View Full Version : The best stove for the uninitiated
I was putting the word about to friends that I needed some kit for the great outdoors.
I now find myself with 3 different stove types,
A swedish military issue mess tin with a trangia style burner
A british military issue hexamine stove with cup adapter and cup that fits onto the bottom of a pattern 58 water bottle
And a camping gaz stove that screws directly onto the gas bottle.
Question is out of the three which would be the most suitable for bushcraft in the UK (fire restrictions and stuff) with regards to practicality,efficiency,safety ,reliability and the clean up job after eating whilst out in the woods. :?:
i got a trangia stove ( and LOADS of homemade alcohol stove's... ).
the trangia is a very simple, basic stove and very reliable, you can store fuel in it, so leave you fuel bottle home, during day trips ( maybe more ). It's not the most powerfull stove in the world, but the fuel is dead cheap ( € 0.90 per liter ) and avaible everywhere. the fuel is no harmfull for the inviorment. if also fits in the US type in the us type of cup stand, but just. You do have to turn the cup 180 degrees or else the flames can't get anywhere and will go out. I used this to make tea during short trips. Not sure wheather it will see more action, since i bought a snowpeak track 900 not to long ago, it gets mine water boiling much faster, since it has a lit and a windscreen is much easier to put around the stove. ( i didn't use a screen with the steel cup/ alluminium stand ).
if they have a few peopel wanting to cook on one stove then id suggest a colemans petrols sportsII stove. very powerful but does weigh a fair bit. the fuel works out very cheep though i got mine for £25 never had any problems with it.
My vote goes for hexy ... cheap fuel and easy to know how much you have left.
apart from the aluminium question, i reckon the swedish mess kit is the ultimate bushcraft stove, you have a decent size billy well suited to hanging over an open fire, and if you end up breing up too close to civilisation, just switch to trangia mode.
the hexy burner is always great pice of kit for easy day hikes and stuff, make a windshield from the base of a disposable barbeque. much better sitting on a windy clouded over hill top with a fresh brew, when all around you are wearers of dayglo cagouls with bottles of cold weak lemon drink 8-)
cheers, and.
I agree with Sargey
Meths !!! :bu:
I'd go Trangia for anything longer than a day hike and hexy to stuff in a pocket of my pack for making a brew or two on a day trip.
David
soulstar1963
04-05-2010, 09:08
for a lightweight stove you would be very hard pressed to beat a cat can stove, less than half an ounce, (i dont do metric). even with a windshield they weigh less than 2 ounces, these combined with a transparent fuel bottle for the meths are a great combination. cost around 40p, take ten minutes to make, combine stove and pot stand. boil times for just under a pint around, 5 minutes......they are all i use now. lots of vidoes on how to make them on you tube
Nah, stick with gas. Controllable, no flammable liquids or tablets to spill around, quick to set up, safer.
stevesteve
04-05-2010, 09:34
I would look at a hobo stove. I have used mine with wood, meths and hexy (store the hexy sepparately as it is not very nice stuff!).
I have a trangia burner (with the mini-Trangia pot stand) which fits inside my billy, inside the stainless drainer.
You can burn a range of fuels and a wood fire is well contained.
Cheers,
Steve
For a day or two the gas stove is hard to beat, although performance drops in cold weather. Twig burners/hobo's are OK but I can't be bothered messing about feeding in twigs and little bits of wood and the clean up after. A real Trangia knocks spots off the army setup and is the ultimate reliable cooking system.
My personal choice for anything but solo cooking would be a paraffin stove.
For making hot drinks or boil in the bag meals or boiled eggs I cant fault the Jetboil stoves.
Meths stoves take too long.
Hexi-stoves are just a waste of time in anything but an emergency.
And both of these suffer if there's a wind.
Go for gas.
It has its drawbacks (as all outdoor cooking does to some extent) but its clean (so no having to wipe soot off the outside of pots) and simple to use. Gas does suffer in cold weather (the gas stays liquid and doesn't get warm enough to vaporise), but then so do both hexi and meths stoves suffer in the cold. One way around this is to get a gas burner where the cylinder is attached by a length of hose, that way you can turn the cylinder up or just keep rubbing it to keep the gas vaporised.
Meths stoves take too long.
Hexi-stoves are just a waste of time in anything but an emergency.
And both of these suffer if there's a wind.
Go for gas.
