Haha nice video. I have used a very similar burner when I was in the army. Some of these things may be obvious but still good to keep in mind. - Remember that the whole burner stays warm for a while after the fire is out, so it's good to turn it off as quick as possible to save fuel and then wait for it to cool down before putting on the lid with the o-ring (while making eating or whatever). Heat is enough to damage the o-ring if not immediatly then over time. And also to hurt your fingers. - If you burn yourself rinse the burn area with cold water for a little while. A long while if you burn yourself a lot, your can still be hot from the heat and cooling it down prevents further damage. - Sometimes the flame is not visible when lighting, it takes a little time to light up. - Get a good flask to keep the fuel in and also pour. Getting alcohol on your skin is quite dangerous when cold as it evaporated and cool the skin very fast. And of course you don't want to light yourself on fire. It's also a good idea to wear gloves when working directly with metal when cold. - Disregarding the previous tip some alcohols are a great cleaning agent especially for soot. Use a rag! - Practise beforehand to put your stuff together and apart and how to operate it. The only thing more dangerous than a fool is an unprepared fool. Happy adventuring! Also your videos are a lot of fun!
Hold the striker close to the stove and put the firesteel rod tight against it, then pull the rod away from the firesteel - don't push the metal striker along the rod instead. Why? If you pull the rod backwards the hand holding it is going away from the fuel/stove so isn't going to knock it over, nor get covered in fuel and set on fire. The hand holding the striker remains close to the stove but doesn't move towards it so again doesn't knock the stove over or get covered in fuel doing so. The sparks will go from the striker a short distance to the stove and light the fuel and there's no wafting hand movement that'll maybe put the flame out. A simple tip from Pom-land.
love my trangias, been using them for decades and it really is the best stove system around. i really like the stability, it's very difficult to tip over a 25 or 27 and the pots and pans are held in the windscreens very securely. the alcohol burner does take some getting used to, but after you've used one for awhile you'll learn just how much fuel to put in the burner to cook whatever you're cooking, i've got it down to the point that my food is done just before the fuel in the burner is exhausted. my favorite way to adjust the simmer ring is with a pair of bamboo chopsticks with the tips sanded to fit in the rivet hole and the hole on the other side of the blade, with some practice i can adjust the opening in a few seconds with one hand while holding the pot or pan with the other. bamboo doesn't burn easily and is very lightweight. the heat from the alcohol burner is soft, not as hot as a gas stove but that is a plus when doing actual cooking, not just boiling water. you can literally cook just about anything in a trangia without scorching or burning it, even when using the plain aluminum pots and pans if you do it properly. for political and religious reasons worldwide, pure ethanol is extremely expensive due to excessive sin taxes placed on it or it simply is not available. pure ethanol burns completely clean with no soot, but in most cases it's not practical to use. various countries have their own versions of contaminated ethanol, another volatile solvent is added to make the ethanol poisonous but then it can be sold at a reasonable price but the contaminant added makes it burn dirty and sooty... in some places pure methanol is available, which is already poisonous so it's available at a good price and does burn clean with no soot. i use methanol in my trangias, the easiest way to get it in the usa is in the form of a fuel additive called heet which comes in a yellow plastic bottle and is sold at automotive parts stores and gas stations as well as large stores like walmart. i have tried adding water to bad alcohol to make it burn clean, but it never works.
That's probably because no matter how much water you add to make it cleaner, it's not the water that will be burning, no matter how much or how little you add. Although, if you keep increasing the amount of water it will eventually get to the point where it's just too diluted to start burning at all. The fuel could be cleaned up by performing a fractional distillation and then drying the desired fraction to remove any traces of water but it would probably be more work than it's worth.
It's very difficult to find cheapish fuel in the US, surprisingly. Not unattainable by any means but denatured alcohol is like $10-14 for a little jug at the hardware store. Everclear would work but it's too expensive. Heet is only sold in tiny 12oz bottles, but the plus side is you can pack those little bottles and use them. Kind of hilarious how different countries regulate and tax these relatively benign alcohols
Enjoyed the review but i am a committed Trangia user anyhow. Tip, do not leave the strap buckle on top as it will likely mark the pan bottom when packed away in a pannier for hours whilst travelling. Before packing the burner away i always drain it then light the residual to dry it out.These points may have already been pointed out but couldn't be bothered to read all the comments. Will have a look at your other stuff. Cheers from Tony in the UK.
Saliva is the best remedy for burns, and it is always at hand. I have never gotten a blister since I learned this. Just put some on the burn as fast as possible and keep the area moist until it doesn't hurt anymore. Great tips on the Trangia. Thanks!
Small burns... The oil that's behind our ears is a great instant relief to minor burns. As an old Boilermaker... trust me. jimonabuell Outback Australia. Yes we have all done that Mark!
Thanks for your video. Can I suggest the following from many years of Trangia cooking. 1. Buy a single heat resistant glove. They cost unto a fiver from a supermarket and weigh next to nothing. Saves all the juggling with hot equipment and skin grafts! 2. If you want to roast something utilise the slightly larger pot and the use the "frying pan" lid as your oven top. 3. When you've finished cooking use the control top to cover the ring and leave it for about half a hour to cool before packing away. 4. leave one of the pots behind and save a couple of ounces! The kettle, 1 pot and the lid are more than enough for a decent camping set up. 5. buy one of those long gas lighter jobs you use in a kitchen. You can then light it with the ring in situ, or wear the oven glove from tip 1! Tangias are a fantastic set up when you get used to them and you can do anything you can do on a wood stove, but you don't have to wait for it to get going. I set up my stove and while the water is boiling for my brew I set up my tent. That way, if it's raining I've got somewhere sheltered while I drink my tea. Happy cooking!
Thank you for speaking clearly and not having noise or music in your video. This is the eighth video I've had to watch, and you've finally explained what that flappy ring thing is for! 😊
2 tips for you my friend, when lighting any spirit stove simply dip a twig into some fuel and then light the twig and use it to light the stove. Another one I use is when I go camping is take 1 heavy duty garden type glove with me, it's great for handling hot pots and firewood etc.
Suggestion for making an oven. Put the saucepan into the stove, like you did first time, and then use the frying pan as the lid. That way the pot is down into the flame and will get hot around. If you do it the other way around (fry pan on top of stove, with saucepan as a lid) the bottom will get hot, but not the sides (as heat is deflected by the fry pan away from the pot. Just a thought to try.
Nice! Could work well with the two pots as well, with the frying pan on top. Maybe it can work for both a dry and steam baking. I use it for steam baking but yeah, alcohol doesn’t get hot enough to melt aluminum
I am a noob when it comes to this. Got a Trangia for use in case of a longer power outage. The simmer-ring.... Saw one use the handle that the stove comes with and pushed against the ground or something. To adjust it. This clip gave me the idea to get some metal tongs.
