View Full Version : The great alcohol stove shootout !!
Trangia Vs Clas Ohlson and Swedish Army
OK I recently bought one of the £9.99 Clas Ohlson spirit stoves See link
http://www.clasohlson.co.uk/Product/Product.aspx?id=74910389
And wondered how it would perform against my Trangia and swedish army stoves.
The similar size trangia comes in at £55 approx and the swedish army stove roughly £10 from surplus outlets.
Below are all the stoves packed up. The Swedish Army on the left, Trangia centre and Clas Ohlson on the right.
http://i47.tinypic.com/io2gzs.jpg
The Swedish army stove (this one is stainless) Comes with a burner, windshield, large pot, small pot/frypan/lid, a meths bottle and a cup or Kasa.
http://i46.tinypic.com/2nw22s5.jpg
This model Trangia comes with a burner, simmer ring, windshield assembly, 2 pots, 1 frypan/lid, pot gripper, kettle and a sturdy nlyon strap to keep it all together
http://i46.tinypic.com/2dk0rwz.jpg
And finally the Clas Ohlson has a burner, windshield assembly, 2 pots, 1 lid/frypan, 1 pot gripper and a small leatherette strap to keep it all together.
http://i46.tinypic.com/dcdjmb.jpg
Below is a photo of the burner units. From left to right Swedish Army, Clas Ohlson and finally Trangia.
http://i48.tinypic.com/2s64nlj.jpg
When lit the Clas Ohlson and Trangia perform well however the Swedish Army burner (also made by Trangia) takes up to 5 minutes to start jetting and the flames from it are weak compared to the other two. See below.
http://i47.tinypic.com/2lih6wz.jpg
Then comes the boil test. All three stoves were lit and left for 5 mins so the burners reached peak performance. 1 pint of cold water was then put on for the stoves to come to a rolling boil.
http://i45.tinypic.com/nn6xw3.jpg
First to boil was the Trangia in 5 mins 30 seconds.
http://i48.tinypic.com/292mu8p.jpg
Next the Clas Ohlson 40 seconds later at 6 mins 10 seconds
http://i49.tinypic.com/iclrvk.jpg
And finally more than 2 minutes after that the Swedish Army stove begins to boil at 8 mins 25 seconds
http://i47.tinypic.com/9i46md.jpg
In conclusion......
As suspected the Trangia is the king of the three but there isn't that much difference for the £40 extra you pay over the £10 price tag of the Swede and the Clas Ohlson. The Clas Ohlson and the Trangia both outperform the Swede by a good margin. However the Swede is bombproof and won't break in a hurry. The Clas Ohlson is lighter ally than the Trangia which makes it the least robust of the three, but in my opinion the Clas Ohlson is a remarkable 1 or 2 person stove for the money and is well deserving of some pack room.
drewdunnrespect
04-03-2010, 17:50
nice little review dave but i have bever got on with my sat and am continplating selling it and
a question were would i buy the burner by its self cos need to keep the one i have with sat so can sell it
drew
Excellent review IMHO. Good clear piccies to show the differences/similarities.
Nigel.
Good review Dave, I do like these comparative tests.
The Tatonka burner is a good one to go for Drew, paired up with your Honey stove it's a great combination.
drewdunnrespect
04-03-2010, 18:03
cool am i right in thinking lurch would sell such things
Good review Dave, I do like these comparative tests.
The Tatonka burner is a good one to go for Drew, paired up with your Honey stove it's a great combination.
aye yeah its great, i got the simmer ring and the stand for it and use it with a tatonka 10cm kettle. i made a wind break with a SMA tin and cloth tape and it outperforms my mates gas stove when we go fishing. i really rate it. After using trangias etc for a while i really feel that the burner works better when isolated from the ground, especially in the case of the swede army one. I use a ring of wood or the tatonka stand
however i reckon its the burner aswell, i used the tatonka in place of the swede army one with the swede tins and wind break and it was much faster than the original so i think burner design and materials plays a big part.
the tatonka is stainless steel and gets much hotter quicker than the bigger and thicker walled ?brass swede one.