It has its drawbacks (as all outdoor cooking does to some extent) but its clean (so no having to wipe soot off the outside of pots) and simple to use. Gas does suffer in cold weather (the gas stays liquid and doesn't get warm enough to vaporise), but then so do both hexi and meths stoves suffer in the cold. One way around this is to get a gas burner where the cylinder is attached by a length of hose, that way you can turn the cylinder up or just keep rubbing it to keep the gas vaporised.
Not that long (for meths) with a proper Trangia and meths does work in the cold, after all, thousands of campers in Scandinavia use them in temperatures far far colder than the UK.
If you have the need for speed go for liquid fuelled stoves so, no need to be rubbing or fliping cylinders; what stoves do you use durulz?
what stoves do you use durulz?
If I'm just boiling water for a brew or a pack of super noodles then I use a gas stove - not sure of the make, but I think it's a Webtex one where the cylinder connects via a braided hose. That kind of thing.
If I'm doing something more substantial (or just fancy flame) then I use a nimblewill stove.
When out camping it's always an open fire.
I have tried (and own) hexi stoves and meths stoves but, from my experience, I can see no real advantage of either of those over gas. Not with what I do, anyway. I suppose that's the real point - which is the best stove depends on what you are doing.
lostplanet
04-05-2010, 12:22
I'm just going down the road of alternatives to Gas carts such as the honey stove and Trangia meths burner, for fun really as I know my gas set up works.
I use a MSR pocket rocket that i've had for 5 years +, Various size of Gas Cart, A crusader Mug and Mess tins sit fairly securely I haven't had it topple over yet.
I mainly use boil in bag rations so I don't waste any water cleaning. Once the meal is hot I use the water for a Brew after. pretty standard stuff really, the water boils in around 8 to 10 minutes, It can be packed away quickly, the Gas is quite expensive I paid £6.99 for 500 coleman cart.
I also take a pocket flask, like one of these http://www.strikeforcesupplies.co.uk/index.php?method=stock&id=20089&from=
for my brews, it keeps drinks hot for a good while after (The seals need to be cleaned otherwise they get sticky and leak).
Looking at your list of needs, I would say the gas stove.
stevesteve
04-05-2010, 13:22
It's very much a question of personal taste. I have used gas andpetrol stoves in the past and both are very effective.
However I now often travel with my hobo stove and trangia. I have just come back from four days walking with this as my stove and it coooked three meals a day very capably.
Cheers,
Steve
C_Claycomb
04-05-2010, 21:15
I know we ask folk to use the search function to avoid duplicating common questions or answers ...:)
but even so, I think there is probably a limit on how far back its worth going in an effort to avoid starting a new thread :D
I generally use a Coke can meths burner when wanting nought but a brew on a day walk. I have several wood burners, including a Bushbuddy, which is lovely, but is overkill, weight wise, for a day hike that will include just one or two brew ups. If I had a gas stove I might well use one instead of meths, I know they are faster, but I don't, and I don't need to use a stove enough for it to matter, so I haven't bought one.
Meths burners allow for more bushcraft (application of bush skill, knowledge) than the gas burners, they are also quieter, which is nice.
Meths burners allow for more bushcraft (application of bush skill, knowledge) than the gas burners...
Really? How would that be?
How does putting a lighter to a puddle of meths require more bushcraft skill than putting a lighter to a jet of gas?
The only difference that I can see is if you make you own meths stove. But even that's not likely to happen 'in the field' (unless you optimistically take a pot of meths with you on the off-chance you'll stumble across an old tin can).
Edit - just read this back to myself. Realise it made sound flippant. It's not. It's a genuine question. I can see how how a meths stove may appear more bushcrafty, but I don't see how it actually requires more bushcraft skill. Wondered what I may be missing.
forestwalker
05-05-2010, 08:55
Over here in Sweden the default answer would be a bog standard Trangia stove. Dead easy to use, pretty safe (unless you try to top up a burner that is still going), cheap to run, and a quite good stove in real life as well.
C_Claycomb
05-05-2010, 10:00
[QUOTE=durulz;687087]Really? How would that be?
How does putting a lighter to a puddle of meths require more bushcraft skill than putting a lighter to a jet of gas?
The only difference that I can see is if you make you own meths stove. But even that's not likely to happen 'in the field' (unless you optimistically take a pot of meths with you on the off-chance you'll stumble across an old tin can).