I watched your video, (it popped up as a random video) and had to smile. I’ve burnt my fingers a time or two myself when I was younger (will be 71 years old in a month). Anyway I read through the comments a bit and hadn’t seen the suggest, so May I add the following 1. Place a small magnet on the lid of the simmer ring-use any metal spork or tool to remove it or twist the tool to adjust the ring. If your Spork is titanium, wrap a small amount of small gauge wire around the handle end. Has worked quite well for me for about a decade now. Take care, Bob PS: I subscribed
I bought my Trangia stove 40 years ago (1981). Used it snow camping a lot. And to make the metho last & easy lighting I`d fill it & you will notice the level drop quickly then top it even several times to get maximum fuel . Lighting it was easy then . To snuff it I`d just flip the lid (frypan) Takes a few seconds. Always had riggers gloves after I lost my handle in the snow. They are a great stove .
To light, smear a bit of metho up the side of the burner. Helps with lifting with a cigarette lighter. Never screw the lid on while hot. It will cool and vacuum the lid shut. You will need tools to break the seal again. The best part of a trangia is the wind guard. Not a lot of heat does the business.
To avoid the black sooty mess on the bottom of your cookware, I find using Methyl Hydrate far better. no black yuk. Can be found as gas line antifreeze, or as a paint thinner (If you like the bigger bottles as I do :) ) Burns far cleaner than the other alcohol fuels that I have tried.
I learnt this the hard way. I thought I would preheat the frying pan to prevent my bacon sticking to it and it warped pretty fast. Not really sure how to fry stuff in the uncoated frying pan, any tips?
The tip about 10% water in the fuel is also printed on the yellow bag you store the spirit burner in. I thought you were going to burn the man cave down when picking up the lit burner, twice. The frying pan also acts as a pot lid.
Great video. I just bought a Trangia . Thanks for the tips! Sorry about the burn. Been there but with my rocket stove. I bought some leather gloves for protection for handling hot pots and pans.
Greetings from Scotland. I've been using a Trangia for 39 years and still learned a thing from this video. One tip I'd like to pass on is that they are originally designed to be used with the purple Methylated spirit. The new Bi Ethanol fuel burns far too hot. The flame burns wild and I've found it difficult to control. The meths is a more stable and usable fuel.
one good thing about trangia is that you can buy parts seperatly, i brought the cheepest version of the 27 and brought the none stick frypan seperatly you can also get new rubber 'O' rings. what i do with the un used fuel after cooking is heat water for cleaning. The fuel is cheep as chips never pour it back into the fuel bottle it is a unnesesary hazzard. I like the tip with the simmering will give it a go. Thanks for shareing
When you get a nasty burn like that, you want to instantly stop what you are doing and go put those fingers on ice! Keep the ice on the burn for at least 15 minutes to pull the heat out of your skin. Then, after that, slice open a large aloe vera leaf and wrap it around your burn. Keep the aloe vera on the burn for at least 30 minutes, moving it around to feel the coolest areas. It feels really good and soothing. This process will make it heal MUCH faster and leave a very small scar or no scar at all. I did this during college when I picked up a bunson burner with my bare fingers! What an idiot! OMG it was so HOT!!! The chemistry teacher had some ice and aloe vera and we instantly put it on there and it was like a miracle. Ever since then I have always made sure I have plenty of aloe vera around, at least 2 or 3 plants. Thank you for the video!
I had a play with my trangia today, my idea was to see burn time with same amount of fuel (20ml meths) with the simmer ring off and on in different positions. I quickly discovered burn time doubles (heat output halfs) when simmer ring is on in completely open position. Fyi my 20ml lasted 9 mins off, 18mins on fully open. When i tried ‘tuning’ the simmer with the top it pretty much always went out. This was indoors with no crosswind, and stove is already warm by this point. It would have no chance outdoors. I realise now that the simmer top has a slide open as it is supposed to be used open, and the outer edge of the slide becomes a handle. It basically has 2 burn options, burn or simmer.
not true, i frequently use the simmer ring between 1/4 and 2/3 open when cooking delicate things that i don't want to burn. with the simmer ring fully open it still produces a lot of heat...
Nice video :) What might be of use is a pair of oven mitts. We all have them in our kitchen but forget to include them in our survival / outdoors gear setup. Heavy duty work gloves might work as well (depends on thickness, material etc) but oven mitts are a lifesaver.
Most everyone carry's a new pair of mechanics gloves with . I wonder if you should store them in this kit ? Lots of good tips when doing your presentations , gets us all thinking . Thanks everyone . . .
After using my homemade ultralight pop can alcohol stoves, I finally bought a Trangia alcohol stove knock off for ultralight ADV motorcycle camping this summer.
Great video Mark. I was thinking, 'Oh, he won't try to move that pan with his bare hand'. Shows what I know. Anyhow, rubbing a thin coat of liquid dish soap on the bottoms of the pans and kettle will not only reduce the soot, it will make it super easy to clean afterwards. Just a thought. Have fun and stay safe(ish).
Mark a tip when using ferro rod, try pulling the rod while keeping the flat steel thingy still & close to the target be it trangia or kindling. It seems to send more sparks accurately at the target, works better I reckon
Lol. Yes, the frigging things get hot! Although that mistake was painful, it raises an important point: we must get out and practice our skills and learn how to use our gear. Although things can look easy when watching videos, there are learning curves that can only be overcome with experience. Also, adding water to your fuel reduces the fuel's efficiency. Would you add water to your vehicle's fuel tank? Next, according to the late Mors Kochanski, painting your pots black will help absorb more heat, requiring less fuel. Thanks for sharing.
Fair play on you for leaving the finger burning and carpet burning in mate. That was hilarious. Reminds me a bit of Frank Spencer, a comedy character in the uk series “some mother’s do ave em”
Yeah g'day mark, Dave here from Tassie... I reckon it would probably make a good overnight camping stove alright, but I couldn't justify spending $199 dollars on that..... much much prefer the little cooker I bought from your sight for practicality and mostly cost.... cheers
You might be able to use some spring loaded paper clips to keep the top on the oven. I can’t tell if the lip is rounded. May not work if so. But I saw a guy use 2 stainless dog bowls where the lip juts out but isn’t rounded. Then he used the clips to hold them together and a makeshift foil bowl sitting on that trivet. Thanks for the great video!!
Half way through the video I wondered how many times this guy had burned himself already. Thanks for showing the good with the bad. Pretty funny. I will say though for that type of burn, put some regular yellow mustard on it right way. Rinse and reapply every 30-45 minutes for a few hours or until the pain subsides. Works like a charm and I have no idea why.
