View Full Version : New Stove: First Impresions...
Do you know the way to San Jose... da da da dada da da da daaa da dum...
Got a package in the post this morning from a gentleman in San Jose Ca, but first a little background.
Everybody has a favourite cookpot right? Well mine is a 12cm Zebra billy, that I modded. I hacksawed the bail arm off and replaved it with some braided steel wire. The wire has hooks on the end, which hook onto the Zebra's hanging points, so you can remove the wire if you want to use it with ...say a trangia.
http://www.britishblades.com/pics/stove/stove004.jpg
Problem is, there is no commercially available trangia stand and windshield that will fit my billy ....or is there? ;)
Enter Scott (the chap from San Jose), he makes these great little trangia pot stands and windshields and this is what I got from the postie this am...
http://www.britishblades.com/pics/stove/stove007.jpg
Neat eh? You cant get these in the UK (an the moment ;) ), but it only took 7 days from the Sates, so no biggie really. All stainless steel construction (even the windshield). I'm not going into great length with this, as it's a "first impressions" look. I'm planning a big review with lab tests and field tests. But.... I will say this. There are some bits of gear that are just indispensible. I think RB said if he lost his Woodlore knife today, he'd order another immediately. I think we all know that feeling about certain bits of kit. Well this pot stand, burner and billy setup gives me exactly that feeling. Even on a "first impression" basis, I know this is going to replace my trangia 27, sweedish mess kit, snow peak trek700 and just about everything else I've looked at. I think I've found my holy grail.
But less of that and more of this....
http://www.britishblades.com/pics/stove/stove008.jpg
http://www.britishblades.com/pics/stove/stove009.jpg
http://www.britishblades.com/pics/stove/stove010.jpg
http://www.britishblades.com/pics/stove/stove012.jpg
and without the windshield...
http://www.britishblades.com/pics/stove/stove013.jpg
It all packs away inside the billy...
http://www.britishblades.com/pics/stove/stove014.jpg
...underneath the steamer part...
http://www.britishblades.com/pics/stove/stove015.jpg
To make a light, robust, clean, effiecient, compact package.
http://www.britishblades.com/pics/stove/stove003.jpg
The whole lot (billy can, steamer, lid, bail-wire, trangia pot grabber, trangia burner, pot stand and windshield) weighs in at 875grams. Lighter than an ALUMINIUM Swedish mess kit. ;)
Full review to follow in about a week or so.
Looks like a great bit of kit there mate!
I look forward to reading the results.
That looks like a nice neat set up.
Iv seen instructions on the internet to make one of those burner stand things, with the three pieces of metel to make the triangle and the wind shield.
That looks like a nice neat set up.
Iv seen instructions on the internet to make one of those burner stand things, with the three pieces of metel to make the triangle and the wind shield.
It's a great bit of kit with an awful lot of thought behind it. I doubt very much if anyone could make anything close to this kind of thing at home. It's made of steel for a start, thin, springy steel. It clips together to form a very rigid stand. The air holes are designed to mimick the original trangia airflow pattern, ...in through the sides and up through the bottom. It provides the trangia burner with tons of oxygen, but is a great widshield. The windshield part is also of very thin steel. It sits on those little tabls than extend from the stand. The whole thing is amazingly stable. The tripod effect means you only need 3 points of contact for a stable cooking platform.
tenbears10
03-11-2004, 16:41
Can we have an idea of price Martyn and does the guy have a website?
Thanks
Bill
Can we have an idea of price Martyn and does the guy have a website?
Thanks
Bill
http://www.clikstand.com/
The stand retails for $30 and windshield for $15.
$45US or £24.40. ...plus shipping (about $10ish depending on what you order) - Scott uses USPS - It got to me in 7 days and I was NOT charged VAT or Duty.
Here's the wierd thing. When I emailed Scott with my original enquiry, he said yes he would ship to the UK, no problems. Then a couple of days later, I got another email from him telling me he was talking with somone who might be stocking and distributing them in the UK. He gave me that persons name and contact details and suggested I might save on shipping if I bought from him. Well you could have knocked me down, because "the person" Scott mentioned, is a member both here and on BritishBlades.
