Touring - Trangia Alcohol Burners

Mt. Rogers Outfitters (www.mtrogersoutfitters.com) sells the Trangia burners for $13.00, including postage. I built a windscreen/potholder for it from aluminum flashing. The total cost of the stove, including a two quart aluminum pot, was $18.00.

I haven't used the Trangia before but I've heard good things about it.

Funny, I was just looking at a bike touring website that listed a Tranqia as a good choice for a stove.Then I see this here... I guess the bike-gods want me to go to alcohol...in a stove anyway.:)

If you haven't already visited, here is a site that may be of some interest too you...

http://www.outdoorreview.com/

You can also make your own using Pepsi cans. I've made a few but never tested them
in the field. They work well indoors.

Alcohol Stoves (http://wings.interfree.it/html/main.html)

I have used many different alchohol stoves in many different conditions.

I like the idea, BUT alchohol stoves take much longer to cook/boil than gas stoves and much more fuel is used so you have to haul a lot more fuel.

Did you know that a good source of cheap alchohol fuel is automotive gasoline treatment. Be sure that it is pure alchohol - get the stuff that removes moisture from gas lines. This is the stuff that is sold in winter climates. Cost is a bout $0.33 per pint if you get it on sale. Still, less than a buck at regular price.

The Trangia stove is the 'standard issue' stove to the majority of European boy scouts.

They are reasonibly safe, almost indestructable, will cook at good meal for upto 3 people and it's easy to find the fuel, best of all they pack up including all the pots and pans into a small bag, and are probably the lightest stove you can get for less than three figures.

We use Methalayted Spirit here, a product that can be found in any hardware store as it is also used as a paint cleaning agent

I sometimes use the mini Trianga stove. Yes, it does take longer to cook, but you don't waste time with setup/breakdown like I do when I use my Whisperlite. It's also a whole bunch lighter which makes up for needing to carry more fuel. Plus, you don't need a heavy metal pressurized fuel container--plastic will do--thus saving more weight. In addition, buying small amounts of alcohol is MUCH easier than white gas or gas canisters. Any drug, grocery, or home store can fix you up with a pint. While you can get white gas at Walmart, it comes by the gallon.

I like this stove alot, although the pot/lid that comes with it is useless--I use a different pot. It is super quiet and I never have had any problem with it taking too long to cook. I'm usually put it on and then pitch or strike the tent or some other chore. I would not use this stove if I needed to do a lot of cooking or melting snow. Then I'd go with a whisperlite or similar high-power stove.
Dave

Yes, I am enamoured by alcohol stoves too. They have a lot of advantages.

I often bring it on group backpacking trips in the winter. The alcohol stove is fascinating. It makes for good conversation It is the only stove we allow in the vestibule because the fire can be quenched with water or snow.

HOWEVER, the reality is that most of the cooking gets done on the gas stoves that the other guys bring. Usually, dinner is cooked, served and eaten with the gas stoves by the time the alcohol stove boils a quart of water.

I have about five different alcohol stoves that I collected from around the world. The neatest is from China which has a fuel pre-heat tube (generater) that routes the fuel line from the fuel tank, over the burner flame, and then to the burner - like a Coleman stove.

The fastest alcohol stove is one I bought in Brazil that is big enough and throws off enough flame to scald a longhorn steer (well... that may be an embellishment).

After using both alcohol and gas stoves side by side for years, I conclude that ounce-per-ounce, fuel+hardware, convenience, fuel cost, fuel availability, cooking time, fuel efficiency - everything considered, gas stoves win.

My Trangia runs on Meths (methalated spirit = "alcohol" to the Americans ?) It also runs on Colman gas and Camping Gaz

The main problem we have found with gas is it runs out - and when the nearest shop is a couple of days walk away, then liquid fuel is easier to get hold of and easier to regulate exactly how much you use.

So if you are camping close to shops, or have a car, then go with gas, otherwise go with a liquid

I tested the stove today (Nov. 1). and I'm quite pleased with it. At an air temperature of 34 degrees F, with 34 degree alcohol and a cold burner, I brought one quart (32 oz.) of cold tap water in an uncovered pot to a full boil in 8 min. 45 sec. Using the simmer attachment that comes with the burner, I maintained the water at a simmer (just at the boiling point, below a full boil) for 35 min. I loosely covered the pot with aluminum foil for the simmer test. I stopped at that point because I got tired of timing the test. The whole procedure used two oz. of alcohol.

