Trangia Alcohol stove Review

"I have used my little trangia stove for about two years and love it. I even gave up my Whisperlight in favor of the Trangia. It cooks slower but I'm not in a hurry on the trail. I have had trouble getting it to light in extreme cold but found that holding it in my hands for a few minutes warms it enough to light. I have only used it for weekend trips so the fact that it takes a bit more fule than a gas stove has not effected me. Even with these drawbacks it's simplisity, it's slight wieght, compactness, and the fact it is foolproof make it my favorite stove."

"Nigel's review of Jan. '98 is right on. Like the gas powered Svea 123 this thing does have its charm. However unlike the very attractive Svea, theTragia
portable is a cheap looking, unpressurized appliance which won't work well in the cold or
wind. Still it's clever and a minimalist's delight. Hint: to provide insulation when adjusting the flame on a hot Tragia carry a couple of wooden clothes pins inside the cover/dish."

"Doesn't work well in wind or cold? (previous review) Works better in some wind because the alcohol burns more then, getting hotter. In cold (10 F), just put the little stove where there is some warmth for a couple minutes before lighting.
Even though it takes longer to boil water (only do 16oz max at a time to make it faster) I used less fuel for 2 people then a friend with a white gas stove did for 1 person, flare ups/retries/ect wasted gas for him.
All the Lipton Noodles and Sauce and Rice and Sauce dishes require simmering, which this works great for, and boiling 16oz for coffee/oatmeal only takes 10 minutes.
Nice and quite also."

"What a joy not to carry smelly gasoline in my pack. In head to head competitin heating water starting with arriving at camp, it was a dead heat to boiling time between the gasser which require filling, priming, heating and generating and trangia "simply light it" in rain at the Malemute Saloon west of Fairbanks AK. Where can another one be found in the US?"

"Cold is not too much of a problem. I have either used a candle lantern to warm it up or just stick the burner in a pocket. Great for one person. In groups, I used the Trangia to heat up water for hot chocolate or other things, I usually get the first batch of water done before the other stoves are even lit. Also it is good as a simmering burner so the flame throwers can be used for something that needs the heat. The pot support that comes with the Trangia-28 (mini-Trangia) is pretty stable. We put on a full 12-inch skillet and had no worries. Works best if you use a windscreen (heavy aluminum foil works nicely, may not be an issue with the -25 or -27))"

"In the UK I've been using a Trangia 27. Comes as a set with the pots/pans/windshield.
Perfect for 1 person and OK for 2. I've mostly used it on fishing trips as its stable enough for use in a boat(with caution) It's great. I presume any reviewers having problems are using the mini trangia which comes without windshield? Much less efficient. European favourites 25 and 27 actually MORE efficient in a wind.

I've been using them since I was sixteen, almost twenty years. Thats a lot of problem free tea beans and noodles!!"

"Using the Trangia 25-8 in duossal, I just can say that it's a little miracle, no more wind problems, very stable, cooking gear already here since it comes with a complete set. It's so easy to set that the speed question is REALLY a detail !"

"Just used the Trangia 25 duossal in half a meter of snow and by 20°F : quik set-up, lit at first try, FA-BU-LOUS :-)!
That the ONE for backbackers who want to cook by ANY conditions, not the best for EVERY situation but the leader OVERALL and that's the most important concern for me ! You can't go wrong with it"

"I recently purchased a surplus trangia from a european surplus store it came with a mess kit. I recently took it on a three day bike trip with my oldest son. It preformed flawlessly we had oatmeal with raisins for breakfast Bear Creek soups for lunch and dinner we ate some hot spam and made bacon with it. Ofcourse it makes tea and hot cocoa as well but we all know that. my only complaint is that the stove itself does not simmer as of yet, and I have to find away to use the army canteen cups that I have efficently with it however I would not trade it for anything rate it highly."

