I have to admit to no particularly liking gas either..... but in a comparison with meths......... gas wins my favour by a long long way
trangia argument
- Thread starter jack29g
- Start date
Paganwolf
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
regarding the burning the seal thing, the lids are supposed to be dropped on top side down to extinguish the flame then allowed to cool only then the lid is fitted, i wrap my brass trangia up in a couple of plastic bags to stop the stink if any meths is left over although this stainless one is much better constructed and once the lids on there is no meths leakage at all.
Personal opinion, I don't think it is a fair question.
If you had said Meths against Gas, that would of been fair.
Gas, butane (Bluet) or propane / butane mix, stoves with preheat (coleman alpine) or without (coleman micro).
Personally I like gas for ease of use, but the only stoves that are viable all year round are ones that have some form of preheat system and run on propane / butane mix, which has better peformance in cold conditions than plain butane. I have seen gas cannisters explode/rupture in hot conditions so they have a down side there as well.
Trangia, bombproof, if a little large. Treated correctly one will last a lifetime and more, not the fastest, but dependable beyond belief, they are easy to light, I have used them in arrid, semi-arrid, tropical, temperate and arctic conditions, they have never failed me.
If you want one to burn cleaner use good quality meths with water in it. Smelly, I have never really cared when it has been making a brew in the harshest conditions, throwing a bit of warmth out into the bitter cold and giving off a faint glow that is very warming in it's own right.
Petrol stoves smelly, yes, dirty ( they can be if anything gets into the fuel), they can be complicated to get running and the time that you save on boiling water is lost on the amount of time setting it up and letting it cool down, you still require a pan set and still need to carry extra fuel. Fuel, they can be very thirsty beasties can petrol stoves and the amount of extra fuel that you need to carry can be considerable. You may need to preheat (in South Georgia we were getting through a quarter hexamine block to preheat a Peak1) and the availability of good quality fuel may not be gaurenteed.
Pros and Cons
Petrol stoves are quick once running and can be clean.
Gas stoves are quick clean and easy to use.
Trangia, everything included (pans and windshield), simple, easy to use, quick to setup, bombproof with virtually nothing that can go wrong with it, relatively cheap to run and realtively cheap overall cost.
Petrol stoves, may require preheat, can be complicated to set up and run, you may require to buy a pan set / windshield, if water gets into the fuel it is knackered, they are expensive to buy / run and cannot be thrown around as most are not robust enough.
Gas stoves, the fuel is reasonable price, but you still have waste at the end, the availabilty of fuel cannisters may be limited, you still require to buy a windsheild with most, you still require to buy a pan set with most, performance can vary greatly with fuel type / weather conditions and can be a little fragile.
Trangia, a little smelly, a little bulky and not that fast.
Sorry folks, but with the running costs of a Trangia, its general robustness and the availability of fuel IMHO I think it wins hands down
):
If you had said Meths against Gas, that would of been fair.
Gas, butane (Bluet) or propane / butane mix, stoves with preheat (coleman alpine) or without (coleman micro).
Personally I like gas for ease of use, but the only stoves that are viable all year round are ones that have some form of preheat system and run on propane / butane mix, which has better peformance in cold conditions than plain butane. I have seen gas cannisters explode/rupture in hot conditions so they have a down side there as well.
Trangia, bombproof, if a little large. Treated correctly one will last a lifetime and more, not the fastest, but dependable beyond belief, they are easy to light, I have used them in arrid, semi-arrid, tropical, temperate and arctic conditions, they have never failed me.
If you want one to burn cleaner use good quality meths with water in it. Smelly, I have never really cared when it has been making a brew in the harshest conditions, throwing a bit of warmth out into the bitter cold and giving off a faint glow that is very warming in it's own right.
Petrol stoves smelly, yes, dirty ( they can be if anything gets into the fuel), they can be complicated to get running and the time that you save on boiling water is lost on the amount of time setting it up and letting it cool down, you still require a pan set and still need to carry extra fuel. Fuel, they can be very thirsty beasties can petrol stoves and the amount of extra fuel that you need to carry can be considerable. You may need to preheat (in South Georgia we were getting through a quarter hexamine block to preheat a Peak1) and the availability of good quality fuel may not be gaurenteed.