Tip on using fire steel;. Hold the striker and pull the fero rod back. Everyone holds the rod and moves the striker. This makes it hard to get all the Sparks in one place.
When I bought mine I also bought the gas burner attachment you speak of. It boils and cooks much better than using the spirits. So glad I bought it. Are you interested in trying/getting one? Can always bring up with me next I'm in Bendigo :) I should really get into cooking more with it and learning more about using it correctly though. It's a great accessory to have on the road when you use it properly.
I suggest trying a striker used to ignite acetylene torches. They're roughly 6" long, so obviously takes up more room than a Ferro rod, but the reach and concentrated spark pattern prevents skin burns and ignites the fuel in one strike.
Searching for info on the Trangia Alcohol Stove, I came across your channel. You are hilarious - I loved your video. Not only did you make me subscribe to your channel and thumbs up this video, I also ordered my own Trangia stove. Thanks Mark, keep up with the videos :)
I love that test that you just did we all make mistakes and what you just did with your fingers is probably something that I would have done as well to be honest. Top top video mate love it.
Tell you what is also a great alternative to methylated spirits is getting the gel burner dish to fit your trangia. This allows you to use the variety of bio-ethanol gels available but also the abundant quantities of alcohol hand sanitisers that are everywhere in the current global situation! 👍
Wow, that made me belly laugh! 😂 I'm a Brit and I don't know why but your Ozzy accent just did it for me. Reminded me a little of Rolf Harris (in better days). So entertaining! About the simmer ring, wouldn't it be easier to adjust it before placing it on the burner? ie. Allow the liquid to boil, without the simmer ring and then fit it using the tongues. Obviously experience will guide the pre-adjustment. Just a thought. Thank you for brightening my day! 👍😁
The frying pan can also be used as a pan lid. Much safer than trying to balance another pan on top. Also, the big hole in the base should face the wind, to increase airflow and prevent the build up of vapour.
10 percent water helps with sooting, but another way is before you cook you can put a finger tip squirt of dishwashing detergent on the bottom of the pan and smear it all over, then the soot mostly wipes off.
Great video. I've just bought my first Trangia online, The real pain is it has no hole for the gas and there is no lock on the wind-shield to the pot holder, but a question you guys might be able to help me with is the best way to refill the burner when your cooking, do you have to wait until its cool or can you just go ahead and pour the fuel in.
Three points: 1) you can use the regular gripper to get the lid out, 2) the non - stick layer can't handle high temperatures, in other words: not to be used as an oven, 3) igniting the stove in sub - zero temperatures is quite hard. Topic for another video? Greetz from the Netherlands.
Lighting the stove in low temperatures is very easy. You place a tea light underneath the burner to preheat it with the choke closed. That way, you get the maximum burn from the instant you ignite it, allowing you to preset the choke to the desired heat level. It saves a great deal of fuel compared to heating the alcohol top-down. The only time I don't do that, is when I'm boiling water, which doesn't require any temperature control at all. But I would do it if it was very cold, because it would otherwise be difficult to light.
To make lighting much easer, wet the top of the simmer ring with a bit of meths. Also around the outside of the lip. You can do this just by dipping your finger in and spreading a bit of liquid about. (Don't try to pour it there.) Not only will it light easier but will come up to operating temperature a bit faster. Oh, and looking at your vid, perhaps I need to mention - keep the finger with the metho on it away from the lighter. LOL.
I don't think it's supposed to be loose because both it and the cap help keep any remaining fuel from leaking out. If it leaks inside the cap, it'll be messy.
Enjoying every moment of your channel. Thanks for the cautionary tale, Mark. I will use a silicon pot gripper to handle the pots when I am cooking. Hope your hand is better now.
I just use a plain old strike any where, wooden kitchen match. And I can hear it light, kind of a pop. But maybe that is because I use Denatured Alcohol. I love my Tangia, I have two of them now. As for adjusting the simmer ring, Using a metal fork to hold down the ring, I use a metal knife to adjust the ring. Pretty easy.
Hi mate another tip to light the trangia roll up a bit of toilet paper like a cig nice and tight put one end into the alcohol the other end out side the well. Wait for toilet paper to soak up the alcohol then just use it like a wick light end of end of rolled up toilet paper with a lighter
Ancient proverb, an empty pot needs something to cook. If you grab it when it's hot, it's your fingers. lol OK that's stupid and cheesy. If you are just demonstrating different pot/cooker configurations, there is no need to have the burner actually burning. My suggestion. I do have to thank you for a great video, however, you have reinforced my thoughts about how good a system that the Trangia is, and I learned a few new things about the system I did not know before. Thank you for a enjoyable and educational video, even if it's not to grab a hot pan, lol. Best wishes.
How easy it is to light the alcohol depends on the ambient temperature, and the temperature of the burner. The reason is that the alcohol is giving off fumes more readily when warmer. So when it's decently warm outside (spring/summer temps), lighting with a firesteel will be easy. When it is close to freezing outside, it's almost impossible. Then you'd use a lighter, matches, or a preheater and you'd use some patience. Good luck :)
I am 100% convinced that the bottom part of the stove, the one that the burner sits on, is designed for use with a tea candle. It's too perfectly suited to not be designed for it. When you do that, the ambient temperature is irrelevant and also, you always get the correct temperature when cooking because you start at full power rather than having the power increase with heat.
It's more or less standard practice where I come from to carefully wiggle the simmer ring up and down on a new stove until it's to your liking and then there is a little notch on the small "handle" part the you can get out of the way of the catch on the bottom part of the mechanism by bending the correspondin part of the simmer ring slightly upwards. It's non-destructive if you're gentle and leaves the simmer ring to where you can just push it arounds to your liking with the pot grabber without the whole thing rotating or getting stuck on that small catch or protrusion if you want to completely cover and extinguish the flame. No need to start drilling and introducing clunky screws and other metals ... I never bring extra tongs, you can extinguish it easily while it's in if you fix it so it doesn't catch on the "grabby bit".
Sorry mate, I know I shouldn’t have laughed when your burned your fingers, but when the pot got stuck on the carper and left a burn stain I was nearly hospitalised. But some great tips about the stove. A great video. Cheers.
Hey from England. You're crazy moving burning meths around but a thoroughly entertaining video. OK some tips in the burner. Rub olive oil on the o ring to preserve the rubber. Don't use the simmer ring unless it's required. When it is, present this before adding to a burning flame. Triang provide an alternative base. It's made from aluminum in which the stove sits. This also holds your pans off the heat. My kit is far more compact. I can't imagine carrying all this in a backpack. Oh yes, certainly use water with your meths. Ratio 1:10. Is perfect. If camping in snow, you'll have issues lighting meths, so I deliberately spill a little on the outer lip which will light then ignite the burner proper.
