Compact Meths Stove

[Timelord]

I enjoy & appreciate my Trianga stove. Unfortunately after weighing my NRBOB (No Return), it was found to be a mite too heavy. Actually it was a bloody big elephant type mite with bells on.

As part of my drive to lighten the load, I removed the Trianga burner from the rest of the Trianga stove assembly which I relegated to vehicle or 2 man+ gear.

Next I fabricated a simple stove set up to affix to the burner & that could be slid telescopic style to a closed up position. see pics.

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[Nemesis]

What a nice thing good job.

[Timelord]

The copper coloured shield is actually stainless steel & was made out of the inner of a workmate thermos that I cut up for a different project. The bottom of these has rudimentary lugs cut into it to twist & grip onto the Trianga burners screwthread neck, that the lid normally fastens on to.

I started off with too few holes, tying to keep one side solid to act as a wind break. Everytime I placed a pan on top of the shield, the burner would extinguish. Due to lack of air I realises after a few attempts. The meths burner needs a lot of airflow but also needs the shield to act in breaking up any strong wind that on its own could blow the flame jets out. the shield also acts as the pan rest. I measured the original Trianga surround distance to get the right height for the shield to hold the pan above the burner.

The top pan/container is a steel container that a military watch came in as a gift, This is very lightweight and may not be robust enough. In that case I could make or find a thicker replacement.

Stored inside at the base of the shield is a gas lighter. I could also probably squeeze a few hexi blocks in here for auxillary use or some other useful items maybe for firelighting. The shield nests inside the steel container. the brass burner nests inside the shield and its rim stops on the top of the steel outer container, leaving the storage space already mentioned below.

The small piece of stainless "blocker" as I have described it, is used for when I sit my 58pattern metal mug on top of the shield. the blocker fills in the gap on the inside kidney shape face.

Fuel is carried in a seperate container, whilst some is already inside the burner, so can be taken out & used immediately. I just need to source a suitable drawcord bag to carry the cooker in.

This design I found the day after, is similar to that of the 2nd World war "Tommy Cooker", other than that example uses solid fuel.

The all important weight :-

By discarding the rest of the Trianga assembly, the weight has gone down from 1kilo, to 225grams

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The weight could be reduced even more by using a non Trianga burner. One of the different make pattern parts that copy the Trianga one would do it. they are of a smaller diameter & lighter - probably also due to thinner gauged metal. I kept the Trianga one as this is the heart of the system and I want it to be robust & virtually indestructable. The rest can be scavanged & made up as necessary.

[Nemesis]

I have some very light stoves that you might find of interest, it is an overdue thread I feel and will be done soon enough, along with the torch thread and rain farm and and and lol, well it seems I have all the time in the world of late but no time to do anything how strange is that.

I really like your little stove though, lose the trangia meths burner for a meth coke can stove and it would float like a balloon.

[Timelord]

I like the idea of something that would create negative weight. Then I could use it to offset some of my other gear. A bit like "Carbon Offsetting" don't you think? :-)

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Actually I have got the lid for the steel tin. I shall keep that with the stove and then I can use it as a pan lid. Why didn't I think of that before??

[Nemesis]

Lid is a must, save on fuel over time.

What do you pay for your meth, only answer if you get 5 litres or more at a time?

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Could we dilute it with something cheaper to make it stretch?

[Paul]

Tried out a penny stove yet?

[Nemesis]

I was hoping others might post and address a problem with the NRBOB stove, but it seems there are only a few stove geeks on this forum.

My problem is that it is not multi fuel and how much meths can one carry before the NRBOB stoves becomes no longer light weight, as the fuel does account as part of the stove overall weight.

Or is it a case of you got rid of the metal mess tins this would allow you to carry extra meths and still maintain no weight gain, to overall BOB.

[Timelord]

Hello W&C. Some considerations are :- the fuel consumption running on meths, especially using the venturi effect versions seems to be very efficient. I think you should try incorporating these small venturi holes into one of your lightweight designs. This will mix much more air in with the fuel particles and so will use less actual liquid fuel itself for a given energy output.

Due to the efficiency then one litre of meths should last longer than say a gas canister or other fuels possibly. Combined with the lightweight of the stove set up, then as you say, this increases viability and available weight allowance for fuel storage.

Aside from this, I see the meths burner as a stove for use in haste or when no dry natural fuel or even any natural fuel is available. It is also good for when trying to remain covert.

At other times and when suitable, then an alternative fire or cooking source can be utilized. The stove can be kept for emergencies and any of the above mentioned scenarios. If only used in limited circumstances, then the fuel reserve should last much longer and this fuel reserve may be able to be supplemented from time to time.

I think we should proceed soon with the experiment to find readily available alternative fuels, eg an alcohol/oil mix etc.
Regards, TL.

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The copy aftermarket Trainga style burners I see for sale at Army Surplus stores is a approx 30% smaller and much lighter than the Trianga burner. I am sure they will be comparable in wight to your coke can style ones. They work the same as the Trianga ones with the venturi effect. I believe they cost about £5 + or - a pound.

[Nemesis]

(9 May 2012, 20:07)Timelord Wrote: Hello W&C. Some considerations are :- the fuel consumption running on meths, especially using the venturi effect versions seems to be very efficient. I think you should try incorporating these small venturi holes into one of your lightweight designs. This will mix much more air in with the fuel particles and so will use less actual liquid fuel itself for a given energy output.

Due to the efficiency then one litre of meths should last longer than say a gas canister or other fuels possibly. Combined with the lightweight of the stove set up, then as you say, this increases viability and available weight allowance for fuel storage.

Aside from this, I see the meths burner as a stove for use in haste or when no dry natural fuel or even any natural fuel is available. It is also good for when trying to remain covert.

At other times and when suitable, then an alternative fire or cooking source can be utilized. The stove can be kept for emergencies and any of the above mentioned scenarios. If only used in limited circumstances, then the fuel reserve should last much longer and this fuel reserve may be able to be supplemented from time to time.

I think we should proceed soon with the experiment to find readily available alternative fuels, eg an alcohol/oil mix etc.
Regards, TL.

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The copy aftermarket Trainga style burners I see for sale at Army Surplus stores is a approx 30% smaller and much lighter than the Trianga burner. I am sure they will be comparable in wight to your coke can style ones. They work the same as the Trianga ones with the venturi effect. I believe they cost about £5 + or - a pound.

I did try smaller holes they would not take, I was forced to re drill them.

I must look at getting a small drill set to give more options.

I get about 6 mins on an ounce burn, as it stand now, but needs better testing weather and all that.

So the meth is the back-up, good stuff.

I hope you can get this alternative fuels thing worked out, if you want me to buy some fuels and test let me know I got time on my hands.

As for copy aftermarket Trangia style burners the inner walls break after little use, all mine are Trangia or Swiss Army.