You may remember that I like old camping gear. Well, today I decided to use my Swedish army surplus alcohol stove (Trangia); like this one.
Normally I use a Svea 123. The gods know I have enough of them around here! (Not to mention the other ones that use the same burner, and the similar kerosene-burners.) This was the first time I actually cooked on the Trangia. I boiled a couple of hot dogs in its billycan. First, the fumes from the denatured alcohol were pretty strong. (Yes, I know you’re supposed to use it outside. Don’t tase me, bro!) I used much more water than I really needed to. I covered it with its cover. The water came to a boil surprisingly fast. But it sure burned the fuel. I’ve never run out of fuel in a Svea 123. The Trangia burned all of the alcohol, which I’d ‘topped off’ and went out. The Trangia is heavy, and I’d have to carry more fuel to boot compared to the Svea.
But it’s a fun, funky bit of classic gear; and it works. I wouldn’t want to cook a stew from scratch with it, but it will certainly burn long enough for heating pre-made foods.