If you want to use your Trangia for baking get the 4.5 litre (1 UK gallon. 1.19 US gallons.) Billy can if you have the Trangia 25. *Please note the Trangia 27 is slightly smaller in diameter and will not fit with the Billy can.
hey mark I'm like you always bloody burning my fingers so the way I like to light my alcohol stove is to grab a stick or even a leaf dip it in the meth than light it and dip it back in. It even works if the stick leaf ect is wet... You would be surprised how many people say WOW simple but effective.. Hope this helps..
the esbit version of the burner had a little handle on the simmer ring that folds over for packing. you can also use iso alcohol (70-91%), HEET from auto parts store as well at denatured meth and in a pinch any drinking alcohol that's as close to 200 proof as possible. those steamer inserts that open like flowers make good baking inserts too.
I dont mind the soot. I have soot from my Tomshoo wood gas stove 😂😁. But you Get black soot after time from gas stove 😉😁. The soot only gives the pots a character 😎😎😎
Ouch! Actually, I think you'll find that the lid (aka fry pan) makes a better lid Mark. Also, I've found that the best way to eliminate the soot problem is to use the purest methanol I can get. HEET in the yellow bottle is pretty good, but you can get even better stuff from most automotive speed shops. Most of the alcohol you can get has ethanol in it which is some nasty burning stuff.
Matches dude. Matches are always the best idea for trangia. And don't move the pots around without the tool... But you learned that the hard way I see.... Hehe.
You reminded me of one of my Dad's favorite jokes; A cowboy walks into the blacksmith and picks up a horseshoe the blacksmith just finished working on and immediately drops it, Smithy asks if it's hot, cowboy replies, no, it just doesn't take me long to inspect a horseshoe. :))
Mate just wondering why you ditched the trangia. I'm about to do two weeks on the bike and was interested in the trangia. Was it just to bulky or you didn't like the aluminium to cook on. Appreciate your great channel and your feedback. Cheers
Some good tips. As you can imagine blacksmiths get contact burns all the time and a long long time ago they learned that despite conventional wisdom stating you should place burns under cold water, this isn't the best way to treat a contact burn. As you seem to have regular issues with contact burns I will tell you what they learned. When your skin burns like that it contracts, and when placed under water there is additional contraction because it reduces the heat within the hand which contracts the veins under the skin. This is not good. What you need to do is expand the area and thus the skin so that it more quickly remembers what it's natural state should be. You do this by holding the burn spot over a moderate heat. With your un-burnt hand measure a distance over the flame so that it doesn't burn but gets damn hot. on a trangia with simmer thats approx ten inches above the flame. Hold the burned spot over this heat for about 60-90 seconds. At first you will notice the pain gently goes away, by the end of thirty seconds your hand will have heated up to the point where the skin fully expands again, it will sting around the half way point for a second as the scolded skin stretches out, thats normal for about ten seconds or so. But by the end you will not feel the burn and it will heal more quickly. Depending on the extent of the burn you may wish to keep periodically putting it over heat every few minutes every time the pain reappears. If you do have honey, place a dab on the skin as you heat it, this gets absorbed slowly but it does help too.
I find a piece of hacksaw blade produces the best shower of fire stick sparks ( high Carbon steel) if using the back edge of a carbon steel camping knife it needs grinding square so it bites on the steel.
Next time you burn your fingers like that, apply yellow mustard to the burn & wrap it with aluminum foil. I don't know why it helps to heal faster but it does.
If you run your pots dry, i.e as an oven, you risk damaging your pots. Another trick for lighting is to dip a stick in the alcohol, light the stick and then the stove.
Some realy good hints, thanks a lot therefor. But i would be careful with placing empty aluminum pots over a burning flame. Maybe the idea with the stove isn't that great... It reminded me a little on this electrician gut who always gets shocked by his experiments :-)
Easy lighting method. Take a twig about 8 inches long, dip it into the fuel, light the dipped end of the twig with a lighter, use the lit twig to light stove, extinguish twig.
A hot Trangia pot looks exactly like a cold Trangia pot....
LOL
A lesson learned the hard way 😂
😂
Haha nice video. I have used a very similar burner when I was in the army.
Some of these things may be obvious but still good to keep in mind.
- Remember that the whole burner stays warm for a while after the fire is out, so it's good to turn it off as quick as possible to save fuel and then wait for it to cool down before putting on the lid with the o-ring (while making eating or whatever). Heat is enough to damage the o-ring if not immediatly then over time. And also to hurt your fingers.
- If you burn yourself rinse the burn area with cold water for a little while. A long while if you burn yourself a lot, your can still be hot from the heat and cooling it down prevents further damage.
- Sometimes the flame is not visible when lighting, it takes a little time to light up.
- Get a good flask to keep the fuel in and also pour. Getting alcohol on your skin is quite dangerous when cold as it evaporated and cool the skin very fast. And of course you don't want to light yourself on fire. It's also a good idea to wear gloves when working directly with metal when cold.
- Disregarding the previous tip some alcohols are a great cleaning agent especially for soot. Use a rag!
- Practise beforehand to put your stuff together and apart and how to operate it. The only thing more dangerous than a fool is an unprepared fool.
Happy adventuring! Also your videos are a lot of fun!
so I see you still need adult supervision for your own safety.
LOL :-)
@@BikerBits Don't we all...
lol
Hahaha 🤣
:)
Hold the striker close to the stove and put the firesteel rod tight against it, then pull the rod away from the firesteel - don't push the metal striker along the rod instead. Why? If you pull the rod backwards the hand holding it is going away from the fuel/stove so isn't going to knock it over, nor get covered in fuel and set on fire. The hand holding the striker remains close to the stove but doesn't move towards it so again doesn't knock the stove over or get covered in fuel doing so. The sparks will go from the striker a short distance to the stove and light the fuel and there's no wafting hand movement that'll maybe put the flame out. A simple tip from Pom-land.