I'll let him chime in if he wants this public, but there should be a UK outlet for these in the near future.
It was a long time ago that i saw it and this is the best that i can find. Its not a patch on yours! I cant view the pictures of the triangle base but they are on google images under trangia page two and three.
http://www.backpacking.net/makegear/mod-trangia/
Its definetly not as good- sorry to worry you! :wink: !
It was a long time ago that i saw it and this is the best that i can find. Its not a patch on yours! I cant view the pictures of the triangle base but they are on google images under trangia page two and three.
http://www.backpacking.net/makegear/mod-trangia/
Its definetly not as good- sorry to worry you! :wink: !
Yeah, seen that one before. It's a good home brew setup, but the clickstand works with my Zebra and fits inside it. This means i can use the billy over an open fire if I get the chance, but have a really, really good setuip for use with a trangia. It rocks mate.
Remember, you saw it here first. :super:
Nice one Martyn :biggthump
Roving Rich
03-11-2004, 18:33
Hmmm, someone was asking my opinion on a bunch of these a while back, and this one appeared the best of the bunch to me too.
Now who could that have been ???
of course, Woodland Organics, I think they've had them on the Trade site for a little while now, just waiting for stocks i expect.
http://www.woodlandtrading.com/clikstand/
Unfortunately, they won't blow there own trumpets on here, as this is not a commercial site. But they certainly seem to be on the ball with there new products.
Cheers
Rich
Hmmm, someone was asking my opinion on a bunch of these a while back, and this one appeared the best of the bunch to me too.
Now who could that have been ???
of course, Woodland Organics, I think they've had them on the Trade site for a little while now, just waiting for stocks i expect.
http://www.woodlandtrading.com/clikstand/
Unfortunately, they won't blow there own trumpets on here, as this is not a commercial site. But they certainly seem to be on the ball with there new products.
Cheers
Rich
LOL, yeah that was who I was referring to. Scott told me they may be available through some bloke called Jack from woodland organics. Never heard of him. :rolmao:
SquirrelBoy
03-11-2004, 19:27
Interesting bit of kit there Martyn - can always count on you to find some :o):
Am wondering if the military trangia stove would fit in it ?
Also any chance of a close up pic/description of the hooks on the end the wire hanger ?
Cheers :biggthump
Interesting bit of kit there Martyn - can always count on you to find some :o):
Am wondering if the military trangia stove would fit in it ?
Also any chance of a close up pic/description of the hooks on the end the wire hanger ?
Cheers :biggthump
The hole in the stand is cut out precisely to fit the commercial trangia, which is smaller diameter than the military. However, I just tried it by placing the stand "over" the military burner and it works. The military burner sits on the floor, with the chimney comming iup through the hole. You get about a 1mm clearance from the ...aww hell, a picture will show it better, hang on....
http://www.britishblades.com/pics/stove/stovemil.jpg
It might block off the airholes though, or retard the flow a little, though there looks to be enough clearance.
The hooks - actually I used ordinary picture hooks flattened a bit and bent into shape, attached by crimping on with some elercrical connectors. Cheap & dirty, but it works well. The braided wire was from B&Q - 46p a metre I think. Again, I'll cover that with pics in the full review.
SquirrelBoy
03-11-2004, 19:53
Cheers Martyn for such a speedy response with pics :biggthump
Cant wait for the full review :You_Rock_
Danceswithhelicopters
03-11-2004, 19:57
Nice bit if kit-How can I justify 4 Trangias!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nice bit if kit-How can I justify 4 Trangias!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You dont need to buy the stove, just get the stand and windshield. :biggthump
tenbears10
03-11-2004, 21:22
You dont need to buy the stove, just get the stand and windshield. :biggthump
Excellent I have a 'lightweight' trangia which has a big white base thing to it but there is no decent wind shield and it's hardly lightweight. This would be the perfect upgrade and no need for a new burner.:biggthump
Bill
I cant view the pictures of the triangle base but they are on google images under trangia page two and three.
