Which Cooker?

[mslatfly]

Can't disagree with that Apsilon.

The fact is I mostly use the Trangia. If you carry 2 burners (almost zero weight and volume) it is easy to lift out the finished one with tongs and drop in a filled one. (NEVER re-fill an 'empty' burner that is warm - in case you just can't see the metho flame!)

However, I've had the Optimus since the mid 1970's and there is nothing like the sound of a 'choofa' cooking away in the door of a tent on a snow camp in an otherwise silent universe. :ebiggrin: (With the escape valve pointed OUT, so you can't flame your home and yourself!)

Thank you both for the info. I didn't know that the Trangia would burn for 20 min. That's better than I was reading elsewhere. Oh, and yes, I figured it would be easy to carry a second burner as well.

Oh, and Barry, did you ever have the escape valve open while cooking? I've only ever had one problem with that type stove. It was on old US Army version of the older Coleman design (M-1951 Mountain Stove). The check valve at the bottom of the pump body failed. The pump filled with fuel, that then started squirting out, and ignited. Good thing there was a fire extinguisher close by. Didn't do any damage, replaced the check valve. Now it works like new again.

 

[apsilon]

I didn't know that the Trangia would burn for 20 min. That's better than I was reading elsewhere.

Well mine isn't an actual Trangia so burn times might differ. They burn very hot very quickly. I was able to boil a can of something for a mate and a litre of water for myself on a single burn. On day trips where I'm likely to only use it once I only carry a little 30ml Nalgene bottle of metho and that's enough for 2 full burns.

 

[Barry]

Optimus safety valve.

Thank you both for the info. I didn't know that the Trangia would burn for 20 min. That's better than I was reading elsewhere. Oh, and yes, I figured it would be easy to carry a second burner as well.

Oh, and Barry, did you ever have the escape valve open while cooking? I've only ever had one problem with that type stove. It was on old US Army version of the older Coleman design (M-1951 Mountain Stove). The check valve at the bottom of the pump body failed. The pump filled with fuel, that then started squirting out, and ignited. Good thing there was a fire extinguisher close by. Didn't do any damage, replaced the check valve. Now it works like new again.

My Optimus doesn't have a pump - just a pre-heat ring for starting. I use a dripper spout, which matches to the holes in the threaded section of a Zigg bottle stopper, to both fill the tank and prime the pre-heat bowl.

Mine never 'candled' on me, but theoretically the risk is always there which is why it is always set up pointing to blue / grey / stary sky. (On the same principle as weapons are always loaded, the car is always in gear, etc!)

It really is a wonderful little stove and quite safe to use.

 

[apsilon]

Pic of my day/overnight cooking kit.

MSR titanium kettle (pot), Vargo Triad titanium alcohol stove, titanium foil windshield (rolled up and with a flint sparker inside), Snowpeak collapsable chopsticks, TAD folding titanium spork (with bottle and can opener) and 30ml Nalgene bottle of metho. On top of that I stuff a chux dish cloth and a quarter of a sponge/scrubber for cleanup and to stop rattles. Very light, very tough, very reliable.

 

[SubaCool]

Ever tried cooking on the engine? Just put it in some tinfoil :ebiggrin:

 

[Barry]

Somewhere between Darwin and Alice...

Ever tried cooking on the engine? Just put it in some tinfoil :ebiggrin:

My dad was serving in Darwin in Feb. 1942 when it was bombed. Subsequently the Transport Co to which he was attached was involved in ferrying supplies between the rail head at Alice Springs and Darwin.
In those days it was a 4 day run, and virtually everything went in and out that way.
They often cooked their tins of bully beef by lashing them to the engine block with fencing wire.
I remember him telling us when we were kids about one occasion when the convoy dispersed off both sides of the road, thinking they were under aerial attack.
However, the explosion they had heard had been caused by an exploding tin of bully beef, due to a 'green' recruit not piercing the top of his tin before attaching it to the engine of his truck! :ebiggrin:

 

[Barry]

Gone to the 'dark side'...

Have just purchased a Coleman 2 burner gas (propane not petrol) stove for the trip.
Decided that it will make cooking quicker and easier than using the Trangias or the Optimus. (However will have the Trangias with us anyway, in case I miscalculate on gas.)
Had a look at the Coleman 'dual fuel', however dis/mantling the fuel tank seemed a bit cumbersome, and the 'instalight' model I bought is a fair bit smaller than the dual fuel as well.
I'll just have to live with the gas cylinder.Will carry one of the Coleman canisters as well, as a reserve for if I get it wrong at some point as to remaining cylinder capacity.

 

[mslatfly]

Ever tried cooking on the engine? Just put it in some tinfoil :ebiggrin:

LOL.. There are recipes for cooking that way.


Closest I've done to that was heating C Rations in the army by placing the can in the exhaust of my Huey after shut down. By the time you were done inspecting the Huey, the can was hot.:ebiggrin:

On another note, as a kid we had heard about cans blowing up in a fire. So, while camping once, we put a small can of food on a sterno stove.

It took over 30 minutes, but when it went off, it wrecked the stove. Not much left of it. Also, it gave no warning when it went off.

 

[mslatfly]

My Optimus doesn't have a pump - just a pre-heat ring for starting. I use a dripper spout, which matches to the holes in the threaded section of a Zigg bottle stopper, to both fill the tank and prime the pre-heat bowl.

Mine never 'candled' on me, but theoretically the risk is always there which is why it is always set up pointing to blue / grey / stary sky. (On the same principle as weapons are always loaded, the car is always in gear, etc!)

It really is a wonderful little stove and quite safe to use.

My Optimus had an add on pump that attached to the emergency valve, and fills the pre-heat ring by overflowing liquid fuel through the burner. It worked great.

 

[mslatfly]

Pic of my day/overnight cooking kit.

MSR titanium kettle (pot), Vargo Triad titanium alcohol stove, titanium foil windshield (rolled up and with a flint sparker inside), Snowpeak collapsable chopsticks, TAD folding titanium spork (with bottle and can opener) and 30ml Nalgene bottle of metho. On top of that I stuff a chux dish cloth and a quarter of a sponge/scrubber for cleanup and to stop rattles. Very light, very tough, very reliable.

Cool setup! I've been thinking about those chop sticks, but wasn't sure if I'd use them.

I knew some people who always camp together, and cooked everything in a wok on a single burner stove. Obviously not light weight camping, but sure did the job. They tent camped next to their car all the times.