Thanks mate! :-)
I always use my lighter for that. Way faster for me. Striker is more of a fire maker for me
love my trangias, been using them for decades and it really is the best stove system around. i really like the stability, it's very difficult to tip over a 25 or 27 and the pots and pans are held in the windscreens very securely. the alcohol burner does take some getting used to, but after you've used one for awhile you'll learn just how much fuel to put in the burner to cook whatever you're cooking, i've got it down to the point that my food is done just before the fuel in the burner is exhausted. my favorite way to adjust the simmer ring is with a pair of bamboo chopsticks with the tips sanded to fit in the rivet hole and the hole on the other side of the blade, with some practice i can adjust the opening in a few seconds with one hand while holding the pot or pan with the other. bamboo doesn't burn easily and is very lightweight. the heat from the alcohol burner is soft, not as hot as a gas stove but that is a plus when doing actual cooking, not just boiling water. you can literally cook just about anything in a trangia without scorching or burning it, even when using the plain aluminum pots and pans if you do it properly.
for political and religious reasons worldwide, pure ethanol is extremely expensive due to excessive sin taxes placed on it or it simply is not available. pure ethanol burns completely clean with no soot, but in most cases it's not practical to use. various countries have their own versions of contaminated ethanol, another volatile solvent is added to make the ethanol poisonous but then it can be sold at a reasonable price but the contaminant added makes it burn dirty and sooty... in some places pure methanol is available, which is already poisonous so it's available at a good price and does burn clean with no soot. i use methanol in my trangias, the easiest way to get it in the usa is in the form of a fuel additive called heet which comes in a yellow plastic bottle and is sold at automotive parts stores and gas stations as well as large stores like walmart. i have tried adding water to bad alcohol to make it burn clean, but it never works.
That's probably because no matter how much water you add to make it cleaner, it's not the water that will be burning, no matter how much or how little you add. Although, if you keep increasing the amount of water it will eventually get to the point where it's just too diluted to start burning at all.
The fuel could be cleaned up by performing a fractional distillation and then drying the desired fraction to remove any traces of water but it would probably be more work than it's worth.
It's very difficult to find cheapish fuel in the US, surprisingly. Not unattainable by any means but denatured alcohol is like $10-14 for a little jug at the hardware store. Everclear would work but it's too expensive. Heet is only sold in tiny 12oz bottles, but the plus side is you can pack those little bottles and use them. Kind of hilarious how different countries regulate and tax these relatively benign alcohols
Enjoyed the review but i am a committed Trangia user anyhow. Tip, do not leave the strap buckle on top as it will likely mark the pan bottom when packed away in a pannier for hours whilst travelling.
Before packing the burner away i always drain it then light the residual to dry it out.These points may have already been pointed out but couldn't be bothered to read all the comments. Will have a look at your other stuff. Cheers from Tony in the UK.
I have been using trangia for over 40 years it’s funny watching beginners like this. I remember burning a tent down with one. 😲
hero
Saliva is the best remedy for burns, and it is always at hand. I have never gotten a blister since I learned this. Just put some on the burn as fast as possible and keep the area moist until it doesn't hurt anymore. Great tips on the Trangia. Thanks!
Small burns... The oil that's behind our ears is a great instant relief to minor burns. As an old Boilermaker... trust me. jimonabuell Outback Australia.
Yes we have all done that Mark!
Thanks for your video. Can I suggest the following from many years of Trangia cooking.
1. Buy a single heat resistant glove. They cost unto a fiver from a supermarket and weigh next to nothing. Saves all the juggling with hot equipment and skin grafts!
2. If you want to roast something utilise the slightly larger pot and the use the "frying pan" lid as your oven top.
3. When you've finished cooking use the control top to cover the ring and leave it for about half a hour to cool before packing away.
4. leave one of the pots behind and save a couple of ounces! The kettle, 1 pot and the lid are more than enough for a decent camping set up.
5. buy one of those long gas lighter jobs you use in a kitchen. You can then light it with the ring in situ, or wear the oven glove from tip 1!
Tangias are a fantastic set up when you get used to them and you can do anything you can do on a wood stove, but you don't have to wait for it to get going. I set up my stove and while the water is boiling for my brew I set up my tent. That way, if it's raining I've got somewhere sheltered while I drink my tea. Happy cooking!
When I'm funked out I speed watch your video till I'm at the finger burning moment and life is all good again. Love this video. Love my Trangia!
Thank you for speaking clearly and not having noise or music in your video. This is the eighth video I've had to watch, and you've finally explained what that flappy ring thing is for! 😊
My pleasure! 😀
2 tips for you my friend, when lighting any spirit stove simply dip a twig into some fuel and then light the twig and use it to light the stove. Another one I use is when I go camping is take 1 heavy duty garden type glove with me, it's great for handling hot pots and firewood etc.
Suggestion for making an oven. Put the saucepan into the stove, like you did first time, and then use the frying pan as the lid. That way the pot is down into the flame and will get hot around. If you do it the other way around (fry pan on top of stove, with saucepan as a lid) the bottom will get hot, but not the sides (as heat is deflected by the fry pan away from the pot. Just a thought to try.
Nice! Could work well with the two pots as well, with the frying pan on top. Maybe it can work for both a dry and steam baking. I use it for steam baking but yeah, alcohol doesn’t get hot enough to melt aluminum
I am a noob when it comes to this. Got a Trangia for use in case of a longer power outage. The simmer-ring.... Saw one use the handle that the stove comes with and pushed against the ground or something. To adjust it. This clip gave me the idea to get some metal tongs.
I watched your video, (it popped up as a random video) and had to smile. I’ve burnt my fingers a time or two myself when I was younger (will be 71 years old in a month). Anyway I read through the comments a bit and hadn’t seen the suggest, so May I add the following
1. Place a small magnet on the lid of the simmer ring-use any metal spork or tool to remove it or twist the tool to adjust the ring. If your Spork is titanium, wrap a small amount of small gauge wire around the handle end. Has worked quite well for me for about a decade now. Take care, Bob
PS: I subscribed
Bloody Brilliant idea... Thanks! 👍
@@BikerBits well, fair Dinkum at best.
I bought my Trangia stove 40 years ago (1981). Used it snow camping a lot. And to make the metho last & easy lighting I`d fill it & you will notice the level drop quickly then top it even several times to get maximum fuel . Lighting it was easy then . To snuff it I`d just flip the lid (frypan) Takes a few seconds. Always had riggers gloves after I lost my handle in the snow. They are a great stove .
To light, smear a bit of metho up the side of the burner. Helps with lifting with a cigarette lighter.
Never screw the lid on while hot. It will cool and vacuum the lid shut. You will need tools to break the seal again.
The best part of a trangia is the wind guard. Not a lot of heat does the business.
To avoid the black sooty mess on the bottom of your cookware, I find using Methyl Hydrate far better. no black yuk. Can be found as gas line antifreeze, or as a paint thinner (If you like the bigger bottles as I do :) ) Burns far cleaner than the other alcohol fuels that I have tried.
Avoid putting an empty pot on a flame. The pot may warp and if it is coated the coating may get damaged.
Fair enough! Thanks :-)
Biker Bits it can even melt the pot if you dont have anyhing in there. Those are not ment to be used as a stove but for boiling or frying.