If you get the swede one ditch the burner and get a tatonka one for a fiver, its really much much better then
nice review btw i enjoyed reading it, good one
cool am i right in thinking lurch would sell such things
he sell the whole tatonka range, is reasonably priced and ships bloody fast. i rate his shop muchly
Cap'n Badger
04-03-2010, 18:39
All that boiled water an' no cup o' tea in sight!...shame on ye Davey...lol
Good review fella.....justifys the 30 quid I spent on me trangia all those many moons ago......'still' the only cook set up I pack fer every trip.goodjob
drewdunnrespect
04-03-2010, 18:39
i know lurch is leg end when it comes to gear its just didnt no whether he stocked this perticular thing
A nice simple test, thanks.
I think the Clas Ohlson stove looks a pretty good buy....also agree with your comments about the army version on test (although the desireability of it seems to be a bit of a 'Marmite' issue with members on BCUK).
I was lucky to get a Trangia 27-1 for a considerable discount from Blacks recently after a tip-off from another BCUK member.
Just to confuse matters I boiled 500ml of water quicker in a Swiss Ranger stove (sort of volcano stove) when using the Trangia meths burner in that, when compared to 500ml of water in my new Trangia 27.:confused:
Just to confuse matters I boiled 500ml of water quicker in a Swiss Ranger stove (sort of volcano stove) when using the Trangia meths burner in that, when compared to 500ml of water in my new Trangia 27.:confused:
my swiss ranger stove boils everything faster than everything else i have regardless what i put in it...... but you get 2 heats with it, off or full whack. atleast with a trangia you have a simmering ring for a bit of control (or a bottom of a coke can cut up for the swede army one) Its great though, and just the job for a brew on the trail if im in the mood for something different
i usually use a sigg cup and my tatonka with stand for a pocket brew kit tho as its hassle free
Great review Dave, but Clas Olsen are selling Trangia's for £33 so £23 more than the Tor Purple Flame clone. http://www.clasohlson.co.uk/Product/Product.aspx?id=146534274 Those £10 stoves are well worth the money :)
aye yeah its great, i got the simmer ring and the stand for it .......
....... i really rate it. After using trangias etc for a while i really feel that the burner works better when isolated from the ground, especially in the case of the swede army one. I use a ring of wood or the tatonka stand
however i reckon its the burner aswell, i used the tatonka in place of the swede army one with the swede tins and wind break and it was much faster than the original so i think burner design and materials plays a big part.
the tatonka is stainless steel and gets much hotter quicker than the bigger and thicker walled ?brass swede one.
If you get the swede one ditch the burner and get a tatonka one for a fiver, its really much much better then
Re Tatonka burner, what he said x 2
Stainless steel burners are not as good as brass burners, don't warm up as quick, the Tatonka will be slower than a pukka Trangia burner.
Stainless steel burners are not as good as brass burners, don't warm up as quick, the Tatonka will be slower than a pukka Trangia burner.
yeah granted but the tatonka is faster than the standard swede issue one, and for the price an easy upgrade
This guy compares the Swedish Army trangia v's Meta 50 v's Swiss ranger volcanoe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kb_kUrgl_us
interesting, the swiss volcano stove is crap with a meths burner in my experience, i tried what he did but the flames didnt reach high enough if you get me. its far faster and efficient with wood as you get a chimney effect
Good review Dave...thanks for taking the time.
Simon
Isn't the Clas Ohlson stove the new model Swedish Army stove called the Jagarkok ?
http://www.soldf.com/jagarkok.html
Happy trails...torc.
Isn't the Clas Ohlson stove the new model Swedish Army stove called the Jagarkok ?
http://www.soldf.com/jagarkok.html
Happy trails...torc.
This design has been around a number of years now, here is an Optimus 91 or 'Purple Flame' model
http://www.spiritburner.com/fusion/showgallery.php?fid/473/
Sometimes called the Swedish Army Ranger stove.
Claudiasboris
07-03-2010, 17:23
Hi Richard,
I've tried Google and Ebay for those Ranger stoves but to no avail. Do you know of any sources for them?
Claudiasboris
PS - sorry for the hijack!
Hi Richard,
I've tried Google and Ebay for those Ranger stoves but to no avail. Do you know of any sources for them?
Claudiasboris
PS - sorry for the hijack!
Optimus stopped making the 91 a few years ago, shame as its a really good stove; why not see about getting one of the £9.99 setups from Clas Olson, looks to be more or less a clone of the Ranger/91, pretty sure some kind member here would post one on to you if you asked?
