New toy - trangia nova (pics)....

[Martyn]

Today, I'll be mostly eating beans...

Oh, sorry, different sketch. :D

Today, I wnt shopping for boots, but ended up commingg home with a trangia 27 duosol, that the small version with stainless laminated pots. It seems to me to be a great bit of kit. I've always had some reservations about getting a trangia set - aside from the fact so many seem to rave about them, I have some doubts. Firstly, I hate aluminium pots. Not because of the alzhiemers thing - I think thats been discredited anyway, or even because they are unhygenic, I just dont like them. Aside from that, I have always had my doubts about meths burners. I know they're lightweight and simple, but they can be messy, uncontrolable, ineficient, smelly and under-powered. For lightweight cooking I'm more than happy with my cheap, clean, efficient, light, gas burner. So why bother with a trangia, I hear you say. Well, it goes back about 18 months when I bought another stove, the absolutely brilliant Optimus Nova.

I dont use the nova much, but it's an awesome stove - I bought it on impulse though. I dont really need a high end multifuel stove, I just read a great review and bought one. Having said that, it's great. Even though it hasnt seen much use, when I have deemed it necessary, it's served flwlessly.

http://www.britishblades.com/pics/trangnova/optnov09.jpg

The nova is a true multifuel stove, it can burn almost anything (apart from gas), without even needing to change nozzles. It can simmer down top a very low light, or burn with a fierce roar. It's clean (by petrol stove standards) and easy to use. One problem though, you do benefit from some sort of windshield - not a biggie, but cqan be a hassle.

When I bought the nova, I also stumped up the £10 quid for the trangia converter kit. Now this is where it gets interesting. Optimus do a version of the nova called the "trangia nova" and is a dedicated replacement for the meths stove. If you've ever wondered what the holes in the base are for, they are for the valve handle and fuel line for the trangia nova. Well, the converter kit turns the regular nova into a trangia nova lookalike.

the trangia nova...
http://www.britishblades.com/pics/trangnova/trangia_nova.jpg

It's getting clearer isnt it. Yep, I bought the trangia to use primarily with my (soon to be converted) optimus nova.

The converter kit is simple...
http://www.britishblades.com/pics/trangnova/trangnova1.jpg

The instructions say to undo the bolt on the base of the nova, fiddle around with the burner and it should slip out of it's case. Sure enough...

http://www.britishblades.com/pics/trangnova/trangnova2.jpg

Stripped down to le4ave the burner itself - it took just a couple of minutes using only the optimus tool supplied with the nova...

http://www.britishblades.com/pics/trangnova/trangnova3.jpg

No problems. Then follow the very straightforward assemble instructions, which amount to bolting the adapter onto the botton of the nova and you have the finished trangia nova...

http://www.britishblades.com/pics/trangnova/trangnova4.jpg

Easy peasy. This basically just drops in place of the trangia meths burner. It's just a question of routing the fuel line and valve through the holes in the base...

...and the trangia...
http://www.britishblades.com/pics/trangnova/trangnova7.jpg

...becomes the trangia nova!
http://www.britishblades.com/pics/trangnova/trangnova8.jpg

http://www.britishblades.com/pics/trangnova/trangnova9.jpg

Out of interest, the trangia meths burner weighs just a hair under 100g on my kitchen scales, whereas the converted nova weighs 200g. That's a 100g increase in weight - but... consider fuel economy, efficiency, simmering ability, convenience and power.

I skipped my dinner earlier tonight, and I'm pretty hungry, so perfect opportunity for a test run on the kitchen floor...

the trangia nova simmering and at full bore...
http://www.britishblades.com/pics/trangnova/trangnova01.jpg http://www.britishblades.com/pics/trangnova/trangnova02.jpg

Now to make something hot...

Simmering is easy, just turn the valve up or down (or off). ...ahhhhh, the power, the control.... :D

http://www.britishblades.com/pics/trangnova/trangnova03.jpg

Finally, hot beef stew with fresh crusty bread - yum. :)

http://www.britishblades.com/pics/trangnova/trangnova05.jpg

OK, so the benefits should be obvious. Aside from the power and controlability issues, the duosol pans mean I get stainless steel too. I forgot to mention stability. Trangia owners wont need me to tell them how stable this gear is. Rock solid, you get the feeling you could use it in a hurricane. I could easily stir my stew without supporting the pot in any way. Confident cooking. The package is heavy though - the stainless pans are much heavier than the aluminium variety, though are obviously much stronger and more hygenic. The nova adds 100g to the weight also, and there is the weight of the fuel pump to consider too. Overall, not an ultra-lightweight option, but for longer trips, or trips to places where campfires are not possible, fuel is limited or varied, high altitude, cold weather, car camping or even electricity blackouts, this kit is the tops.

I'll be giving it a good field trial in Wales on 20th August. :D

The nova, maintainance tool and spork fit easily inside the trangia...

http://www.britishblades.com/pics/trangnova/trangnova06.jpg

Nice package...

http://www.britishblades.com/pics/trangnova/trangnova07.jpg

In summary, a little on the heavy side, but otherwise a totally fab bit of kit. :biggthump

[leon-1]

Martyn, some bu***r has put a S***ING great big hole in the side of your Trangia :twak: .

Mine is one of the really old ones that hasn't got holes for that new fangled gas thingy :spam:

Smart conversion though :biggthump

[MushiSushi]

Cool ... Martyn you've got the beginnings of a small low temp salt pot for marquenching :biggthump ;)

[Ross]

Very nice Martyn. I also crumbled recently and ordered the Optimus Nova through our very own Joe. This is interesting stuff!

