What to expect from a Trangia

[spamel]

You can always chuck your Nova burner in instead of the meths burner. Weight must be a minimal increase and you get a storm proof, self contained cook set. And for those who say aluminium will give you trench foot or whatever (!) you can get the pots in various finishes so they are spot on IMO.

 

[Intertidal]

I've had a Trangia (3 actually) over the last 20-odd years. Before that I used my parents Gaz (super-bluet) stove, which was useless in any breeze. The initial attraction of the trangia was that they have their own windshield, are very stable, and the meths fuel is pretty clean compared to parafin or coleman fuel, and evaporates if spilt.
Downsides - meths is pretty poor fuel, so they drink a bit. In addition, if you're in the mountains and need to melt snow - they're cr@p! Finally, the all alloy construction doesn't like seawater so for coastal folk and sea-kayakers like me, they are not perfect.
Nevertheless I still like 'em, but I've also got an MSR dragonfly for long trips and winter/alpine stuff when snowmelting is essential.
Should've said too there is very little to go wrong with a trangia and it all packs up in a tidy bundle - made a bag for mine.
N

 

[Chainsaw]

Used one last weekend on a 4 day canoe trip down the spey, used it far more than my whisperlite and about the same as my ghillie kettle. Utterly reliable and quite adjustable. Cooked everything from pasta to steak, peppers and mushrooms to custard. My whisperlite burner even fits in the pot beside the meths burner. I like 'em

Cheers,

Alan

 

[Sniper]

I've got a Swedish army kit and simply love it, although I did buy the Tatonka burner from Lurch cos it has a longer burning time. I've cooked boil in the bag ratpacs, and fresh pasta, I've used it to fry breakfast sausages, eggs, and bacon, and made bannock on it. I've never tasted fuel on the food and found that a bottle of meths will last me a full weekend no problem. I have also used the pots on a fire and found them great. I have other types but tend to use the trangia for simplicity, no working parts to go wrong. As Toddy mentioned we are lucky up here in that we can have fires in many places but it is always good to have the security of a backup, and for me that is the Trangia.

 

[Humpback]

A pot cosy is the ideal companion for a trangia. They're very easy to make from bubble wrap or a foam mat, if you don't want to buy a commercial one. They're very effective and save a lot in fuel.

I'm interested in this. How do you use it re cooking times? Are there any specific www sites you would point me to on their use?
Alan

 

[John Fenna]

I have always thought of the Trangia as totally foolproof and an ideal fall back when you cannot have a wood fire for whatever reason.
When you can have an open fire then the pots work well on these as well.
OK meths is not as fast a fuel as some systems, but it does the job and is easy to come by in almost any country. The pots stack, the flame is adfjustable (ish) there is nowt to break or fail and there is good windshielding!
In emergency conditions you can even use Vodka or similar booze to fuel the stove!
Wood, meths, bio-alchohol, booze - a true multi-fuel cooking system!
Having said all this I also use a Jet-boil, standard gas stoves, Hobos and solid fuel stoves as well - all have their place.
But only if a real fire is not an option!

 

[rik_uk3]

Having said all this I also use a Jet-boil

What on earth are you doing with a Jet Boil John, hope you got it free, if you want a little dinky water boiler, at least get the Primus ETA Express

Trangia, well its all been said, bomb proof, 100% reliable, works very well in high winds, practise with the simmer ring on the burner to get at least a 45 minute simmer time, and you can easily fit an Omnifuel/Nova/Booster liquid fuel burner which gives you what IMHO is the best winter cooking system available. Model 27 is the smaller kit, the 25 the bigger one.

The army kit is OK for what it is, but its too small for making a proper meal like a hearty stew, and they don't burn as fast as a real Trangia and too heavy for what they are. You can use the army version over an open fire, but the real Trangia has a pot gripper and I've used the pans on a fire without problem (you can easily rig wire bales for the 25 or 27 pans)

Modified Trangia clone (Lidl, very good quality) using and Optimus 111T burner, knocks the socks off a Jet Boil

click image

 

[John Fenna]

What on earth are you doing with a Jet Boil John, hope you got it free,
QUOTE]

Cummon Rik - you know me!
Actually I find it a little more packable than your alternative - it fits in my daysack pocket quite tidy-like....

 

[rik_uk3]

What on earth are you doing with a Jet Boil John, hope you got it free,
QUOTE]

Cummon Rik - you know me!
Actually I find it a little more packable than your alternative - it fits in my daysack pocket quite tidy-like....

John, try and 'review' one of these, Luke has one, very good little gizzmo it is too, and its small enough for your daysack pocket (boils quicker than the JB too )

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260294295644

 

[John Fenna]

John, try and 'review' one of these, Luke has one, very good little gizzmo it is too, and its small enough for your daysack pocket (boils quicker than the JB too )

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260294295644

Erm - looks good
But the Primus main dealers dont wub me and dont give me nice toys to play with...
Last year at Outdoor Trade Show the guy on their stand was so rude to be I binned all the press releases and catalogues from their stand in the nearest recepticle!
However - this year I found that Optimus are still in action - and some of their stuff has to be seen to be believed!
Remember the Svea and Hiker models?
And they do a Trangia adapter....
Primus - go whistle!

