Stove of the Week: The Trangia 27

[Hikin’ Jim]

OK, so here's another one of my "Stove of the Week" reviews. It's probably more "family hiking" type gear or car camping gear than ultralight gear, but it's a well loved, venerable old stove: The Trangia 27. Mine is a pre-1988 version (no openings for gas controls).

As an inducement, I've put photos of an attractive female in my post. :)

So, please join me for another Adventure in Stoving, this time with the Trangia 27.

HJ
Adventures in Stoving

[al b]

The trangia pot supports (stainless steel ring and hooks = 70g) seem unnecessarily heavy: a pity they dont just rivet hooks to windshield.

[Hikin’ Jim]

Yeah, light weight didn't seem to be one of their chief design considerations.

Mine, an older version, is heavier still. The Swedes traditionally tend to make pretty hardy stuff.

Like I say, this is more of a "family hiking" or car camping type stove to me. It's a really nice picnic stove to have in the trunk when traveling and you want a hot drink or soup for lunch. For backpacking, I'll probably stick with my Caldera Cone which is just as efficient but a whole lot lighter.

HJ
Adventures in Stoving

[al b]

The UL (ultra-slightly-ligher?) trangias are meant to be lighter so why keep heavy pot supports for no reason.

Also, if you dont use the frypan, you could bring a foil flan case instead for use as a storm-cooker mode lid.

[Hikin’ Jim]

Calling a Trangia 27 "ultra light" is more marketing than fact. Don't get me wrong; I like the stove, but it's hardly ultralight — even with the new alloy they're using. I agree that there are additional things that they could do to reduce the weight of the stove. Whether or not they do them is another matter.

One could definitely save a lot of weight by leaving the fry pan/lid at home and just using a homemade foil lid instead. The fry pan is really solid which is good in terms of frying but not so good in terms of weight.

HJ
Adventures in Stoving

[al b]

actually the new frypan is half the weight whereas other parts only got about 25% lighter.

[Hikin’ Jim]

Half? Nice! Maybe I'll have to look into getting a new one. I'd kind of like to have one with the cut outs in the windscreen for a fuel hose and control knob. I'd like to use it with a liquid fueled stove like an XGK for snow melting at a base camp.

HJ
Adventures in Stoving

[al b]

Only the frypan is 50% lighter, the overall reduction for a trangia UL is just 25%.

The old frypan always seemed rather excessively solid

[Hikin’ Jim]

Yeah, that fry pan is a heavy sucker. Distributes heat well so you don't get hot spots, but there is a clear weight penalty.

HJ
Adventures in Stoving

[al b]

For the summer, a shorter lower base (burner nearer ground) would be lighter, and could be combined with a lighter aluminium burner:

with a foil lid and lighter pot supports (eg skewers) could maybe get a trangia for 200g more than what pots weigh: (packed unit would look less tidy but so what).

NB the UL lower windshield (officially) weighs 93g vs 128g for my old one.
The upper windshield weight changes little, presumably due to the unchanged stainless steel ring and hooks pot supports.
A pair of new UL pots would save 60g.

[Hikin’ Jim]

Good ideas, all. The thing about it though is that a full Trangia system just isn't an lightweight set up. I think it's almost better to look at something else if one wants some of the qualities of a Trangia system but wants something lighter. Have you seen the Clikstand?

The Clikstand is much lighter and more compact but has some of the same qualities as a Trangia system: handles wind well, very stable, and has the Trangia burner. The Clikstand isn't ultralight, but it's a nice compromise between a heavy, bulky full Trangia system and a little pop can stove where all you can do is boil water. I've fried up eggs on my Clikstand quite nicely.

HJ
Adventures in Stoving

[ben wood]

HJ
as a long time and fully devoted caldera cone user, my interest is peaked. This trangia set and the clikstand are 2 items that i haven't really looked at before. I like both of them very much. The trangia especially with all of its' components is a really solid cookset. I think the weight must be looked at from a "all encompassing" perspective. sure, to us at BPL its pretty heavy. but to the traditional backpacker, it's pretty light. considering the protection, 2 pots, pan, gripper, etc. I think its not a bad choice.

What I really like is a well thought out system that works together. A system that was designed together is going to optimize weight, space, efficiency, etc., just like a caldera cone. The one thing that has always bugged me about stoves from the big boys such as MSR is the component setup. Buy the stove, then the repair kit, then an extra pump, then a windscreen, then a pot set, then a pot gripper, then a heat exchanger, then a base for stability, the list goes on and on. All this money and fiddle factor, nonsense. just gimme something that works together the right way. IMO this is why stoves like the jetboil and of course, (kicking myself for selling it) SVEA123R have been such a hit, it goes together well and just works.

I did have one question for you as it seems you have really cooked with your trangia, how adjustable is the simmer ring? I mean can it really go really low? like soups and sauces low? or is it like super-high and kinda super-high?

[Hikin’ Jim]

Ben:

The Trangia burner can go about as low as any as I have seen. I can close the "door" on the simmer ring until there's only about a mm gap, and the flame will still keep on coming. The flame is barely there, but in the protected environment of the interior of the Trangia system, it doesn't blow out in my experience. Sauces and such? No problem.

It's kind of bulky and heavy by my standards, but for low key hikes, family hikes, picnics, etc, it's a pretty nice set up.

I've also seen Trangias used with a multifuel burner in severe far northern conditions (the famous KAP Arctic stove used a Trangia as its platform). They're very storm proof.

HJ
Adventures in Stoving

[al b]

"Have you seen the Clikstand?"