There is no store near me but I'm meeting a mate in a few weeks who lives in Reading so he already has my Olson shopping list :)
Claudiasboris
07-03-2010, 18:12
Thanks Richard.
I picked up one that looks identical to the CO version branded Trekmates from TK Max last year for about the same price. It works okay, just very, very slowly. My collector's urges can't resist the lure of the original though.
I do like my stoves and pans, I do.
Claudiasboris
Thanks Richard.
I picked up one that looks identical to the CO version branded Trekmates from TK Max last year for about the same price. It works okay, just very, very slowly. My collector's urges can't resist the lure of the original though.
I do like my stoves and pans, I do.
Claudiasboris
Sorry mate, I have two originals, one a 'user' and one in the box still but none for sale, but if any pop up I'll let you know.
*****sigh***** "Stovies" LOL :D
Claudiasboris
07-03-2010, 20:13
Sorry mate, I have two originals, one a 'user' and one in the box still but none for sale, but if any pop up I'll let you know.
Thanks Richard. I wasn't angling for any of your collection ;), just your stove knowledge and networking. Cheers.
Yes, I am a stovie - i've got a good collection. But i've also got a fair collection of sharps, packs, tarps & bashas and varied other bushy and outdoor stuff. I just can't resist surrounding myself with lovely kit. And i try to make my own bits and pieces too.
Claudiasboris
(I'll hand the thread back now...:D)
Claudiasboris
07-03-2010, 20:19
*****sigh***** "Stovies" LOL :D
Wait a minute - you started this thread with your own stovie collection!
Thanks Richard. I wasn't angling for any of your collection ;), just your stove knowledge and networking. Cheers.
Yes, I am a stovie - i've got a good collection. But i've also got a fair collection of sharps, packs, tarps & bashas and varied other bushy and outdoor stuff. I just can't resist surrounding myself with lovely kit. And i try to make my own bits and pieces too.
Claudiasboris
(I'll hand the thread back now...:D)
If you like the Ranger stove wait until you see the review of an Optimus Trapper, I'll do that this week. ;)
If you like the Ranger stove wait until you see the review of an Optimus Trapper, I'll do that this week. ;)
How about a picture of your collection enmasse?
Claudiasboris
08-03-2010, 20:50
If you like the Ranger stove wait until you see the review of an Optimus Trapper, I'll do that this week. ;)
You are such a tease :p
Mesquite
08-03-2010, 21:14
Great review Dave.... one question though. Would an alliminium swedish army stove boil quicker than the SS version you used?
Only reason I ask is I've read that alluminium is a lot better at transferring heat than SS
Great review Dave.... one question though. Would an alliminium swedish army stove boil quicker than the SS version you used?
Only reason I ask is I've read that alluminium is a lot better at transferring heat than SS
Thats a possibility mate. Ally is certainly more conductive than steel and both the other stoves are ally. I put 1 pint (0.56ltr) in each pan. perhaps you can do a timed comparison on yours and we can add it to the results...:)
Mesquite
08-03-2010, 22:39
Thats a possibility mate. Ally is certainly more conductive than steel and both the other stoves are ally. I put 1 pint (0.56ltr) in each pan. perhaps you can do a timed comparison on yours and we can add it to the results...:)
LOL.... I would do it if I had a alli version. We'll have to let someone else do that part of the experiment :)
How about a picture of your collection enmasse?
There is one to start you off, look at my other (rikuk3) vids for some more
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taaWA5VG5V8
Couple more here
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v384/rik_uk3/DSCF4256Small.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v384/rik_uk3/DSCF4207640x480.jpg
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http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v384/rik_uk3/8r-1Medium-1.jpg
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http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v384/rik_uk3/campus2-1LargeSmall.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v384/rik_uk3/221-1Small.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v384/rik_uk3/SIGG2Medium.jpg
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http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v384/rik_uk3/monitorcase.jpg
More in the classic camp stove archives :)
Holy Wow, thanks for that. :cool:
i CANNOT belive you use a fleet enema bottle as a fuel bottle. I hope it isnt used! however its a nice squishy bottle with a directable (sort of) spout!!
i CANNOT belive you use a fleet enema bottle as a fuel bottle. I hope it isnt used! however its a nice squishy bottle with a directable (sort of) spout!!
