Trangia Mini

Hawkeye5

Hawkeye5

Joined
Jan 6, 2006
Messages
2,563
O.K. I got a new Trangia mini and put 70% Isopropyl Alcohol.
It is 42 deg out side and misting rain.But the flames are not coming out of
all the little holes.Am I doing something wrong.This is my first alcohol
stove.
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Trangia's run best on ethanol and methanol. Isopropyl burns cool and dirty, leaving a lot of messy soot.

Generally, alcohol stoves don't want more than 10% water dilution. So, try yellow bottle HEET, it's just a bunch of methanol.
 
Alcohol stoves burn under low pressure so are affected more by wind. Try an aluminum foil windscreen around it.
 
methyl hydrate from the local paint store sold in 1quart bottles also works quite well in trangia stoves.
 
Good points, cooler temps as well, a touch more primer.

70% stuff is flat garbage, even the 90% stuff, sooty as all get out.

Some RC shops carry methanol as do some racing stores.

Depending on dimensions some cans can nest it pretty easily acting as wind break and pot holder. I'm not a foil fan.
 
I don't use my alcohol stove (not a Trangia) a lot, but I buy fondue fuel from the dollar store and it works just fine.

Doc
 
yo Hawkeye, go to Home depot, in the paint solvent aisle, and pick up a liter of METHYL HYDRATE (Marine Stove fuel). White bottle, pink/blue label. You will be VERY happy with the results
 
Yes, I got that 70 % stuff at the dollor store and it sooted up the bottom of my new pan.Guess I should have did a search before I bought that 70 % junk. So it's off to Home Depot and WalMart.Thank for all your help .
 
I use denatured alcohol with good enough results that I've never tried anything else, but I only occasionally use mine.
 
Also in the paint aisle at Home Depot, you can pick up Denatured Alcohol, which will work great, and is what I use for fuel most of the time.



One thing, though - the stand for the Trangia Mini pretty much sucks. Definitely use some foil or thin roof flashing to fashion a windscreen. When I first got the Mini, I burned through an entire burner full of fuel without reaching a full boil, because it was windy and I hadn't thought to make a windscreen.


Better than just a windscreen, a clikstand ( http://www.clikstand.com ) is a great stand that controls air flow very well, and will make your Trangia burner WAY WAY WAY more efficient in fuel use - boil times will decrease, and you won't waste nearly as much heat.


It can even be used as a wood stove in a pinch:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=698740

I have been pimping out the clikstand big time lately, trying to convince anyone who will listen that it's an awesome stove - I was almost ready to give up on the Trangia Mini after I got it as a Christmas gift last year - I tried some DIY stand / windscreen combos and thought most of them sucked. The clikstand is light, packs small, and is crazy stable. It rules :thumbup:

Here's some generic picture of the stove in use from the clikstand website:

nav_bottom4.jpg
 
Erasmus said:
Trangia's run best on ethanol and methanol. Isopropyl burns cool and dirty, leaving a lot of messy soot.

Generally, alcohol stoves don't want more than 10% water dilution. So, try yellow bottle HEET, it's just a bunch of methanol.
Click to expand...

Ditto.... I had the same experience when I built my first soda can alcohol stove. I thought the rubbing alcohol would work fine but it's just to watered down. Get some HEET and I'm sure it will work fine.:thumbup:
 
As others have said, for alcohol stoves you want denatured alcohol. Find it in the paint section of any hardware store. As you found, "rubbing alcohol" doesn't cut it.
 
Hawkeye5 said:
Yes, I got that 70 % stuff at the dollor store and it sooted up the bottom of my new pan.Guess I should have did a search before I bought that 70 % junk. So it's off to Home Depot and WalMart.Thank for all your help .
Click to expand...

I did the same as you, I've got a couple sooty pots.
 
Got some heet in the yellow bottle.Man it was just like you guys said.
Works great.Cooked some ramen noodles in no time.Water got boiling hot this time.Thanks for all the help everyone.
 
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Good thread. I was at the local REI today and picked up one of these little Vargo Titanium jobbies, and a quart of denatured alcohol. I've not used it yet, so I wonder if folks would recommend the Trangia over the Vargo models?

Also, is HEET the same as this denatured alcohol? Or do I need to make a run to Lowe's looking for it? If so, is it also in the paint thinner aisle?
 
Double_Tap said:
Good thread. I was at the local REI today and picked up one of these little Vargo Titanium jobbies, and a quart of denatured alcohol. I've not used it yet, so I wonder if folks would recommend the Trangia over the Vargo models?

Also, is HEET the same as this denatured alcohol? Or do I need to make a run to Lowe's looking for it? If so, is it also in the paint thinner aisle?
Click to expand...

No , you got what you need.the Heet , is methanol. I used it today in the trangia mini and it worked great.It will work great for you.
let us know it turns out.
 
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