drumthebenway

Hi all,

I apologize if this is a no-brainer for some of you. I'm in Austria and looking to get some additional touring gear. I need a new tent and camping stove. Is anybody familiar with any of the German/European brands? I've been looking into a Salewa Denali II tent, which strikes me as quite nice. As for the stove, I haven't a clue what would be good. Also, I don't know what kind of fuel canisters are available here. While I'm in Austria at the moment, most of my touring will be done in Germany, so I'll want a stove that'll work well there.

Thanks for any help you can give!

RCordone

I used a Vaude ultralight tent when I was cycling in Italy and Spain. https://www.vaude.de

MSR stoves are well known and available in Europe.

Trangia stoves are what I use, (model 25) https://www.trangia.se

Machka 

Does Austria have a Decathlon store? I know France and England both do, but I'm not sure about other countries. If they do, browse around and see what they've got.

drumthebenway

What kind of fuel do those Trangia use, alcohol? Can you bring water to a boil with it? And why is it worth spending the extra money? I imagine you have to stock up on fuel more frequently.

Yeah, Vaude tents are good, as are Salewa. Those are widely available. I'm just looking for something relatively cheap (around 100 euros or 155 dollars). I've found a Denali II for that amount. Looks like quite a decent tent. 2 person, so there should be room for my gear. I assume that anything Salewa should have reasonable ventilation and ought to be actually waterproof.

Anybody have any thoughts?

RCordone

Trangia uses alcohol. It boils water and cooks meals just fine. Gasoline will boil water quicker. For me it is a personal choice. I prefer to carry alcohol as opposed to gasoline.

Machka 

Trangias can definitely boil water ... no problem at all.

Niles H.

https://www.hilleberg.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqCPZ...eature=related

https://video.aol.com/video-detail/ed...ower/925964364

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BudIn...eature=related

There are other, similar Primus Eta stoves. They come in at least three sizes -- 2.1 liter, 1.7 liter, and 1.0 liter. Some take canisters only. One is a versatile multi-fuel stove that also has the ability to take canisters.

These are great stoves.

Here is the multi-fuel(-plus-canister) version:

https://www.trailspace.com/gear/primus/etapower-mf/

drumthebenway

Niles,

I'm unable to watch videos on the present computer. Can you just tell me the names of the products you linked to?

Rowan

Alcohol has the advantage of not stinking out panniers or tainting food or your hands if you spill it like gasoline.

It is not explosive like gasoline or propane and similar gaseous fuels (and believe me, a gasoline explosion or shrapnel from an exploding gas cannister are not fun things).

An alcohol fire can be extinguished with water. A gasoline fire has to be smothered because water will only spread it. You won't have an opportunity to extinguish a propane or similar explosion.

Alcohol bottles don't have the same disposal problems as "empty" cannisters of gaseous fuels.

Progrssively, alcohol is getting as price competitive as gasoline (and eventually, I think, will overtake gasolne). A litre of methylated spirits/methyl alcohol/alcool de bruiller did Machka and I on our recent 600km tour with some left over. IIRC, two litres did our four-week European trip last year.

Bottles of alcohol are readily available in supermarkets in the cleaning section, or hardware shops in the paint section. Don't rely on getting it in remote areas, however.

Full-blown Trangia stoves boil water only slightly slower than propaneor gasoline, and by using the simmer ring, they enable simmering without burning the hell out of the bottom of pots.

The Trangia is designed to be effective in windy conditions because of the inbuilt windshield and air ducting system.

Some people think they can save weight by going the lightweight Trangia route, using only the burner and small stand. I have gone the same route and found it just doesn't compare with the full Trangia kit in cooking efficiency, even with a foil windshield.

Trangias and alcohol are by far my most preferred way of cooking in camp (and at home I spent nine months using it for everyday cooking, too).

I've always liked the look of Salewa tents and their pricing, although I have generally gone to other brands because the design or price has suited me slightly better. I think, like most things in the tenting area, check that there is adequate seam sealing and that you are comfortable with the entry/exit, the height, the ventilation, vestibule space and the ease of erection. Europeans have been dsigning good-quality tents for a long time, and I don't think you will go wrong with a reputable brand.

drumthebenway

Thank you Rowan for that extremely helpful response! I'll be keeping an eye out for a used Trangia.

metzenberg

I recommend the campinggaz stoves for Europe, because they are extremely lightweight, and it is so easy to find the cartridges. However, the stoves themselves are not very high in efficiency.

https://www.campinggaz.com/

One cartridge lasts about two days.

Howard

AJ Jones

I've recently been researching stoves for touring (but have yet to use any, so take this with a grain of salt), and came across the penny alcohol stove. Since I've got a strong do-it-yourself streak in me, I'll probably be building one of these and trying it in the near future. Interestingly, it seems to be more efficient and faster at boiling water than the Trangia, according to data pasted on that site. I may pair it with a penny woodstove, which is also linked from that site.

drumthebenway

Have you guys seen the Trangia Swedish Army stove's on eBay? I may end up with one of those...

Scummer

I have an Austrian model Phoebus 725 gasoline stove, which I dropped, crashed, smashed and submerged in water because my backpack opened up during a river crossing and it still works after 17 years of use and abuse.

It is extremely durable and very easy to use and start. I'm using Coleman fuel for the stove and it will heat food and water nicely.
Only drawback, the gas tank is a tad bit small and is not very good for longer cooking sessions. But for heating water to cook noodles or warm food up it's a great and reliable stove.

Thomas