Ahhh, I think you mean the westwinds trangia stand.
http://images.google.co.uk/images?q=tbn:o70fDs1t3cAJ:home page1.nifty.com/midomega/Resources/trangia.JPG
It's a good design, similar to Scotts, but lacks some important features. As tenbears mentions, the windscreen is everything with alcohol stoves. Good designs allow lots of oxygen in, but prevent wind hitting the flame directly. In an open breeze, trangia's are hopeless, but with a good windshield it's a different story. That's why the commercial trangia's are marketed as "storm cookers" as indeed they are - it's entirely down to the windshield. The westwinds stand is little more than a stand, while scott's clickstand employ's the clever oxygen routing design of the original commercial trangia stove. It makes a BIG difference. I'm gonna cover the design elements in the review, but this is one very well thought out little stove stand cooker thing. :biggthump
I know you haven't properly reviewed it yet but do you think it could be improved by having one side with no (or reduced) holes to alter the air flow in the same way as the trangia?
I know you haven't properly reviewed it yet but do you think it could be improved by having one side with no (or reduced) holes to alter the air flow in the same way as the trangia?
Dunno, gonna have to give it a field test to see how it works first. But a similar thought did occur to me. I had thought that orientating it "point into the wind" might produce different results from having it broadside onto the wind. Judging from how this has been put together (very professional package - build & fit is superb), I'm sure Scott has R&D'd the holes aspect and no doubt tried variants on the number and position of holes and settled on this one.
One thing that can be done, is to block off the holes with aluminium flu tape if this presents a problem - I'm betting it's already at optimum. ;)
Thanks for the question though, It'll be something I take time over when field testing it. ;)
I admit I had thought of the high tech tape solution but not considered turning the point into the wind. That will probably make quite a difference by itself.
I admit I had thought of the high tech tape solution but not considered turning the point into the wind. That will probably make quite a difference by itself.
One thing that did occur to me, the stand was originally designed to go with the Evernew 14cm Ti pot as an ultralight solution. So the 14cm Zebra billy would probably "fill out" the wind shield better. The stand will accomodate a variety of pots and I'm not sure this makes any difference, but the fuller fit of a 14cm pot might aid in it's "windproof" characteristics. Anyway, I dont have a 14cm billy, just the 12 cm one, so that's what I'll be using to test it.
All I've done so far is boil a couple of Litres of water on it in my kitchen (my lab :-) ) but wafting bits of card around in front of it had little impact. Encouraging. ;)
Martyn have you tried it with one of the homemade stoves yet :-)
Martyn have you tried it with one of the homemade stoves yet :-)
Not yet, but you can use it with a variety of stoves. Esbit tabs and so on. To be honest leon, I keep comming back to the trangias time and again. I think it's because I like to cook rather than boil. :wink:
The trangias are damned hard to beat for thier versatility (simmer ring), economy (screw on top) and robustness. :biggthump
However, if ultralight is your thing, then this stand + a homebrew burner + a Ti pot will see you good to go with the best of em.
You dont need to buy the stove, just get the stand and windshield. :biggthump
Or ask a nice man to design a template so you can make your own out of sheet ally :naughty:
Or ask a nice man to design a template so you can make your own out of sheet ally :naughty:
If anyone can do it Dave, you can. ;)
But be warned, there are numerous bends and tabs which interlock. This is a pro piece of kit which has obviously been laser cut and stamped to quite fine tolerances. I can say with absolute confidence, there is no way in hell I could make one. You'll get an idea from this pic of one of the side walls...
http://www.britishblades.com/pics/stove/stove016.jpg
It's made out of steel which is quite springy and returns to it's original shape if bent a little. I think this is important to the pieces fitting together, as the centre section clips into it to make the whole structure rigid. The tolerances are really quite impressively small.
Ha, just noticed Jack has actually put em up on his site. Take a look at the latest aditions to his shop....
http://woodlandorganics.com/shop/misc/index.htm
:o): :o): :o):
Apologies for resurrecting this old thread, but I just had to say how impressed I am with the clikstand I've just got.
I ordered direct from the clikstand site and it arived 3 days later in a flat rate envelope (no duty etc). After reading about potential duty / charges, I didn't order the heatsheild, but I made my own from 0.5mm aluminium from B&Q (£6 bought enough to make at least four heatshields).
