Trangia flame: what should it look like?

[sabrutat]

Camping on rain-soaked moorland, on the other hand, you'd have fuel issues with anything much where you didn't bring your own.

Indeed, The beauty of it is a Trangia burner is tiny, weighs next to nothing, and can fit in pretty much any wood burning stove. So I'll be carrying a Trangia and a small bottle of meths, but only for back up.

[Sweep]

on the wandering thread, checked out the aeropress again.

Lots of good reviews but personally I will pass for the same reasons I did a few years ago.

Uses one-time use paper filters unless you shell out more for a metal one.

Not as compact in use and to grab from the back of the bike as some might suggest for of course, unless I have got something wrong, you need to have a kettle or some other pot to boil the water in. Then pour it in. Then work it. I am not bothered by the weight. I like the fact that with the bialleti it's a one-strep system - fill it - plonk on the mini stove, let it do it's stuff. By the time I have caught my breath around the back of a church the coffee will be ready. Am not into process or ritual.

Folks make their individual choices.

[Gattonero]

Camping on rain-soaked moorland, on the other hand, you'd have fuel issues with anything much where you didn't bring your own.

Indeed, The beauty of it is a Trangia burner is tiny, weighs next to nothing, and can fit in pretty much any wood burning stove. So I'll be carrying a Trangia and a small bottle of meths, but only for back up.

That was exactly my point above.
With a standard Gas burner+can you cannot use other fuels. Unless you're using a modified meths system, which kind'of tells you that a proper gas system is less than universal -in fact, you cannot convert it to meths/wood, while you can often do the opposite- you're stuck.
I like logic stuff: a windshield that also supports the pot, inside of it you can burn wood or Esbit or put a meths burner. What's not to like?
OTOH, I don't mind at all using the little gas stove+can in some occasion, it's quick and convenient; but the multifuel windshield/support+meths burners it's more appealing to me.

[pjclinch]

Camping on rain-soaked moorland, on the other hand, you'd have fuel issues with anything much where you didn't bring your own.

Indeed, The beauty of it is a Trangia burner is tiny, weighs next to nothing, and can fit in pretty much any wood burning stove. So I'll be carrying a Trangia and a small bottle of meths, but only for back up.

That was exactly my point above.
With a standard Gas burner+can you cannot use other fuels.

On the one hand, this is true...
On the other, so what?

If I've chosen gas because it's clean, controllable and convenient then while that makes it up to me to make sure I've got a gas supply, that's not actually a problem because I can do that. Gas doesn't grow on trees like wood, but nor does meths and where there aren't any trees then wood doesn't either, and if it's been raining for a week then it'll be a pig to burn anyway. Easier to do your insurance by taking care to have some gas than carrying all sorts of extras just in case you run out.

As with the coffee thread, if you enjoy the hands-on aspects of e.g. wood burning stoves to cook then that's not a problem, but if you're looking at cooking in terms of "I'm cold and wet and want a brew ASAP" then gas is quite simply a better approach for most of the people, most of the time.

I like logic stuff: a windshield that also supports the pot, inside of it you can burn wood or Esbit or put a meths burner. What's not to like?

That clean, controllable and convenience vibe, or rather the distinct lack of it.

Pete.

[Tangled Metal]

Are we still having a fuel debate that centres around defensive positions? I thought everyone would be able to accept all fuel systems has advantages and disadvantages. The trick is to find out what works for you and when it doesn't work. Depending on your activities you choose the fuel system to suit your needs on a trip / activity by trip / activities basis.

We use meths or gas. I don't like wood burners because tbh I'm not very good lighting fires. Well I am if I've brought my own dry wood or there is good dry wood around. Since most of the time there isn't without the hassle of looking for it I choose not to use wood fuel systems. It's my choice and doesn't affect your view on the fuel.

I use gas in a Trangia. We've got a young child so when we stop it's tent up and food on as our 5 year will be tired. Meths is obviously the back up for that. It all fits into the kettle so only the extra bulk of gas cannisters and meths bottle. Which is easier to pack? IMHO the cans but another opinion.

I really don't understand anyone getting worked up over fuel system. Or why people feel the need to convert people to their way of doing things. We're individual enough to work out the best for ourself with experience. It's one thing to give your opinion to a newbie but another to argue the case repeatedly. Whilst I've not read this whole thread the way it's gone on so long makes me think it's become a bit of a thread about my way being right and I'll prove it. I could be wrong but such stove/fuel threads lasting this long tend to descend into that opposition views.