[QUOTE]
It may be that it is I that is missing something, not you :D
This is just a personal feeling, not sure that its strong enough to call an opinion ;)
The way I see it is that if you buy a gas stove it is very much a complete system, not affected greatly by wind or damp, complete with all necessary stands, shields or reflectors. Anyone can buy it and use it to do basic heating with minimal skill or imagination.
Buying a meths burner can be much the same, but there is greater scope, particularly if you have made your own. Wind shields and stands are things that can be home built or improvised in the field. I have used my Coke can stove with pot hangers and a birch bark wind deflector. Its succeptibility to wind means I have to read the land a little more to find a properly sheltered spot. The proximity of the flame to the ground can mean you make little "alien landing" burn marks on the ground unless you have chosen the site, or base, with a little care (the same holds for some gas stoves too, but not the ones where the burner is perched on top of the canister). The fuel seems more sensitive to cold and damp and in miserable weather can require a bit more coaxing than a gas stove.
I guess you could draw a parallel between wool/ventile and proprietory fleece/Goretex. We tend to buy all our clothing, which means it is all equally commercial and a product of the modern world. However, the simpler materials need a little more care to use, can at a push be made or modded at home, and their simplicity devorces the user just a little less from the outdoors than going with the very latest modern manufactured product.
John Fenna
05-05-2010, 10:11
Anything other than the stink of Hexi!
Out of the gas/hexi/SA Trangia triumvate I would chose the Trangia as the kit you get is versatile and the pans are great on an open fire as well as in the meths system of windshield and burner.
Also the meths is cheaper and produces less litter (fuel cans) than the gas as well as being less likely to suffer from rough handling or develop mechanical problems over time.
OK the SA Trangia is heavier and has a slower boil time...but in my eyes it wins out in durability, simplicity and versitility.
andythecelt
05-05-2010, 10:43
On a day out I use hexi in a crusader set, for longer I use a stainless Tatonka branded Trangia style burner. Once I'm out of hexi I've decided that's it I'm not buying any more. Now I'm pretty much a meths convert. Not as toxic to the environment as hexi, runs on easily produced fuel rather than fossil fuel and completely silent. It may take a few minutes longer than gas or petrol stoves but I'm never in that much of a rush, I just sit and appreciate the view. It also has the benefit of being reasonably safe to use under a tarp or even in a tent if the sleet is horizontal outside.
The trangy is probably the most reliable IMHO, I do carry a hexi-stove as a backup and have a certain sentimentality about it but I've always found it damn hard to light if you don't have shelter and it can be messy to clean up after it too.
I was putting the word about to friends that I needed some kit for the great outdoors.
I now find myself with 3 different stove types,
A swedish military issue mess tin with a trangia style burner
A british military issue hexamine stove with cup adapter and cup that fits onto the bottom of a pattern 58 water bottle
And a camping gaz stove that screws directly onto the gas bottle.
Question is out of the three which would be the most suitable for bushcraft in the UK (fire restrictions and stuff) with regards to practicality,efficiency,safety ,reliability and the clean up job after eating whilst out in the woods. :?:
I have the first two you describe and they alright for boiling water and are light to carry. Also I use a vienna sausage can home made alcohol burner.
I don't like to use propane gas as the containers, tanks are clumsy to pack around. I also prefer charcoal to propane for the backyard grill.
At a local yard sale I just found (for $30 us) a 1974 Coleman 413G coleman fuel (white gas, petrol) stove and Coleman fuel (white gas, petrol) Lantern 228H. Both items work like a charm since 36 years! Both are heavy to pack around but provide lots of light or cooking ability at base camp ; )
Has anybody noticed that this thread started in 2004???
John Fenna
05-05-2010, 13:58
Has anybody noticed that this thread started in 2004???
:lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao: :lmao:
but it is nice to see that new members are looking at the older posts!
Over here in Sweden the default answer would be a bog standard Trangia stove. Dead easy to use, pretty safe (unless you try to top up a burner that is still going), cheap to run, and a quite good stove in real life as well.
Well said, and they thrive in high winds due to the superb shield design (nothing to stop you using the pans on an open fire either).
Has anybody noticed that this thread started in 2004???
Zombie thread! Let the dead rest! ;)
Having said that I prefer the old primus micron with pz ignition. They call it express auto now I think. It has the burner with the wire gauze in the centre which glows red and spreads the heat well to prevent hot spots.
stevesteve
05-05-2010, 18:09
Ha Ha (no I hadn't noticed the dates!)
