Trangia Triangle

[Udders]

I bought a cheap copy of one of these many years ago and it was ok, but not great. It was a complete arse to get it to stay together while assembling but once made it was ok.
I bought the real thing the other day and it’s a LOT easier to assemble and absolutely solid once together. You can literally shake it about one handed and it doesn’t budge.
So, I put my freshly polished spirit burner in and all was great until I put my favourite metal boiling pot on top.
It just wasn’t quite wide enough to sit on the 3 elevated mounts that is designed for pans and a kettle to sit on. It needs to sit up on those to give the burner room to work correctly.

I have the Trangia 27 cook set and everything in that sits perfectly on it but I don’t always take that when out on my peddly bike so I had to come up with a solution. So I did.
I got some steel tent pegs, put them in a vice and bent them into an elongated shape. I then cut the ends off and filed them smooth. These would sit across the top of the triangle and let my cook pot / cup sit at the right height.


That was great but soon discovered that they would slide about so out came the round files.
I filed 6 grooves in the top of the triangles side plates next to the pan mounts. I then smoothed them all off and put them back on. Perfect!

 

[DJ123]

I saw this/something similar on the Paul Messner YouTube Channel recently -

 

[Udders]

Another reason I stopped using the spirit burner for a while was because of the soot that would be left after using it. I was using methylated spirits but watered down to reduce the soot but have now got some Bioethanol to try. Apparently that burns really clean and doesn’t leave any sooty deposits. I’m now going off to try it.

 

[Udders]

I saw this/something similar on the Paul Messner YouTube Channel recently -

Oh, excellent. I'd not seen that but just goes to show it works and I wasn’t the only one having issues with it.

I used all the old fuel that was in the burner, cleaned it and put some crystal clear Bioethanol fuel in and lit it to see how much cleaner it burns.
Well there must be some of the old fuel still in there because the new clear fuel turned Meths coloured!
It does seem to be a LOT cleaner already though.

 

[Udders]

I already had one of the stands that cross over and sit on top of the burner but there’s absolutely no wind protection with that. Still a good packable option though if it’s not windy or you’re cooking in the vestibule of your tent.

 

[NeverRodeBefore]

Back in the day when I used to camp, I considered a meths burner but wasn't convinced about the cooking power compared to butane style burners.

I was however using lots of meths so I had plenty going spare as once it begins to absorb water vapour from the atmosphere, it was less useful at work.

I still use meths in my job, but I don't leave it out all day long like I used to do.

 

[AustinW]

I’ve got Trangia triangle. Apart from trying it in the garden I’ve never used it. Pots don’t fit, pita to assemble, although I’ve got it out thanks to this thread and I think I’ve sussed it -‘til next time. Top tip on the tent pegs and filed corners. I’m going to do that. Better than the Paul messier way of doing it with bent hangars. I just hope Ali/alloy pegs are up to the heat.good topic

 

[Udders]

I’ve now done 3 full fuel burns and there’s been zero soot from the flames.
The purple meths colour is slowly reducing too.
Could be on to a winner here at last.

 

[AndrewA]

I use the Trangia kettle so I don’t have the same sort of fit issue. But, it needs a windshield if there’s more than a whisper of a breeze. And the simmer ring is somewhat useless.

I’ve also got some bioethanol and it’s still producing soot residue. I let the meths burn out completely but perhaps there’s still some residue. Maybe I’m doing it wrong.

 

[King Rat]

Oh, excellent. I'd not seen that but just goes to show it works and I wasn’t the only one having issues with it.

I used all the old fuel that was in the burner, cleaned it and put some crystal clear Bioethanol fuel in and lit it to see how much cleaner it burns.
Well there must be some of the old fuel still in there because the new clear fuel turned Meths coloured!
It does seem to be a LOT cleaner already though. View attachment 340922View attachment 340921View attachment 340920

It won't be meths left in it, that will just be the dye coming out of the meths and onto the metal over time, and is now being released by your new, clear solvent. I sold my Trangia kit on when I got the MSR Dragonfly, an ebay bargain, almost brand new, no other bids - £25 full set with fuel bottle, pump, windshields, spares kit, instruction booklet, pricker... the works.