I agree with that....coated empty pots on the flame is not good
I learnt this the hard way. I thought I would preheat the frying pan to prevent my bacon sticking to it and it warped pretty fast. Not really sure how to fry stuff in the uncoated frying pan, any tips?
Agreed, I had an aluminium mess tin melt through on a hexamine stove when I let it boil dry and I wasn’t paying attention.
The tip about 10% water in the fuel is also printed on the yellow bag you store the spirit burner in. I thought you were going to burn the man cave down when picking up the lit burner, twice. The frying pan also acts as a pot lid.
I thought he was going to burn it down several times too. A lot of not-so-smart practices happening in this video lol!
Me too. I shuddered when he started moving the burner with tongs while it was still alight.
the human touch, thats what makes your vids so great.
LOL :-)
HUman touch = getting hurt
Great video. I just bought a Trangia . Thanks for the tips! Sorry about the burn. Been there but with my rocket stove. I bought some leather gloves for protection for handling hot pots and pans.
Mark. you can create a pot lid by putting the pot in as normal then turn the frying pan upside down and put it on top.
Yeah have lots to learn... getting heaps of tips like this! Thanks :-)
I think that this is the most enjoyable video I've ever seen on youtube. I learned a lot, had a good laugh, and took my mind off the pandemic. Thanks!
Greetings from Scotland. I've been using a Trangia for 39 years and still learned a thing from this video. One tip I'd like to pass on is that they are originally designed to be used with the purple Methylated spirit. The new Bi Ethanol fuel burns far too hot. The flame burns wild and I've found it difficult to control. The meths is a more stable and usable fuel.
+Bluesky Thanks heaps mate! :-)
one good thing about trangia is that you can buy parts seperatly, i brought the cheepest version of the 27 and brought the none stick frypan seperatly you can also get new rubber 'O' rings. what i do with the un used fuel after cooking is heat water for cleaning. The fuel is cheep as chips never pour it back into the fuel bottle it is a unnesesary hazzard.
I like the tip with the simmering will give it a go. Thanks for shareing
When you get a nasty burn like that, you want to instantly stop what you are doing and go put those fingers on ice! Keep the ice on the burn for at least 15 minutes to pull the heat out of your skin. Then, after that, slice open a large aloe vera leaf and wrap it around your burn. Keep the aloe vera on the burn for at least 30 minutes, moving it around to feel the coolest areas. It feels really good and soothing.
This process will make it heal MUCH faster and leave a very small scar or no scar at all. I did this during college when I picked up a bunson burner with my bare fingers! What an idiot! OMG it was so HOT!!! The chemistry teacher had some ice and aloe vera and we instantly put it on there and it was like a miracle. Ever since then I have always made sure I have plenty of aloe vera around, at least 2 or 3 plants. Thank you for the video!
If all else fails read the instructions my father used to say
I had a play with my trangia today, my idea was to see burn time with same amount of fuel (20ml meths) with the simmer ring off and on in different positions. I quickly discovered burn time doubles (heat output halfs) when simmer ring is on in completely open position. Fyi my 20ml lasted 9 mins off, 18mins on fully open. When i tried ‘tuning’ the simmer with the top it pretty much always went out. This was indoors with no crosswind, and stove is already warm by this point. It would have no chance outdoors.
I realise now that the simmer top has a slide open as it is supposed to be used open, and the outer edge of the slide becomes a handle. It basically has 2 burn options, burn or simmer.
not true, i frequently use the simmer ring between 1/4 and 2/3 open when cooking delicate things that i don't want to burn. with the simmer ring fully open it still produces a lot of heat...
Nice video :) What might be of use is a pair of oven mitts. We all have them in our kitchen but forget to include them in our survival / outdoors gear setup. Heavy duty work gloves might work as well (depends on thickness, material etc) but oven mitts are a lifesaver.
Most everyone carry's a new pair of mechanics gloves with . I wonder if you should store them in this kit ? Lots of good tips when doing your presentations , gets us all thinking . Thanks everyone . . .
After using my homemade ultralight pop can alcohol stoves, I finally bought a Trangia alcohol stove knock off for ultralight ADV motorcycle camping this summer.
I'm so glad you left that in....... so real that it hurts my sides :-)
LOL... my pleasure! :-)
Great video Mark. I was thinking, 'Oh, he won't try to move that pan with his bare hand'. Shows what I know. Anyhow, rubbing a thin coat of liquid dish soap on the bottoms of the pans and kettle will not only reduce the soot, it will make it super easy to clean afterwards. Just a thought. Have fun and stay safe(ish).
Mark a tip when using ferro rod, try pulling the rod while keeping the flat steel thingy still & close to the target be it trangia or kindling. It seems to send more sparks accurately at the target, works better I reckon
Thanks mate!
Lol. Yes, the frigging things get hot! Although that mistake was painful, it raises an important point: we must get out and practice our skills and learn how to use our gear. Although things can look easy when watching videos, there are learning curves that can only be overcome with experience. Also, adding water to your fuel reduces the fuel's efficiency. Would you add water to your vehicle's fuel tank? Next, according to the late Mors Kochanski, painting your pots black will help absorb more heat, requiring less fuel. Thanks for sharing.
Great video. Just purchased this set up for an 18 month bike touring trip. Covered everything I wasn’t sure about 👍🏼
@Hin Håle really well. Haven’t had a problem with it. Though I prefer a gas set up over metho burner for faster boil and better heat control 👌🏼
Fair play on you for leaving the finger burning and carpet burning in mate. That was hilarious. Reminds me a bit of Frank Spencer, a comedy character in the uk series “some mother’s do ave em”
Yeah g'day mark, Dave here from Tassie... I reckon it would probably make a good overnight camping stove alright, but I couldn't justify spending $199 dollars on that..... much much prefer the little cooker I bought from your sight for practicality and mostly cost.... cheers
+David Oleary Yeah they are a great stove but me too... I'll stick to the gas stove. Thanks :-)
You might be able to use some spring loaded paper clips to keep the top on the oven. I can’t tell if the lip is rounded. May not work if so. But I saw a guy use 2 stainless dog bowls where the lip juts out but isn’t rounded. Then he used the clips to hold them together and a makeshift foil bowl sitting on that trivet. Thanks for the great video!!
Half way through the video I wondered how many times this guy had burned himself already. Thanks for showing the good with the bad. Pretty funny. I will say though for that type of burn, put some regular yellow mustard on it right way. Rinse and reapply every 30-45 minutes for a few hours or until the pain subsides. Works like a charm and I have no idea why.
Tip on using fire steel;. Hold the striker and pull the fero rod back. Everyone holds the rod and moves the striker. This makes it hard to get all the Sparks in one place.
