Hi, Although this wasn't a test as such, I believe... however, what stove provided the best experience?
Trangia alcohol stoves are mindless,,, light them and move on,,, nothing to go wrong them. Carry an extra burner and leap frog them for endless cooking. Self pressurizing gas stoves are only a step more complicated than the Trangia. There is that wonderful roar, and a delightful freedom associated with self-pressurizing stoves,,, a few drops of alcohol, a match, and it tends to its own affairs. Kerosene stoves fall between these and the Coleman sort. Alcohol to start them up, they roar, AND they must be pumped! I have to be fair to my lifelong and nostalgic familiarity with Coleman, KampKook, et al,,, the hand pressurized stoves,,, hand pumping adds a dimension I’ve come to enjoy, though it can become tedious at times, and there are so many things to go wrong. To answer your question... A Trangia mini 28-t lives in my Jeep, it’s fool proof, (or Haggis proof as it were), no matter what stove I fetch out to carry along, the wee Trangia will be watching over its shoulder. Behind the Trangia, of those I’ve carried these last 20 days, has to be the Primus 96. It lights like the Trangia, and pumps like a Coleman. “Simplify, simplify,,,” is the advice, and generally a good idea, but maybe frittering with an old brass kerosene stove is not so bad...
Yes, winter has come here to NC as well. It was only 80 today. Keep those stoves burning and lake pics a’comin. Brad
Yes, winter here. I have put on a flannel shirt and we close the windows at night. We have not yet fired up the wood stove.
Oct. 11,,, Section Fourteen Lake, near Makinen Lunch: “Toad in a Hole”, and tea KampKook Model 11 stove, sheet steel skillet, aluminum boiler Kampkook, a Model 11, made in Albert Lea, MN., about the mid 1950’s I would guess. I bought it from an older white haired woman, she was downsizing to an apartment, and needed to sell most of the house full of treasures she’d guarded in life. The stove had been her father’s, and she could not remember him not having it. The old stove had cooked all their meals when camping,,, but now it was a $3 bargain at a yard sale. I have another of this model stove, in much better condition, but it has no story, so the one from the white haired woman is my treasure now. Day 21
Marvellous to see all the stoves in action! I am, like many, a huge stormkok or Trangia+Meta-50 +clones fan, so pulling for that as a favourite stove experience, as one can hear what is going on around you in the bush! Enjoy!
Oct. 12,,, Bass Lake, south of Bawabik, Lunch: Chicken noodle soup, crackers, brownies with seasonally festive orange icing, and black tea Coleman 425, early version with the brown tank, Trangia billy pot, 1l kettle for tea This $5 yard sale find included paperwork and a cool old funnel. Herself and Daughter #4 were along today... Day 22
Hi @Haggis Is this similar to your filter funnel? Coghlan's and Coleman filter funnels. Best Regards, Kerophile.
@kerophile Yes it is similar. The funnel with my stove has a filter pad in it, but there are no markings on it at all. I see funnels like it in line, but they seem to be labeled,,, this one isn’t.
Oct. 13,,, Coe Lake, near Makinen Lunch: hot toasted baguette, goat cheese, and black tea Taykit Pocket Stove, Olicamp Spacesaver Mug, Trangia mini 28 skillet Day 23 I have to say that today’s stove experience was trying at best. I’ve used this stove in summer, and it does a fine job with small things, but today’s weather being windy, rainy/snowing, and the temperature being not much above freezing,,, it was a tea effort to keep the stove lit. Douse with alcohol, get it going, burn 5 minutes or less, repeat ad nauseam. Definitely a summer stove in Northeastern Minnesota.
@Ed Winskill ,,, Of the stoves I’ve used these passed 3 weeks, this has to be the most disappointing. It is fine, in my shop, in summer,,, but out in the real world weather, not so much. Certainly there are lighter, easier, and far more all weather dependable stoves. Still, the old stove got a shot...
Definitely worth a shot. The message would be it's worth a try at a drive-in spot, not back in the mountains! My brother John owns a couple of Taykits, both unfired, both with their original boxes; one especially perfect. I've told him they have some value these days.
@snwcmpr I hadn’t noticed before, but you are correct,,, I haven’t put the stove back on its shelf yet... I’ll fetch it back outside tomorrow and set the windscreen lower,,, see if that helps it.
@Haggis You are inspiring me to drag out stoves that I have not fired up for a long time. I used my Taykit in winter weather back in the late 70's. It worked fine then, and of the two stoves I had back then (also had an 8R) I considered the Taykit the more dependable. However the stove might not have aged well, and it would not be easy to fix if the wick had deteriorated. But I agree, the windshield placement might be a contributing factor.