View Full Version : Brasslite vs Trangia: NO PROPAGANDA
Backstory: I have hiked/camped for the better part of 17 years and before that went on many camping trips with my parents though always in a pop-up camper. Except for the last two years when my eyes and back were opened to the idea of camping in a hammock, I always had various tent/sleeping bag/cannister stove combinations. When the Jetboil came out, I like to think (though I know it's not true;))that I was one of the first to purchase it after it became available at REI. After moving "above ground" though, I became very interested in the idea of going with things that were much lighter in weight; switching to titanium everything, sewing/using my own quilts as opposed to sleeping bags, etc...(though I still use a Katadyn Hiker Pro as opposed to something much lighter and will NOT switch to anything less-ignorance is bliss:cool:)
Now I'm at the place where I'm wondering/thinking about switching to an alcohol stove. I am very convinced that the Jetboil (and its various accessories that I have) is spectacular for what/how I eat when I hike; I use dehydrated food, noodles, rice, and things that I can fix with the Jetboil (I am, btw, planning on starting to dehydrate my own food for taking out on trips). So it is pretty obvious that my cooking system needs to be nothing more than something that will boil water or simmer it for rice, etc.
Now, I have used to my friends and anybody that will listen the mantra of Jetboil users - "while you are still trying to boil your water with your 'lightweight stove,' I will already be eating" or "I will be done cleaning up when you are just mixing your ramen noodle flavor pack" or anything else along those lines. And it is true-I enjoy the fact that my Jetboil will boil water fast. But now in my slightly older age, I am wondering if 2-2.5 minutes is really that much better than 5-8 minutes...and I'm starting to think that it is not.
So, here's what I have done...
I've watched all the propaganda youtube videos for many, many, many (ad nauseam) alcohol stoves. I bought the Blackfly #3, wick to wrap the pot, alcohol bottles, and cozy from Minibulldesign; I bought a safety can opener and went through many Heineken 24oz cans before I figured out the right way to get the best looking top/pot combination; I followed Skids instructions to build the cook system holder/coffee maker out of the Ziplock containers; I got everything that I like to be in my system down to 11.1 ounces; and finally, I got consistent boil times of 8 minutes in my kitchen and outside with this set-up. What I didn't like about it, however, was the constant pouring of 1 oz max into the stove itself - ie, no simmer, all boil.
But being that kind of guy (you know, the one that's never seemingly satisified), I looked for more. I found the instructions online for the Supercat. Then this followed: I bought the first cat food tin and used drill bits and the template to make the first stove. I thought it looked good. Then while at work, I saw the instructions for the "new" Supercat stand and had to build that; bought two more cat food tins, one dog food tin, a rivet gun and rivets, and some JB weld. Spent one evening cutting and riveting and attaching and boiling and then finally throwing away the whole set-up.
I have used different pots for sure on both the MBD stove and the Supercat. I first used the Heineken pot. I then bought a Snow Peak 700 and then a 900.
In the end, I keep coming back to my dislike of both 1)no (or very very little) simmer ablility in either stove that I have tried and 2)the nonability of either stove to hold more than one ounce. I am slowly turning into lightweight hiker, but I haven't reached the point where carrying a few more ounces will destroy both my back and my hike.
I am to the point, however, where I have come to realize that a taking a few more minutes to boil water for my dinner in many ways will lead me to do other things...set up my hammock, unpack my pack, even just sit and relax. Seriously, it has taken me all these years to realize that in hiking, for me, it is about slowing down. Using an alcohol stove may be just another piece of the puzzle for me.
Soooooo...in doing a lot of research, I have narrowed my "ideal" alcohol stove down to two that I would like some comments on from the masses here. My choices (in no particular order):
1)Brasslite Turbo II-D
2)Trangia Westwind
I have read all of the various propaganda regarding both on many websites. I like both because they hold more than one ounce of fuel and both can simmer effectively (if I choose to do something more than just rehydrate food). I like that the Brasslite is very lite. I also like that it is pretty compact. It would work well with my Snow Peak 900. My assumption is that I could put everything I need inside of my pot. As for the Trangia WW, I love that it holds the fuel inside of the container. The stand -in appearance anyway- looks to be very stable. Footslogger carried one on his thru and seemingly loved it. As such, I am leaning towards the Trangia.