Just FYI putting a empty pot on the stove can damage the pot from the heat without anything in the pot/pan. Keep up the good videos tho 🤣
his pans are hard anodized, they are ok with the amount of heat he subjected them to. no coatings or paint or anything to burn off.
When I bought mine I also bought the gas burner attachment you speak of. It boils and cooks much better than using the spirits. So glad I bought it. Are you interested in trying/getting one? Can always bring up with me next I'm in Bendigo :)
I should really get into cooking more with it and learning more about using it correctly though. It's a great accessory to have on the road when you use it properly.
I suggest trying a striker used to ignite acetylene torches. They're roughly 6" long, so obviously takes up more room than a Ferro rod, but the reach and concentrated spark pattern prevents skin burns and ignites the fuel in one strike.
Sweet Kit.
Never say it’s hot. Always say it was Heavy, that’s why you dropped it.
How it was suposed to be heavy when its empty 🤣😂😃
finally one video showing the use and adjustment of the simmer ring, Thank You
Great video with much humour. Good of you to make all these beginner mistakes so we can learn from them. Many thanks!
before putting pots and pans over a flame, rub them down with soft soap. The soot comes off very easily.
Searching for info on the Trangia Alcohol Stove, I came across your channel. You are hilarious - I loved your video. Not only did you make me subscribe to your channel and thumbs up this video, I also ordered my own Trangia stove. Thanks Mark, keep up with the videos :)
Start with the small pot
big pot becomes lid,
lid becomes 2nd pot,
frying pan becomes lid.
Is the mantra I was taught.
I love that test that you just did we all make mistakes and what you just did with your fingers is probably something that I would have done as well to be honest. Top top video mate love it.
Tell you what is also a great alternative to methylated spirits is getting the gel burner dish to fit your trangia. This allows you to use the variety of bio-ethanol gels available but also the abundant quantities of alcohol hand sanitisers that are everywhere in the current global situation! 👍
Leather gloves and a fireblanket is also often a good idea, especially in rooms ans tents!
But with this tricks it works nice and calm.
Wow, that made me belly laugh! 😂 I'm a Brit and I don't know why but your Ozzy accent just did it for me. Reminded me a little of Rolf Harris (in better days). So entertaining!
About the simmer ring, wouldn't it be easier to adjust it before placing it on the burner? ie. Allow the liquid to boil, without the simmer ring and then fit it using the tongues. Obviously experience will guide the pre-adjustment.
Just a thought.
Thank you for brightening my day! 👍😁
😂😂 hope you're ok bro. I felt sorry for you right up until the carpet incident....then I couldn't help it! 😂😂😂 We've all been there!
The frying pan can also be used as a pan lid. Much safer than trying to balance another pan on top. Also, the big hole in the base should face the wind, to increase airflow and prevent the build up of vapour.
10 percent water helps with sooting, but another way is before you cook you can put a finger tip squirt of dishwashing detergent on the bottom of the pan and smear it all over, then the soot mostly wipes off.
Great video. I've just bought my first Trangia online, The real pain is it has no hole for the gas and there is no lock on the wind-shield to the pot holder, but a question you guys might be able to help me with is the best way to refill the burner when your cooking, do you have to wait until its cool or can you just go ahead and pour the fuel in.
Three points: 1) you can use the regular gripper to get the lid out, 2) the non - stick layer can't handle high temperatures, in other words: not to be used as an oven, 3) igniting the stove in sub - zero temperatures is quite hard. Topic for another video? Greetz from the Netherlands.
Lighting the stove in low temperatures is very easy. You place a tea light underneath the burner to preheat it with the choke closed. That way, you get the maximum burn from the instant you ignite it, allowing you to preset the choke to the desired heat level. It saves a great deal of fuel compared to heating the alcohol top-down. The only time I don't do that, is when I'm boiling water, which doesn't require any temperature control at all. But I would do it if it was very cold, because it would otherwise be difficult to light.
I just got mine and it really is a beautiful little system. I didn’t get the kettle, but that is next! Love the video.
To make lighting much easer, wet the top of the simmer ring with a bit of meths. Also around the outside of the lip. You can do this just by dipping your finger in and spreading a bit of liquid about. (Don't try to pour it there.)
Not only will it light easier but will come up to operating temperature a bit faster.
Oh, and looking at your vid, perhaps I need to mention - keep the finger with the metho on it away from the lighter. LOL.
I don't think it's supposed to be loose because both it and the cap help keep any remaining fuel from leaking out. If it leaks inside the cap, it'll be messy.
Enjoying every moment of your channel. Thanks for the cautionary tale, Mark. I will use a silicon pot gripper to handle the pots when I am cooking. Hope your hand is better now.
I just use a plain old strike any where, wooden kitchen match. And I can hear it light, kind of a pop. But maybe that is because I use Denatured Alcohol. I love my Tangia, I have two of them now. As for adjusting the simmer ring, Using a metal fork to hold down the ring, I use a metal knife to adjust the ring. Pretty easy.
Hi mate another tip to light the trangia roll up a bit of toilet paper like a cig nice and tight put one end into the alcohol the other end out side the well. Wait for toilet paper to soak up the alcohol then just use it like a wick light end of end of rolled up toilet paper with a lighter
OMG! You make the best reviews! First the pankcakes - now this! I love it! Never go for perfection, be real! I am a fan!
you are like the clumsiest reviewer i have ever seen 😂 watched the pancake video and had to laugh so hard. good content
Burn aid is a useful first aid item for man sheds.
Great video, thanks for showing the human side :)
Ancient proverb, an empty pot needs something to cook. If you grab it when it's hot, it's your fingers. lol OK that's stupid and cheesy. If you are just demonstrating different pot/cooker configurations, there is no need to have the burner actually burning. My suggestion. I do have to thank you for a great video, however, you have reinforced my thoughts about how good a system that the Trangia is, and I learned a few new things about the system I did not know before. Thank you for a enjoyable and educational video, even if it's not to grab a hot pan, lol. Best wishes.
I've watched this video so many times and it still makes me laugh :)
Great piece of kit the trangia. I use a fire steel every time. Nice one.
I always open the stirring as far as u need it before I cook. I never needed to change the settings of it during cooking.
Sorry, I hope you're fingers are Ok?........But I did PMSL laughing......Sorry Mark
LOL... All good now! :-)
There are two type of people who use camping stoves: 1. Those who have burnt their fingers and; 2. Those who are going to burn their fingers.
@@BikerBits
Comic relief.
Thank you. Ooops.
