What to expect from a Trangia

[British Red]

Okay Rik - if you can find a way to stop the pump failing on an MSR Dragonfly I'd love to hear how! I've had two of those plasticcy bits of junk just fail to make pressure due to to "plastic fatigue" - put me right off them to be honest. I've heard of many others who had to replace the whole pump. I have heard that they've improved it now, but having my stove fail on me twice means I have lost all confidence in the thing - it now sits unused in a stuffsack.

Red

 

[rik_uk3]

Okay Rik - if you can find a way to stop the pump failing on an MSR Dragonfly I'd love to hear how! I've had two of those plasticcy bits of junk just fail to make pressure due to to "plastic fatigue" - put me right off them to be honest. I've heard of many others who had to replace the whole pump. I have heard that they've improved it now, but having my stove fail on me twice means I have lost all confidence in the thing - it now sits unused in a stuffsack.

Red

Simple, throw it in the bin, the plastic pumps are well known for failure, the newer ones are better, but stick to a Primus or Optimus for real reliability and performance

 

[British Red]

mmmmm

You can see why after a costly investment in pumps I just plain don't trust them now though. The nice thing with a Trangia is it really can't go so wrong it doesn't work at all

Thanks for the help on the "how to maintain them" though

Red

 

[Martyn]

mmmmm

You can see why after a costly investment in pumps I just plain don't trust them now though.

The MSR is well known for having a crappy pump.

The optimus or primus models are extremely robust. The older stoves particularly, are almost indestructible. They rarely need more than a polish and a new pump leather to put another 20 years of life into them.

As rik has shown, it's fairly easy to put a cheap, old optimus stove into a trangia windshield to make a fairly cheap, powerful, controllable, efficient and relatively lightweight stove.

Trangias are fine, they are simple and light, but they are very limited. They lack power and are not very efficient. If you understand their limitations and use them accordingly, they are great. But if you want to melt snow and cook chilli and rice for 4 people, you are going to be thirsty and hungry. Sometimes you just need 10,000 BTU's.

I know rik doesnt like em cos they are not very versatile (which is absolutely true), but the jetboil has it's uses too. A couple of weeks ago we were at a battle re-enactment and I brewed up while standing chatting to a couple of folks (standing room only in the crowd). I was holding the jectboil in my hand for the 3 something minutes it took to boil 2 mugs of water. The brew kit was packed away back in my daysack before we had finished the brew. For an on-the-fly brewup, they are unbeatable.

 

[Minotaur]

mmmmm

You can see why after a costly investment in pumps I just plain don't trust them now though. The nice thing with a Trangia is it really can't go so wrong it doesn't work at all

Thanks for the help on the "how to maintain them" though

Red

Red is right, that is one of the other big things with them, they are almost impossible to break.

 

[John Fenna]

I have used Trangias, burning only meths - no fancy rigs - on exped for numerous years.
These expeds ranged from Hungary, Croatia, Ghana, Morrocco, to South Africa and the stoves were issued on a basis of 1stove (large round civi model) to 3 or four persons.
The meals tended to be simple pasta and sauce type afairs, sometimes rice, sometimes scrambled eggs.
The pans fared equally well on open fires - when we would do more adventurous meals as we could grill meat etc as well as use the pots and pans. The pans can fake up a pretty good oven for bread rolls as well.
I never had a stove fail
I quite like Trangias as a foolproof (almost - there was the time a twit from Guildford spilt burning meths over the floor of a school we were in, and tried to put it out with water...) robust, simple and effective cook system that works even when having been bashed, battered and soaked in river rapids. Or halfway up a mountain in the rain. Or burning "non aproved" spirit (moonshine). Or in ideal circs on the odd occassion life has been good!
It is a pity that they take a while to cook a full meal - but that gives you time to relax!
I like 'em for their simplicity and robustness, not their speed!

 

[Andy2112]

I have used Trangias, burning only meths - no fancy rigs - on exped for numerous years.
These expeds ranged from Hungary, Croatia, Ghana, Morrocco, to South Africa and the stoves were issued on a basis of 1stove (large round civi model) to 3 or four persons.
The meals tended to be simple pasta and sauce type afairs, sometimes rice, sometimes scrambled eggs.
The pans fared equally well on open fires - when we would do more adventurous meals as we could grill meat etc as well as use the pots and pans. The pans can fake up a pretty good oven for bread rolls as well.
I never had a stove fail
I quite like Trangias as a foolproof (almost - there was the time a twit from Guildford spilt burning meths over the floor of a school we were in, and tried to put it out with water...) robust, simple and effective cook system that works even when having been bashed, battered and soaked in river rapids. Or halfway up a mountain in the rain. Or burning "non aproved" spirit (moonshine). Or in ideal circs on the odd occassion life has been good!
It is a pity that they take a while to cook a full meal - but that gives you time to relax!
I like 'em for their simplicity and robustness, not their speed!

I agree with John's comments, i have had mine over 20 yrs but converted it to gas, recently got the army version and will be trying it out very soon. Unbreakable but batterable.

 

[Peter_t]

iv got a SS Swedish army trangia and am growing to love it, although i am thinking of replacing the original burner with the tanoka which is more fuel efficient. i dont think its a problem being a little slow, just be more organised. if your going backpacking etc. when you stop to set up camp get a meal on then let it cook while you set up camp. in the morning do the same, get breakfast on while you pack up and if your just camping and not on the move whats the rush??
also i find you dont have to constantly watch over it because the more gentle heat cooks your food evenly so you dont have to stir it all the time to stop food sticking as with high power gas stoves

pete

 

[mjk123]

>>the jetboil has it's uses too. A couple of weeks ago we were at a battle re-enactment and I brewed up while standing chatting to a couple of folks...

