be honest I'm not sure what I'd cook on it. Maybe a single egg once a year just to prove I can. It's what I like though - multi use

I think with a crusader mug, crusader cooker (accepting both trangia or hexi with a performance boosting newly-holed windshield design) and new-designed crusader lid I really would have the perfect system.

Now... next thing I was wondering was do you think Optimus could be persuaded to bring out a micro multifuel stove that would fit into the bottom as well?!

 

[British Red]

For the crusader mug lid problem, you need to get a "capped crusader" (I agree on that fiddly BCB lid BTW)

See this thread for lots of ideas

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23625

Red

 

[Mastino]

On question 1: I use a standard Esbit cooker base with a civilian Trangia burner in it. Works fine.

 

[gregorach]

The problem with putting a standard trangia in the crusader cooker is that the cooker isn't as tall as the burner. Also, you're going to have a real hard time getting the fuel well out...

If you want a meths stove to fit in the crusader cooker and work properly, you've really got to watch the height. If you want all to stack properly, you've got about 13mm if I remember correctly.

I'm totally unconvinced that a trangia is more efficient than my red bull stove. As for saving excess fuel - there is never enough excess to be worth worrying about. It takes enough for a boil, and that's it.

I don't think you need to drill holes in the cooker, but if you're using a full-height foil windshield (which I'd highly recommend), it seems to work better with holes punched around the bottom.

 

[crazyclimber]

Cheers for the replies guys!

Just emailed Russ about the lid. The only coke can stove I've seen used didn't burn very well, which I guess kind of put me off them. I'm gonna have to experiment myself...

Regarding the height, I'm not too concerned about the height available for stacking since I can take the trangia burner out for that. When in use though I measure 38mm clearance on mine under the pot support wire - that's without the center circle in it.
Any chance someone can measure the height of their civvy trangia burner and let me know how big it is?
Cheers!
I suppose for under a tenner I could stop being a cheapskate and just buy one!

 

[gregorach]

You might manage to squeeze a trangia in, but it's not going to have the optimum flame height...

My can stove burns just fine. Seems to beat a trangia for a brew, but I haven't done a proper controlled head-to-head test. Given the weight / size difference though, I wouldn't swap it if you paid me the price of the trangia to do it. The only real advantage a trangia has is long burn time - if you want it.

 

[crazyclimber]

I'm gonna have a good look at these can stoves then - thanks!

 

[Chainsaw]

I made a lid for my crusader cup here, the metal was too light and the result is pretty poor but it keeps the crap out and the heat in so I suppose it does it's job.

let us know how you get on with the can stove, I'm running out of gel sachets and I ain't buying any more when they're a bottle of meths sitting in the garage forgotten and lonely.

Cheers,

Alan

 

[spamel]

Never used a crusader cooker unit, but if it has a well at the bottom, could you not fill that with meths and then place an uptured section of a can over the well with pre drilled holes in it? It wouldn't be a permanent mod as you could take the burner can section off anytime, leaving the crusader cooker in its original state.

 

[gregorach]

Or you can just fill the fuel well with meths and have at it!

I initially quite fancied making a burner that would fit onto the fuel well, but it's a stupid awkward size. You might be able to get away with it for an unpressurised design, but then you might as well just fill the well with meths.

 

[Chainsaw]

Here's a piccie of the crusader cooker here if it helps. Do you mean you could just carefully pour the meths/alcohol in, pop half a coke can burner on top and you're away? I take it the standard coke can burner doesn't count as pressurized?

Sounds feasible, wonder how long it would burn for?

Sorry climber, not trying to hijack your thread here but it sounds like we have the same kit, the same problems and the same goals!