Pros and Cons
Petrol stoves are quick once running and can be clean.
Gas stoves are quick clean and easy to use.
Trangia, everything included (pans and windshield), simple, easy to use, quick to setup, bombproof with virtually nothing that can go wrong with it, relatively cheap to run and realtively cheap overall cost.
Petrol stoves, may require preheat, can be complicated to set up and run, you may require to buy a pan set / windshield, if water gets into the fuel it is knackered, they are expensive to buy / run and cannot be thrown around as most are not robust enough.
Gas stoves, the fuel is reasonable price, but you still have waste at the end, the availabilty of fuel cannisters may be limited, you still require to buy a windsheild with most, you still require to buy a pan set with most, performance can vary greatly with fuel type / weather conditions and can be a little fragile.
Trangia, a little smelly, a little bulky and not that fast.
Sorry folks, but with the running costs of a Trangia, its general robustness and the availability of fuel IMHO I think it wins hands down
):
I will go with the Trangia camp. I do have gas stoves as well but those are for conventional camping, not for bushcraft use.
One thing I have noticed with meths (as I discovered at Ashdown) is that if it is cold, there is not enough vapour for the spark to light the fuel in the Trangia burner. I was using a firesteel to light; this was no problem whatsoever at the WG in September, but in January, it wasn't lighting. I guess this is why the Swedish meths bottles are moulded flat so they can be carried in an inner pocket to keep the fuel at body temp, making it easier to light.
Best wishes
Bruce
One thing I have noticed with meths (as I discovered at Ashdown) is that if it is cold, there is not enough vapour for the spark to light the fuel in the Trangia burner. I was using a firesteel to light; this was no problem whatsoever at the WG in September, but in January, it wasn't lighting. I guess this is why the Swedish meths bottles are moulded flat so they can be carried in an inner pocket to keep the fuel at body temp, making it easier to light.
Best wishes
Bruce
you have to keep spirits warm if you want to light it, just put a candle under the stove and wait for a while and it will light as easy as ever.
Out of interest, who has got the oldest trangia here?. I've had mine some 22 years or so. Bit battered and bruised, but still does the biz..
Stuart said:
I don't want to start a disagreement, but:
If you get a good bottle the fuel will not leak. I have a sigg-style bottle that lost it's rubber seal years ago but has never leaked a drop.
The smell is a matter of opinion of course.
I've found that the trangia is very quick to boil water, admittedly not as fast as some others may be but a good speed to cook on. If you're depending on it for instant hot drinks I guess it might be a little slow :?:
The flame is invisible, but in my experience it is always visible again as soon as a pan is put on it - it becomes yellowy. Plus it's usually dark when you use it so it's easier to see it.
I light my trangia with the shield already on :?:
If you mix it 1:10 with water the pots do not become sooty.
Efficiency and weight I don't know because I've never noticed a big difference, but then my experience with gas stoves is limited.
As I say I'm not starting an argument here - I am in fact open to suggestions because I need a new ultralight stove for this summer.
i only use the trangia burner. I use it in conjuction with a DIY pot stand and windscreen. Everything fits well in the pot ( track 900 ) with some additional things. It's a lightweight and space effective solution that works for me.
I have 4 trangias (a model 25 ,model 27 ,an aluminium military and a stainless military).
The military versions are great value ,reliable and great for using over an open fire if required especially the stainless version.
The main disadvantage is the burner sits on the ground so you have to be careful what surface you use it on.
The civilian versions are very good ,more expensive than the military versions but not expensive when you compare them to other cook systems where you have to buy wind shields and pots separately.
It has been mentioned that they are bulky but there are a couple of version to choose from and as they contain a wind shield and a full set of pots they are actually quite compact.
I use trangia fuel bottles and have never had a problem with them leaking.
