Trangia flame: what should it look like?

[horizon]

The thing is that a Trangia with the Trangia gas conversion has exactly the same integrated stable wind-shielded setup as a Trangia running on spirit.

Yes, that was my thought too. Having said that, I do like the "nothing can go wrong" concept of the spirit burner (though I'm not that much of a convert that I believe that fully). On the plus side, I was surprised how quick the Trangia is - I was expecting to be able to pack the tent away while waiting for my morning cuppa.

I've invested so little in cooking gear over the years that yes, even the humble Trangia has come as a revelation. Maybe I should get out more.

[yutkoxpo]

Yes, that was my thought too. Having said that, I do like the "nothing can go wrong" concept of the spirit burner (though I'm not that much of a convert that I believe that fully). On the plus side, I was surprised how quick the Trangia is - I was expecting to be able to pack the tent away while waiting for my morning cuppa.

I've invested so little in cooking gear over the years that yes, even the humble Trangia has come as a revelation. Maybe I should get out more.

I' stumped at the notion that a Trangia can "fail"? What am I missing?

I'm also a little perplexed when people bring speed into the equation when considering different cooking options. What's the rush?

I'd certainly consider the gas option for my Trangia as back-up and for convenience, but cannot justify the price.

I've learned 2 things with the Trangia
1. Speed is determined by the quality of the fuel
2. When they say add a few drops of fuel to the winter attachment they mean very few! Otherwise you end up with a bubbling Trangia and a potential inferno!

[pjclinch]

Speed is typically a management issue. For example, on one occasion having pitched camp high on Ben Nevis I was chortling at a pal putting his liquid-fuel flame-thrower together, and he made Rude Comments about my Trangia, and challenged me to a first-to-tea race. I agreed, much to his initial amazement, but I'd set it up before I pitched my tent and had left it to its own devices and immediately after the challenge was issued, I won... showing one of the beauties of the Trangia is you can leave it on its own (gas or spirit).
Trangia slowness can be an issue, but only when you need a lot of power. That is, IME, mainly limited to groups requiring a lot of hot water or snow melting, and neither is typically a concern for the cycle camper.

As for the "nothing can go wrong", that depends if you consider running dry or spilling fuel a failure. It certainly happens every now and then, and it's certainly a bore when it does. One has to be very careful refuelling after running dry, first making sure the flame really is out, and then pouring pretty unpleasant fuel in. There's really no possibility of a fuel spill with gas, but where you have to pour to fuel with spirit that sets you up for the possibility, and add in being tired, it being dark etc. and the chances go up.

As I noted, I used spirit for many years and didn't seek to replace it because it was borken in some way. But that doesn't alter the fact that I find using a Trangia with gas better.

The problems remain (relative) weight and bulk, but plenty of happy users show that's clearly not a universal deal breaker.

Pete.

[SA_SA_SA]

I don't understand why meths is described as an unpleasant fuel? It seems pretty innocuous compared to kerosene or petrol....(it has some hazardous properties but thats cause its a fuel.....).
It evaporates quickly, isn't greasy, doesn't smell bad....

[pjclinch]

I don't understand why meths is described as an unpleasant fuel? It seems pretty innocuous compared to kerosene or petrol....

Indeed, and a lot of why I only see any point in liquid fuel pressure stoves if it's a case of the only readily available fuel will be for cars/trucks, but the point is here it's being compared to gas.

It evaporates quickly, isn't greasy, doesn't smell bad....

Gas doesn't need to evaporate, isn't greasy, doesn't smell bad (pure spirit doesn't smell bad, meths is actually pretty unpleasant IMHO), and takes real talent to spill. And it's rather easier to control the power output when using it. If all you're doing is boiling water fair point that that is moot, but if you want to do something that benefits from easy power control gas has the aces.

Spirit is good for using every last drop, being cheap and being able to tune your fuel load, and if I was doing such a lot of camp cooking that I was carefully watching costs I'd probably go back to it. But I'm affluent enough to swap a bit of money for convenience and control.

Pete.

[AlaninWales]

... There's really no possibility of a fuel spill with gas...

Pete.

Never had a split supply pipe? Nor a faulty seal?

[pjclinch]

... There's really no possibility of a fuel spill with gas...

Never had a split supply pipe? Nor a faulty seal?

That would be "no" and "no"... But even if you did suffer from either, it's not going to sit around in puddles unless it's fantastically cold.

Pete.

[SA_SA_SA]

....., meths is actually pretty unpleasant IMHO....

Interesting, I was referring to both old style purple meths and modern clear bio-ethanol: neither seems an unpleasant smell to me: in fact I like the smell of purple meths.

[pjclinch]

....., meths is actually pretty unpleasant IMHO....

Interesting, I was referring to both old style purple meths and modern clear bio-ethanol: neither seems an unpleasant smell to me: in fact I like the smell of purple meths.

Just so long as you don't extend that to a liking for the taste...

[Gattonero]

Then get a gas burner for it!

Not a big fan of them: you cannot see how much fuel you have left, you get an annoying empty container to discard pretty soon, you may have a defective valve that makes the gas burner unusable, and the list goes on... a meths/spirit burner can only go wrong if you overfill it, there's no parts that can fail or broke unless you literally walk over the burner

Or if you're melting snow, you die of old age...
Gas is cleaner, easier and more controllable, and if you need power it has more than a spirit burner, and is safer and less of a faff to refuel.