I am looking for real stories from you guys/girls about your actual uses of both stoves. What you like and dislike; why you stay with either one, etc. I have read SGT Rock's website comparing the stoves but his site only has info on the older, now out of production brasslites compared to the Trangia WW. I would like something more up to date. That is why I have turned here. I have spent as much money on alcohol stoves as I want to in my "experimenting" stage and now want to purchase one that I feel will be the best for me and my cook system. Hopefully, you folks can help.
Sorry this has been soooooo long. I hope nobody gets turned off by the length, but I though I should try to put as much info into here about me and my situation as possible.
Thanks in advance.:sun
Appalachian Tater
07-03-2008, 18:53
SuperCat works great and it takes less than three minutes to make with a hole puncher. It's also very inexpensive or free, extremely lightweight, and no stand needed.
I guess if you wanted to simmer something that would be a problem, but I never needed to simmer anything.
SuperCat works great and it takes less than three minutes to make with a hole puncher. It's also very inexpensive or free, extremely lightweight, and no stand needed.
Possibly in my long thread, you missed this:
But being that kind of guy (you know, the one that's never seemingly satisified), I looked for more. I found the instructions online for the Supercat. Then this followed: I bought the first cat food tin and used drill bits and the template to make the first stove. I thought it looked good. Then while at work, I saw the instructions for the "new" Supercat stand and had to build that; bought two more cat food tins, one dog food tin, a rivet gun and rivets, and some JB weld. Spent one evening cutting and riveting and attaching and boiling and then finally throwing away the whole set-up.
:):)
Do you have any experience with either the Brasslite or the Trangia WW?
dragonfeet
07-03-2008, 19:12
I have been using a trangia for about 6yrs. I have looked at lighter alcohol stoves but just cant give it up. I can fill it up once every few days ,and with the lid you can adjust the flame a little
Excellent question.
My first alcohol stove was the Brasslite. It was recommended to me by my brother whose opinion I respect highly. After several uses I did find some disadvantages...was very unstable with any sort of pot or cup of any size. It was also very slow to prime in any situation where the temp was below about 40 degrees. Also, the simmer adjustment is difficult when the stove has been burning. My fingers aren't that nimble.
I then tried a Trangia and am using the aftermarket kit that includes a windscreen, stand(three piece), that makes it very stable. A very slick combo. The Trangia also is easier to simmer with. I'll find the name of the aftermarket kit for you if you wish.
So, the Brasslite is very efficient and light in weight but I prefer the Trangia overall.
OK I found the stand: very cool indeed: http://www.clikstand.com/
workboot
07-03-2008, 19:52
Overall while I still much prefer a canister stove , my choice between the two you asked about is the Trangia. The one I use is a military surplus version but it works well is bomb proof as far as durability/ruggedness is concerned.I only paid $5.00 for the whole Swedish Mil surp kit (stove/alcohol bottle/pot&lid and widscreen) at a gun show a few years back. The other items other than the stove and fuel bottle are much to heavy to be practical but if you search around you might be able to find the mil surp stove still available cheap.
Appalachian Tater
07-03-2008, 19:52
Possibly in my long thread, you missed this:
:):)
Do you have any experience with either the Brasslite or the Trangia WW?
Yeah, I saw that, and I don't understand how you made it so complicated. The hardest part is getting the label off. All you need is a catfood or vienna sausage can and a hole punch. You don't need JB Weld or a pattern or a drill or a pot stand or a stove stand or a dog food can or even two cans. You do need a windscreen.
What do you simmer?
Alligator
07-03-2008, 20:09
I own both a Trangia and the IID. My Trangia is the solo cookset, so it doesn't have the westwind base.
Trangia +
It has a lid to store fuel. The flame pattern is nicer.