How easy it is to light the alcohol depends on the ambient temperature, and the temperature of the burner. The reason is that the alcohol is giving off fumes more readily when warmer. So when it's decently warm outside (spring/summer temps), lighting with a firesteel will be easy. When it is close to freezing outside, it's almost impossible. Then you'd use a lighter, matches, or a preheater and you'd use some patience. Good luck :)
I am 100% convinced that the bottom part of the stove, the one that the burner sits on, is designed for use with a tea candle. It's too perfectly suited to not be designed for it. When you do that, the ambient temperature is irrelevant and also, you always get the correct temperature when cooking because you start at full power rather than having the power increase with heat.
It's more or less standard practice where I come from to carefully wiggle the simmer ring up and down on a new stove until it's to your liking and then there is a little notch on the small "handle" part the you can get out of the way of the catch on the bottom part of the mechanism by bending the correspondin part of the simmer ring slightly upwards. It's non-destructive if you're gentle and leaves the simmer ring to where you can just push it arounds to your liking with the pot grabber without the whole thing rotating or getting stuck on that small catch or protrusion if you want to completely cover and extinguish the flame. No need to start drilling and introducing clunky screws and other metals ... I never bring extra tongs, you can extinguish it easily while it's in if you fix it so it doesn't catch on the "grabby bit".
whynottalkikeapirat Hi :-) I love this tip* Thank you very much for taking the timr to share* Sending best & well wishes from Scotland*
Sorry mate, I know I shouldn’t have laughed when your burned your fingers, but when the pot got stuck on the carper and left a burn stain I was nearly hospitalised. But some great tips about the stove. A great video. Cheers.
Hey from England. You're crazy moving burning meths around but a thoroughly entertaining video. OK some tips in the burner. Rub olive oil on the o ring to preserve the rubber. Don't use the simmer ring unless it's required. When it is, present this before adding to a burning flame. Triang provide an alternative base. It's made from aluminum in which the stove sits. This also holds your pans off the heat. My kit is far more compact. I can't imagine carrying all this in a backpack. Oh yes, certainly use water with your meths. Ratio 1:10. Is perfect. If camping in snow, you'll have issues lighting meths, so I deliberately spill a little on the outer lip which will light then ignite the burner proper.
eumaeus That is what the rim is for Also makes för easy lighting .
If you want to use your Trangia for baking get the 4.5 litre (1 UK gallon. 1.19 US gallons.) Billy can if you have the Trangia 25. *Please note the Trangia 27 is slightly smaller in diameter and will not fit with the Billy can.
Love that you left in the burn incident. I have done that type of $#@& and wasn't creating a UA-cam video. Well Done.
hey mark I'm like you always bloody burning my fingers so the way I like to light my alcohol stove is to grab a stick or even a leaf dip it in the meth than light it and dip it back in. It even works if the stick leaf ect is wet...
You would be surprised how many people say WOW simple but effective..
Hope this helps..
WOW... yeah that sounds great... Thanks! :-)
the esbit version of the burner had a little handle on the simmer ring that folds over for packing.
you can also use iso alcohol (70-91%), HEET from auto parts store as well at denatured meth and in a pinch any drinking alcohol that's as close to 200 proof as possible. those steamer inserts that open like flowers make good baking inserts too.
Leave the soot on the bottom of your kettle and pots as it absorbs heat and helps reduce boiling and cooking times.
Never heard that before... Nice one! :-)
Great video...I loosened the flame a!djustment just like you did! Thank you for that tip!👍
I dont mind the soot. I have soot from my Tomshoo wood gas stove 😂😁. But you Get black soot after time from gas stove 😉😁. The soot only gives the pots a character 😎😎😎
Ouch! Actually, I think you'll find that the lid (aka fry pan) makes a better lid Mark. Also, I've found that the best way to eliminate the soot problem is to use the purest methanol I can get. HEET in the yellow bottle is pretty good, but you can get even better stuff from most automotive speed shops. Most of the alcohol you can get has ethanol in it which is some nasty burning stuff.
Thanks for showing me what not to do…lol
Glad u didn’t get seriously injured
Thank you so much for not editing all that out.
lol.... You need to risk asses yourself... 🤣
Like the idea of the oven...
Thanks for the info and entertainment....😂
Good idea. That summer ring on mine has been annoying. Man cave here I come for a wiggle!!👍👍
Matches dude. Matches are always the best idea for trangia.
And don't move the pots around without the tool... But you learned that the hard way I see.... Hehe.
You reminded me of one of my Dad's favorite jokes; A cowboy walks into the blacksmith and picks up a horseshoe the blacksmith just finished working on and immediately drops it, Smithy asks if it's hot, cowboy replies, no, it just doesn't take me long to inspect a horseshoe. :))
Mate just wondering why you ditched the trangia. I'm about to do two weeks on the bike and was interested in the trangia. Was it just to bulky or you didn't like the aluminium to cook on. Appreciate your great channel and your feedback. Cheers
Some good tips.
As you can imagine blacksmiths get contact burns all the time and a long long time ago they learned that despite conventional wisdom stating you should place burns under cold water, this isn't the best way to treat a contact burn. As you seem to have regular issues with contact burns I will tell you what they learned.
When your skin burns like that it contracts, and when placed under water there is additional contraction because it reduces the heat within the hand which contracts the veins under the skin. This is not good. What you need to do is expand the area and thus the skin so that it more quickly remembers what it's natural state should be.
You do this by holding the burn spot over a moderate heat. With your un-burnt hand measure a distance over the flame so that it doesn't burn but gets damn hot. on a trangia with simmer thats approx ten inches above the flame. Hold the burned spot over this heat for about 60-90 seconds. At first you will notice the pain gently goes away, by the end of thirty seconds your hand will have heated up to the point where the skin fully expands again, it will sting around the half way point for a second as the scolded skin stretches out, thats normal for about ten seconds or so. But by the end you will not feel the burn and it will heal more quickly. Depending on the extent of the burn you may wish to keep periodically putting it over heat every few minutes every time the pain reappears. If you do have honey, place a dab on the skin as you heat it, this gets absorbed slowly but it does help too.
I find a piece of hacksaw blade produces the best shower of fire stick sparks ( high Carbon steel) if using the back edge of a carbon steel camping knife it needs grinding square so it bites on the steel.
Next time you burn your fingers like that, apply yellow mustard to the burn & wrap it with aluminum foil. I don't know why it helps to heal faster but it does.
If you run your pots dry, i.e as an oven, you risk damaging your pots. Another trick for lighting is to dip a stick in the alcohol, light the stick and then the stove.
Some realy good hints, thanks a lot therefor.
But i would be careful with placing empty aluminum pots over a burning flame. Maybe the idea with the stove isn't that great...
It reminded me a little on this electrician gut who always gets shocked by his experiments :-)
Easy lighting method. Take a twig about 8 inches long, dip it into the fuel, light the dipped end of the twig with a lighter, use the lit twig to light stove, extinguish twig.