Saturday, May 7, 2011

Swedish Army Trangia stove and messkit

This is the SWEDISH ARMY TRANGIA stove and messkit .
 

  it comes apart like this.



The BURNER and FLASK SHAPED FUEL BOTTLE pack inside with plenty room left for other things.


This is the BURNER it is fueled by ALCOHOL which does NOT give off NOXIOUS FUMES and is extinguished instantly by water.
 
 
 
It can be used in BOAT CABINS, VEHICLES, TENTS etc.as long as there is sufficient oxygen ( air ) intake. since the stove doesn't get excessively hot at the bottom it can be used on any heat resistant surface.

note the O ring SEAL in the screw on top. make sure it remains there when you remove the top.



 
     
         FILL THE BURNER BEFORE USE with ALCOHOL FUEL from the fuel FLASK.

( see attached ALCOHOL FUEL info but essentially the BEST ALCOHOL FUEL will say FUEL on the label )
if you light a partially filled burner it won't work correctly.


              do NOT FILL TO THE TOP. fill to BELOW THE burner HOLES.

if this is the first time you've loaded it or you haven't used it in awhile and the burner is empty it will soak up the first fuel and require additional fuel to complete . notice how the initial fuel level goes down a few seconds after loading.

This is the STOVE it acts as a windbreak as well as the stand to hold the messkit/pots.


NOTICE the wire frames folded inside the bottom of the stove.

 

          UNFOLD THEM BEFORE USE they act as STANDOFFS to support the messkit.


                                            the stove fits over the burner

. the STOVE can be used without the burner as a DEBRIS BURNER by building a small fire with sticks and debris and setting the stove over it. fresh DEBRIS fuel can be added through notch in the bottom front.




                                         the pot fits down inside the stove

                      
                    this is the MESSKIT 


 

it consists of the LARGE POT w/handle note the hook on the handle which allows use over a campfire.

the messkit also consists of the SMALL FRY PAN/DISH which also acts as the COVER for the large pot when stored.




note the FLIP UP eyelets on the handle. they are for the bayonet ( or STICK) to be inserted extending the handle for use over a campfire.

the FRYPAN will also fit ( right side up) in the top of the LARGE POT allowing use of both simultaneously with the pot serving as an OVEN.





OPERATION
Since there are NO MOVING PARTS the stove is very easy to use and durable.fill before EACH use light the burner. CAREFULL! at first the flame is nearly invisible at first. ESPECIALLY in bright sunlight. you can tell it's lit by passing your hand over it.

 first lit


warmed up



  full burn
  

NOTE: it takes a few MINUTES for the BURNER to WARM UP to full heat. you will see BLUE FLAME coming forcefully out of ALL the burner holes when in full operation.


        place STOVE over burner and messkit FIRMLY down inside stove in operation

it may be difficult to get up to temperature in extremely cold environment. this problem is overcome by CARRYING THE FUEL FLASK and/or BURNER IN YOUR POCKET. That is why the fuel bottle is FLASK shaped, to allow it to be carried close to the body comfortably. you can carry a fully fueled burner with the top sealed firmly.

to save fuel you can extinguish the stove by snapping on the lid AFTER you've removed the O-RING. only put top/O-ring on COOL burner or it will MELT.
 
let burner cool before re-fueling and storing!

ALCOHOL FUEL addendum

Denatured Alcohol
(ethanol with methanol (added as a denaturing agent), methyl ethyl ketone, acetone, water, and possibly other chemicals - aka methylated spirits, shellac thinner, marine stove fuel, liquid fondue fuel, chafing dish fuel)-

The BEST FUEL to use
 
Found in marine shops and in the paint department of most hardware stores. Many brands of this solvent are specifically marketed for use as marine stove fuel and/or chafing fuel.

Lab grade ethanol may have benzene or other chemicals mixed in with it and is very expensive.

Grain Alcohol (aka pure ethanol, pure grain alcohol, PGA, grain neutral spirits, GNS, rectified spirit, rectified alcohol, medical grade ethanol, ethyl anhydrous, moonshine) - FOUND in liquor stores is good fuel also because it has medicinal uses and can be consumed.

Everclear Grain Alcohol and Golden Grain alcohol from the David Sherman Corporation come in 95% (190 proof) bottles. This fuel works well but is an expensive option and may be illegal or difficult to purchase in many places. It is also non-toxic and can double for medicinal uses.
Grain alcohol can also be made at home in large quantities, though perhaps not legally in your area .

Pure ethanol (aka absolute alcohol or dehydrated alcohol) can also be purchased from chemical supply distributors and as medical grade ethyl alcohol for a very high price. Since production of alcohol greater than 95.4% requires a special dehydration process that includes benzene or glycerine, these fuels can be very toxic.

Methyl Alcohol (aka methanol, wood alcohol, methyl hydrate, liquid fondue fuel, camp stove fuel, gas line antifreeze) Found in some hardware store paint departments as paint thinner or at gas stations and general stores as gas-line antifreeze such as HEET brand ( Yellow is Methanol , Red is Isopropyl ). You may also be able to purchase this for around US$6 per gallon at race shops that sell it as race fuel. While this is the most economical way to purchase alcohol fuel The vaporization pressures of methanol are much higher than ethanol throughout the applicable temperature ranges and the jets in your stove might light up faster when using this fuel. This is also a very poisonous fuel and you should consider the health concerns of this fuel if you decide to use it long term (thru-hikers beware and others may want to avoid storing contaminated stoves in their cook pots or bowls)

Isopropyl Alcohol (Isopropanol, 2-Propanol, rubbing alcohol) Not recommended - Rubbing alcohol is generally only 70% alcohol and won't work in many stoves. Alcohol with 91% or greater alcohol content will work, but will leave a sooty residue on your pot and brown water in your stove.

RED HEET The heat potential for this fuel is high, but it doesn't generally burn completely (yellow flame and unburned soot) and is generally mixed with water that isn't burned and hinders fuel efficiency.

STERNO This fuel usually comes in a resealable can and may be the best choice for young and clumsy campers, since kicking it over is less likely to cause a significant fire hazard as would other liquid and gas stoves. Due to costs and limitations, it is not highly recommended for most long distance backpackers.

SAFE HEAT ( in blue can with wick) MIS-NAMED because it is the  LEAST SAFE  alcohol fuel. it is Diethylene Glycol (DEG, 3-oxa-1,5-pentanediol, diglycol, ethylene diglycol, or dihydroxy diethyl ether) Not recommended -
Diethylene glycol is used in many brands of chafing fuels and must use a wick to burn. It is considered nonflammable by the US Department of Transportation, can be air transported and is therefore much more economical to transport and store. These transportation and storage classifications make it ideal for the retail market and it's safe to assume that any chafing fuel can with a wick uses diethylene glycol until proven otherwise" This fuel is difficult to light and is extremely poisonous . It is in fact the deadly chemical implicated in the 1937 Elixir Sulfanilamide Incident that killed 107 and was the main motivation for hastening of the enactment of the 1938 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act . This fuel can be used but is not recommended for backpacking stove use due to its toxicity and nonflammable nature.