It simmers a little better due to the flame pattern.
Trangia -
It is less fuel efficient. It seemed quite a bit, but then I did get very strict with heating times and using a cozy after switching to the Brasslite.
The simmer ring is ok to adjust if incorrect, but then it is a hot piece of metal. I just grab it with the pot clamp and hit the ground with it.
On my Trangia, my sierra cup needs a screen to sit on the stove. Not sure if you care to have a metal cup.
Brasslite +
Very fuel efficient.
Compact.
Has the pot support built in.
Brasslite -
No fuel storage.
Flame pattern is a cone. I find this creates a hot spot in my titanium pot.
The simmer ring needs to have a pot on the stand to adjust.
I've made pancakes, hash browns and veggie burgers on both, the trangia cooks better. I also prefer to simmer a very occassional Lipton's and I don't like how they come out in a cozy. I'd rather pack an extra few mls of fuel.
P.S. Given your thread requirements, a better place to put this would be SF. I'm going to move it, if you have any objections, I'll move it back:).
I own both a Trangia and the IID. My Trangia is the solo cookset, so it doesn't have the westwind base.
...
P.S. Given your thread requirements, a better place to put this would be SF. I'm going to move it, if you have any objections, I'll move it back:).
I don't mind the switch at all. The thread will probably get far less...ummm...stuff that made the whole site shut down for a couple of days?!?!
Thanks also for the +'s and -'s of each. My reading of your post leads me to believe that you use the Trangia much more?
...am using the aftermarket kit that includes a windscreen, stand(three piece), that makes it very stable. A very slick combo. The Trangia also is easier to simmer with. I'll find the name of the aftermarket kit for you if you wish.
So, the Brasslite is very efficient and light in weight but I prefer the Trangia overall.
...
OK I found the stand: very cool indeed: http://www.clikstand.com/
Thanks for the info-especially about the clickstand. What pot do you use with this combo? Why did you turn to the clickstand instead of using the stand that came with the Trangia WW (or perhaps you just bought the Trangia and not the WW version...?)?
Yeah, I saw that, and I don't understand how you made it so complicated. The hardest part is getting the label off. All you need is a catfood or vienna sausage can and a hole punch. You don't need JB Weld or a pattern or a drill or a pot stand or a stove stand or a dog food can or even two cans. You do need a windscreen.
It wasn't complicated. I just used the template from the Supercat website and wrapped it around the catfood can. I filled it with denatured alcohol and put my Snow Peak 900 right on top of it and it didn't bring 2 cups of water to a boil before the flame went out. I thought that the problem was something I did wrong with the holes but remembered that I used the hole template-so nothing was wrong with that.
The next day, I read further on the site and others about the use of a hole punch and the new version of the stand that even the original designer recommends. That is where the 2 more cat food cans and one dog food can came into the picture (1 small can to use my new hole punch on, 1 small can to cut the bottom off of to hold the Supercat on to the 1 dogfood can with the rivets.). (Also, I didn't use the JB weld anything to do with the Supercat; it was for a Mich Ultra alcohol stove that I was building where I wanted to bond a couple of pieces of wick to the outside for a primer cord.)
After placing the newly punched Supercat into the holder on the dogfood can, I put the alcohol into it and got the exact same result (no boil), only this time, the Supercat was higher off the counter.:cool: Hence the line in my OP - "...cutting and riveting and attaching and boiling and then finally throwing away the whole set-up."
What do you simmer?
Knorr/Lipton rice sides, mac/cheese, ramen - many things really. I like my things cooked well and not just as some either too well done mush or not done enough crunch.
Sailor (The other one)
07-03-2008, 22:06
I have a Supercat, Trangia and Ion. The cat has done poorly. Burns out way too fast. The Trangia is my go-to burner right now. I've improved its efficiency slightly by putting some fiberglass insulation in it. The Ion is incredibly efficient. Consistent boiling of 2 cups of water in about 16 minutes on 1/2 oz of denatured. I get slightly better time with a homemade cone-shaped wind screen. It is also remarkably light and comes with an optional simmer thing, though I haven't tried it yet. I intend seeing if by using the Trangia simmer cap it is possible to improve its efficiency even more.
