trangia argument

[zeBarOOn]

I just made a hobo set up and with a meths burner as a backup (in case I can't use contained fire)
It took 4:37 to bring 250ml of water to the boil with the trangia - this was tested at home so no wind conditions.
So IMO I'm happy with the speed of making a brew using my little trangia.

 

[Nonsuch]

These SIGG's were designed for the 123, great setup

I've got one of these Sigg set-ups too - they are fantastic

NS

 

[soulstar1963]

It would appear from the comments made here and from what i've seen on you tube, that the search for the holy grail of stoves goes on. The arguments for and against gas/meths will always be there. In a good many cases gas is quicker and more controllable, however, gas stoves are nearly always more expensive and normally louder. Two reasons for me to go down the meths road. The trangia design is a classic, otherwise it wouldn't have been around for so long. The problem i see with them is they are so slow to get up to temperature. With my own stove i have the choice of a fast boil time ( one pint of tap water, not room temeprature, to a rolling boil in 3 and a half minutes if required with 1 fluid ounce of meths), a boil time of around 6 minutes without the extra priming pan ( cut down tuna can ) and a burn time of around 12 to 13 minutes on one fluid ounce of meths. It cannot go wrong, no moving parts, it's light around 2 and a half - 3 ounces, including windscreen and at that weight i can afford to carry a spare just in case i tread on it. They easily fits inside my cookset along with my spork, cloths, sponge/scourer, pot grabber, washing up liquid, spare bowl and windshield. With the low fuel consumption one litre of meths will easily last me a week, allowing me to bring to a rolling boil around 5 five pints of water a day if i wanted to. As regards the cost, well mine cost me nothing, made from a cat food can, a cut down tuna can and a cut down lynx deoderant can with a little fibreglass matting and loft insulation i had lying around. It takes around 20 minutes to make and i have to say gives me more satisfaction when i'm out using it knowing i made it myself and it's all recycled materials.

Sorry almost forgot, as regards the o ring in the trangia, i never had a problem with it. If i have a simmer ring i have used that fully closed as a snuffer, failing that just the use the lid. If it's turned upside down and placed onto the stove for a split second that will put it out without damaging the o ring. I used a trangia, both military and civi for years without ever replacing or removing the o ring (not easy with cold fingers)

 

[Dozza]

This is an old thread but on balance having read some of it the Swedish kit is on my shopping list. It also addresses a billy can as the main pot can be hung over an open fire too if needed. Shames it's alu and not SS but anyway.
Just wondering: what happens if you put petrol instead of meths in the burner? :OD

 

[rik_uk3]

This is an old thread but on balance having read some of it the Swedish kit is on my shopping list. It also addresses a billy can as the main pot can be hung over an open fire too if needed. Shames it's alu and not SS but anyway.
Just wondering: what happens if you put petrol instead of meths in the burner? :OD

Very good chance you will burn yourself in the ignition flash, please don't do it.

 

[mayfly]

Nice old thread still going Is it still possible to get 'clean' meths in UK for a Trangia? I am about to start using my old one again, just sorting some new seals for the lids, and wondering about the clean fuel option. Chris

 

[mayfly]

By clean I mean un-dyed pure meths.

 

[MrEd]

This is an old thread but on balance having read some of it the Swedish kit is on my shopping list. It also addresses a billy can as the main pot can be hung over an open fire too if needed. Shames it's alu and not SS but anyway.

i think you can get a SS version, but you might have to shop around and pay more

 

[Dozza]

Very good chance you will burn yourself in the ignition flash, please don't do it.

Thanks. What about diesel or paraffin? The flash point of petrol is much lower than ethanol, the main component of meths but that of diesel and paraffin are much higher? Just curious now as to whether there are multi-fuel possibilities...

 

[rik_uk3]

Thanks. What about diesel or paraffin? The flash point of petrol is much lower than ethanol, the main component of meths but that of diesel and paraffin are much higher? Just curious now as to whether there are multi-fuel possibilities...

Dozza, please, please just stick to meths, you can use ethanol or methanol but leave out petrol etc. If you want multifuel buy a Primus Omnifuel.

 

[Dozza]

Dozza, please, please just stick to meths, you can use ethanol or methanol but leave out petrol etc. If you want multifuel buy a Primus Omnifuel.

Righty-dokey skip.
(Although according to the blurb on some Ebay ads I have seen, you can use paraffin. I wouldn't risk having methanol around).

 

[soulstar1963]

you can get ss swedish trangias they are quite common

 

[Thoth]

I use a Trangia with meths for trips of a week to 10 days and find my (leek proof trangia) 1l fuel bottle lasts a week. For weekend trips I use the gas burner (for instant gratification). If I'm on day hikes I use a MSR pocket-rocket with a titanium pot that holds the stove & 100 gas cart (small, light, instant gratification). For visits into my local woods I take a Honey Stove & crusader mug (pleasing real fire). Horses for courses!

 

[rik_uk3]

You want something no ttoo heavy and quick to cook. Trangia burners only go for so long before you need to refil them (20 to 30 minutes) and if you cn cook your food in that time thats the best.

Breakfasts - just go for ceaeals or ceareal bars to save washin gup first thing in the morning

Lunch, again go for sandwiches to avoid washing up.

