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Author Topic: Camping Stove Vs Campfire  (Read 24145 times)

RedLeader

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Re: Camping Stove Vs Campfire
« Reply #15 on: June 06, 2014 »

Truth is I'd usually still bring a stove to a campfire camp, even just for coffee or to save lighting a fire the next morning.

Either a Vango Compact or Trangia Mini.


Vango Compact is superlight gas stove.


Trangia mini is a solo cookset

Though I usually bring the Trangia Mini pot/pan with any stove because they're an excellent size.


Of course ;)
If i was packing a BBQ, I may as well pack a stove...

And sure no better BBQ-grill than the lovely wood burning campfire itself!
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thatshandy86

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Re: Camping Stove Vs Campfire
« Reply #16 on: June 06, 2014 »

Oh I have the Trangia mini in my Amazon wishlist already thanks to specimanYak.

I'm not sure i'll need it for my first couple of walks just yet though, as campfires seem to hold enough worth for all the cooking I intend to do.

I look forward to the day I can do a longer trek that justifies* the need for a bacon and egg sandwich in the morning though!








*every scenario justifies a bacon and egg sandwich.
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RedLeader

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Re: Camping Stove Vs Campfire
« Reply #17 on: June 06, 2014 »

Nothing like a bacon and sausage bap first thing in the morning, especially cooked on an open fire. Though at this time of year open fire camps get few and far between because of the midges. It's more comfortable to get a bit higher up away from the buggers with a stove for cooking and firelog for comfort.

Oh I have the Trangia mini in my Amazon wishlist already thanks to specimanYak.

I'm not sure i'll need it for my first couple of walks just yet though, as campfires seem to hold enough worth for all the cooking I intend to do.

I look forward to the day I can do a longer trek that justifies* the need for a bacon and egg sandwich in the morning though!








*every scenario justifies a bacon and egg sandwich.
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thatshandy86

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Re: Camping Stove Vs Campfire
« Reply #18 on: June 06, 2014 »

The midges are something I hadn't considered actually.... another +1 in the stove column then!
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whoRya

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Re: Camping Stove Vs Campfire
« Reply #19 on: June 06, 2014 »

Oh I have the Trangia mini in my Amazon wishlist already thanks to specimanYak.

I'm not sure i'll need it for my first couple of walks just yet though, as campfires seem to hold enough worth for all the cooking I intend to do.

I actually think the trangia triangle looks better than the mini trangia. 
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Rich.H

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Re: Camping Stove Vs Campfire
« Reply #20 on: June 06, 2014 »

Just a note about the Trangia stoves, be sure to check they are the full brass burners. The older style stoves came with a good heavy brass burner that was near bomb proof. I don't know about the newer ones though and many clones tend to have cheaper thin metal burners that can be prone to springing leaks.

Unless you can be sure you are getting a good full brass burner it can be better to buy one of the cheaper clones (you can get them for around £15 for a full set). Then look on ebay in military sections for the older style Trangia, just throw away the cheap kit burner and swap out the surplus one.

The older heavy brass burners also tend to hold the heat better and thus act to warm the meths which helps them stay lit longer when the wind starts up.

Here is an example of the older style http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Swedish-trangia-5-piece-cooking-set-/181324837630?pt=UK_Collectables_Militaria_LE&hash=item2a37cd72fe but obviously don't go spending this kind of money on a new set. Just get a surplus one for a fraction of the cost as they tend to be bomb proof and last centuries anyway.
« Last Edit: June 06, 2014 by Rich.H »
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thatshandy86

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Re: Camping Stove Vs Campfire
« Reply #21 on: June 07, 2014 »

Thanks guys.

Rich, from looking at the site, is the trangia triangle essentially just the mini with an aluminium wind sheild/pot stand?
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Rich.H

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Re: Camping Stove Vs Campfire
« Reply #22 on: June 07, 2014 »

Not quite, the triangle is a no frills ultralight Trangia model. It is an all in one windshield, pot stand, and burner holder. Not sure if it folds or clips together but it should be able to pack down so you could fit it easily in your pocket.

Just make sure you look through the entire description before ordering one of them though as some cheeky retailers will sell you it without a burner, but forget to mention this until you scour through all the details. If that is the case you can get the burners on their own, but make sure it is an official Trangia one. Cheaper ones suffer from possible leaks as I mentioned and they may not be the same dimensions as the Trangia, last thing you want is to have them both arrive and find out the burner now pokes up above the pot stand.

If you wanted to go the slightly slower route and you have the tools and know how you can makeup copies of the firebox/bushbox style cookers. They are basically a few small sheet cutouts with various holes for supports and vents that pack away flat, and clip together for use. Most have a vented base and ash pan so you can use either any kind of combustible or set a meth stove into them. I keep meaning to knock one up as a test to see how good they are as I can never justify some of the silly prices they retail at.
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thatshandy86

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Re: Camping Stove Vs Campfire
« Reply #23 on: June 08, 2014 »

Well, to throw a spanner in the works, I took a dander in round Cotswold's today...