I've shamelessly copied Martyn :D , using a 12cm zebra billy and it works brilliantly, all packing away inside the billy when done. I can see this being my default cooker from now on - anyone want an unused Swedish Army trangia :)
edit: SA trangia has a new home
best
Matt
sxmolloy
07-07-2006, 12:22
Apologies for resurrecting this old thread, but I just had to say how impressed I am with the clikstand I've just got.
I ordered direct from the clikstand site and it arived 3 days later in a flat rate envelope (no duty etc). After reading about potential duty / charges, I didn't order the heatsheild, but I made my own from 0.5mm aluminium from B&Q (£6 bought enough to make at least four heatshields).
I've shamelessly copied Martyn :D , using a 12cm zebra billy and it works brilliantly, all packing away inside the billy when done. I can see this being my default cooker from now on - anyone want an unused Swedish Army trangia :)
best
Matt
how much / what do you want for the Swedish Army Trangia?
Cheers....Stu
Actually, that setup is the "Clikstand" isn't it? Personally, I think it looks a lot like the 28 Mini, but just heavier and with a lot more pieces. I did a tiny bit of customization to my Mini Trangia and if I can find the digital camera, I think I'll take a pic or two and post it up here.
A while ago I actually looked into getting Martyn's Trangia setup but after some deliberation I decided against it thinking it was just too much stove for my individual needs. But then again, I'm a Crazy Canadian. So I looked at my Mini Trangia and realized that all it needed was a tightly fitting windscreen with some ventilation holes. Voila! It works much better now.
Anyway, Martyn..that's a beautiful looking setup and I'm sure it'll serve you well in the years to come. I'll see what I can do about posting pics of my setup. (It's not much though)
Cheers,
Adam
Actually, that setup is the "Clikstand" isn't it? Personally, I think it looks a lot like the 28 Mini, but just heavier and with a lot more pieces. I did a tiny bit of customization to my Mini Trangia and if I can find the digital camera, I think I'll take a pic or two and post it up here.
A while ago I actually looked into getting Martyn's Trangia setup but after some deliberation I decided against it thinking it was just too much stove for my individual needs. But then again, I'm a Crazy Canadian. So I looked at my Mini Trangia and realized that all it needed was a tightly fitting windscreen with some ventilation holes. Voila! It works much better now.
Anyway, Martyn..that's a beautiful looking setup and I'm sure it'll serve you well in the years to come. I'll see what I can do about posting pics of my setup. (It's not much though)
Cheers,
Adam
Hi Adam,
(Matt here, the one who revived a two year old thread!)
I'm sure that there are many setup's which work well with alcohol burners - the clikstand is just one of them. Personally however, I like the way that the clikstand mirrors the trangia's ventilation path and is just as 'all-weather' as the trangia, yet packs down into a 5" billy, windshield and all. The key for me (and the reason I decided on buying the clikstand) is that it lets me carry a great performing stove around with my favoured 'fire-top' billy can for those times when I can't use a fire (with zero extra pack volume and at a minimal weight penalty).
However, what's good for one person isn't necessarily so for another - the great thing about our hobby is that there are no 'rules' - everyone develops their own ideas based on their own needs :)
best
Matt
This is not bad for £7.99, put some tinfoil around it and your good to cook :)
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/0197803.htm
Its on a par with a mini Trangia, but a lot cheaper :cool:
retrohiker
08-07-2006, 21:26
Martyn,
Thanks for the thread. It had unexpected side effects for me. I've been looking for months for a US source for the Zebra billys to no avail. After seeing your setup, I fired up Google (for the thousandth time) and tried once again. Surprise!!!! A small shop along the Appalachian Trail has started stocking several sizes so I jumped in and ordered a 12cm pot. Cost was $19 USD or about 10 pounds or about 13 pounds with shipping. I'll try it out with a simple trangia setup before taking the plunge for the Cickstand "gadget" :)
This is not bad for £7.99, Its on a par with a mini Trangia, but a lot cheaper :cool:
Phew that was close!!!! :yikes:
I was just about to pop round to the local Argos tommorrow at 10AM just to buy one and I noticed its only available from "Extra" stores and the nearest one isn't open on Sundays... mind you I can see myself popping out from work Monday lunchtime :(
It will probably go nicely with the Higear 2 person cook set I bought in Wilkinsons over the winter for £6... now thats done it, the ARE open on Sundays and now I am going to have to go there just to see if they sell one :(
I am not addicted to small camp gadgets, I can stop anytime, just after I have bought this. :banghead:
This is not bad for £7.99, put some tinfoil around it and your good to cook :)
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/0197803.htm
Its on a par with a mini Trangia, but a lot cheaper :cool:
Got one of those, it doesnt fit inside a 12cm billy (the stand is about 14cm in dia) and it doesnt collapse. The burner is non-genuine. It doesnt weigh much, but it's actually quite (very) bulky for what it is. No contest IMO, but YMMV. :)
Actually, that setup is the "Clikstand" isn't it?