That's a 1 litre trangia fuel bottle on the left (500ml version also available) with a model 27 on the right.
I use a firesteel to light mine and always install the wind shield before i light it ,a match will blow out but a spark from a firesteel "jumps" right into the burner and this works in even the worst weather conditions and i have never been unable to light mine using this method.
I use mine when beach fishing in storms and have never had a failure.
I use the simmer ring to extinguish the burner and so i never damage the seals.
The burner is raised on the civilian version and it means you can use it on any surface ,they are also very stable especially when compared to some of the as stoves.
Thats my model 25 being used in a boat.
Note the sides of th ekettle are black ,I now use industrial spirits and this eliminates the soot deposit (caused by the purple dye) and reduces the meths odour.
The simple aluminium and brass construction and the simplicity of the burner mean you can use it around salt water without corrosion problems.
I use mine for fry up's ,for boiling potatoes and making stew and have never found them lacking in heat output but i have replaced the standard pan on mine and replaced them with non stick versions which make sfrying fish etc. much easier.
A pot of Irish stew
A great little extra the green plastic "multi disc" that protects the non stick pan and can be used to drain rice or pasta and as a chopping block..
They are slow but not ridiculously so and when your in the woods ,whats the rush ?
The only problem i find is the pots dont lend themselves to being used over an open fire which would make them even more versatile.
Stainless pots and a pot hanger would remedy this but add more weight.
I like the look of the clickstand and im sure i will try one sooner or later.
rb
The military versions are great value ,reliable and great for using over an open fire if required especially the stainless version.
The main disadvantage is the burner sits on the ground so you have to be careful what surface you use it on.
The civilian versions are very good ,more expensive than the military versions but not expensive when you compare them to other cook systems where you have to buy wind shields and pots separately.
It has been mentioned that they are bulky but there are a couple of version to choose from and as they contain a wind shield and a full set of pots they are actually quite compact.
I use trangia fuel bottles and have never had a problem with them leaking.
That's a 1 litre trangia fuel bottle on the left (500ml version also available) with a model 27 on the right.
I use a firesteel to light mine and always install the wind shield before i light it ,a match will blow out but a spark from a firesteel "jumps" right into the burner and this works in even the worst weather conditions and i have never been unable to light mine using this method.
I use mine when beach fishing in storms and have never had a failure.
I use the simmer ring to extinguish the burner and so i never damage the seals.
The burner is raised on the civilian version and it means you can use it on any surface ,they are also very stable especially when compared to some of the as stoves.
Thats my model 25 being used in a boat.
Note the sides of th ekettle are black ,I now use industrial spirits and this eliminates the soot deposit (caused by the purple dye) and reduces the meths odour.
The simple aluminium and brass construction and the simplicity of the burner mean you can use it around salt water without corrosion problems.
I use mine for fry up's ,for boiling potatoes and making stew and have never found them lacking in heat output but i have replaced the standard pan on mine and replaced them with non stick versions which make sfrying fish etc. much easier.
A pot of Irish stew
A great little extra the green plastic "multi disc" that protects the non stick pan and can be used to drain rice or pasta and as a chopping block..
They are slow but not ridiculously so and when your in the woods ,whats the rush ?
The only problem i find is the pots dont lend themselves to being used over an open fire which would make them even more versatile.
Stainless pots and a pot hanger would remedy this but add more weight.
I like the look of the clickstand and im sure i will try one sooner or later.
rb
i choosea sweedish army mess tin ALL the time just becasue its reliable and i have never had any problems of leaky bottles or faulty burners though i still dont mind using gas though i just find it fiddly when your cooking a pot of water over it,also whats the rush of boiling everything? take your time and enjoy yourself!! ack:
ack:
I love the Trangia (Swedish Army stove)
1)Like Rappid my Trangia fuel bottle is the nuts and never leaks
2)For those searching for a cheaper meths setup checkout the new Argos catalogue, looks the same as the Trangia
3) I really want a stainless steel Trangia Swedish Army mess set can someone please point me in the right direction?