Used a Trangia with a spirit burner for well over a decade, bought a gas burner more as a curiosity than anything else, have hardly ever used the spirit burner since. The phrase "now we're cooking with gas" isn't "now we're cooking with spirit" for a reason. Or more likely, several reasons...

Pete.

The phrase "now we're cooking with gas" is not a universal law: we all have different needs and go in different ways. So, no, it doesn't apply to me (and several others, I suppose) because of several reasons. I have a small gas stove, yes is convenient but yes I can't see clearly (unless I use a digital scale) how much fuel I have left.
And especially, if everything fails with a spirit burner (really, what can go wrong in something that has no valves/moving parts??) the same stove support/windshield can use Esbit or wood fuel. Something you cannot do with the typical windshield for a gas stove!

[horizon]

I'm thinking of getting the gas converter for my Trangia and then using both as needs require. I want to give the meths a good go for its money (it's been excellent so far, much better than expected) but also have the gas as an alternative. It's easy to take both.

My main reason for the gas is if I needed to cook inside the porch. At the moment I won't do this with meths as it sometimes produces a high flame - maybe that's something I can work on.

[Ivor Tingting]

I use my Trangia with gas. I just find it so much more user friendly. Significantly quicker to boil water and to cook with and no concerns with spillage or sickly smells of meths or similar fuel. Gas canisters are clean and easily connected/disconnected plus once empty and depressurised can be recycled. Liquid fuels always have hazards of when liquids are being filled or decanted and storage issues.

[pjclinch]

Not a big fan of them: you cannot see how much fuel you have left, you get an annoying empty container to discard pretty soon, you may have a defective valve that makes the gas burner unusable, and the list goes on... a meths/spirit burner can only go wrong if you overfill it, there's no parts that can fail or broke unless you literally walk over the burner

Or if you're melting snow, you die of old age...
Gas is cleaner, easier and more controllable, and if you need power it has more than a spirit burner, and is safer and less of a faff to refuel.

Used a Trangia with a spirit burner for well over a decade, bought a gas burner more as a curiosity than anything else, have hardly ever used the spirit burner since. The phrase "now we're cooking with gas" isn't "now we're cooking with spirit" for a reason. Or more likely, several reasons...

The phrase "now we're cooking with gas" is not a universal law

It's an English-language idiom meaning "now things are going very well"

we all have different needs and go in different ways.

Gas being a good way to cook is a typical case, not a universal one. If I felt it was universal I wouldn't also have a reflector oven, a spirit burner, a multi-fuel pressure stove and a Kelly kettle.

I can't see clearly (unless I use a digital scale) how much fuel I have left.

I can't tell exactly how much, but there again I can tell if I've got enough by shaking the can.

And especially, if everything fails with a spirit burner (really, what can go wrong in something that has no valves/moving parts??) the same stove support/windshield can use Esbit or wood fuel. Something you cannot do with the typical windshield for a gas stove!

The windshield for a Trangia with a gas converter is exactly the same windshield as a Trangia without a gas converter...

As with liquid fuels for pressure stoves, a lot of the choice driver will be fuel availability: I used spirit for years because I was skint but had free access to supplies of old-style duplicator fluid, which is basically alcohol, and subsequently lab alcohol (pure ethanol). But if you've got the fuel, when it comes to clean, controlled cooking gas really takes a lot of beating

Pete.

[Sweep]

I use my Trangia with gas. I just find it so much more user friendly. Significantly quicker to boil water and to cook with and no concerns with spillage or sickly smells of meths or similar fuel. Gas canisters are clean and easily connected/disconnected plus once empty and depressurised can be recycled. Liquid fuels always have hazards of when liquids are being filled or decanted and storage issues.

I have the gas convertor but never yet used it. I do as well as the Trangia usually carry a very small gas stove though - helps if doing meals which require two rings. And a necessity for my espresso fixes. You can't really use an espresso pot on a Trangia without a hard to find, and possible very poor, accessory.

[pjclinch]

And a necessity for my espresso fixes. You can't really use an espresso pot on a Trangia without a hard to find, and possible very poor, accessory.

If you're using a Bialetti or similar you do need a wee tripod to sit in in place, but this is hardly impossible to arrange.

And if you're really a coffee snob you'd not use a Bialetti because you don't get enough pressure for a true espresso (you get a couple of atmospheres from a boil-in-the-base setup, you're looking at about 6+ AIUI for a "proper" espresso). A few years back the Handpresso went to market which has a built in hand pump to get suitable pressure after you've poured in the hot water. These have now been supplemented in the market by cheaper but still quite reasonable hand pump devices. I have one I got from Amazon for £25 and it makes a very reasonable stab at a proper espresso. It's also much lighter and more compact than even a wee Bialetti.

Also alongside the Bialetti in the not-really-espresso-but good-anyway category is the Aeropress, a cafetiere on steroids which uses a fine grind, a fine filter and a sealed plunger to get actual pressure involved. Particularly if turned upside down to let the coffee brew for a few minutes they're remarkably good, though they lack the charm of a Bialetti which is, if we're honest, a lot of what makes them great.

Pete.