"Trangia stoves work great, but there are a few tricks to making them work easier and better, especially in extreme conditions. We have successfully used trangias for camping trips in conditions at least minus 30 F.

First, to limit smoking and flareups, follow the manufacturers advice and dilute the methanol or denatured ethanol with water, not more than about ten percent. In very cold weather, well below freezing, reduce or eliminate the dilution. For the mini trangia, use a wind screen, we just purchased a replacement msr whisperlite one, it works great. The bigger trangia sets with the pot stand which is an integral windscreen, require nothing else, but it does help if the pots seat deeply and pretty much fill the space which means that the burner flame heats the pot sidewalls on the way out.

Next, and this is very helpful in winter, cut some wide very thin shavings of wood, much like "feathers" used to start wood fires. Dip the feather in the pool of alcohol, ingnite the splint, hold it over the pool of fluid, soon it will vaporize enough to ignite. This is much more convenient and practical than struggling with matches or lighters trying to directly light the pool and obviates any need to preheat the burner, even in subzero weather.

In winter, when using the simmer ring, try not to damp it too severely, you can extinquish the flame.

On snow, use pot supports, simple light weight ones for the burner/pot support can be made with utralight, cheap plywood veneer duct taped to some old sleeping pad foam. Another pad is used to set the pot down so it does not sink in the snow.

With a few tricks, these are great, QUIET, SAFE AND RELIABLE TRULY YEAR ROUND STOVES. If you have the stove and you have fuel, it will work, safely and quietly. Last, don't forget NOT to screw the cap on a hot stove or even put it on until the stove cools-use the closed simmer ring for that, otherwise you will damage the O-ring seal. A final hint- little teflon lube on the O-ring and threads helps sealing and eases assembly and disassembly."

"I have used the trangia on a 2-man multi-day hike, as part of an effort to cut weight from pack. we used the burner, a homemade bent wire pot stand, an aluminum windscreen (cut piece of flashing), and an MSR Titan pot. the stove was mostly used to heat water (a pot for for freeze-dried dinners, then a second pot for tea), though i suspect that simmering would be an option if desired. we really didn't use the stove as a culinary arts platform - all we wanted was hot dinner-in-a-bag at the end of the day (saved time cleaning up that way). the fuel usage seems roughly similar to my whisperlite. you don't need a spare parts kit (as you may with the whisperlite) - not much to go wrong with the trangia. bottom line? i think my whisperlite (a decent gas stove in its own right) is retired from my deep woods backpacking. any advantages the gas stove may have (it is a little hotter, and runs longer if you wanted to boil a lot of water) are really dwarfed by the weight savings and design simplicity (i.e., reliability) of the trangia."

"i used 2 trangia 27 stoves on a 3 week backpacking trip in the Natahala National Forest, NC last summer. They worked like a charm rain, snow and shine. i never had a problem lighting them, and cooked simple and elaborate meals for 10 people with no problem. Best of all is the simplicity of the stove, if you treat it right (which is hard not to do)it wont ever need to be fixed."

"I purchased a Trandia T25 set last year becasue I need a stove I could take on a airline flight (gas stoves not allowed). I was wowed! Ease of use and raliablility was fantastic. It preformed flawlessly. I use Fondu Fuel which is available in any department store - works great, no smoking or flare ups. It'll be heading out with me this year to the Chilkoot trail. Looks like my Optimus Nova has been outclassed by simplicity!"

"I've had a Trangia set for about 15 years now, and loved it! It's been with me all over Minn, and the US, and is still in use in Kodiak, Alaska. I took one of those Swedish milt. surplus mess kits (made by who other than Trangia?) on a bear hunt. When my buddy's whisperlite was flaring up and generally being 'cantankerous', I was finishing up dinner for us. One of those lightweight 'surplus jobbies' now goes with me even on day hunts (there's nothing like a hot cup of soup and coffee on a mountaintop for lunch!), but the full sized set is the winner for kayaking and hike-in multi-overnights trips, etc. Excellent stoves!!!"

