Search found 5 matches

by PaulH75
28 Jul 2019, 6:42pm
Forum: Cycle Camping sub-forum
Topic: MSR Windburner/Jetboil/ *edit - Alpkit Brukit*
Replies: 40
Views: 5547

Re: MSR Windburner/Jetboil/ *edit - Alpkit Brukit*

PH wrote:
st599_uk wrote:Has anyone tried the PlanetX bikes variant?

https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CPFMSTR3G ... em---green

No, but the photos show the pot stood too high above the cooker. I suspect the photo is wrong, but I wouldn't trust a retailer who didn't know what they were selling.


I've got a one of these. They work and they often go on sale at around the £30 mark. The pot in the picture is stood on top of a screw on attachment that allows you to use generic pots and pans with the burner. How successful it is I wouldn't like to say as I've never done that although I suspect the hot spot could be a little small. If you just want to boil water it's very quick (5 minutes for a full 750ml pot at 4am on a cold day without going full on as I was worried there might be an issue with the plastic lid. There wasn't at that heat. Obviously you are going to struggle if you want to do proper meals but anything that just requires boiling water or even boil in the bag stuff it's great.
by PaulH75
3 Feb 2016, 9:03pm
Forum: Cycle Camping sub-forum
Topic: Trangia stoves
Replies: 199
Views: 23965

Re: Trangia stoves

Gattonero wrote:Not trying to be a flag-bearer, but I'd rather buy the original Made In Sweden one rather than funding a company that pays minimum wage to employees by selling copies of other products. If there is a choice, better stick with who gives their workers better life conditions.
syklist wrote:
PaulH75 wrote:
A differently branded version is currently available for £17 here http://www.sportsdirect.com/karrimor-cookset-and-burner-787092?colcode=78709290

This looks identical to a Biltema branded one I bought a couple of years ago.

If it is the same, then I would steer clear of it, it cannot be considered to be a substitute for a Trangia.


I absolutely agrre with both of you, definately buy the Trangia for whatever your reasons are, but if you only want to see if it works for you, the cheapest I've been able to find a genuine storm cooker style Trangia is £56 at Millets and that's for the very basic model in the sale. A bit expensive to find you don't like it whereas with the £17 model, it doesn't matter if you trash it, it's just a taster. Mine is a festival stove and I don't want my blingy kit being nicked out of my tent. Hence the capitalist scumbag version.

Alternatively for those looking you can get genuine Swedish Army version Trangias second hand from plenty of Army surplus places for between £10 and £20 dependant on condition. They aren't as stable as the storm cooker variety but they work well enough.
by PaulH75
31 Jan 2016, 6:36pm
Forum: Cycle Camping sub-forum
Topic: Is wild camping in England legal or illegal? (Poll)
Replies: 105
Views: 6468

Re: Is wild camping in England legal or illegal? (Poll)

Have a search for MCQ Bushcraft on YouTube, Mike has a number of editions on Wild Camping and what is ok
by PaulH75
31 Jan 2016, 6:10pm
Forum: Cycle Camping sub-forum
Topic: Sleeping bagliners
Replies: 23
Views: 1495

Re: Sleeping bagliners

As many have said a liner is more to do with keeping your bag clean. The way a bag works is that your body heat warms up the air between the fibres of your filling material and that is what keeps you warm. Generally speaking the more you wash your bag, the more the filling material is compacted which means less air space amongst the fibres, which means your body heat isn't trapped and you get cold. Adding a liner will mean that gets a wash but your bag doesn't. It also provides a space between it and the bag that can warm up so again you should stay warmer. You can pick up poly cotton liners from any number of army surplus sites for about £5 plus p+p but most will be pre loved and some sites are better than others (I'd recommend going and having a look if there is one close to you). I got a liner from aldi which works but it's basically a cheap sheet sewn into the shape of a mummy bag, how good are you with a sewing machine?

I personally don't like pj's but if you are going somewhere where you need that layer you can't really go wrong with cheap ski-ing baselayers from the likes of sports direct or M&M.com where I got a full set for £10 a little while back, just be prepared for unfashionable brands if that bothers you.

I'd also give a plus 1 for the mat, get a decent one and it's worth its insulating value in gold.
by PaulH75
31 Jan 2016, 5:34pm
Forum: Cycle Camping sub-forum
Topic: Trangia stoves
Replies: 199
Views: 23965

Re: Trangia stoves

My experience isn't with branded Trangias but with the much cheaper (i.e.£30) Gelert copy, but as with the branded £60 version it comes with a storage bag, a webbing strap to keep it all together, 2 good sized pans, a frying pan, a kettle, the 2 part windshield/pot-stand and the meths burner with a simmer ring/snuffer attachment. All the pans are anodised aluminium and it's reasonably lightweight. I love it, it's a brilliant set up that for carrying purposes is about the size/shape of a 5lb roses sweet tub, if not a little smaller. if you buy the right kit to go with it most of that and your brew kit will fit inside. I moved onto this from an Esbit Spirit Stove which looks the part but requires a fairly substantial wind break to go around it in use, something the "Trangia" doesn't, all in all the Gelert isn't finshed as nicely as the Trangia but its a good substitute and even though it's only officially for spirit and bio ethanol gel it stands up to the use of twigs and small dry wood if that is your thing and you can use esbit/hexy tabs too. Those struggling with soot could try using a little water it your spirit, I've gone as low as a 70% fuel/30% water and didn't see any particular issue with soot build up but I've never bothered with a timed boil to find out if it's as efficient. You can also just wipe a bar of soap around the bits that come into contact with the flame which improves the clean up at the end and the soot just wipes off in the wash. There is a school of thought that suggest the soot actually improves the thermal efficiancy of the stove and so you should leave it messy, in which case the answer is bag each part up individually to avoid soot transfer

This is all personal opinion but for me using a cheaper alternative Trangia-alike system.
Pro's: Lightweight for a complete cooking set, true multifuel stove, easy to use, easily packable, very, very stable. Lights easily at normal temps with a firesteel or lighter (for safety I use a long candle lighter rather than a cigarette lighter)
Con's: Cheaper finishing kit with one or 2 rough edges, the smell of meths gets everywhere (try using isopropyl alcohol instead? Don't know how safe this is for food use but it smells nicer and isn't purple). Can be hard to light at low temperature when using spirit fuel.

A differently branded version is currently available for £17 here http://www.sportsdirect.com/karrimor-cookset-and-burner-787092?colcode=78709290

At that price just buy it and see what you think. Get your meths from a pharmacy if you can find one that sells it or Wilko's in the decorating section, much cheaper than camping fuel from the specialist shops (£3 for 500ml last time I bought it as opposed to nearly £10 for the same sized Camping Fuel)