Lightweight Stoves Stove safety All stoves are potentially dangerous and need to be handled carefully. Read the manufacturer’s instructions. Never use in the tent. If it is raining cook from the tent or in the porch if the tent has one.
Trangia stoves The basic element in any backpacker’s kitchen is the stove. The most popular stove for beginners is the Trangia which uses methylated spirits (Meths). It is easy to use and works well in windy weather. Another big plus is the simplicity and reliability of the Trangia meths stove, having no moving parts and requiring no priming.
When you do this make sure there is adequate ventilation as all stoves give off poisonous carbon monoxide fumes. Also ensure that nothing flammable is near by as many light weight fabrics used in tents and other camping equipment melt easily.
About 1 litre of meths will do two people for a weekend if you are careful about what you cook. It’s not a hot fuel, roughly twice as much being needed for the same heat output as other fuels so it’s comparatively expensive to run and it can be slow in cold weather. The Trangia is available is several sizes and comes with two pots, a frying pan which acts as a lid and a built in wind shield. It is also available with gas fitting.
Refilling your stove Refilling a stove should always be done outside, taking care not to spill fuel and that there are no naked flames nearby. Meths burns with an almost invisible flame so do make sure that the Trangia burner has definitely extinguished and has cooled down before refilling. Afterwards, ensure that fuel bottle caps are screwed down tightly before you light the stove. Use a proper fuel bottle which has been clearly labelled.
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