Minitrangia stove

imported
#1

I just bought a miniTrangia alcohol stove for my AT section hike in October. The Swedes are great at workmanship but not so hot at instructions. There were about 60 words about how to use the stove and I am uncertain about a lot of things:
There’s a screw top with an O ring. I figure this is to seal the remaining alcohol inside the stove between uses. Correct? Does one leave alcohol in the burner betwen uses or pour it back in the bottle?
Then there’s the simmer/extinguishing ring. I figure that the more the cover is slid back, the more flame will reach the pot. But how does one adjust the cover for more/less flame? Isn’t it too hot to handle? Even if the cover is in the correct position, how does one move it over the flame to extinguish the stove when cooking is done? Again, isn’t it hot? Also, the simmer ring doesn’t screw onto the burner. Should it? It seems to just sit there.
And the water thing. The instruction paragraph says to mix the fuel with 10 percent water. Is this in the bottle before setting out for a week? Is this just the portion in the stove each day?
I’m sure these are things everyone knows but me but I don’t know them and would appreciate anyone’s help. Thanks in advance

gary couvillion

#2

You might be able to get some advice from the stove guru at MSR. I think they were the distributors for Trangia at one time. :oh

Lady Di

#3

There’s a screw top with an O ring. I figure this is to seal the remaining alcohol inside the stove between uses. Correct?

Yes, make sure the stove is cool before screwing it on. Otherwise you melt the o-ring. You can leave alcohol in the stove between uses. You won’t get it all out anyway if you try to pour it back into the bottle.

Then there’s the simmer/extinguishing ring.

To extinguish, close the simmer cap and drop it over the burner, or use the little potlifter to place it over the burner. Sometimes it keeps burning through the small round hole and then you have to blow it out. To simmer, close the cover part way and drop it over the burner. To adjust or snuff out the flame while the simmer cap is already on, try pushing it closed carefully with 2 sticks. Or lift it off with the potlifter, let it cool, move the cover, and drop it back on.

The instruction paragraph says to mix the fuel with 10 percent water.

You don’t have to bother mixing with water. Most people use straight HEET (methanol) or denatured. Isopropanol is usually 30% water, but it burns sooty and should be avoided.

DebW

#4

I never left any alcohol in the stove during my trip. Practice with it for a while and you’ll quickly get the hang of how much fuel it takes to cook what you need. I would start with about an ounce and figure your burn time from there. I found that an ounce or just a little more was plenty to cook a single meal for myself. I love my stove and at this point would be hard pressed to change stoves. Another thing, make sure you have a good wind screen, if you don’t you will find it tough to cook. You can leave fuel in it but if you get good at figuring fuel usage you wont have to. If you have any other questions feel free to e-mail me.

BearKat

#5

I leave always some fuel in the burner, and screw the lid on, but after some use the o-ring does not work that good anymore; so I put the burner in an extra ziploc-bag, and try to keep it upright in the pack, and separate from the food.

I found it hard to extuingish the flame at hot days (around 30°C), when using the simmer ring. Then I have a small bowl with water, drop the simmer ring in it, and and then I close the simmer ring and drop it over the burner.

When a small flame is left Ilift the simmer ring a few times very little on one side with the pot-lifter, and the flame goes out.

The simmer ring just sits there, the turnable cover moves easier with use, and for cooking e.g. rice, its easy to adjust the flame with a shove from the spoon or pot-lifter.

The mixing with water is sth. I have never tried, but it should diminish the amount of soot on the pots.

hikingharry

#6

I don’t know about the adding water part. Seems to me that since water won’t become part of the combustion event, that is, the water simply turns to water vapor, some of the alcohol is being used to cause the water to vaporize rather than heat you meal. 30% isopropyl alcohols soot really badly. I always thought it was because of their water content. I have never added water to denatured alcohol and haven’t experienced any sooting problem. So…if it might lead to sooting, and it might reduce the burn temp, I can’t see any benefit to putting water in my fuel. Still, if the Swedish Army says to do it…

jim2

#7

Water diminishes the soot on the pots; Trangia wrote that in their instructions. I prefer black pots, because the heat is distributed much bette, as I have read. A campfire will soot up the pot much faster.

hikingharry

#8

The extinguisher ring should be placed on the stove with the pot holder to snuff out the stuff. Do not drop the ring more than 1-3 inches above the stove. I put a little to much “flare” into the drop once, like a foot about a foot high, and get just that flare. More like a fireball as the alcohol got blown out of the stove by the air pressure! Always let the stove cool before putting on the cap. The o-rings are a little difficult to find. I would find and pack a spare. Otherwise, nothing to break.

Alligator