LOL, no, unussed ED. I don't know the plastic used but that bottle has lasted me since the 06 bushmoot, the plastic has not been degraded by the meths. The design is perfect for filling primer cups and also priming a Vapalux. I picked up a few from a mate in pharmacy, the enema's had gone out of date and were going to be thrown out. I should have got more before I retired in November :(
LOL, no, unussed ED. I don't know the plastic used but that bottle has lasted me since the 06 bushmoot, the plastic has not been degraded by the meths. The design is perfect for filling primer cups and also priming a Vapalux. I picked up a few from a mate in pharmacy, the enema's had gone out of date and were going to be thrown out. I should have got more before I retired in November :(
next time we have any out of date at work i will ask if i can have them ;)
having used them in anger on people there is NO way i would use a second hand one lol
spiritwalker
09-03-2010, 22:37
perhaps worthy of note is that with the army trangia you can use the big pan as a billy as it has a bail and hook on it over a fire and the smaller top pan will take a stick for cooking over the fire too which makes it a little more versatile. also they stack so you can warm something over your boiling pot too.
I use the big trangia (clone) for family camping
army trangia for fishing on the beach and rocks
trangia mini for solo camping as it sooooooooo cute
but recently got a crusader kit too which i like but the green heat sachets are really poor to light on a windy beach i ended up dipping my finger in the gel and lighting my finger as a big match to get it going. But alcohol gel (hand rub) works better with a firesteel
anyways im waffling
the smaller top pan will take a stick for cooking over the fire too which makes it a little more versatile
Super. I was wondering what the two D-rings on the handle were for.
I've got an aluminum one and for $10, pretty hard to beat value-wise.
Cracking thread ,
Im getting the taste for sprit burners lately
Have you tryed pre-heating the Swedish army trangia/svea burner by filling the ridge on the outside with meths to heat up the outside edge of the burner faster?
Twodogs
hi, i use meths in my crusader just 1/2 fill the small jel holder.
Isn't the Clas Ohlson stove the new model Swedish Army stove called the Jagarkok ?
http://www.soldf.com/jagarkok.html
Happy trails...torc.
That stove you link to clearly has a Trangia burner inside, looks like a hybrid!
The Clas Ohlson looks nice and works well for as far as I can judge what I've seen when others used it in Scandinavia. Good to see my Trangia is better though! ;)
In case anyone would be planning on making the same mistake: never ever put alcohol gel inside a Trangia burner, totally clogs it up, hardly produces any heat compared to proper liquid alcohol and very difficult to clean it out (ended up buying a new burner). Learnt it the hard way at a festival where we than had half cooked spaghetti for a week :banghead:
some great looking stove's on here , great reviews
OK, this is perhaps my all time favourite alcohol stove (yes, even more than my beloved Trangia 25's and 27's), it the Optimus Trapper.
A very different burner design to standard alcohol stoves. Using the red tube and red measuring cup you fill the stove. The fuel is absorbed into an internal pad which is very effective, no spills even if the stove is knocked over (read Chris Townsend when he says you can roll these down hill without spilling a drop). The set comes with two pans and a frying pan lid.
The flame comes straight out of a burner tube and is controlled by a sliding rod which means that not only will this setup boil very fast, but it has without doubt the best simmer of any alcohol stove I've used.
The windshield is highly effective (like the Trangia) and this stove will perform well even in high winds.
These don't come up often on eBay and when they do they fetch high coinage but work so well:)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v384/rik_uk3/stoves/DSCF4677640x480.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v384/rik_uk3/stoves/DSCF4678640x480.jpg
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http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v384/rik_uk3/stoves/DSCF4684640x480.jpg
Mesquite
12-01-2011, 01:24
:spam::nono::nono: Bye bye Fakemigma
Spikey DaPikey
12-01-2011, 05:37
ya beat me to it ;)
I've got a swedish army trangia and it is a good piece of kit, being as it is so versatile, however one thing i have to disagree on is the time it takes to come up to temperature and to bloom. Mine has never taken as long as ive seen here and other places on the net. Because i have two of the military burners i decided to risk one and to experiment. I drilled the jets out with a 1.5mm drill and now it lasts almost as long on one fill of meths but blooms in around 4 minutes and is really going at 5 minutes. Two little things i always do when using the trangia is to put some meths in the burner and then give it a good shake, does this really help ? well i think it does, as does putting the shield around the burner and a pot on top a.s.a.p. as i think this reflects heat back to the burner and speeds it up.