Cheers,
Steve
The trangy is probably the most reliable IMHO, I do carry a hexi-stove as a backup and have a certain sentimentality about it but I've always found it damn hard to light if you don't have shelter and it can be messy to clean up after it too.
yeah i agree, i use hexy in a small tin thing then i just bung the lid on after - this is mainly my pocket brew kit when out all day with the camera or something
Old thread so what?
Still good fun to talk about lol
I have all types of stoves and I like them all. I carry a pocket rocket clone for emergencies as in if I run out of fuel for others or need a quick boil.
Otherwise, i usually use a petrol stove or meths.
Meths stoves (and hexi stoves) can do a lot but are often thought of as just a 'water boiler'.
As I have said before you can (and I do) cook many things ona meths stove.
If you ask 100 forums members you would prob get 95 dif answers! lol
But does it matter?
It a bit like saying whats the best knife to have?
I am in ICT and class myself as a 'serious photographer'. When people ask me
'whats the best camera?' or 'which computer should I get?'
I answer ' The one you keep with you(camera) and know how to use fully (both)
So many people have kit they don't know how to use.
THAT to me is the real question. Which stove do you FULLY understand and know how to get the best out of?
Meths stove performance is affected by many things and you can't just look at the stove in isolation. The windshield is very important for example.
Alan
Has anybody noticed that this thread started in 2004???
Just goes to show that a good stove will stand the test of time!
Trangia all the way for me (prefer civi one to military), I used to love gas but then I got a proper trangia and have never looked back (ok I have a gas adapter too)
Has anybody noticed that this thread started in 2004???
:lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao:
Is this an old post resurrection record?
Does it matter how old the post is? If old posts are an issue perhaps they should be removed after a couple of years?
nige7whit
05-05-2010, 22:05
I really should consider a multi-fuel stove..... My working day consists of being in close proximity to many thousands of litres of kerosene (Avtur), and some of it is inevitably rendered 'unfit for use in aircraft' by virtue of having been drained out of aircraft....... Curious, but true.
I currently prefer a meths burning setup, but when out in the hills, I generally have an MSR Pocket Rocket and 100gm gas cart in the bag, just in case. (Just in case 2 Trangia burners, 2 Titanium pots, 2 Tatonka stands, and a couple of litres of meths aren't quite enough !:eek:
nige7whit
05-05-2010, 22:11
Just goes to show that a good stove will stand the test of time!
Trangia all the way for me (prefer civi one to military), I used to love gas but then I got a proper trangia and have never looked back (ok I have a gas adapter too)
I had a civvy Trangia quite a few years ago.... had the gas burner for it too (had to cut a hole in the Tranny winshield).
Gave it away to a friend (Why do I do these stupid things ?)
There's nothing wrong with the civ Trangia, except for a little bit too much wasted space when packed, as opposed to my current setup, comprising a Snow Peak Titanium 1400 pot, a Tibetan 900 pot, 2 Trangia burners, 2 Tatonka burner stands, and a Firesteel, all nesting into the Snow Peak 1400.
My Swedish Army Trangia is like a Tardis, the amount of kit I fit into it for transit !
nige7whit
05-05-2010, 22:16
:lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao:
Is this an old post resurrection record?Nothing wrong with a bit of good natured grave robbing !
I'm the same with kero at work (furnaces). As found out in the switch from Diesel to kero we found out that kero leaks and it took a lot of effort to stop them. Now if I had a multi fuel stove I could take advantage of one of those "leaks" if you know what I mean. Afterall a litre every so often is nothing considering they use 12k litres every few days anyway,
Its only the weight of muli stove that has stopped me anyway,
forestwalker
06-05-2010, 06:04
I really should consider a multi-fuel stove..... My working day consists of being in close proximity to many thousands of litres of kerosene (Avtur), and some of it is inevitably rendered 'unfit for use in aircraft' by virtue of having been drained out of aircraft....... Curious, but true.
Once could always start with a civy trangia, and then add one of the multifuel stoves that come with adapters for the trangia if one happens to have access to (or need for) more efficient fuels.
Has anybody noticed that this thread started in 2004???
I know!! 'BUMPED' or what:lmao: Lucky I didn't wait for an answer ;-)
For the record I opted for the Trangia then coke stove, then made my own
I used the hexy about a 12 times and the gas about 4 in fact I've still got the same bottle with juice in it
goodjob
bigger picture--- it's great that we have 6 years of advice and opinion.
What a noob I was then!! can't believe I posted such a question in the first place
However the debate still goes on strong even today
Each to their own
That's it for another year of posting