[Gattonero]

Oh I'm not woked-up at all, in fact I've said I sometimes use a gas-stove and I like it. What I didn't say is that "this system is old/we used to cook with it".
Like said, for my needs is better to have a multi-fuel system, a windshield+burner fits the bill for me. I like cooking nice stuff at home, but I won't make "Melanzane alla parmigiana" while cyclo-touring, a simple pasta or cuscus wih vegetables will suffice so no need to fine-tune a flame

[leftpoole]

Are we still having a fuel debate that centres around defensive positions? I thought everyone would be able to accept all fuel systems has advantages and disadvantages. The trick is to find out what works for you and when it doesn't work. Depending on your activities you choose the fuel system to suit your needs on a trip / activity by trip / activities basis.

We use meths or gas. I don't like wood burners because tbh I'm not very good lighting fires. Well I am if I've brought my own dry wood or there is good dry wood around. Since most of the time there isn't without the hassle of looking for it I choose not to use wood fuel systems. It's my choice and doesn't affect your view on the fuel.

I use gas in a Trangia. We've got a young child so when we stop it's tent up and food on as our 5 year will be tired. Meths is obviously the back up for that. It all fits into the kettle so only the extra bulk of gas cannisters and meths bottle. Which is easier to pack? IMHO the cans but another opinion.

I really don't understand anyone getting worked up over fuel system. Or why people feel the need to convert people to their way of doing things. We're individual enough to work out the best for ourself with experience. It's one thing to give your opinion to a newbie but another to argue the case repeatedly. Whilst I've not read this whole thread the way it's gone on so long makes me think it's become a bit of a thread about my way being right and I'll prove it. I could be wrong but such stove/fuel threads lasting this long tend to descend into that opposition views.

Hello,
Indeed this thread has gone on ridiculously!
As to my own point of view, I cannot ever understand why on Earth Trangia actually supply a Gas conversion. The Trangia is perfection as a Meths burning stove .......... and on and on
John

[andrew_s]

I cannot ever understand why on Earth Trangia actually supply a Gas conversion.
John

If you don't mind the extra weight & bulk, the full Trangia gas conversion is a very good gas stove - probably the best available that would be used in a cycle camping context. It's pretty much proof against being accidentally knocked over, and it's pretty much wind proof

[horizon]

I've been using a Trangia this year for the first time. I'm delighted with it but I have to say that much of what I like about it is to do with the stove and not its fuel. But don't get me wrong - I've enjoyed using the meths as well: cheap, practical and easy to use. It's quick too. My plan now is to get a gas converter for it and use both, interchangeably. I might then settle on one or use both.

[Tangled Metal]

Go gas do a conversion for Trangia that's half the price of the Trangia one but almost identical. I really don't know why Trangia sell their conversion at such a high markup.

[Tangled Metal]

BTW if you think the meths burner is fast then you'll love the gas burner for Trangia. No contest in the speed stakes.

[pjclinch]

Go gas do a conversion for Trangia that's half the price of the Trangia one but almost identical. I really don't know why Trangia sell their conversion at such a high markup.

Economics 101: Because They Can.

[Tangled Metal]

Economics 101
Some people are idiots exploit them as much as you can but prepare to lose business from the more savvy.

Mini Trangia £30+ cheapest price when I got my mini Trangia clone for £10 (trespass or mountain warehouse iirc). Then on a trip me and a mate got our stoves out his proper mini Trangia was not even as well made as the clone I had. The rolled edges of the pots weren't evenly rolled or even fully rolled so you sometimes got a cut handling them. There were a few features that were better made on the clone but nothing better about the Trangia version. That was the verdict of my mate, I wasn't bothered because it's not very good if there is any breeze so it was going to be a back of the cupboard item from that trip on.

[pjclinch]

Economics 101
Some people are idiots exploit them as much as you can but prepare to lose business from the more savvy.

Economics 102, if it's not Core Business (and I'd suggest gas cooking with Trangias is not core business) then it's a nice bonus if you make some money out of it and it's up to the competition to worry about rather than you.

Economics 103, Time = Money to some extent and one can just pick up this thing that's 99.9% sure will function perfectly in a Trangia or spend more than the cost differential in terms of time researching alternatives and checking if they're any good. 103 has a lot of variables, like how much excess cash and/or time someone has and how much their boat is floated by maximising value for money.

There's also availability. On one tour we had our choice of stoves limited to what was in the shop in Oban at the start of the tour (luckily the Primus Grafity EF we got has been very good, apart from the piezo ignition which dies within 24 hours).

Pete.

[horizon]

BTW if you think the meths burner is fast then you'll love the gas burner for Trangia. No contest in the speed stakes.

I always had a little Camping Gaz Bluet stove so knew that gas was quick. But I thought that meths would be very slow, you know, go off for a walk and come back half an hour later sort of thing. But it isn't. When gas is slow though is when the cyclinder is running out - with meths you don't have that problem.