Trangia Spirit Burner

[CharlesHarris]

The military surplus Trangia burner is made in Sweden and is still used by several NATO militaries. I have used mine for over 25 years since I was first introduced in the ski patrol when I lived in New Hampshire. It is inexpensive, reliable, compact, and suitable for year-round use as a backpacker stove. It is as small, rugged and simple as a stove can get.

While alcohol does not have the heat output of propane, butane or naptha, comparing fuel volume, and burner weight, cooking / boil times are very reasonable. I use my Trangia mostly for heating water to hydrate Mountain House freeze dried or US military LRP-CW cold weather rations.

The Trangia is favored by special operation troops because it produces little smoke or light, is absolutely silent in operation and weighs next to nothing. Alcohol spills evaporate without leaving any residual smell. I find that the lower heat output of alcohol is actually an advantage, because it results in less burned food.

In the US alcohol is more expensive (about $8 per gallon) than unleaded white gasoline or Coleman fuel, but suitable alcohol fuel is available just about everywhere. Boil times are longer in windy conditions use the burner without a wind screen. At first you may have difficulty predicting how much fuel to put into the stove, balancing between fuel waste and early flame-out. Use of the windscreen is highly recommended, because it saves fuel and also reduces cooking time. Military units come with an O-ring cap, which permits fuel to be transported in the stove. Using a simmer top also helps to extinguish or regulate the flame. Appropriate care is necessary, because burning alcohol may spill, if accidentally knocked over, but the Trangia is generally stable.

To improve winter ignition, carry the burner and its fuel bottle in your anorak pocket, so your stove will be kept above freezing and then will light instantly. In below freezing conditions the stove cooks more slowly, but a useful trick is to use the lid as an pre-heating burner by first removing its O-ring, then lighting an eye dropper full of fuel in the cap, placing it under the lit burner supported in the inverted wind screen, to preheat the fuel. This yields impressive results quickly, but for safety sake, do so only outside the tent!!

Some articles say to dilute methanol fuel with 10% water to reduce soot. I’ve never done this, because higher proof alcohol produces more heat. If you rub some liquid soap on the pan bottom, any soot cleans off easily. Another tip is to light the stove from a wooden splint dipped in the pool of alcohol, holding the flame over the pool of fuel, until it vaporizes enough to ignite. This is more effective than trying to light pooled fuel directly with a match so that preheating is unnecessary, even in subzero weather. On snow, use pot supports, resting the burner on a piece of plywood glued to a piece of insulating foam. Use another insulated support to rest set your pot on, so that it does not sink into the snow.

Never screw the cap onto a hot stove, but always wait until the burner cools, to avoid damage to the O-ring seal. A bit of silicone grease on the O-ring and threads helps sealing and eases assembly and disassembly. Best part of the Trangia is that you won’t ever need a wrench or spare parts kit. It is truly the “AK47 of backpacking stoves.”

In the Trangia alcohol I will describe my methodology so that others can follow similar procedures to compare their cookers. I started with 500ml or about 2/3 of a US canteen cup full of water, the amount required to heat and hydrate one LRP-CW ration. The canteen water was stored overnight, outdoors, at a temperature of 5 degs.C. Using undiluted denatured alcohol fuel, a full tank in the Trangia set up in its Swedish issue windscreen, lighting after pre-heating with the cap trick, burned for 15 minutes, outdoors in fresh breeze, bringing the water to a slow boil, using exactly the right amount of fuel with no waste.

[BeardyMan]

Yup, cracking bits of kit. I've got 10 kicking around somewhere. Don't be fooled by the shiny Tatonka ones though. Yes, the stainless steel is pretty, but they fucking leak! What's the point in having a trangia style burner if YOU CAN'T KEEP FUEL IN IT!!!

Used it once, realised it leaked about 3 minutes after I'd tested it. Stuck it in a draw. Piece of crap.

Stick with the old military ones and you can't go wrong.

[Prepper1]

I just use the soda can burners.
Simply because I cant afford a trangia AND I'm always loosing stuff...

Rather forget my soda can stove on a mountain than my trangia.!!!

[BeardyMan]

(26 September 2013, 14:00)Prepper1 Wrote: I just use the soda can burners.
Simply because I cant afford a trangia AND I'm always loosing stuff...

Rather forget my soda can stove on a mountain than my trangia.!!!

Well they're lighter for a start. And nothing to worry about should you lose it.

BUT, you can't keep fuel inside the thing itself, which to me, is a huge sticking point.

If you want a trangia mate PM me your address an I'll stick one in the post. Like I say, got about 10 of 'em kicking around.

[I-K-E]

how much do you want for one of your extra's BM?

[Midnitemo]

tried them but never really got on with them...butane/propane was just so much easier...situations changed now so i may revisit and see if an older wiser more patient me can make it work for me this time.

[BeardyMan]

(26 September 2013, 14:12)I-K-E Wrote: how much do you want for one of your extra's BM?

If you just want the burner mate I can chuck one in the post (when I've dug 'em out from wherever the missus has hidden them all)

Or if you want the set (burner, wind shield/pot rest, fuel bottle) they're £10.

Got some German mess sets too, which with a minor modification to the wind sheild / pot stand slot right in there. The whole set up is £20.

Handy bit of kit, I love mine. When I'm not venturing far from the car that what I use.

[I-K-E]

(27 September 2013, 12:55)BeardyMan Wrote:

(26 September 2013, 14:12)I-K-E Wrote: how much do you want for one of your extra's BM?

If you just want the burner mate I can chuck one in the post (when I've dug 'em out from wherever the missus has hidden them all)

Or if you want the set (burner, wind shield/pot rest, fuel bottle) they're £10.

Got some German mess sets too, which with a minor modification to the wind sheild / pot stand slot right in there. The whole set up is £20.

Handy bit of kit, I love mine. When I'm not venturing far from the car that what I use.

PM sent BM

[Timelord]

Trianga is the dogs... There are posts on these burners previously. You can junk the heavy surround and just use the burner with an expedient made wraparound windshield. This cuts down the weight and considerable bulk but keeps the real heart of the system for use. Looking similar to WW2 "Tommy Cookers". The trianga design is ultra reliable and there is basically nothing to go wrong - no moving parts etc.. Super! :-)
(Just don't try putting one out with the sole of your trainer like I did originally. Doh!! Use the lid - simples...lol)