[Martyn]

Very nice Martyn. I also crumbled recently and ordered the Optimus Nova through our very own Joe. This is interesting stuff!

Good stuff mate, you wont be dissapointed with the stove. It converts back just as easily too Ross, the whole thing is basically held together by a single nut on the base. It's dead simple and well worth it, especially if you already have one of the trangia kits.

[rapidboy]

What sort of dosh are we talking about for this kit?
I have a 25 and a 27 and always found the meths fine but it's "toys for boy's" so another bit of kit is always on the cards.

RB

[Ross]

US$135 from Joe for the Optimus Nova - drop him an email. Its the mutts nutts of stoves.

[Martyn]

It's a pricey bit of kit RB, in the UK they go for about £100, but $135 from Joe looks good to me. The conversion kit is about £10 or so, shop around.

The stove is true multifuel, it'll burn meths, diesel, petrol pretty much anything really. I even read where someone had made a fuel cocktail for it. No need to change jets or anything between fuel types. Do a search on the web for some reviews, as Ross says, pretty much everyone agrees it's the mutts nuts of multifuel stoves. Being able to convert it easily for use with a trangia (and back again if you wish) uis just another string to it's bow. If you need (or want) a high end multifuel stove, it should be high on your list of possibles.

But it aint cheap.

Optimus Nova ~ £100
Trangia conversion kit ~ £10
Trangia 27 duosol ~ £50

Total ~ £160

[Tvividr]

If you need (or want) a high end multifuel stove, it should be high on your list of possibles.
Optimus Nova
Trangia conversion kit
Trangia 27 duosol


Thanks Martyn :biggthump This thread inspired me to upgrade from my very old (and I mean OLD like at least 20 yrs or more) and dented Trangia to better stuff. I'm now the proud owner of an Optimus Nova, the Trangia conversion kit, and a Trangia 25 duosol :approve:
The old one has been kicked about from the lowveld of Swaziland and Zimbabwe via the peaks of the Drakensberg in South Africa to the plateau of the Hardangervidda in Norway. I hope that the new one will give me as much pleasure and go to as many places as the old one :noggin:

[Gary]

Martyn I have NASA on the phone, do you want to speak to them! :rotfl:

Sorry - actually thats a good set up. :biggthump

[greyghost]

Great setup Martyn, those adapters are hard to come by over here.

[Ross]

Holy old thread batman!

But a good one to resurrect ;)

[mojofilter]

Great setup Martyn, those adapters are hard to come by over here.

Where is 'over here'?

[Hellz]

Where is 'over here'?

The opposite of over there?

:huh:

Hellz

[Shinken]

Fantastic review mate!

[Tony]

It's amazing how the years fly by :D So, have you used it much after all?

[pts652003]

Martyn, my friends on my local climbing gym intorduced me to primus himalaya omnifuel, it comes with two kits, for using with gas and liquid fuel.
i will buy one and have a try.

here is the description from primus.se


omnifuel is a good example of making a great product even better.The stove, which is a refinement of the MultiFuel stove, uses very advanced materials to offer advanced functionality. OmniFuel is designed to handle demanding conditions, extreme altitudes and both high and low temperatures. A new and even faster preheating system saves both fuel and time. OmniFuel is a sturdy stove that works with LP gas, gasoline/petrol, diesel and kerosene - even aviation fuel. Using the separate control knob, the flame can be adjusted to provide the exact heat required. The ErgoPump, the multi-tool with an integrated cleaning needle, nylon stuff sack and the windscreen and heat reflector are included.

googling around and i found that the average price is £100. will try to have a look at my local outdoor shop this weekend, maybe i will get an' old stock' with discounted price :rolleyes:

http://www.backcountry-equipment.com/stoves/primus/omnifuel/omnifuel_34view.jpg

http://www.backcountry-equipment.com/stoves/primus/omnifuel/omnifuel_canister.jpg

http://www.backcountry-equipment.com/stoves/primus/omnifuel/omnifuel_fuelbottle.jpg

http://www.backcountry-equipment.com/primus/omni-fuel/omni-fuel-inhand.jpg

http://www.backcountry-equipment.com/stoves/primus/omnifuel/omnifuel_multitool.jpg

Above image shows the two extra jets and the multi-tool that are included with the Omnifuel stove. The jets are used for different types of fuels that may be used. The red arrow over the multi-tool shows how individual tools can be opened and closed.

http://www.backcountry-equipment.com/stoves/primus/omnifuel/omnifuel_fuelpump04.jpg

any thoughts about this ?

tomo

[Beachlover]

Those little jets look awfully easy to lose amongst the mud, snow, tent, toddlers, dogs, and beer cans etc. otherwise the idea of being able to use all fuels does seem ideal - until of course you flog all your old stoves and that one packs in :C

[pts652003]

that's the spare jets, for replacement.

[lost hope]

Dragging up an old thread.

Is everyone still using their converted trangias ?

[mojofilter]

Yes, but often also use the original meths burner too. :)

[rapidboy]

Yes i still use mine but like Mojo it's mostly with the standard burner as the Nova conversion is a bit OTT for most of what im doing.

[metalbudgie]

I'm using both the meths burner and the OEM Trangia gas burner convertor which is pretty impressive when combined with the wind shield. My 27K is Duossal and my 25K is Aluminium and I prefer the duossal for the ease of cleaning but the alu is noticably lighter.
Both are older models that aren't as light as the newer ones that appear to use a lighter alloy for the windshield section only.
The Trangia gas burner certainly adds cooking speed and simmering ability to what is a design classic.