Solid fuel burner?

[Dan_K]

Afternoon to you all.
I'm hatching a loose plan to do some overnight light touring and am trying to use a lot of the camping gear I already have to keep the cost down.
I've got a 3/4 length Thermarest mat, a lightweight sleeping bag (I might need a liner though).
I'll carry a fleece (possibly a pillow case) for a makeshift pillow.
Unfortunately, the cookers I have are mainly of the larger variety and don't really suit cycle touring.
When I was in the SAS (read: Army cadets at school) we used to use little square, solid fuel burners that hinge in the middle and you rest a pan on. I've seen them in Millets for £4.99 and I bet they're even cheaper online.
I'm tempted to pick one up to use on my travels rather than splashing out on a Trangia or equivalent.
They seemed to do the job back then with a mess tin on top.
Any reasons against the solid fuel burners?
It will be fuel type eating rather than gourmet, multi course meals - think boil in the bag or noodles and a cup of tea.
Any solid fuel horror stories?!

[Oscar's dad]

...  When I was in the SAS (read: Army cadets at school) ...

   Very funny! 

[YahudaMoon]

Hi Dan. I've decided to completely ditch all cooking equipment for touring, the only thing I'll be taking on my next trip will be a fork. Weight is everything !

[mrcharly-YHT]

I've not used those burners much, but have messed with a meths burner now and then. People in the know tell me that a meths burner sat on the solid fuel stand bit works better than the hexamine blocks.

A windshield is the really important bit. Cut up a single-use foil roasting tin and you have a windshield you can fold away.

[1gear]

I have one of those burners. They aren't bad. You can get the hexamine blocks pretty cheap online apparently, and you can get a bag of broken bits cheap.
I went for the Trangia Mini and its spot on. You will need to make a wind shield for it though because it does lack that but besides that its spot on. I use it when walking to do the boil in bag meals. Its not as fast as some, but its very light. You also don't have to worry about how much gas you have left and if you should take a spare cannister. However, they are more expensive then solid fuel stoves.
I still have my solid fuel stove in my shed. Its gone rust and out of shape but it lasted pretty well.

[clarion]

I used to use the solid fuel burners when bivvying.  They aren't very flexible, and I would go with the advice to use a meths burner.  But, by the time you've got that much, you may as well have a decent gas burner on top of a canister.

[Dan_K]

I hear what you're saying about the lightweight tour but i'm planning a 2 day effort on the South Downs Way on the cyclocross bike i'm about to order. 50 miles a day will be no rush so weight isn't really an issue.
I do enough rushing around on my road bike and want to take a leisurely approach for a change - I reckon a Gelert Solo tent plus the other bits I mentionned and a small stove, mess tin, mug and spork should be about right.
Great tip about the foil tray. I have vague memories of the SAS cadets and using my lock knife to dig a cooking trench to channel air like this:

\__IHEXI__/

See, you never lose the knowledge.
Other vague memories involve lots of shouting, shooting blanks at the undergrowth (bullets that is) and an incident where some "person" (insert vulgar alternative words) went to town on the toilet pan 5 minutes before the major's inspection.

[Oscar's dad]

If you're going down the meths route Google the White Box stove.  As is is made from alloy beer bottles is is very light and compact; mine fits inside a Ti kettle cum mug.  It works well too, my only criticism is you have to be careful where you sit it as it can topple over.  Some pictures ...




I confess I now carry a big feck-off Trangia as I'm not that bothered about weight and like them a lot ...




  

[Charlotte]

Any reasons against the solid fuel burners?

Yeah, they're fooking 'orrible.  They'll cover all your pans in soot and shite.  They'll stink out your kit and they don't even work very well.

As something of a stove nerd I reckon that the Trangia mini is a dead good off the shelf solution.  You might also want to consider a White Box stove or even a home made pop can stove.

My favourite meths cooker is my Tatonka stainless Trangia clone, teamed up with a Clikstand and a tall pot.  You can make half a litre of meths last well over a week if you don't drink too much tea...

[1gear]

If you're going down the meths route Google the White Box stove.  As is is made from alloy beer bottles is is very light and compact; mine fits inside a Ti kettle cum mug.  It works well too, my only criticism is you have to be careful where you sit it as it can topple over.  Some pictures ...

