Northern Ireland Outdoors Forum - Hiking, camping and more
General => Gear Questions, Information, Reviews and Competitions => Topic started by: andy1984 on February 01, 2010
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Hi
i'm after a lightweight stove for cooking / boiling water. be used for daytrips and overnights for 2 ppl.
Whats the best type to get? like a mini triangia? or gas or petrol?
any advice welcome
oohh and budget is tight too!!
cheers
Andy
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I muppeted around for a while and eventually went for the Mini Trangia. There are plenty of opinions about what is best but I went for the Tranny because it was reasonably cheap, light and bombproof. People don't like meths systems as they dirty pots, are slower and have no decent temperature control but none of that really bothers me.
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The trangia system is a great start and lets be honest there are no limits to the fine cuisine you can cook ;) ...how many times have we seen the benefits of meths over gas in certain circumstances..
You can buy a trangia 27 for about £30-£40 that includes a kettle and weighs about 850gms. Not super light weight but perfect for starting out.
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You can get a pocket rocket for a good bit under £30quid. Couple that with the likes of the titan kettle (which you can fit the stove and gas cart inside and a firesteel) and you've got lightweight reliable cooking system. Can be used for two or solo depending on your needs. I've never had any problems with carts and I've cooked with one just sitting on the snow.
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Unless you're going somewhere very very cold or where the availability of gas/meths is going to be a big issue, then personally I would strike petrol off the list.
Meths and Gas are the more popular choice and both give a pretty good lightweight capability.
If you want to try meths on a budget look at making your own hobo/pepsi can stove (google it) you don't need much but a drinks can and a stanley knife, and obviously the meths which is pretty cheep in itself, you can even make your cooking pot out of one the cans!
Personally I use gas, as it's what I've always used, its clean and convenient, and except for the initial outlay is relatively cheap to run. A pocket rocket and titan cook set is a popular choice and will probably cost around £50-60 but I'd advise you to pick up the Primus Eta express for a similar price instead as its far more efficient and you could cook for two people with it.
I've been meaning to get a pepsi can stove together and give meths a bash, but I just haven't got round to it yet.
Another great thing about gas is that its a bit safer than meths to cook in your tent porch.
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I have a Trangia 27UL. I think it works out around 720g, but thats with two pots. If you ditch a pot, and even the frying pan/lid then you would shave a few more grams off. In contrast some of the gas/pot combos are around 400-500g so there isnt a huge amount of difference weight wise that I can see, unless I'm missing something? Not sure how much lighter a gas cart would be compared to a bottle of meths that would give similar burn times?
The reason I like the Trangia so much is that its perfect for cooking for two people, if you split the parts then it really doesnt weigh much and is uber reliable. That said, I am tempted by the Primus Eta Express (http://www.jackson-sports.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=7419). If I was to go gas and was just cooking for one then this is probably the system I would go for paired up with a pot cosy!
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Im have the jetboil system fast and clean, but then im from an adventure racing point of veiw and speed of cooking at a transition is the point, but it is super handy for heating water or boil in the bag food also the soupfull ready made soup........but with any gas system i will be buying the 4 season gas,...!! ;)
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6 replies recommending 4 totally different cooking systems. Nothing sets outdoorspeople going more than their cooking system choices ;D
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lol i know... so many options.. although it does seem to come down to gas vs meths.
i have used meths a long long time ago and do remember it being very slow.. but then so is gas when u use it outside in the wind!! :-\
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I'm a petrol fan. Primus Omnifuel stove. Not light or cheap but very reliable, cheap to run fast and works in all conditions. I'm not a racer or mountain walker so weight is not so important to me, but I do have a pocket rocket that I take when travelling by plane.
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lol i know... so many options.. although it does seem to come down to gas vs meths.
i have used meths a long long time ago and do remember it being very slow.. but then so is gas when u use it outside in the wind!! :-\
Windshield mate, get down to sainsbury's pick up a big foil turkey tray and cut the sides off, sorted! just dont let the cart get too hot or leave it unattended of anything.
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Windshield mate, get down to sainsbury's pick up a big foil turkey tray and cut the sides off, sorted! just dont let the cart get too hot or leave it unattended of anything.
+1
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I have the trangia and honey stove but still have to really put honey stove through its paces
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I got a MSR Pocket Rocket on eBay, Brand new for £18.
Still unsure what cooking set to get though, the MSR Titanium is good but really dear.
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lol i know... so many options.. although it does seem to come down to gas vs meths.
i have used meths a long long time ago and do remember it being very slow.. but then so is gas when u use it outside in the wind!! :-\
Not with the jet boil...!
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True, I have a Jetboil and it is extremely fast, if a little unversatile.
lol i know... so many options.. although it does seem to come down to gas vs meths.
i have used meths a long long time ago and do remember it being very slow.. but then so is gas when u use it outside in the wind!! :-\
Not with the jet boil...!
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Trangia, now and probably always. Easy and simple, just be careful of the nearly invisible flame. Reduce the weight and bulk of a system and buy just the stove, use a double thickness tinfoil windbreak.
What I want to try is take a pot/kettle to boil water, and use this to only boil water, and used the hot water to add to dried food in ziplock bags and place in a special cosie. Lightweight and minimalist, but with practice before an expedition it could provide good grub on the go.
My first night camping with a friend was 20 something years ago, along side the Spinkwee river behind Tollymore. I had a poor tent and a camping gaz blue stove. During the night it lashed down and we were lucky not to be swamped, but we could not get the gas cooker working. The little nozzle had become blocked and we did not have a pricker to clear it. We walked home eating cold baked beans with chunks of bread in great spirits after our adventure.
I did use gas after that but did not like it as it was bulky and in those days the cannisters were not always resealable, so the unit could not be broken down without wasting your gas. I used hexi which was pretty good: compact and hot, but could be difficult to light, had toxic fumes (if I remember right) and made a right mess of your pots.
I hope my ramblings are of use or enjoyment.
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I have the trangia and honey stove but still have to really put honey stove through its paces
Snap. I just didnt want to mention the Honey Stove earlier as it would give an even bigger list of diverse options :D
I've used my Honey Stove a few times now, most recently at the Donard Wood camp. I really like it, although to be honest I've used it more often with the Trangia burner than as a wood burning stove. It makes a great Trangia stove though, and is great for saving space seeing it packs flat. Love how you can use it 4-sided as well for even lower weight.