Swedish Issue Trangia

[nolightweight]

Halo all.

Got a feeling I might get me head shot off on this one but I'm gonna do it anyway.

For the last couple of weekends out I’ve been using the old faithful issue hexi burner for making brews and cooking food.

I’ve used hexi from various sources; the Webtex ‘Light my Fire’ variety, the Highlander labelled fuel and the MOD issue stuff.

Don’t get me wrong; I’ve not gone hungry or brewless but the old burner soon starts to get battered and distorted. It’s a practical bit of kit and ultimately cheap to manufacture and easily replaceable, both as a piece of Service issue gear and as a commonly used cooking unit.

I bought one of the Swedish Army Trangias a long while ago but didn’t get round to having a really good practice with it. I’ve had a few brews and various eats but I will admit that I’ve been put off by the long boil times etc, and the weight of the unit; but today I decided to give the old bugger a proper try.

AT THIS POINT:
To the mods: If this is of no use, been done before and just going over dead old ground; please delete or remove thread if appropriate. Happy with that; and won’t throw the toys out.

Test as follows:
Kit used was a standard Swedish Army Trangia. I’ve got the green painted aluminium type. I had poked the holes through on the burner with a needle a few days ago. All the pieces used are standard and unmodified. I made a simple, close fitting aluminium lid for this a while ago to make using the pot suspended over a fire easier; but as this wouldn’t come with the kit as bought I left it out. The lid used was the small pan supplied upside down; which is a snug, but not tight fit.

Fuel is the Decorators Meths from my local Wilkinson. Water was at outside temperature and measured as 0.5 ltr/500ml.

Ignition was from a Turboflame lighter.

Test conducted outside but sheltered.

Rather than fill the burner; I opted to try less is more and only filled the unit to just above the small gaps that allow the fuel to get to the wicking material. With a little trial and error this was eventually measured at 40ml. As a field measurement; this would be approx 6mm off the bottom. NB this is a ‘settled’ measurement after the wicking material has soaked. Measured as a straight pour this is approx 15 but no more than 20mm off the bottom and allowed to settle.

Ignition from the lighter and the stopwatch started I noted the following timings. As I was on my own there will be slight miss timing as I’m not a bloomin’ Octopus.

· Ignition to ‘prime’; as in all burner holes giving flame
· Prime to good solid boil
· Prime to loss of prime
· Ignition to burnout

By the accurate measure of 40ml of fuel; the timings were as follows:
· 1m 30s
· 8m
· 16m 30s
· 18m 40s

By judged measure only:

First attempt:
· 3m
· 9m
· 22m
· 24m
Second attempt:
· 2m
· 8m
· 16m
· 18m

Conclusions
1) I’ve got WAY too much time on my hands
2) With this method, and using this kit; I believe I can consistently get boil times of between 10 and 13 minutes.
3) IMHO it’s a more efficient use of fuel
4) Sooting of the pan was minimal
5) As a complete unit; it’s bomb proof. In addition I can use the kit suspended over a fire and on a fire grill
6) Maybe there’s life in this old bit of kit yet

At the end of the day this wasn’t a field test. That’s where it’ll either prove its mustard or be found wanting. I have a feeling, and I have been looking at other cooking set ups with interest; that this’ll do for me. Not the lightest, definitely not the latest bit of kit; but I’m going to crack on with it as a personal choice. I’m just bloomin’ stubborn sometimes.

Cheers all. Ta for reading.