 

[rik_uk3]

Remember the Svea and Hiker models?
And they do a Trangia adapter....
Primus - go whistle!

Got em all John

I think that Optimus is now owned by Silva?

 

[scanker]

I'm interested in this. How do you use it re cooking times? Are there any specific www sites you would point me to on their use?
Alan

It's all a bit trial and error really. The cosy is very effective at keeping the contents of a billy warm. I did an experiment somewhere, I'll find the thread. There wasn't any interest at the time. http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21769

Some info at: http://zenstoves.net/PotAccessories.htm

 

[malcolmc]

I'm curious as to how capable the alcohol fueled Trangia stoves are.

Are they merely good for heating water for tea or coffee, soup perhaps?

Or will they actually put out enough heat to cook up some meat or someting similar for one or two people?

I’m very happy with my Swedish Army SS version. It’s just the right size for boil in the bag meals, I’ve not tried it but I think it would take 2, and there’s just the right amount of hot water left for me (but probably not another) to have a brew or soup , it's not quick, but then I’m usually doing something else whilst it’s brewing - it always takes longer when you watch it. Not so good for a fry-up, but then I shouldn’t be eating them anyway.

 

[mjk123]

>>John, try and 'review' one of these, Luke has one, very good little gizzmo it is too, and its small enough for your daysack pocket (boils quicker than the JB too )

>>http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...26 0294295644

But this is almost exactly like a JetBoil, just 50% more expensive. Both have the corrugated base plate thingmy. Both pack everything inside. The JetBoil boil time for a cup of tea is about 1 minute. Barely time to sort your tea bag about and find your biccies. Any quicker is a bit overkill. The only genuine advantage is the non stick coating.

ODOO.tv made a review. He concluded that the windshield wasn't very stable.

The only reason I don't take my trangia (copy; but very robust) out on solo trips is the bulk; it won't fit into a side pocket. Nor would the Primus, I think.

 

[korvin karbon]

primus to bulky. Jetboil for me and a coffee tin for open fires.

KISS is the word

 

[Rothley Bill]

I have both the civilian Round version with a kettle, 24 years old and on its 3rd burner, and the military version (new toy). They are fool proof in operation and whilst they do use a bit of fuel that just means your pack gets lighter. I have used mine over most of europe and up in the far north of norway.

For me the advantage of the army version is that I can use it over a camp fire without doubling up on pots.

An amazingly simplistic design.

Ramble over

 

[rik_uk3]

>>John, try and 'review' one of these, Luke has one, very good little gizzmo it is too, and its small enough for your daysack pocket (boils quicker than the JB too )

>>http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...26 0294295644

But this is almost exactly like a JetBoil, just 50% more expensive. Both have the corrugated base plate thingmy. Both pack everything inside. The JetBoil boil time for a cup of tea is about 1 minute. Barely time to sort your tea bag about and find your biccies. Any quicker is a bit overkill. The only genuine advantage is the non stick coating.

ODOO.tv made a review. He concluded that the windshield wasn't very stable.

The only reason I don't take my trangia (copy; but very robust) out on solo trips is the bulk; it won't fit into a side pocket. Nor would the Primus, I think.

No, the ETA Express is only about £10 more, and it all packs away in the mug you get. Me, I don't much like either of them, they are not really a cooker, just water boilers, very limited IMHO

There are some good Trangia clones about, the Lidl version is very good and I have others which work well, but the pans are not as robust.

 

[Minotaur]

Finally found the gas conversion.

It depends what you want to do with it.

For general use there is nothing better.

 

[Martyn]

It just takes a modicum of skill and cooking ability Mikey. They are vastly more reliable than silly wasteful polluting things like gas canisters (no-one who actually cares about the planet uses them surely?). Far lower "tech" than all that silly pumping rubbish (and regularly "failing" rubbish) that goes on with liquid pressure stoves.

PS - if you can't cook on a Trangia, God help you on an open fire.

Maybe get a nice big gas one would be right - and a caravan to go round it? Sound easier for the culinarily challenged who just burn stuff

What a load of preachy rubbish.

I'm a fan of the trangia for what they do, Lord knows I've enough of the damned things. They do what they say on the tin, they make stuff hot - eventually. Nothing more.

 

[rik_uk3]

It just takes a modicum of skill and cooking ability Mikey. They are vastly more reliable than silly wasteful polluting things like gas canisters (no-one who actually cares about the planet uses them surely?). Far lower "tech" than all that silly pumping rubbish (and regularly "failing" rubbish) that goes on with liquid pressure stoves.

PS - if you can't cook on a Trangia, God help you on an open fire.

Maybe get a nice big gas one would be right - and a caravan to go round it? Sound easier for the culinarily challenged who just burn stuff

My liquid fuel stoves don't fail Red, if you do own any and are unsure how to use or maintain them, drop me a PM and I'll help you out