  

 

[Oscar's dad]

Gracious me, the cream of yacf comedy talent is to be found on this thread 

[Dan_K]

You can make half a litre of meths last well over a week if you don't drink too much...

Interesting.

So, a trangia mini or white box are the cleaner options then? I shall do some google pricing in a brave attempt to salvage what is left of the children's inheritance......

[Charlotte]

So, a trangia mini or white box are the cleaner options then?

By a country mile.  Bette than that, I actually quite like the smell of burning meths.  Although that might just be a Pavlovian reaction brought on by the association with a nice cup of tea...

[Oscar's dad]

If I was buying my kit again I would go with a Tatonka teamed up with a Clikstand if I wanted to be weight concious.  As it is, I'm more than happy with what I have.

[mrcharly-YHT]

Google 'lynx stove'.

A much stronger version of the coke-can meths stove.

I'm sure a young lad like yourself can lay his hands on a used lynx can.

[Chris N]

I fancy having a go at making my own, something like these:
Zen Alcohol Stoves - Basic TopBurner Alcohol Stove
Penny Ultralight Alcohol Backpacking Stove

[mrcharly-YHT]

Here is a good tutorial for the lynx stove

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=53533&highlight=lynx

[Kim]

I actually quite like the smell of burning meths.  Although that might just be a Pavlovian reaction brought on by the association with a nice cup of tea...

Being immune to that particular Pavlovian response, for me it's the smell.  I always have had a thing for solvents, though.  Diesel's my favourite.   

Of course, the taste isn't quite so good when you inevitably get it on your fingers.  There's a lot to be said for the magic dispensing lid on the Trangia fuel bottles for that reason.  Or running your stove on industrial methanol or surgical spirit or something...


Solid fuel seems far too much like faff for too little gain, unless you're talking wood burners, which have a useful niche...

[mrcharly-YHT]

I prefer the smell of diesel to meths.

Speaking of solid fuel, did you know that the germans (wwii vintage) had a ramjet-powered aircraft running on brown coal? Steampunk!

[clarion]

I don't like my tea smelling & tasting of meths.  But perhaps I'm picky.

[andrewc]

Trangia now do the Trangia Triangle, which is so close in design to the Clikstand I think they must have licenced it.  I bought one the other week, though have yet to use it in anger.   Doesn't have the mounting points for the Clikstands optional windshield, but that's easily bodged.   

[Dan_K]

I like the idea of a Tatonka with a Clikstand.
Ok, here comes some ignorance:
 
So, I can literally buy them both, set them up, buy some meths from anywhere i.e even B&Q. Pour some in, set light to the little beauty and cook up a storm with whatever cooking pans I have to hand (obviously dependent on size etc)?
 
I don't need any other accessories or special fuel or anything?
 
How easy do they light?
What's the best (lightweight) thing to light them with where I will retain my fingers?
 
Are these the lightest, easiest, cheapest option? I'm not gonna lie, i'm pretty damn lazy and if there's something easier for slightly more, i'll take the price hit.
 
P.s Appreciate the DIY stove ideas but DIY is not my thing. I won't bore you with the story of how I fitted an induction kit to an early car, aided by my mother's electric carving knife......
Cue my mother's comment at the family roast on the following Sunday, "What's this black plastic stuff melted onto the blades?"

[Oscar's dad]

I like the idea of a Tatonka with a Clikstand.
Ok, here comes some ignorance:
 
So, I can literally buy them both, set them up, buy some meths from anywhere i.e even B&Q. Pour some in, set light to the little beauty and cook up a storm with whatever cooking pans I have to hand (obviously dependent on size etc)?
 
I don't need any other accessories or special fuel or anything?
 

You've got it 

Ordinary matches work fine.  In bright sunlight you sometimes can't see the flame just after you've lit at as the meths burners I have used take a minute or so to get going.  I normally light the burner, blow the match out and then shove it back in.  If the match re-ignites I'm good to go.  

It takes a little while to get the hang of most camping stoves I have used (admittedly not many) so some practice in the garden is a good idea.  

[1gear]

I use a normal lighter to get my Trangia going. It can be a bit or a farse sometimes, I might invest in a longer lighter at one stage

[Kim]

One of those sparky flint & steel thingers is the absolute win for lighting Trangias.  You don't think it should work, but I've found it to be consistently easier (and much less finger-burny) than even a lighter.  At least in sensible temperatures, I haven't tried it in freeze-your-bits-off weather.