Emberlit + Trangia = Meh?

[pinnah]

"All things are permissible. Not all things are beneficial."

St. Paul was a tent maker by trade, so perhaps it was from his experience in fabrication that he learned just because you can do something doesn't mean that its a great idea.

This Flickr photo set documents a stove modification that combines an Emberlit stove with a Trangia burner resulting in a significant drop in burn time. But in the end, I'm not sure it's worth the hassle.

Here are the times for boiling 2 cups of water in the same conditions:
5:30 - Svea 123 (2:00 prime + 3:30 burn to boil)
5:30 - Trangia (Supercharged Mini pot holder and foil screen)
6:30 - Emberlit with wood
7:45 - Trangia flat on bottom of Emberlit and no windscreen
5:00 - Trangia in Emberlit with custom base and windscreen

There are two things to point out about these times. The first is that just shoving a Trangia burner into an Emberlit produces horrible times. Really horrible.

Second, this modification produces a noticeable improvement over both my Svea 123 (including the priming time) and my "Supercharged" Trangia Mini.

But in the end, it's too fiddly to deal with and I end up preferring to use Trangia Mini on it's own.

In any event, here are the details in case you're interested. I tried to address this by taking some cues from the Clickstand and addressing 2 issues: the distance from the burner to the pot and the loss of heat to the wind.


Emberlit with Trangia & Windscreen by Pinnah, on Flickr


There are 2 "things" needed for this: a base to raise the Trangia burner closer to the pot and something to hold a windscreen at the right height.

Stove Base by Pinnah, on Flickr

When these are combined (more details in the Flickr photo set), they produce a drop in boil time of 30 seconds compared to the (Supercharged) Trangia Mini + Windscreen combo; from 5:30 to 5:00. But in use, it's just way too much hassle for me to deal with.

First of all, assembling everything is just too much hassle. Setting up the Supercharged Mini is just plain out easier.

Supercharged Trangia Mini Base by Pinnah, on Flickr

Second, with the Trangia inside of the Emberlit, it is a pain in the neck to light the Trangia and worse, to get the snuff/simmer ring on the burner to put it out. You're just as likely to drop the simmer ring all the way to the bottom of the Emberlit.


Trangia in Emberlit by Pinnah, on Flickr

Third, if I'm going to carry the Trangia burner it's just as easy to carry the Supercharged Mini base than all of the "fiddly bits" involved in getting the Trangia to work in the Emberlit.

Nested Ring for Packing by Pinnah, on Flickr

Of course, you could just shove the Trangia into the Emberlit but the burn time is so horrible and worse in wind. So, I just end up carrying both the Emberlit and the full Supercharged Mini kit.

Hope this helps somebody out there.

 

[Codger_64]

Want to turn the Emberlit into a blowtorch with highest temps and lowest boil time with the least fiddling? Change to a higher btu fuel. You may have seen the picture in another thread of my Emberlit with a BEMCO oven on top of it. I used hickory wood and overdid it at first. I nearly melted the oven when it reached over 700f internal temp. I let it cool down, moderated the fuel load and baked cornbread, a potatoe and an ear of corn and a steak at 450f. I have hickory trees in my yard and local woods, but also bought a bag of hickory bbq grille chunks and chips at Wal-Mart. many woods burn cooler and quicker than hickory or even oak.

 

[pinnah]

Codger, yes, I've read your posts with great interest.

The issue wasn't so much as getting more heat out of the Emberlit, it was more along the lines of getting *any* heat out of it on days when there is a soaking rain!! Hence the idea of using the Trangia as a back up.

 

[Codger_64]

That certainly makes sense. But considering the miserly use of fuel of the wood burning mode, one might carry a few chunks of dry dense wood for fuel or, as I have done, use an accelerant like the fire starter sticks to prompt damp twigs to burn, drying progressively larger fuel. I messed with a variety of home built alcohol burners for some years. Likely still have them in my storage room. But have had no problem getting a hot fire in the emberlit even after days of rain and camped on a damp gravel bar where morning dew is like a light rain. Still, playing and experimenting is fun.

 

[pinnah]

Hrmmm....

Codger, you're forcing me to think in new ways. I don't balk at carrying fuel for the gas and alcohol stoves but balk on the wood stove? That's not consistent, is it?

I need to follow my own advice and make tea (nearly) daily on the Emberlt.

It's definitely different than starting a fire on the ground. Still figuring out the best "lay" (stuff and cram pattern).

Still. We've had rain most of the day today. And the thought of going outside right now, and digging out wet wood and working it up to a full flame... Oy. Practice practice, I guess

 

[Codger_64]

Pick up a pack of Coghlans or Colmans fire starter sticks from Wallyworld or wherever and give them a try. Two sticks will start the wetest wood, IMHO. And a 1/2 pack fits nicely in my Emberlit pouch with a 3M scrub pad. Jut know that the sawdust/parafin starters are sooty. COmes right off but still. And a rainy day fuel load at home makes and excellent time to putter and play without bad consequences for failure.

As to the lay, just gather what you can from dryest sources. Several handsful of toothpick to thumb size around. Start small and keep dropping bigger and bigger thru the open top, then as a wee bit of coal and ash builds, poke fatter sticks in through the door. You'll know when you've got a good fire going. A final handful thru the top thep put the pan of bacon on. Or water for tea. Poke the sticks in from the door and keep the door opening full. If it seems to die down, rotate the protruding sticks to stir the coals. It really doesn't take much to get the hang of it. And if everything is tee-totally soaked, you can boil water with just two firestarter sticks if need be.