Cheers,

Alan

 

[rik_uk3]

As an option other than the crusader mug, the bulky/heavy/slooooooow army Trangia or the massivly overpriced zebra pots, how about this




micro gas stove (£9.99 off ebay) and the two and three pint pots from a 'Bulldog' type set of nesting billy cans. The gas cans are no bigger than a bottle of meths, the stove burns very fast and hot with great simmer capabilities, and you can use these pots over an open fire.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI....Track=true&ssPageName=VIP:watchlink:middle:uk

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI....m=120152850665&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=002

Just got one of these last week
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI....m=130139571065&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=003

tiny little thing, but works very well indeed (not connected with any of the ebay links)

 

[Toadflax]

I tried filling the well in the crusader cooker base with meths and it started OK, but the meths burned out before the water in the cup had boiled - I want something that I don't have to refuel part way through cooking, so I'm back to hexy blocks...

...unless I get a Swedish Army trangia for my birthday.



Geoff

 

[Glen]

Never used a crusader cooker unit, but if it has a well at the bottom, could you not fill that with meths and then place an uptured section of a can over the well with pre drilled holes in it? It wouldn't be a permanent mod as you could take the burner can section off anytime, leaving the crusader cooker in its original state.

I'd be very careful indeed about trying that.

I forsee the problem being that once a bit of presure builds up it could lift the unfixed coke can top up in which case vapour will come out the bottom and may cause a fireball. I hope I'm wrong as it would be nice if it worked but if anyone does give it a go, then be very, very careful for the first burns until completely satified that it'll work and burn stable.

Personally I'm with Gregorach on this one, with a 13mm flatbottomed redbull/toasttopper stove in mine.

 

[Glen]

Regarding the height, I'm not too concerned about the height available for stacking since I can take the trangia burner out for that. When in use though I measure 38mm clearance on mine under the pot support wire - that's without the center circle in it.
Any chance someone can measure the height of their civvy trangia burner and let me know how big it is?
Cheers!
I suppose for under a tenner I could stop being a cheapskate and just buy one!

My measuring maybe a mm or so out but I made it 42-43mm for the civy burner from a mini Trangia set. Also tried to see to it would fit by putting it in upside down ( the top being smaller than the Crusader well ) and it's too tall for the cup support arms to fold over.

The commercial burner that might fit is the inner from a Vargo Triad XE but worth asking someone with both to try it as that comes to around £20.

 

[Ramapo]

I've never seen a Crusader cooking kit, but it seems to me that one of the Vargo stoves should be small enough to fit in there. Have a look:

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/vargo_triad_titanium_stove.html

 

[crazyclimber]

Chainsaw - go right ahead. Lots of interesting ideas here to think about!

Got an idea at the moment I'm going to have a play with when I can get the bits together.

The vargo triad looks an interesting litle stove. One I'm considering as well.

Glen could you do me a favour and post the diameter of the trangia as well - the diameter without the lip around the edge of it. I've now got one on order but who knows when it'll be here.

Thanks very much - much appreciated!

 

[bikething]

have a read of this thread before you go the vargo route - i'm one of the people who've not had much luck with an 'XE

on a side note - i use a crusader with a taller red-bull pop-can stove - i've filed a couple of notches in the top edge of the cooker to take 2 wire tent pegs as a pot support - ( I'll post a piccy when the camera's charged up ) priming's a bit of a pain as i think the 'trough' between the stove and the fuel well is too narrow to allow oxygen in to burn, but other people have no problem with the same arrangement

EDIT: can't find the stove, but you get the general idea...

Steve

 

[Glen]

I've never seen a Crusader cooking kit, but it seems to me that one of the Vargo stoves should be small enough to fit in there. Have a look:

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/vargo_triad_titanium_stove.html

That version won't fit, at least as is, I did try mine and it looks like it might just if you break the support leg fittings off but they are titanium welding and they might not come off cleanly.

 

[Glen]

Glen could you do me a favour and post the diameter of the trangia as well - the diameter without the lip around the edge of it. I've now got one on order but who knows when it'll be here.

Thanks very much - much appreciated!

It's a little dificult to measure accurately, without callipers, as the bottom is slightly rounded but I make it 68-69mm across the bottom