Alligator
07-03-2008, 22:08
...
Thanks also for the +'s and -'s of each. My reading of your post leads me to believe that you use the Trangia much more?
...No, I do use the Brasslite most of the time now (but not in the winter, when I use a simmerlite). My personal ratings for my Trangia setup (the one with the 0.9l pot, nonstick frypan, stand) is about 4.25/5 while my Brasslite with ti pot and frypan is about 4.5/5. The fuel economy is very different for me on the Trangia, and I just deal with the flame pattern on the IID. I think it is the fact that the fuel just runs out in the Brasslite, whereas I might have let it burn a little longer in the Trangia. Other folks don't usually have the same economy problem.
I have a bigger pot for the Brasslite too, which is a little heavier than the Trangia pot, but I don't need the Trangia potstand with the Brasslite so they are about even.
I have a Supercat, Trangia and Ion. The cat has done poorly. Burns out way too fast. The Trangia is my go-to burner right now. I've improved its efficiency slightly by putting some fiberglass insulation in it.
Fiberglass - like attic fiberglass??
The Ion is incredibly efficient. Consistent boiling of 2 cups of water in about 16 minutes on 1/2 oz of denatured. I get slightly better time with a homemade cone-shaped wind screen. It is also remarkably light and comes with an optional simmer thing, though I haven't tried it yet. I intend seeing if by using the Trangia simmer cap it is possible to improve its efficiency even more.
This stove sounds very efficient for sure but how much alcohol does it hold? 16 minutes for a boil would then translate into many minutes to simmer and though I have plenty of time when I'm hiking, I'm not sure that I would want to wait that long!
I have two brasslite stoves - the older, discontinued Turbo II and a Turbo IIF (I have 3 sons, who have periodically gone with me over the last few years...). I use them almost exclusively (we also own several canister stoves, including the pocket rocket).
I'm not sure I can add much to Alligator's post in addition to affirming the following about the brasslite (I've never used a Trangia).
Advantages:
+ virtually bomb-proof. As long as you nest it in a pot or cup, there is almost nothing that can go wrong
+ lightweight
+ fuel effecient (I actually grilled a steak over one once - was plannig on grilling steaks the first night, and didn't realize the national forest we were in had a fire ban until we got there)
disadvantage:
+ the pot stand is pretty small. I have, several times, tipped the pot over, resulting in boiling water and burnig fuel being spilled. A year or so ago, I got an email from Aaron about adding stove extensions to the IIF, which seems to have made the setup more stable,
+ you have to carefully measure out your fuel - if you put in too much, your only option is to let it burn out
+ the simmer ring is pretty difficult to adjust after the stove is lit...
I have two brasslite stoves - the older, discontinued Turbo II and a Turbo IIF (I have 3 sons, who have periodically gone with me over the last few years...). I use them almost exclusively...
...
Thanks for the info...had you used any other alky stove(s) before buying the brasslite? If you did, why the switch? And does the simmer ring really work? With the stove filled with the full 2 ounces, how long does it actually burn (if you've ever checked that out)?
Not to say what stove the best but i make all kinds of alcohol stoves this is a good easy to make. OK the tiki wick can be used many ways put in cat stove in a circle or just cut a short piece on a can cover
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9W1AtAuDu94
Not a Trangia or Brasslite
http://minibulldesign.com/mbdstore/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=39
Not a Trangia or Brasslite
http://minibulldesign.com/mbdstore/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=39
Been there, done that. Remember, my first foray into alcohol was with the Blackfly #3. Didn't really like it because of the one ounce max fill. This stove is the same as the BF3 except there is no outer base/pot holder. Even Tinny says on his videos that to "simmer" stuff, you have to put it all in the cozy (which I bought and tried and didn't like).
