@Marc, @presscall, @snwcmpr We're not the only fans. I must admit the guy in the video does give some excellent advice.
Not particularly off the back of the video as I'd always intended trying hexamine. Breakfast beckons, and it isn't raining I thought I would give it a go. Despite my earlier comments about the supplied mini dish, and the thoughts in the video regarding fire starting bottom up with meths in the dish, I went for using it in the stove in standard configuration. With a huge nod to @redspeedster decided to cook the bacon and heat water. Conclusions. One hexi tablet unable to get one pint of tap water to boiling point in relatively benign conditions. No lid on pot. Video suggests inverting the grate to raise the tablet. Next try. The 'dish' was used for the tablet, which eventually became a pool of burning liquid, seems to work that way. Will need to raise the height of the dish as suggested. Next is to use the meths burner from the Aldi Trangia clone, I know they're not very good, but will try raising the height again. This could be a good reason to obtain one of Gary's excellent products which I've yet to try. The other effort will be to charge the stove as in the video. I now have wood as shown there, and will see how that burns. It has shown that just small amounts of highly combustible stuff will do just that...
I need some hot water this morning as you do. I now have a bag of logs and have cut some to what I believe should be a suitable size for the stove. From the video I noted that the stove was virtually filled with sticks vertical so have done the same this time. Fire started with a small amount of meths and it takes about 5 mins to get established and gassification. It's a bit breezy and it struggles, these do need benign conditions, and a wind shield would certainly help. It burned for approx 30 mins with the original fuel. Sooting is inevitable as on all naturally aspirated wood fires, and a cold pot of water sat above the flames probably doesn't help. I also hate SS frying pans, especially the one with the old.cookset. I really must get a small alu one, possibly non stick, although I understand the combination has potentially lethal health consequences according to some reports. Suggestions welcomed.
And finally with a Lidl Trangia clone burner. These burners aren't really held in high regard, and there are a few old threads that discuss them. As I have no experience with actual Trangia burners, I understand this is how they would actually work. Flame is very yellow and sooting the pot. Compared to the 'Simon' stove it's quite a bit dirtier. I grabbed a small drill and checked the hole sizes and both are very much the same. Possibly another case of the pot being too far away from the burner, will have to check what it is in the original Lidl set.
I am following this thread with interest! I have an old post on a test of one of the TLUD:s maufactured in India, Serval. In that post I allude to future tests with melting lead.... The Serval TLUD never managed to sustain temperatures high enough to melt lead in my garden... I have a Philips forced air pellets stove that does..... I have to post pictures of that or it is all in my mind....... /Lars
@bem1965 I’m glad you tagged in that link to your report on the Serval, which I missed reading first time round. Very good insight into a type I’ve not seen. The Phillips forced-air stove is something I’d like to see you feature. John
I missed it as well it seems @presscall. Although could have just skimmed over as a lead smelting experiment. @bem1965 glad you have found the thread interesting, it's certainly given me a lot of fun burning wood and other flammable substances. Now.knowing the capability of the stoves I now have a decision to make regarding an upcoming cycle tour. Tour avtually glorifies what is an over night trip with an evening in the pub, but the stove featured would certainly do for cooking whatever fuel I decided to use. And as been alluded to you can always just sit around it late at night and watch the flames. Think I've convinced myself there.... Probably better than Hexy Telly.
@presscall and @Simes The Serval is a nice stove for its purpose, the same goes for the Phillips forced air stove. I did a check and I will have to pull it out of storage since I missed taking photos. I remember I melted a bunch of tin and I showed the kids how to make tin soldiers, with all the molten metal I must have prioritized unburnt kids before photos. /Lars
With even slight breezes affecting the stove I've been hunting windscreen options, and this popped up. https://jwbasecamp.com/Articles/KiteScreen/index.html I think I have seen them called 'Lawn screens'. Does anyone know suppliers of Tyvek in the UK, especially the type discussed. I can obtain the building lining stuff, but not the thin sheet.
@Simes - do you mean the softer "graphics" grade used by museums, art galleries and packers for that market? It's lighter weight and smoother than the grade used in construction. If so a good source in the UK that offers many varieties of roll length or even sheets is: www.preservationequipment.com/Catalogue/Conservation-Materials/ShippingPacking/Tyvek-Rolls-1443R
Ooooh, thanks @Macaroon, not sure that supplier has surfaced in my searches. I've been looking for that stuff for groundsheet as well. Good man. Prices for Tyvek camping groundsheets are grossly inflated as you're probably aware. Other lightweight options I've used have been the silver emergency blanket, available in poundland in packs of 2. Noisy and tear easily. Other option I'm going to try this season is the secondary glazing sheet, the stuff you tape of the windows and shrink with a hair dryer.
No problem, hope it's tough enough for what you have in mind as my only experience in this field is sourcing it for wrapping of fragile items or for displays where a waterproof but printable surface is needed. Doubtless they'll send you a small A4 sample FOC to check. As for pricing, indeed Tyvek is massively overpriced IMO but DuPont Tyvek is a brand with very little competition and when it is specified by a museum or art gallery nothing else will do!
Lots of folks use the construction grade for ground sheets. It becomes a lot softer and more pliable after a couple trips through the washing machine. ....Arch
Tyvek. I got scraps from a construction site. The large pieces that I got were too small for them to use.
@ArchMc, was that the Supro grade? http://www.dupont.co.uk/products-an...cts/tyvek-supro-water-resistant-membrane.html Have a fair amount from a builder and it's quite bulky. Could even be used as a sleeping mat I expect in certain circumstances.
Simes, here is a fabric windscreen I made that utilizes 40 denier ripstop nylon. The support rods are aluminum arrow shafts with field points for tips and epdm caps on top. It works very well. I made another using titanium wire uprights for even less weight. There is the obligatory flame shot, albeit a rather blurry one.
@Simes I use the stuff called "Home Wrap". I had to look up Supro; apparently it's made to underlay roofing materials. I assume it's heavier and stiffer than Home Wrap. You could try running a piece through the washer a few times, crumpling it between washes. Even the Home Wrap is impossibly stiff and bulky for backpacking until you do this. It softens with use, also. I have some that have been on several trips, and are ... well, not as supple as a bed sheet, but getting there. ....Arch
Cheers guys, some options to consider, I like the idea of a mini windbreak rather than an aluminium folding one, which I already have. Some old bike spokes may work as could recovered tent poles. Material isn't especially critical but the rip stop would.prove a little more.durable.