I also have a very old, but beautiful, Optimus 8R, in superb condition. I get it out and use it if I am just going for the day, the tank holds enough for a weekend trip and the whole thing takes up so little room.

When your bioethanol runs out, go to the local car body repairer shop and ask for some FAST DRYING PANEL WIPE - it is 100% naptha, the same as Coleman white gas. It doesn't soot and is 1/4 the price of 'camping stove fuel'. My 5 litre can is coming to an end, it is still making coffee and cooking stuff and must be 5 years old, so it is long lasting provided you keep the lid on on the big can. I fill the stove bottle and a spare, that is 2 litres taken care of.

 

[Udders]

I’ve just bought a gallon can of panel wipe.

 

[AndrewA]

Is it safe to use panel wipe / Coleman white gas in a Trangia burner? I thought you used that in pressurised liquid stoves.

 

[Wapping]

I’ve just bought a gallon can of panel wipe.

Got a link, mate?

 

[Udders]

Got a link, mate?

ProXL Gen20 Panel Wipe Degreaser XF 5lt

This panel wipe is an extra fast degreaser.

groveshop.co.uk

 

[nick.ct]

https://groveshop.co.uk/proxl/24026...id=0AAAAADISipejoKzM3zU1xZh1HGTz8Z4WO[/UR [/

Here's the safety data sheet

https://proxl.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/PWG20-F.pdf

 

[SBD]

Another reason I stopped using the spirit burner for a while was because of the soot that would be left after using it. I was using methylated spirits but watered down to reduce the soot but have now got some Bioethanol to try. Apparently that burns really clean and doesn’t leave any sooty deposits. I’m now going off to try it.

isn't bioethanol just a posh name for cheap vodka?

 

[SBD]

Here's the safety data sheet

https://proxl.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/PWG20-F.pdf

C7 - C9 N-Alkanes are basically petrol

Petroleum - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The alkanes from pentane (C5H12) to octane (C8H18) are refined into gasoline, the ones from nonane (C9H20) to hexadecane (C16H34) into diesel fuel, kerosene and jet fuel. Alkanes with more than 16 carbon atoms can be refined into fuel oil and lubricating oil.

 

[Orinoco]

I use the Trangia kettle so I don’t have the same sort of fit issue. But, it needs a windshield if there’s more than a whisper of a breeze. And the simmer ring is somewhat useless.

I’ve also got some bioethanol and it’s still producing soot residue. I let the meths burn out completely but perhaps there’s still some residue. Maybe I’m doing it wrong.

I had the same problem, I've assumed it's due to old meths in the burner so now trying the bioethanol with 10% water to slow to burn down a bit. Seems to work better in my Esbit burner which has two different sized burn holes compared to the single sized holes in the Trangia.

With Udders home made stand I would have though there was more chance of sooting as you've now got the pot about 1cm closer to the burner, would have thought the optimum distance would have been where the existing 3 prongs on the triangle were?

 

[nick.ct]

Another solution

Start with this

I bought a cheap copy of one of these many years ago and it was ok, but not great. It was a complete arse to get it to stay together while assembling but once made it was ok.
I bought the real thing the other day and it’s a LOT easier to assemble and absolutely solid once together. You can literally shake it about one handed and it doesn’t budge.
So, I put my freshly polished spirit burner in and all was great until I put my favourite metal boiling pot on top.
It just wasn’t quite wide enough to sit on the 3 elevated mounts that is designed for pans and a kettle to sit on. It needs to sit up on those to give the burner room to work correctly.
View attachment 340899View attachment 340900
I have the Trangia 27 cook set and everything in that sits perfectly on it but I don’t always take that when out on my peddly bike so I had to come up with a solution. So I did.
I got some steel tent pegs, put them in a vice and bent them into an elongated shape. I then cut the ends off and filed them smooth. These would sit across the top of the triangle and let my cook pot / cup sit at the right height.
View attachment 340901View attachment 340902View attachment 340903

That was great but soon discovered that they would slide about so out came the round files.
I filed 6 grooves in the top of the triangles side plates next to the pan mounts. I then smoothed them all off and put them back on. Perfect! View attachment 340907View attachment 340908View attachment 340909View attachment 340910

 

[nick.ct]

Cut to this