One last try....
http://www.packafeather.com/stove.html
One last try....
http://www.packafeather.com/stove.html
I have glanced at this before but never in depth. I am open minded (though not a lot!). Have you tried this stove?
take-a-knee
07-04-2008, 00:58
If you want to simmer get a SVEA 123, and don't bitch about the weight. If you want to boil water, and, IMO, that is all you need to be able to do to nourish yourself on the trail, most anything here you've mentioned will work. An evazote pot cozy, or, better yet, a qt. freezer bag sized cozy made of reflectix is a much better way to "simmer". Alcohol stoves are already BTU/fuel inefficient, why compound it?
I have a whitebox, zelph wick stove, supercat, trek, a vargo cannister stove, a primus multi fuel stove, but I don't have one of those. But I suppose I will.......
Yep i like my home made alcohol stoves can do more then just boil water.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMrl2BFIvV4
oldfivetango
07-04-2008, 06:13
All I know is that I like my brasslite turbo 2 D.Never have even seen
a trangia.I always use a primer pan under the brasslite to make it more
stable and easier to light.
Insofar as the simmer ring in concerned-hold pressure downward on the pot and
use your knife blade to move the ring,works like a charm.I simmer Zatarin dishes sometimes
but will eventually switch over to 5 minute style rice.
I made a sideburner which I like for fast boiling that works great,took about
5 minutes and a push pin was my tool.Can originally held Frito Lay bean dip.
To be perfectly honest,just about any alcohol stove out there will get'r done.
Oldfivetango
I have a number of Trangia burners that I bought with an entire cooking kit (base, frypan, pots and kettle)
I used the Trangia burner on a recent hike.
Two things not mentioned.
1.The Trangia simmer ring is hard to put on after running on high to reach boil ( with my pot holder/ screen combination, perhaps) things are very hot, The simmer ring snaps onto the burner. Space inside the wind screen is limited. you can't just flip it up.
2. There is a warning about not screwing the top on while the burner is hot because of damage to the O ring seal in the top. Extinguishing any alcohol burner is a pretty good trick. It home, it requires placing a pot or similar over the burner and leaving it alone for quite a while (until temps drop below alcohol boiling point I guess). In the field, I wound up putting in just enough alcohol and letting it burn til fuel is used up.
HTH
Grinder
I just use my simmer ring closed drop it on to put it out
I have two of Aaron's Brasslite stoves and have made and used many, many different alcohol stoves but keep coming back to the Trangia. I prefer the civilian and much lighter variant than the Swedish military version-the 24 holer instead of the 23 holer. I use a SS wire stand that I built and a thin, brass 3/4 windscreen. The SS .5" wire screen I bought from Brasslite a number of years ago.
The reason I prefer the Trangia:
Efficient-one of the most efficient of the alcohol stoves.
Simmers-when one needs a longer cooking time, common with some foods, and stretches out the cooking time with a miserly fuel consumption.
Fill it & forget it-no more trying to calculate the required amount of alcohol needed for the conditions each time I cook and then measuring it out into the stove. If at first I put too little I often put too much on the second fill then waste the excess I carried, watching it burn off. If I put to much in at first, I waste the excess I carried, watching it too burn off.
Safety- Refilling a just used stove (see above)is potentially dangerous as a few flickers of an invisible flame just may be languishing in the bottom of one's stove when one attempts to add more fuel-with quite disastrous results.
Reservoir- Since this stove has its own small reservoir for alcohol already built into it, one now requires a much smaller fuel bottle to carry more, for longer trips. on a weekend trip you likely want need any extra at all. With the Trangia filled to the top and a 24 ml plastic container that your druggist will give you for free, filled to the top with denatured alcohol, you can go for a good 10 days without needing a refill, cooking 16 oz each morning and 16 oz each evening, with a few extras built in. The smaller container needed helps to offset the Trangia's heavier weight.
Looks- both Brasslite and Trangia look good, way better than any of the home made alcohol "can" variants.
