It's a bit of a paradox that a techno-lovin' gadget geek would forgo the bling controllability of a fancy gas cooker, and go for a tin pipe with some holes in it and a volatile liquid on fire, to cook on whilst on the hills.... well hey ho, this isn't about me or my love of fire, it's about the Trangia!
Or more specifically - the Trangia triangle that Ray got me in exchange for making him a frame bag (the original offer was for some alcohol, but his reply of "More useful than some cider I think. Good idea" meant the triangle held favour!)
Or more specifically - the Trangia triangle that Ray got me in exchange for making him a frame bag (the original offer was for some alcohol, but his reply of "More useful than some cider I think. Good idea" meant the triangle held favour!)
Those who've read my previous blogs about bivi trips would have noted that it often looks like my Ti mug is perched upon a tin can on fire. You'd be right.
This is basically the set up I've been using so far...
This is basically the set up I've been using so far...
It's not very good. It's not really stable enough, the flames run up the side of the mug rather than heat the bottom, and you can't use the 'simmer ring' of the burner.
I'd played about with making a better set up with some 2mm aluminium, but even that wasn't adequate - it got very 'bendy' when up to heat!
Seeing the Trangia Triangle on offer in Millets (30% off) was enough to convince me to convince Ray to get it...
Like all things Trangia, the contents of the pack are very basic:
I'd played about with making a better set up with some 2mm aluminium, but even that wasn't adequate - it got very 'bendy' when up to heat!
Seeing the Trangia Triangle on offer in Millets (30% off) was enough to convince me to convince Ray to get it...
Like all things Trangia, the contents of the pack are very basic:
The three identical side pieces are really lightweight, and 'pop' together nicely...
Then the steel ring slides in, and the burner sits neatly in that...
And then the Ti mug sits nicely on the......Oh balls - it doesn't...
Fear not... A bit of 'bended skewer' later and we're up and running again! (I actually knew it wouldn't fit before getting it, so had planned to do this!). I'll neaten up the skewer support later - I was too keen to get going today!
The "head to head"
So for the boil comparisons I tried to make things as equal as possible:
The triangle held the mug at the 'perfect' height above the flame so that minimal heat was lost up the sides of the mug.
Also, it just looks so much cooler than a crappy bean can with holes drilled in it. Which all counts.
Whilst Dad sits there timing water boil, the rest of the family enjoy roasted Charmallows..
- 300ml of cold water
- Ti mug at 'water temp' each time
- Same location (secret bivi spot somewhere in the back garden, near the play house...)7
The triangle held the mug at the 'perfect' height above the flame so that minimal heat was lost up the sides of the mug.
Also, it just looks so much cooler than a crappy bean can with holes drilled in it. Which all counts.
Whilst Dad sits there timing water boil, the rest of the family enjoy roasted Charmallows..
And the verdict...
So, you can see the triangle is a MUCH better burner/pan support; faster and more stable. It's a shame it cost about £15-20, but hey ho, that's what it cost...
- Triangle - 4min 43 sec
- Bean tin - 9 min 21, and to be honest I got bored before it was a full rolling boil!
So, you can see the triangle is a MUCH better burner/pan support; faster and more stable. It's a shame it cost about £15-20, but hey ho, that's what it cost...