I have collected a few items over the years and wondered how to age them. The Trangia website has an excellent pictorial history of the spirit burners and someone cleverer than me should download to this site ( if they are not already there). The stoves haven't changed very much but I contacted Trangia and they gave me the following dates. 1951. Introduced the 25. 1957. Introduced the 27 1988. Introduced the gas burner. 1988. Redesigned the wind shield to accommodate the gas burner. Also redesigned the wind shield so top and bottom could be locked together. I asked about the Swedish military M40 and the Ranger but was disappointed to hear that they didn't make these and only supplied army with burners. So now I need to find out from you guys who made the military stoves.? Also who supplied Swedish military prior to 1951. Thanks in advance
The M40 stainless steel cook set was introduced in 1940 to conserve stocks of aluminium. The aluminium M44 was introduced in, you guessed it, 1944 when it was realised that sufficient aluminium was available. As you have discovered, Trangia didn’t make either the cook sets or the windshields. i have a very comprehensive email from a lovely guy called Mark Wade, he was Sharkey on here but I don’t think he’s posted in the two years I’ve been here. I’ll try and dig out his email and post some of it here.
Bit more here and an awful lot of mess tins here: There are a LOT more than M40/44 here but you might find it interesting. The Joy of Field Rations: A Mess Tin Primer: Part I The Joy of Field Rations: A Mess Tin Primer, Part II The Joy of Field Rations: A Mess Tin Primer, Part III Not many folk know about the M1888 I’ll let others tell you about the various Ranger series. I’m a simple soul who just enjoys using his “Swedish Army Trangia.” (Pattree grabs his steel helmet and dives for cover )
Thanks again, an informative read.I now know I have an M44. Must go and use it. Make a kuksa of coffee.
Enjoy. A word of advice . Don’t store a full burner of alcohol inside your plastic kuksa for any length of time. It can taint your coffee for a long time. I always burn the burner empty and cold before storing inside the cup. i didn’t quite say that . It is my close second favourite stove. I use it when I’m camping on a site that doesn’t allow me to use my Kelly Kettle or in conditions where I can’t - like among dry bracken or close to a standing crop. However, for me, it is the most bombproof, best designed and most effective solo spirit stove out there. From time to time I use the M40 cookset on my Kelly Hobo. It’s a great piece of kit for an open fire too. If ever you run out of fuel, turn the windshield upside down and light a fire under it. It makes for some determined washing up but you’ll get a coffee.
I like my Kelly as well! As you say it is horses for courses. Good tip about the windshield, I even wondered if you could get a small fire going in the heat shield upright but never tried it. I am interested in making my M44 " multi fuel" so I have got a stainless steel dish to use solid fuel and have put a new hose on a "little titch" and will cut a slot in the heat shield for the gas hose.
Now you are getting far too sophisticated for me If ever you do light a fire under the wind shield you should know that it will burn all the paint off it and soften the aluminium. If you got a really hot wood fire under there it could distort. A stick fire is fine. That is why Kelly Kettles are now all supplied with steel fire bases since the Hobo arrived. edited to add: I love using battered old kit. As long as the inside is clean then a few dings and soot stains don’t worry me at all.
Your M40 in Stainless steel would stand up better to that treatment probably. PS still haven't found out who made the M40/44's
The stainless steel ones were at one time manufactured at "Eskilstuna Stålpressnings AB" But there could be other contracted manufacturers too. The windscreen is a later addition If I'm not mistaken. This excellent thread has some info on these stoves along with some others: Liquid fuelled stoves of the Swedish Armed Forces If you feel up for it, a radius 46 burner fits well inside the windshield with some modification. https://classiccampstoves.com/threads/swedish-m40-b.29020/
Thanks for the info. Your links provide such comprehensive and informative information. My brain is on overload at the moment. I think I might try your suggestion. this would certainly meet my " multi fuel" idea for the M40.
I'd like to echo @Pattree wrt being careful with wood fires in the aluminum windshield/stand. . A wood fire is much hotter than the alcohol stove. The aluminum pot and cover of course are fine with a wood fire as long as there is water or food in them. Just improvise a stand or set the pot directly on a few coals.
Thanks for the heads up both. I have always thought the windshield was steel! Just been out to the shed with a magnet and I'm so wrong it's not. Many thanks
I bought spare Trangia yellow bags to keep my burner in as even when empty it can taint your kuksa. I have a very soft spot for anything Trangia.
I didn’t mean to give the impression that this be a routine practice but when a fuel shortage comes between me and my coffee then needs must. My windshield has survived quite a few twig fires but the alcohol burner is the right tool. (You can buy a replacement windshield for about £7 on eBay)
Thanks -You live and learn! Given I bought it unused and the pots are aluminium I will err on the safe side and assume the heat shield is also ali.
@magpiestovie re your: The Trangia website has an excellent pictorial history of the spirit burners Thank you. Not sure i've seen that (dedicated to spirit burners. i may have?). Can you post link? please TY re your: "who made the [Swede] military stoves.? i point toward info on those makers; not just this ^^^ quote, check that whole thread, its a big un some related CCS search tags : snuskburken, M40AL, M40RFR aka M/40 AL and M/40 RFR (stainless) [fyi a "M40RFR" search doesn't get to M/40 RFR -------- as mentioned Trangia was one of the makers for Swede military alcohol burners. Here is a quote that provides origin for those burners with SVEA maker mark ^^^ that detail was not easy to figure out (for this damn yankee anyway) that may be all i got for this, good luck, gotta run
The reproduction versions of the Swedish mess kit that are currently being sold do have stainless-steel stand/windscreen. That should take whatever heat you throw at it.
As I've just posted on my 'surplus' thread in the lounge, my recently acquired "Ranger" stove is stamped Svea on the burner and Optimus on one of the pans. The rest just have the three crowns.