I have boxes of stoves in my garage and reams of notes where I have compared different ones. I keep coming back to the Trangia!:sun
druggist will give you a 240 ml plastic container, not 24 ml one. I must learn to proof before submit.
Easily Extinguished- It is a simple matter to extinguish the Trangia while burning-just drop the simmer ring on top of the flame. Or, if you are already using it for simmering, just blow the flame out, since it is so small at that point.
Thanks for the info...had you used any other alky stove(s) before buying the brasslite? If you did, why the switch? And does the simmer ring really work? With the stove filled with the full 2 ounces, how long does it actually burn (if you've ever checked that out)?
I jumped from a whisperlite to the brasslite.
I don't generally use the simmer ring as I usually just boil water, then use a pot cozy if I need to simmer. The one time I did use the simmer ring intentionally was when I grilled the steak. The 2 ozs, with the simmer ring constricting air flow, lasted the 20 minutes or so that it took to grill the steak.
I frequently use Zatarin's rice mixes on the trail. I'll buy a box, and split it, resulting in enough for a meal for me and one other person with 1/2 of a box. I cook these by bringing 2 cups of water to a boil, adding the mix, then boiling for at least 5 minutes, adding pre-cooked sausage or chicken toward the end of the boil. I'll then put the pot in a pot cozy for 20 minutes. The 2 ounces of fuel easily brings the 2 cups of water to a boil, then boils for 5 minutes.
NICKTHEGREEK
07-04-2008, 13:14
I have two of Aaron's Brasslite stoves and have made and used many, many different alcohol stoves but keep coming back to the Trangia. I prefer the civilian and much lighter variant than the Swedish military version-the 24 holer instead of the 23 holer. I use a SS wire stand that I built and a thin, brass 3/4 windscreen. The SS .5" wire screen I bought from Brasslite a number of years ago.
The reason I prefer the Trangia:
Efficient-one of the most efficient of the alcohol stoves.
Simmers-when one needs a longer cooking time, common with some foods, and stretches out the cooking time with a miserly fuel consumption.
Fill it & forget it-no more trying to calculate the required amount of alcohol needed for the conditions each time I cook and then measuring it out into the stove. If at first I put too little I often put too much on the second fill then waste the excess I carried, watching it burn off. If I put to much in at first, I waste the excess I carried, watching it too burn off.
Safety- Refilling a just used stove (see above)is potentially dangerous as a few flickers of an invisible flame just may be languishing in the bottom of one's stove when one attempts to add more fuel-with quite disastrous results.
Reservoir- Since this stove has its own small reservoir for alcohol already built into it, one now requires a much smaller fuel bottle to carry more, for longer trips. on a weekend trip you likely want need any extra at all. With the Trangia filled to the top and a 24 ml plastic container that your druggist will give you for free, filled to the top with denatured alcohol, you can go for a good 10 days without needing a refill, cooking 16 oz each morning and 16 oz each evening, with a few extras built in. The smaller container needed helps to offset the Trangia's heavier weight.
Looks- both Brasslite and Trangia look good, way better than any of the home made alcohol "can" variants.
I have boxes of stoves in my garage and reams of notes where I have compared different ones. I keep coming back to the Trangia!:sun
Pretty much what he said. Trangia works, the rest are science fair also rans.
Sailor (The other one)
07-05-2008, 07:53
Fiberglass - like attic fiberglass??
This stove sounds very efficient for sure but how much alcohol does it hold? 16 minutes for a boil would then translate into many minutes to simmer and though I have plenty of time when I'm hiking, I'm not sure that I would want to wait that long!
Yeah. Like attic fiberglass.
I've not tried more than .75 oz. The Ion website (http://www.ionstove.com/index.htm) indicates at least .8 oz. Probably take an ounce.
I suppose waiting time depends on what you're cooking and which meal. If I'm cooking breakfast and want to head out fast, I'd stick to dehydrated food. If I'm cooking dinner in camp and not going anywhere, I wouldn't mind simmering.
peter_pan
07-05-2008, 08:06
Jim Wood's Super Cat... 25 cent can, hole punch and 2 minutes.... no potstand needed, 4-5 grams.... boils water in 5-6 minutes.....