You can make a hot drink with either since that is just boiling water

No, you should get up to 50 minutes burn if you use the simmer ring well (proper Trangia now, not the military POS)

 

[Dozza]

you can get ss swedish trangias they are quite common

Yes - I have found somewhere to get one. A bit more expensive and heavier but probably easier to clean.
First though I need to sell my 1962 (!) US Field Cook Set - unused as it was a bit big for my pack on a week long outing. It's two nesting alu billy cans with a stainless steel combo lid / plate / frying pan. £14 delivered if anyone interested here...?

 

[al21]

I've got to say I'm a big fan of my Trangia. We have all sorts of stoves and my T25 is still regularly used.

A couple of things I've not seen mentioned in this thread: After using a Trangia everything seems unstable by comparison and for those complaining about slow boiling times; you'll find that the burner improves as it is used more. A bit like being run in.

The trouble is with these polls, there's no such thing as 'the ultimate stove'. They all have advantages and disadvantages depending on when, where and what they're being used for.

I like my little Bushcooker for brew stops when out pootling, but have used a two ring gas burner off a 3.9Kg propane bottle for group canoe trips, but you should know my T25 cooked eggy bread for our family of four a treat this weekend.

Must say I fancy one of those paraffin burners for the T25. Are they still available? I couldn't find any retailers from a quick google search.

 

[myotis]

Must say I fancy one of those paraffin burners for the T25. Are they still available? I couldn't find any retailers from a quick google search.

Depends what you mean by "paraffin" burner.

The Trangia burner for paraffin (ie the one that Trangia sell) is a multi-fuel burner, originally made by Optimus and now by Primus.

Googling "trangia multi fuel" brought up lots of hits. In the UK all the hits suggested they were still selling the older optimus model, which is an excellent burner, but the new Primus burner will also run on resealable gas canisters. Trangia do not recommend running the liquid fuel burners in the Trangia 27 because of the amount if heat they produce and the risk of damaging the aluminium.

But you can buy a Primus Omnifuel or Optimus Nova (and others), remove the legs and using a cheap adaptor (£7.00 or there abouts http://www.base-camp.co.uk/Optimus.html part 9101) fit the burner into the Trangia.

The more famous conversion is probably the kap arctic (no longer available) using the burner from an Optimus 111 stove, but adaptors are available to "roll your own" See http://kotisivu.dnainternet.net/luontola/ultimate/index_eng.htm for some details.

But you need a burner form a second hand Optimus 111, plus the fuel pump and fuel hose from a modern Optimus Nova or Primus Omnifuel, plus the adaptors available from the link to put it all together.

With the exception of the official Trangia multifuel burners, most of the conversions need you to make an extra hole in the Trangia to allow access to both the fuel hose and the fuel control knobs.

I have both a Optimus 111t and primus Omnifuel burners adapted to run in a Trangia 25 and the combination is tremendous. Heat build up is scary, and the wind shielding together with the heat retention makes priming the liquid fuel stoves much easier than when relying on conventional wrap round windshields.

The big advantage of the 111t option is that uses a silent burner , which is a lot more pleasant than the roar of the modern Multifuel stoves. Unless you fit a Berniedawg silent burner, but demand rather outstrips supply for these http://home.comcast.net/~bigdog660/Bluewater_Stove_Restoration/Main_Page.html

Graham

 

[trekkingnut]

im in love with anything msr... and whilst trangias are good for packing up etc... for one person they are a bit of a waist of weight, time and effort. i use msn titatnium pots and a whisperlite international for expeditions (used up to 5500mtrs in the andes with no loss of heat) and a pocket rocket for uk stuff.

if you want a trangia, buy a cheap pot and make a penny stove!

 

[trekkingnut]

in fact.... even if you have a trangia, make a penny stove anyway... for an extra FIVE GRAMS you can get two pots on the go from your trangia set at the same time...... thats got to be a bonus... tea and dinner simultaneously!

 

[al21]

Depends what you mean by "paraffin" burner.

It's the Kap Arctic that interests me.

The more famous conversion is probably the kap arctic (no longer available) using the burner from an Optimus 111 stove, but adaptors are available to "roll your own" See http://kotisivu.dnainternet.net/luontola/ultimate/index_eng.htm for some details.

Thanks for the info and link.

But you need a burner form a second hand Optimus 111, plus the fuel pump and fuel hose from a modern Optimus Nova or Primus Omnifuel, plus the adaptors available from the link to put it all together.

Hmm, buying a stove to cannibalise then a load more stuff to get. While it would be nice to have it looks to be getting overly complex and expensive for my tastes.

The big advantage of the 111t option is that uses a silent burner , which is a lot more pleasant than the roar of the modern Multifuel stoves. Unless you fit a Berniedawg silent burner, but demand rather outstrips supply for these http://home.comcast.net/~bigdog660/Bluewater_Stove_Restoration/Main_Page.html

Graham

The silent burner is a must for me, I've had my fill of being in a beautiful place enjoying the peace and have that shattered by a XGK or Dragonfly doing its 747 take off impression. Not what it's all about for me.

Thanks for taking the time to post the links and info Graham, much appreciated!

Al