Yes, but I thought the trangia, in storm-proof mode would be more efficient, but it occurs to me, that if the clickstand windscreens's top edge stops just below pot edge (like on a real trangia), then an upside down foil-flan-dish lid could be used similarly to trap the hot gases just like a real 27 or caldera cone/clone.

I also wonder if an additional short lower windscreen at ground level (top just above start of upper windscreen) would increase the clikstand efficiency.

NB trangia have a very clikstand-like trangia triangle stand.

Boiling water stoves (Caldera cones etc) or OK for backpacking, but I suspect most cyclists and others who pass real shops everyday would want their lightweight( ish?) stove to be able to cook (i.e. simmer).

.

[Hikin’ Jim]

it occurs to me, that if the clickstand windscreens's top edge stops just below pot edge (like on a real trangia), then an upside down foil-flan-dish lid could be used similarly to trap the hot gases just like a real 27 or caldera cone/clone.

Hmm. That might work. Interesting idea.

I also wonder if an additional short lower windscreen at ground level (top just above start of upper windscreen) would increase the clikstand efficiency.

Also an interesting idea. Might be a good thing in high winds. Easy to make. Easy to transport inside the pot. A shorty windscreen would be very light. I migh have to try that.

NB trangia have a very clikstand-like trangia triangle stand.

I have not used the Trangia Triangle. I suspect that Trangia came up with it in response to things like the Westwind, the Clikstand, and other such items that make use of the tried and true Trangia burner. My impression (and it's just that, an impression) is that the Clikstand is the better product. The Clikstand has hooks on the body of the stand that support the windscreen. Your windscreen therefore doesn't have to be full height and is therefore more likely to fit within your pot. The hooks on a Clikstand also secure the windscreen so that it doesn't blow around in the wind. With a Trangia Triangle, you'll have to carry a taller windscreen which will be a) unsecured in the wind and b) may not fit inside your pot.

Boiling water stoves (Caldera cones etc) or OK for backpacking, but I suspect most cyclists and others who pass real shops everyday would want their lightweight( ish?) stove to be able to cook (i.e. simmer).

One of the beauties of the Clikstand is that since it uses a normal Trangia burner, it can simmer, so (with the right pot or pan) you can cook "real" food.

HJ
Adventures in Stoving

[Hikin’ Jim]

the UL lower windshield (officially) weighs 93g vs 128g for my old one

One thing perhaps worth mentioning is that there have been reports of the newer UL Trangias melting that I've seen posted on the internet. Apparently the UL components thinner material doesn't conduct the heat away well enough. I'll try to dig up some details if I can.

HJ
Adventures in Stoving

[al b]

Made the base; weighs 55g:

both windshields and pot supports (stakes) add up to 177g, which is quite good for a proper trangia.

[Hikin’ Jim]

Interesting! Do you have some shots of the interior? I'd like to see the set up with the stakes.

HJ
Adventures in Stoving

[Michael Reagan]

I have the Trangia 25 which, as the 27's big brother, is even larger and heavier. I would never take it backpacking, but for picnics or car camping trips with my wife, it's perfect! Ours has the two pots, a nice sized frypan, and even a kettle big enough for two. It's the only stove we use on such trips and it cooks all our meals easily.

It's nice to see at least one other person who seems to enjoy the Trangia setup as much as we do. Thanks for posting!

Michael

[Hikin’ Jim]

It really is a nice set, but yes, at least for me I can't imagine taking it on a serious backpack, particularly the larger model, No. 25. Picnics are a perfect application as is car camping. It can be run with a gas burner which is a nice convenience.

HJ
Adventures in Stoving

[Miles Spathelf]

I did some research into this when I read about it on spiritburner.com. The only real mention I've read about is a recommendation to not use the older more powerful multifuel burner for extended times at full blast in the smaller 27 series trangia…like if you had a group all melting snow or boiling water for a bunch of meals non-stop for quite a while in a 27 and cranking up the stove. The newer multifuel burner has been rumored to have a lower output setting and a different flame spreader.

I have not read ANYTHING that relates to using the trangia alcohol burner and melting the windscreen.

I could probably melt the windscreen on one of the older thicker trangias with one of the older optimus novas I have on full blast if I was not paying attention.

[Hikin’ Jim]

Miles:

I did a quick search, and I saw this on spiritburner.com:

I've read complaints in recent outdoor media about Trangia windshields melting & a poor response from Trangia when it happens. Alledgedly due to the thinner aluminium.
Outward Bound are one of the unhappy parties.

I don't know if that refers to use with an alcohol burner, gas, or multifuel.

HJ
Adventures in Stoving

[Miles Spathelf]

I've read that as well. I've contacted outward bound uk and am waiting a reply. I have found no mention of melting trangias in outdoor media and all of the links regarding the issue come back to spiritburner's post on the matter… I have not found anyone coming forward with a melted windscreen.

[Hikin’ Jim]

Interesting. Please let me know what you find out. I've asked the poster of the remark I quoted earlier if he remembers any details. I'll post an update if any is forthcoming.

HJ
Adventures in Stoving

[Miles Spathelf]

That would be great…I'd like to know how this happened as I boiled water for an hour or so tonight with a 27 and I could still handle the upper and lower windscreen without any problems….it is rather cold here in Anchorage though. I did have to remove the pot and refill the burner a few times but I could handle the cut out portion of the lower windscreen and it was only just warm. stove stands

Great blog btw!

edit: The bottom windscreen is certainly thicker than the material used for the caldera cone and I haven't heard about any of those melting.

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