That exactly what it is. But you have to put the start of this thread into context. The original post was from Novermber 2004 and Scott (the owner of Clickstand), told me that this was the first one he'd exported to the UK. So at the time I made the first post in this thread, I knew few people here would've had hands on with them. It's all old news now, so it looks a bit odd. Also, this package differs from the full clickstand version, by the use of a 12cm zebra billy. Scott had designed the stand to be used with an Evernew 0.9L titanium pot. All the dimensions, the windshield etc was based around that. So the "information" aspect of this thread, was really about the clickstand, burner and windshield being dimensionally very compatable with a very popular (in the UK) billy - the 12cm zebra.
Also lot of folks here were (probably still are) using the swedish army mess kit, because they can use it with a trangia, or use it over a fire. An excellent bit of kit. The downside is that it's aluminium which isnt very pupular. The steel version is nicer, but weighs a ton (I have one). This combo of trangia and steel billy, is lighter and more compact than the aluminium swedish kit, but offers simmilar, or better versatility ...and it does it in stainless steel.
Personally, I think it looks a lot like the 28 Mini, but just heavier and with a lot more pieces. I did a tiny bit of customization to my Mini Trangia and if I can find the digital camera, I think I'll take a pic or two and post it up here.
The mini is a great bit of kit (yep, you guessed it, I have one of those too :D), lightweight, compact and efficient, though it lacks a decent windshield. I like the sturdiness of the pot, or rather the recess in the base that fits over the stand, which gives it it's stability. The pot is aluminium and of a quite small capacity though and you couldnt use it over a fire without modification. The stand could be used with a 12cm billy in a similar way to the clickstand, but not with such good windproof qualities. You would certainly need to fabricate a windshield. The clickstand does a very good job of replicating the full size windflow of the full size trangia, but it does it in a form that is as light and compact as the mini.
I'm sure that there are many setup's which work well with alcohol burners - the clikstand is just one of them. Personally however, I like the way that the clikstand mirrors the trangia's ventilation path and is just as 'all-weather' as the trangia, yet packs down into a 5" billy, windshield and all. The key for me (and the reason I decided on buying the clikstand) is that it lets me carry a great performing stove around with my favoured 'fire-top' billy can for those times when I can't use a fire (with zero extra pack volume and at a minimal weight penalty).
Exactly so. Cracking combo isnt it? :)
I still use mine exactly as I showed it here. Although I definitely would not describe myself as a bushcrafter in any sense. I'm a fairweather sissy camper, so it hasnt seen all that much use. I've had more use recently out of my Optimus 111c - blimmin brilliant stove, though that is stricktly a vehicle thing - way too heavy for a rucksack. But with regard to the clickstand/zebra combo, I havent found a better solution for combining over the fire billy and meths burner all in one kit. It's not for everyone, but It's still my favourite combo.
At the moment, I'm trying to find something that is compatible with a 10cm billy for a daypack - I find I have more need for that in truth. I like to spand the day out, more often than I spend the night out and the 12cm kit is just a teeny bit too serious for a stroll in the woods.
