Stealth Stove
It turns out that the Trangia I'd been using over 40 years is one of the most environmental options today. It burns ethanol which is produced from crops like corn, rather than butane or propane which are fossil fuels. And while the debate is still intense around the impact of using land for fuel production rathher than food production, when it comes to camping stoves the consenus seems to be that it's better. But though the Trangia is a fantastic design and build it also weighs a tonne. So I investigated how to use the still working burner with a lighter windshield/pot stander. Trangia do one called the Triangle but on investigation the minimum pot diameter is too big for my 650ml titanium mug.
I found one for £7.99 called the Stealth Stove which seemed to be a suitable size and weight.
My trusty Trangia 27
Over 40 years old and still working. But also a hefty 1026 grammes. The build quality is fantastic and the design means it is almost totally wind proof.
Stealth Stove
The Stealth Stove is bascically 4 pressed sheets of marine grade stainless steel. With burner 215 grammes.
In burner shield and pot-stand mode
You slot the 3 sides - together and pop the burner in the middle. Light, then place your titanium mug on top. I found it took under 10 minutes from initial lighting to get 500ml of water to a proper boil. The burner has more wind protection than you get with your mug on a micro burner like the Alpkit Kraku; it's a lot more stable and you can light it with a flint and steel - which is quite hard on a gaz stove.
In twig stove mode.
The same cone shape can be used for a twig stove. The instructions tell me that I can use longer sticks at the three open corners by pushing them in further as the wood burns away. In my test I found that quite tricky - but I'll see how it goes when I'm next out.
Fuel options
Traditionally you use methylated spirits to fuel the Trangia - with that unique violet colour and smell. But I've discovered that bio-ethanol - which has a higher output meaning things boil more quickly and there's much less soot on the pans etc.
Sooty pans
Don't forget that using twigs and pine cones etc., will mean that the bottom of your pans will be pretty grimy after just a few minutes of cooking.