Surely the JetBoil loses out on authenticity.

 

[spamel]

I feel the comments on melting snow are quite ridiculous! We're in Britain for crying out loud, when do we ever get snow?! As I said before, Scruff cooked a fantastic meal for three on a trangia and it could have been a bigger meal if required. Not knowing how to use the stove and then putting it down and saying it is inadequate speaks volumes for the skill of those people. Read the manual, try it out a bit more often than once a year and you may start to get on with it. If it is such a crap design, why is it still going strong all these years later? Face it, you don't know how to use it, it's as simple as that. No need to run it down though.

As to the pumps that Red had problems with, plastic isn't reliable I agree. Saying that, my Optimus Nova Plus needed modification from new to stop the leather cup from pulling over the securing nut. For an item that is supposed to be top of the range, I felt that the price of a small washer to stop any fault occuring is a small price to pay myself, let alone for the company that makes the thing. I wonder how many people sent theirs back when the pump failed, for a full refund and to never buy Optimus stoves ever again?

 

[British Red]

Interesting views all. I do and will refute the view that Trangias are not controlable or that they burn food. I do accept that they aren't as quick as some - although in my experience the "after burner" cookers have as much control problem as a Trangia (if not more). I will also concede that if melting snow is your bag then you probably want something pretty intense.

All of that said, these days, reliability is it for me. Having dumped a load of cash on a very expensive stove and had pumps fail on me, I hope my reasons for being "pump averse" are clear - personal experience says pumps can and do fail. I will buy the fact that others can be serviced etc. and are perhaps more reliable than the truly godawful experiences of pump stoves I have had but, ultimately, its just "more to go wrong" in my book now.

Its quite possible to cook a very acceptable lemon chicken and basmati rice, beef tortillas (including fresh tortillas) etc. on a Trangia. Although I will say buy the non stick pans if possible - makes a huge difference. In the UK, whats the rush? If it takes a few minutes, its time to prep the ingredients and soak up the scenery.

As for chilli and rice - the right way to solve it is of course a "camp cook off" . Chillis from scratch naturally

Red

 

[spamel]

I wouldn't be able to cook a bannock on my Optimus Nova Plus, it doesn't go low enough and it has quite a good flame adjustment. No, my money is on open fire then trangia/hobo stove.

 

[Bernie Garland]

Well i was on the Mors course with Red and saw what's possible to cook on a trangia,day one Red collected crab apples and blackberrys on a walk, we got back and he knocked up a batter and cooked pancakes on it,before any one knocks them get out with Red and see whats possible.Red cooked all his meals and sometimes Graham shared with him,and all there meals where cooked quicker than mine, and ours where on my open fire barbi arrangement

Bernie

 

[spamel]

Did it cope with melting the snow Bernie!

 

[Bernie Garland]

Did it cope with melting the snow Bernie!

Not a lot about to be honest Spam,but if there was,id have listened to Red, and asked him if there was any chance of chillie and rice for four,

Bernie

 

[British Red]

Not a lot about to be honest Spam,but if there was,id have listened to Red, and asked him if there was any chance of chillie and rice for four,

Bernie

Aaah chilli is a doddle - my favourites are something Chinese probably - lemon Chicken - Shredded chilli beef and carrots - stuff like that.

I remember BB knocking up a Chinese meal from entirely fresh ingredients over an open fire using a belt knife - from using a peeled branch as a rolling pin to using a ziplock bag to coat meat pieces in cornflour (that was transported in old body shop mini shampoo bottles - as was lemon juice, soy, etc.).

Anything is doable on the fire or trangia - from a banquet to a decent bannock (this one had wild cherries and brown sugar)

Chillis is my speciality however - 16 has been my largest to date but I have bigger pans now (although none that fit on my Trangia )

Red

 

[Bernie Garland]

Aaah chilli is a doddle - my favourites are something Chinese probably - lemon Chicken - Shredded chilli beef and carrots - stuff like that.

I remember BB knocking up a Chinese meal from entirely fresh ingredients over an open fire using a belt knife - from using a peeled branch as a rolling pin to using a ziplock bag to coat meat pieces in cornflour (that was transported in old body shop mini shampoo bottles - as was lemon juice, soy, etc.).

Anything is doable on the fire or trangia - from a banquet to a decent bannock (this one had wild cherries and brown sugar)

Chillis is my speciality however - 16 has been my largest to date but I have bigger pans now (although none that fit on my Trangia )

Red

But some people get out and try things Red,unlike popping down the backyard and playing.

Bernie

 

[spamel]

One of the Trangia billy cans might be a sound investment Red, you can easily cater for four people with one, and you could knock up far more exciting meals than a chilli.

 

[bikething]

..... and you could knock up far more exciting meals than a chilli.

I dunno, I've some fairly exciting chillies in my time

 

[British Red]

Aaah I'm not averse to "playing" myself if all else fails - its not a competition at days end!

I guess all I meant to say is that I can knock out what I consider a decent meal on a Trangia - from scratch - not "rat pack" stuff. The same clearly applied to your "monster grill" - I have to say the chops you had on looked really good!!

For me - its about being able to rely on your kit - then learning to use it well. I have been in terrains where the Trangia wouldn't be first pick for me. But if we are talking "worldwide equipment" then we should talk equally freely about other equipment thats suitable to those terrains - from firearms to survival kits. If we are talking "in the UK you are never out of cellphone range" then I suspect a Trangia is just fine

Red