I should easily be able to cook a full meal at night, fix tea in the morning, and heat the water I will use for washing with about one and a half to three oz. of fuel per day. That is quite satisfactory, and not bad for a fifteen dollar stove.

errrr, 15 dollars ??

If you can find me a new complete Trangia for 15 dollars I'll have a dozen.

Cost in the UK for the basic model is about £40 (US $ 60) and the full kit with all the optional extras will not leave any change from £100 (US $150)

Are we talking about one of these ?
http://www.trangia.se/english/trangiavisningENG/trangiavisning2.html#

(Click on the arrrows, it shows the entire sequence of putting one together)

THIS (http://www.purcelltrench.com/trangia.html) is what it is.

Mt. Rogers Outfitters has one of the basic Trangia cooksets (1.5 and 1.75 liter aluminum pots, nonstick frying pan) for $50, shipping included.

I bought just the burner , and built a windscreen/potholder based on the Photon Johnson design:

(http://wings.interfree.it/html/main.html)

I used four in. wide aluminum flashing because it positions the pot bottom in the hottest part of the flame. I'm using a nonstick aluminum two quart pot. I like the large pot size because it is big enough to do laundry in. Additionally, it has a flat bottom, and I can fry potatoes, bacon, ham or eggs in it. Instead of a cover, I use a piece of aluminum foil. The pot, windscreen, support rods, retaining strap and burner (with cap and simmer ring) weigh 19 oz. That is probably too heavy for backpacking, but fine for bike touring. The smallest useful Trangia cookset weighs about 34 oz., but you could leave one of the pots at home.

Originally posted by varley
<snip> built a windscreen/potholder based on the Photon Johnson design:<snip>
I built a bunch of those "Pepsi" Stoves and the aluminum flashing windshield/pot holders.
After not too long a time using the things, the flashing shows signs of melting. Thinking I
need steel mesh for the pot holder part.

Have you not seen any problems?

After not too long a time using the things, the flashing shows signs of melting. Thinking I need steel mesh for the pot holder part.

In this design, the pot is held by three 1/8 in. diameter removable steel rods, which rest in slots cut into the top edge of the windscreen. There is about a 3/4 in. gap between the pot wall and the inner surface of the windscreen. The windscreen itself gets very warm, but not too hot to touch. I'm sure the pot support rods would soften if they were made out of aluminum. I've burned about half a gallon of alcohol in the stove and haven't noticed any softening or scorch marks on the windscreen wall.

Originally I intended just to make a tube of aluminum flashing, punch holes in it, and rest the pot directly on the top edge of the flashing. Photon Johnson added the steel rods in his design and they appear to do a good job protecting the flashing from too much heat. I've noticed that the rods work well if one simply rests them on the top edge of the flashing.

The windscreen weighs 2 oz. and the three support rods together weigh 1.2 oz. I suspect this is less than the weight of the standard Trangia potholder/windscreen.

Pardon me, folks,

I posted incorrect information regarding the windscreen. On the Stove Archives site, the design is found in the Bill Jones Photon stove article.

Here is Bill's website:

www.psnw.com/~kd7s/photonstove.html

Originally posted by varley

<snip> Originally I intended just to make a tube of aluminum flashing,
punch holes in it, and rest the pot directly on the top edge of the flashing.
Photon Johnson added the steel rods in his design and they appear to
do a good job protecting the flashing from too much heat. <snip>
Ahhhh, I didn't use steel rods. I went like you originally intended to go, resting
the pot on the shield. Flames lick out of the top up and around the pot. I'll try
it the other way.

Used the small (one person) Trangia for an 11 month trip in North America last year, it worked well. The simplicity itself worked. A case of, pour & go. No maintainance at all, other than a two minute wash in a stream to remove excessive fouling around the holes, which can build up with constant use. Found it hard to use as a heat source ( to warm the tent atmosphere) when useing 'Gas Line antifreze' due to the fumes, but I'd use this stove again on another trip.