Cooker, meths or petrol.

[samwise]

Yes, meth's is the way to go if your going to actually use this stove to cook on, but that means carrying a bottle of meths , so it's just as easy to carry a small bottle of gas and a mini gas stove.

But we carry a big tank of petrol with us anyway, so this would be the most convenient fuel to use .

According to the Steam Racket, I'm not allowed to carry gas cartridges on the ferry (that they know about, anyway ), so I reckon I'll make sure and go for either a petrol stove of some sort or a Swedish Army trangia - probably the latter as they're dirt cheap (although not as cheap as a Pepsi Can stove, naturally )

[davsato]

the cokecan works fine with meths, dont burn petrol with it cos its poisonous and very ****ty.
if you notice all the commercial stoves that use petrol are pressurized and vapourize it before it reaches the flame, this makes it safe and cooks well but imho these stoves are too complicated and expensive, and quite fragile for run of the mill happycampers like me.
the only exception to this i ever found was one i had years ago called a coleman sportsman, that was bombproof and never let me down, burned like a furnace and was (still is) only £40. when the suitcase full of butane cans i was given runs out i would def consider getting another one, i lent my old one to that mate we all have, Mr. Wrecker

[j]

in one of my little jobs we tried using a coke can cooker we put some soil or sand in with the fuel this stopped the vigourous burning and prolonged the fuel. the oly problem with coke can is they tend to melt so we resorted to scrounging bean tins because they are made of steel.

[davsato]

i wonder if petrol burns hotter than meths?
meths runs in them very well, they make good replacements if you lose the brass job out of your trangia, you just have to figure out something to do the simmering if you need it. the tranny has a little shutter that slides across the top.
ive run one on vodka before, that worked a treat but the flame was hard to see and it was obviously a bit pricey! and i kept thinking it was criminal to burn it instead of drink it.
i suppose some of you out there think that about meths!!!

[severs]

We all carry petrol anyway!

On the motorbike, I use a Swedish SVEA 123 petrol stove - physically indestructible, very reliable, very easy and quick to light, runs on ordinary unleaded, sounds like a tiny jet engine and heats water incredibly quickly.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svea_123

On the old bike (manual fuel tap) I rigged an extra length of fuel hose off the carb feed to fill the stove at campsites. Haven't worked that out for the TA yet.

The SVEA 123 is also marketed as the "optimus 123" in some countries.

I also own a set of concentric pans and a lightweight stand designed for the 123, made by the Swiss company Sigg (of fuel bottle fame). Not sure if these are still available, but they are great. They were known as the Sigg "Tourist" and turn up on Eeeeebay every now and then.



Other petrol stoves I'd recommend are the 123's cousin, the "Huntsman" which works the same way, and the Sigg Fire-Jet which is very sturdy.

Other petrol stoves are available

[Wee Jack]

You just got to have a sense of adventure with these little projects and think of the bigger picture

I'm a bodger no doubt about that , and I like to think I've got a sense of adventure , buuuuuuut !! there is no way I'm gonna mess about with a home bodged stove filled with volatile liquid !!! I don't want to suffer a flare-up in the bell end (of the tent) that could prove nasty.

[Dave gs]

I have had a coleman petrol stove for years, this is ideal as one has atank full of the stuff. Boils quick and is reliable I think that the british army in WW2 in the desert used to use half a petrol can fillesd with sand, filled this with petrol and lit it to have a brew up. You can get coleman fuel for these cookers but is expensive, in the states in 2001 it was £2.00 a gallon, used to cost more than that for a pint over here. Look around if you have a gas cooker, B&Q etc sell cartridges for blow lamps etc and they also fit stoves and are cheap!.
Good brewing up.
dave gs.

[Zenarchy]

I just got myself one of those swedish army trangia stoves and cook sets from ebay. Was meant to be new but it looks a bit dinged up and scratched (though doesn't have any burn or soot marks so I guess it's unused technically).

For a little over a £10er including delivery, even with it being a little scratched, you can't go wrong (should have just picked up a used one for less from ebay in retrospect though). I haven't had a chance to try it yet as I need to get some meths, but it comes in the handiest light compact package with everything you need (burner, burner cap, fuel bottle, water pan, frying pan and windshield) that fits together neatly into a package about the size of a binocular case.

I've been so tempted to stick naptha in it to give it a try until I get to the shops to pick up some meths, but every time I've been tempted that image of your coke can like a flamethower springs to mind then I think twice (your picture here as probably saved me from some nasty burns and a sooty kitchen ). Hopefully I'll be able to get out and pick up some meths over the weekend and give it a try.

[AIRWOLF]

Sounds like you got a bargain there, you could scratch/dent it first time out, and i've seen em close to 50 quid new.
i read somewhere that white spirit is ok to use in trangias.

[pxlpig]

coke can stoves...yeah!!.....would booze burn well enough?