What is not to love.
Pan
Jim Wood's Super Cat... 25 cent can, hole punch and 2 minutes.... no potstand needed, 4-5 grams.... boils water in 5-6 minutes.....
What is not to love.
Pan
For me? 2 things that I don't love about the Supercat: first, there is no simmer capability - which is directly related to the second thing I don't love about the Supercat - it doesn't/cannot (because of it's very nature) hold very much alcohol. I though I wrote about that in my first post...:p
***
After reading all the input here and doing yet more "research," I think NICKTHEGREEK pretty much summed it up:
Trangia works, the rest are science fair also rans.
I have decided to go with the Trangia in some form. By that, I mean that I'm not sure which version - either the original Westwind, or 'Slogger's version, or the Clikstand. This stove just seems like it will provide everything I need/want in a cookstove; ruggedness, simmer capability, larger alcohol capacity, more lightweight than my Jetboil, etc, etc, etc.
I do appreciate all the comments regarding the two stoves that I was looking for info about. For comments about the other stoves - thanks anyways! :sun
Alligator
07-05-2008, 14:14
The Trangia 28 package (http://www.rei.com/product/657906?cm_re=pageContent*productsNo1*trangia%20%20 %20Trangia%20Mini%20Trangia%2028T%20Backpacking%20 Stove)is a really nice all around kit.
The Trangia 28 package (http://www.rei.com/product/657906?cm_re=pageContent*productsNo1*trangia%20%20 %20Trangia%20Mini%20Trangia%2028T%20Backpacking%20 Stove)is a really nice all around kit.
The stand used in the Trangia 28 for the cooking pot and combo windscreen is a viable option if one does not wish to make a home-made version of it. One can purchase the stand alone from Bluff Mountain Outfitters, Hot Springs, NC, which is the only place I have seen it without having to purchase the entire kit. I prefer to use my first edition and severely used MSR 0.85L kettle instead as a pot although the Trangia pot, with its wider base, would certainly use up more of those BTU's which my narrower pot looses as the flames lick up the sides, heating air instead of pot..
Alligator
07-05-2008, 15:13
The stand is somewhat the weak link in the Trangia 28. But the pot is very light and the nonstick frypan lid is great to have if you do a little bit of frying. I know few people do. The included potstand does fit the bottom of the included pot well. The pot is a tad bit small for me also, but it is 0.8l.
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=103
Discussion above of Westwind & 28 Version with weights
Good point on the frypan,I very seldom use it...But when I do it is a great piece of gear. Well worth carrying IMO.
The stand is somewhat the weak link in the Trangia 28. But the pot is very light and the nonstick frypan lid is great to have if you do a little bit of frying. I know few people do. The included potstand does fit the bottom of the included pot well. The pot is a tad bit small for me also, but it is 0.8l.
You might look into the penny stove. When made with Heiny cans, you can make a simmer ring that will cause the stove to burn very slowly. Just an idea :) You sound like you want performance with no hassles. I'm not sure that alcohol stoves are the way to go if you aren't interested in tinkering with them. But good luck with your decision.
I personally like Jim Falk's four-in-one cat stove. (/www.backpacking.net/makegear/falk-catstove/index.html) It is a variation of the Supercat stove that allows for simmering as well as the fast boiling of the supercat and an in-between setting. (No, I have no experience with the trianga or brasslite, I don't see the need to buy a stove when I can make my own for free. Besides, I love to tinker with homemade stoves)
sirbingo
08-26-2008, 11:49
After fiddlin with a whole mess of Alky stoves I settled on the Supercat
Works like a charm. If I want to grill something I use my wood stove.
on my thru, i had the trangia westwind, and my buddy had the brasslite. the trangia was AWESOME in cold weather, i had no trouble lighting it, where my buddy had the brasslite and he would take a little longer to get it lit. the trangia is great and i would recomend it. i would just like to note that i ended up switching to a sodacan stove to save weight