...and, after seeing and hearing about this, I've pretty much fallen in love -
http://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/msr-whisperlite-international-combo-stove-97210136?id_colour=180
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Rich.H

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Re: Camping Stove Vs Campfire
« Reply #24 on: June 08, 2014 »

 :o :o :o :o :o How much??? It's also pretty darn heavy considering what it actually is. I guess from the description it does not include any gas so that weight it just the burner alone. Many of the tiny adapter type gas stoves can come in under the weight including their gas bottles.

Ok granted it can burn quite a few different things, but then why would you be lugging around bottles of petrol anyway? I know MSR like to overprice a lot of their kit when you compare it to similar models from other brands but I just struggle to comprehend where the value is in that. You could get yourself almost any other gas adapter type stove on the market and still have enough cash left for a near lifetime of fuel.

I am curious though, what exactly were you told about this product that makes it stand so far above all others on the market?
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thatshandy86

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Re: Camping Stove Vs Campfire
« Reply #25 on: June 08, 2014 »

Well, it's a multi-fuel burner for one, allowing you to refuel with what you'd like and to what level you'd like..
The fuel bottle that you carry is what actually attaches to the stove itself, where I'd be carrying a stove and a bottle of meths with a trangia.
I have no way to compare, only than the word of the salesman, but it's apparently unbelievably fuel efficient compared to most gas stoves. (I am skeptical of this)

Comes with a compact wind shield, that you'd only need when igniting then burns with a windproof gas-like flame.

Larger hob/plate area for more of a range of cooking utensils.

Weight is only slightly heavier than the much smaller Trangia mini, I would actually be inclined to think that listed weight is fuel included. The thing's as light as a feather!


Again, this is all coming from someone trying to sell it to me, I welcome any 'fact' debunking or reinforcement you all might have :)
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Rich.H

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Re: Camping Stove Vs Campfire
« Reply #26 on: June 08, 2014 »

Looked a little further into it as the Cotswold link was sparse in real descriptions to say the least. On second glance it does look like a handy good bit of kit, however there are some issues you would need to consider.

First up this is not an instant turn on stove due to how it works you have to pump the bottle to build pressure and prime the pan properly before you can get it lit, this would likely be slightly different with each fuel source. Also there are quite a lot of different parts to this setup and while they advertise it as easily serviced in the field, I think that really means "it's easy to get in and clean", I doubt any of the parts can be actually serviced unless your carrying spares. Added complexity always means increased failure risk. Finally it is a single flame without any real control, it's either on or off. Great for boiling water, not so hot for various cooking methods.

However it is versatile and you could easily do some math to see what fuel types gives you the greatest btu output per 100ml so you maximise efficiency for weight. In addition the option to just refill the bottle is nice and depending on the durability could end up cheaper over the lifetime, compared to buying gas bottles etc.

Finally about the weight, the 441g is most likely to be the total weight of the burner and the bottle combined, this may include the bag too but otherwise I would say your probably looking at around 500g tops. You then have to add to that 500ml (or more if you get a bigger bottle) of fuel. Just using either petrol or kerosine (haven't a clue about white gas density) you will add around another 500g. So all in your going to be lugging around 1kg as just your cooker.

But it is still over a ton for what is really just a small folding stove, so it comes down to how deep your pockets are I guess. I'm inclined to agree with your skepticism about the fuel efficiency though as gas has long demonstrated itself to be one of the most efficient cooking fuels around.

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thatshandy86

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Re: Camping Stove Vs Campfire
« Reply #27 on: June 08, 2014 »

With regards to the maintenance and cleaning, would that not be much the same for a gas stove, considering they use the same mechanism and setup?

I'm glad I'm hearing all the out for a future purchase and not for immediate need... I really am to-ing and fro-ing with this one!

Expense-wise, cheaper is always better. but I don't want to be buying too cheap where 'you get what you pay for' comes into effect, and it's just wasted money.
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polroger

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Re: Camping Stove Vs Campfire
« Reply #28 on: June 08, 2014 »

check out Sportsdirect - £79.99.  I still think if you are in this market, the Dragonfly is your best option.  Good luck
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Reason and rationality are chasing us....... but we are faster

Rich.H

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Re: Camping Stove Vs Campfire
« Reply #29 on: June 08, 2014 »

Quote
With regards to the maintenance and cleaning, would that not be much the same for a gas stove, considering they use the same mechanism and setup?

Gas stoves need little to no looking after, unless you happen to spill stuff on them just a quick wipe off is all. If you ever pack them away wet then just be sure to unpack them and dry and treat once home and your fine. All they are anyway is just an elaborate valve with an atomiser on the end so there is not much to fail.

Quote
Expense-wise, cheaper is always better. but I don't want to be buying too cheap where 'you get what you pay for' comes into effect, and it's just wasted money.

If you are using gas then you can get a stove for as little as £10-£15 that will happily last you at least a year or two of average use with sensible looking after. At that rate you need to get at least 10 years out of the msr with no part replacements to be breaking even. No doubt though the cheap gas stoves happily last longer and someone here may well be able to confirm that.

Meth stoves again will be cost effective since the only part you need to spend real cash on is a good quality burner base, Pot/pans etc you can use anything you like from pound shop tin foil rubbish all the way to diamond encrusted titanium. It means they are probably the most flexible system as you can just use parts specific to your own needs and finances.


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