I am not addicted to small camp gadgets, I can stop anytime, just after I have bought this. :banghead:
take care Zodiac, my doctor tell me I'm beyond help. My other half cqan frequently be heard saying "not another stove?". :lmao:
mojofilter
09-07-2006, 07:01
I am not addicted to small camp gadgets, I can stop anytime, just after I have bought this. :banghead:
Me neither, nor torches, nor knives, nor watches.....
http://www.britishblades.com/forums/images/smilies/rolleye11.gif
take care Zodiac, my doctor tell me I'm beyond help. My other half can frequently be heard saying "not another stove?". :lmao:
TOOOOO LATEEEE!!!!! :(
My Trangia is a combination of other people's cast off's and second hand bits from e-bay so it has all sorts of odds and ends, but up until now I only had one burner which had a ding at some point and it doesn't seal properly so the oppertunity to replace it with a sealable lid and a simmer ring for £6.99 was just too much to ignore.
Our Argos Extra is open today, but I had to drive past our local camping shop which has got far more competativly priced recently and there it was for £6.95. Job's a good 'un.
Compared to my tragia burner the Hi-gear one is slightly taller, a bit narrower and the threads are not interchangable but at this price you can't bitch.
The hi-gear flange is slightly narrower and I havn't tried it (my stove is on loan this weekend) but I reckon it will fit into a Trangia base, however the opposite is not true. I would have liked total interchangeability but hey as I said you can't bitch.
My only real complaint is the lid seal is clear plastic so I guess it is neoprene and I doubt that you will be able to get replacements, you MIGHT just get away with a trangia ring.
I tried to fix my broken one with a circle of wetsuit material but it wasn't a great sucess.
I wil be trying it in a minute and don't expect any problems except there are tiny fibres coming out the burner holes so these will need to be poked down first.
The good news is that it fits inside my Swiss Army Volcano Stove http://www.surplusandadventure.com/ishop/800/shopscr3079.html so I wil see how fast it boils water later on this evening
http://www.surplusandadventure.com/ishop/images/800/swiss_volcano_stove.jpg
Z
Argos do some good sales this time of year. They do a clone of the Larger Trangia, the 25 for £24.99
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/0190154.htm
The aluminium is not as tough as the original, but it means you get a set the size of a 25 for the weight of an original 27 (and at half the price) :) Works very well, and I've mounted a cheap gas burner in one, this also works well (as well as gas ever does). To be honest, I rely on meths and not gas, but it was a fun experiment to carry out
Jon Mawer
10-07-2006, 08:49
Nice bit if kit-How can I justify 4 Trangias!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Likewise, very neat bit of gear you've got there Martyn... (Does it take the 10cm billy?)
I'm glad this thread has been resurected as I'm fiddling about making a stove like this myself!
Can I test your memory Martyn and ask a couple of questions?
1. How did you make steel wire hanger? Did it come pre-made with the hooks already attached or did you attach them yourself?
2. Do you carry the meths seperatly or do you 'risk' carrying it in the meths burner?
Many thanks,
Mat
Likewise, very neat bit of gear you've got there Martyn... (Does it take the 10cm billy?)
Hmmm, you can make it work with a 10cm pot by putting coathanger wire accross the stand. But it's not ideal and the clickstand wont all neatly fit inside the billy, so I'd have to say no, not really.
I'm glad this thread has been resurected as I'm fiddling about making a stove like this myself!
Can I test your memory Martyn and ask a couple of questions?
1. How did you make steel wire hanger? Did it come pre-made with the hooks already attached or did you attach them yourself?
2. Do you carry the meths seperatly or do you 'risk' carrying it in the meths burner?
Many thanks,
Mat
Hiya Mat..
First the hanger loop. I bought the braided steel wire from B&Q off the roll for 46p a meter I think and added the loops myself. I used regular brass picture hangers for hooks and just looped the wire through the nail hole in the hanger and then whalloped it flat with a hammer to crimp the wire. I also used electrical wire connectors to crimp the ends.
http://www.britishblades.com/pics/stove/stove004.jpg
Second question, I carry meths in the burner and just put the burner in a poly freezer bag and tie it with a knot, so it doesnt stink up the inside of the billy.
Fantastic! Thanks, Martyn.