I know they are heavier and take longer to heat, but I want one for an open fire.
Cheers
1)Like Rappid my Trangia fuel bottle is the nuts and never leaks
2)For those searching for a cheaper meths setup checkout the new Argos catalogue, looks the same as the Trangia
3) I really want a stainless steel Trangia Swedish Army mess set can someone please point me in the right direction?
I know they are heavier and take longer to heat, but I want one for an open fire.
Cheers
Horses for courses.
I've used the same civvi spec trangia for over 25 years. Bombproof, the ultimate in stability, leave it outside in a gale and it goes like a train. Downside is bulk and a truly lousy fuel. These days I still use it for car camping, carry a 110g isobutane cylinder and a crux gas stove inside a crusader mug in my bumbag for days out, and a high output primus himalaya gas stove for weekends. If I was travelling abroad or headed out for a couple of weeks I'd definately take petrol / naptha because it's the most common energy dense fuel.
I reckon the D's B's for trips in europe has to be the new clickstand setup with a trangia gas conversion - awesome idea. :biggthump
I've used the same civvi spec trangia for over 25 years. Bombproof, the ultimate in stability, leave it outside in a gale and it goes like a train. Downside is bulk and a truly lousy fuel. These days I still use it for car camping, carry a 110g isobutane cylinder and a crux gas stove inside a crusader mug in my bumbag for days out, and a high output primus himalaya gas stove for weekends. If I was travelling abroad or headed out for a couple of weeks I'd definately take petrol / naptha because it's the most common energy dense fuel.
I reckon the D's B's for trips in europe has to be the new clickstand setup with a trangia gas conversion - awesome idea. :biggthump
I have 3 Triangias-A 27 Duossal, Alu Military and Mini one. I am mainly out in the treeless highlands of Scotland and if you want a laugh watch people with a gas burner build walls of rocks, rucksacks and occaisonally themselves in high winds. All to stop the flame blowing out or the heat going sideways.
Me in high winds? Wondering if I should turn the shield away from the wind as the flames are too high! In bad weather the Trangia wins hands down. In good weather it doesn't but you need heat and hot food in bad weather alot more than on a sunny day.
As for the oldest in use my mate Graemes was bought in '82 - 23 years. We used last year taking our sons away for the first time into the wilds.
Great piece of kit. recommend the Duossal version with a non stick pan and a Multi disc. Firesteel to light and your complete.
Try not to carry fuel in the burner as it will leak, let it cool and pour it back in the bottle. Siggs for me.
Me in high winds? Wondering if I should turn the shield away from the wind as the flames are too high! In bad weather the Trangia wins hands down. In good weather it doesn't but you need heat and hot food in bad weather alot more than on a sunny day.
As for the oldest in use my mate Graemes was bought in '82 - 23 years. We used last year taking our sons away for the first time into the wilds.
Great piece of kit. recommend the Duossal version with a non stick pan and a Multi disc. Firesteel to light and your complete.
Try not to carry fuel in the burner as it will leak, let it cool and pour it back in the bottle. Siggs for me.
I've got a catalytic gaz stove and it's wonderful. No stink, no flame blow outs, easily obtainable refills and quick.
The disadvantages, heavyish and that it can take a while to cool down, aren't problems for me. The empty refills go in the recycling bin and the partially used canisters end up in the workshop for blow torches, etc.
I don't do extremes though, so I'd concede that I don't know how the cat stoves would do under more rigorous situations.
Toddy
The disadvantages, heavyish and that it can take a while to cool down, aren't problems for me. The empty refills go in the recycling bin and the partially used canisters end up in the workshop for blow torches, etc.
I don't do extremes though, so I'd concede that I don't know how the cat stoves would do under more rigorous situations.
Toddy
Danceswithhelicopters said:
I absolutetely agree, Dances! I avoided trangias at first because of the cost, but a couple of attempts at gas in the mountains quicklychanged my mind. I'm now the proud owner of a 25-8 duossal, and I'm not looking back!
Mal