"I've used my brass Trangia burner happily for 3 decades from MN Winters to the tropics, and have never found a stove that beats it. Simple, dependable, dead quiet, and it will even run on booze!

The Trangia Sets are kinda bulky and overkill for me, so I've pared mine down to the bones. The first thing to go is the beautiful and heavy brass cap..it's really useless. Then I make a BETTER pot support/windscreen out of an empty 1 lb coffee can.

Here's how:
Just cut off the top and bottom of the can and drill 1/4 holes around the bottom about 1/2" up from the edge. Now, cut the can down to an overall height of 95mm (40mm space from the burner top to the bottom of your pot is optimal..I've done all the testing for ya already) with a tin snips. Now make 3 equally space marks around the top edge and use the snips again to cut out narrow 'heat vents' betweewn the 3 marks. Do NOT make the vents more than about 1/4" wide when your pot is resting on the 3 support nubs, and you're done. The support/windshield protects the delicate alcohol flame completely and acts as a flue to draw the heat up, and the narrow vent slots force it against the pot intead of letting it dance around or blow out the sides. The three 1/4" high nubs act as a tripod and keep your pot stable and grip far better than wires or flat edges.

A great support/windscreen is the secret to these great stoves, and brings out their real potential. Pickup a $10 surplus Swedish stove/mess kit and you're in business. I saved the mess kit and issue pot suppport for the car trunk, and just add the stove to it between hikes...I'm always ready for emergency Spaggetti-O's!

If you have trouble lighting your burner in the brutal cold, just add a teaspoonful of Naptha (lighter fluid..don't use gasoline!) to 16oz of alcohol fuel. The flame will be more yellow and easy to see, and it will light quickly and safely. Also, if ya slop food down over the fine burner holes here's a tip:

Strip a piece of stranded speaker wire back about 3/4 of an inch and then cut the wire about 1 1/2 inches long to form a tiny 'broom'. Tape it to the bottom of your stove or toss it in your pack and just pluck out a strand when you need one to poke open the tiny clogged burner jets.

So..I just slosh an ounce of alcohol into the brass burner, light it and drop the support/windscreen down over it and set my pot on top. I'm cooking, and have plenty of time to help others find O-rings and parts for their Miracle stoves. Sometimes I just lean back and wonder when I'll get to see another 22 oz fuel bottle detonate in the twilight.

Simple is good."

"Quite simply, after I started using this stove I quit with my Whisperlite in all except higher altitude trips (I have found that the Trangia isn't as fuel-efficient as elevation increases, though I've never done a head-to-head test so this is purely anecdotal). We use my wife's Trangia, which dates to her days as a girl scout in Finland. Our Trangia is about 25 years old and still serving admirably. Ultra reliable, they will always run when fuel is available; when in a foreign land, the pharmacy and/or liquor store almost always carries something that will burn! Quiet too, unlike the jet-engine sounds produced by the Whisperlite. I also like the fact that if you use the nifty little flame regulator, you can simmer things more effeciently than with the higher heat models. I'd recommend it for anyone. And in the U.S., where they are harder to find, my friends who have converted to the Trangia have been able to order them through REI."

"I have used a Trangia stove for a little over a year now. I have also used a Svea 123 since the mid 70s-my basis of comparison. The Trangia is about as small, rugged and simple as stoves get. Though alcohol does not deliver the heat output of white gas, based on fuel volume and weight, cooking/boil times are still very reasonable. I have observed little if any blackening of cookware-even without the recommended fuel dilution of 10% with water. This stove is absolutely silent and weighs next to nothing. Alcohol spills evaporate without a residual smell. The lower heat output of alcohol results in less burned food if you cook like me. Alcohol is about four times more expensive than white gas if you purchase by the gallon. The Trangia is about half the price of the Svea. My only issues with alcohol (in general) are due to increased boil times in windy conditions and my inherent desire to try to predict how much fuel to put in the stove-a balance between fuel wastage and pre-mature flameout. The first problem is mostly resolved with a wind screen. Trangia addresses the second issue with an O-ring on the cap so that fuel can be transported in the stove and with a simmer top to extinguish or regulate the flame-if required. Alcohol flames are difficult to see in daylight, so appropriate care needs to be taken. Burning alcohol also spills out of the stove if accidentally kicked or knocked over during operation. Though the stove is quite stable, I have found ways to tip it over. Bottom line is that this stove is well worth the small investment but nothing is perfect."