WeThePeoplexfbm
12-01-2011, 09:20
nice review do you uses them in the fielld? im not really a big fan of alcohol stoves
Asa Samuel
16-01-2011, 16:56
A regular trangia burner in the swedish army cookset makes a pretty good combination :)
Which Trangia is this one in the original review - is it the 25 or the 27? I ask because I have a Trangia 25, and find my C.O. is quicker (even using the C.O. burner). It's not by much - a minute or so, but it tends to support my personal theory that the C.O. design is better because with its slanted sides, it allows heat up the sides of the pan, not just under it, as with the Trangia. Of course, if you have a 27, there, and report it quicker than the C.O., then my theory falls apart, a bit.
The 25 is a good bit bigger than the 27 but uses the same burner so the 27 will be a little faster perhaps. C.O.? Clas Ohlson stove? If so, great value for money, a copy of the Optimus 91/Tor Purple Flame, the Ranger Stove, used by some Scandanavian forces instread of the Swedish Army alcohol stove setup as it quicker.
Realbark
22-01-2011, 19:36
I've got a swedish army trangia and it is a good piece of kit, being as it is so versatile, however one thing i have to disagree on is the time it takes to come up to temperature and to bloom. Mine has never taken as long as ive seen here and other places on the net. Because i have two of the military burners i decided to risk one and to experiment. I drilled the jets out with a 1.5mm drill and now it lasts almost as long on one fill of meths but blooms in around 4 minutes and is really going at 5 minutes. Two little things i always do when using the trangia is to put some meths in the burner and then give it a good shake, does this really help ? well i think it does, as does putting the shield around the burner and a pot on top a.s.a.p. as i think this reflects heat back to the burner and speeds it up.
Agreed - put the pot on asap while the stove is priming. Ive never found it detrimental. You can also use the windshield section as a woodburner which is a plus.
Rik a bit off topic sorry but where did you get the tube of carnation, I've been looking for that stuff for ages. Reminiscent of the old compo milk from the 60s - 70s era when the army was needin em not feedin em? :p
Go into Tesco and they have it there. IIRC its in the home baking section of all places but may be wrong.
The 25 is a good bit bigger than the 27 but uses the same burner so the 27 will be a little faster perhaps. C.O.? Clas Ohlson stove? If so, great value for money, a copy of the Optimus 91/Tor Purple Flame, the Ranger Stove, used by some Scandanavian forces instread of the Swedish Army alcohol stove setup as it quicker.
Sorry, yes, C.O. is Clas Ohlson. As I really rate it. I can even make it just a little lighter and a little bit less bulky by taking a pot lid off my Trangia 27 and use it instead of the bigger Clas Ohlson frying pan/plate. I'd probably only do it if I really needed to save on bulk, or if I was being particularly obsessive. Point is, though, the Trangia lid fits and makes a neater package, in my view. Of course, you wouldn't be able to fry as much as you lose maybe an inch or so off the pan.
I have the equivalent of the CO trangia copy. Here in the USA it is labellef "Lexmark" and retails for about USD20. I used it in camp last weekend. AT Breakfast, using 45deg f (7deg c) water and denatured alcohol (meths) at ambient temperature of 45deg f, boil time was under 5 minutes for 2 cups (470 ml) of water to a very vigorous rolling boil. I lit it and immediately placed the pan on the stand. This contains the heat of the burner reflects it to the burner and therefore heats up the alcohol more quickly so that it blooms (jets) sooner. The blooming is enabled by the alcohol boiling, so it is essential to heat up the burner as quickly as possible. If I were using it in freezing temperatures, I would place a foil dish containing a few drops of alcohol under the burner and light that before placing the burner on its stand and lighting that. I always prime my coke can stoves in the same way to accelerate blooming. I was very impressed with the performance of the CO/Lexmark set, but realistically, it can only be used to boil water for tea/coffee or dehydrated meals as it has no simmer ring and the pans have no non-stick coating. Very good value, but a bit heavy at 19 ounces (ca. 550 g) and bulky for backpacking.