"I collect stoves of all types, and fuel, kero, white gas, butane and alcohol, but the Trangia is by far the best. No moving parts to go wrong, burn better in wind, and the ex swedish army ones you can pick up for $10 are superb in their own right. I used a Hunter in base, and an 8r together with one of the Trangias, you simply have to try one of these great bits of kit."

"I have had a Trangia stove for about 2 years now and i have really loved it. bought the top of the line in their line, the T27-7 with all the accesories and i am very happy i got it. I am a kid and i dont make much money but i am still glad i saved enough up to pay the $128 bill!! One time one of my buddies dropped a hammer on it(long story) and it didnt hurt it a bit. I really like the little kettle thing i got with it its really nice for heating up water for a cup of hot coffee on a cold winter morning. Over all i think if you want a stove that will work well in any weather and ya dont really care that it weighs a lot you should definately get a Trangia"

"Just thought I'd add that it is possible to buy the Swedish Army Trangia in its natural "aluminium" finish - without the dull green paint finish that they usually come with. They still work the same but they don't look quite so military!! I carry the two sets around now and have been really impressed by their efficiency and flexibility. I'm not a super-light backpacker so the extra weight doesn't apply, and having two burners to go at is a real luxury! The only thing I've failed to do is to get the small pan to work as a fry-pan (it's just too fierce a flame, I think) - but I have cooked bacon and eggs really easily by balancing an ordinary frying pan on the top of the windshield. (OK, yes, I am working on how to make it a bit safer! But it does work!) Now, if I can just find an oval kettle....!"

"This is a stove that never stops working.
The Trangia is as simple as they come. I´ve used the 25, 27 and mini for many years, allways reliable. Bit heavy though.
During my military service in Sweden we used a similar stove made by Optimus or Primus. (memory fails) The burner and stovesetup was the same as the Trangia. The only real problem was igniting during the winter. When temperatures plunged to 30 below, (-30 F approx -30 C) and it did a lot, we carried the burner and a small extra fuelbottle in a pocket to keep it "not so cold". This really speed things up, and you light your stove instantly.

There´s another problem during the cold season. The stove cooks quite slowly.
The trick in the cold is to use the lid as an extra-burner. You light some fuel in it (remove O-seal) and place it under the lit burner. With the lower windshield this is no problem. All you have to do is to sit back and wait for the fuel in the burner get really hot. Now you´ve got a real NASA rocket! Steer clear of tents and buildings though!!

The downside is the soot. 10% water, ok during summer, but no hit during winter. Depending on the quality of the fuel ofcourse, but to rub a bit of liquid soap on the bottom of the pan works. Cleans easily."

"I use the Trangia 25, 27, and military versions.
These are simply, the most reliable stove you will ever use, they always work. Performance is slower than white gas/ coleman/kero burners, but what’s the rush when your camping. Some people complain about the weight of the kit, but remember, this package includes two pots, frypan and kettle; so ok, the MSR’s are lighter, but add the weight of fuel bottles and pans and there is not a lot of difference, plus there is no need to carry a wind shield."

"I have used the Mini for 10 years. Fuel is cheap and readily available (US). It is very durable. Maintenance is nil. The only con is the windscreen. I augmented the wind screen/ pot stand with a heavy duty aluminum foil wrap around."