Cooking equuipment

[ontheroadtofrance]

I'm looking for some lightweight cooking utensils such as pots, pans, and burner to cook. I'm going too France to do The grande traverse of the Alps and plan on camping. If you need anymore info private message me

Thanks

 

[willem]

Depends a bit if you are going alone, because then weight becomes an issue. I like the Trangia 25 UL HA (with non stick frying pan) with multifuel burner. It is very efficient and fast and 1100 grams for pots, windshield and stove is quite alright for my wife and myself. However, if you go it alone, this is rather a lot of weight. If you intend to go ultralightweight you can choose either one of the light gas cannister stoves, or a meth stove. The Trangia 28 mini or the Clikstand are good choices for less ambitious cooking, and the Trangia 27 UL HA with non stick frying pan for when you want to eat better. I fail to see the point of titanium pans. They are marginally lighter, but they also are slower/use more fuel.
Willem

 

[Tim Bennet.]

If you want lightweight, a Trangia of any description is not the best choice. I know there are plenty of ex-boy scouts who seem to get off raving about Trangias, but there are lots of better choices.

There are plenty of micro gas stove that fit directly to the top of a gas cylinder that will fit the bill. A single aluminium pan and lid will be enough, although there's a small weight gain to be had from titanium plus they're more rugged and able to resist being bent in your panniers.

But to control your load weight to any significant degree, you have to continue the same weight frugalness to all parts of your kit. Look after the ounces and the pounds will look after themselves. However lightweight kit isn't cheap. So more important, is the fundamental question: "do I need it at all'.

 

[pinkkaz]

I've got one of these: http://www.snowandrock.com/Activity/Camping/Cooking/Stoves+Lighters/Gravity+Stove+PRI0007.htm

and it's great!

 

[Tony]

I use a Coleman's Alpine stove. It attaches to the cylinder by a short hose and has three wire legs; stable and effcient. A lightweight aet of pans that nest (One big, one small, one lid that doubles as a frying pan and a straining lid as wellfor pasta) made by Tefal. If you follow the lnks below there is a couple of pcs from Australia showing it.
I also carry a cheap ciggy lighter....

 

[BigonaBianchi]

Trangia 27 here...never let me down and it's not all that heavy.

 

[Chris James]

It depends on how lightweight you want to go. As an ex boy scout I have a Trangia 27 and love it. Having said that, I loved it so much I treated it to a gas convertor as I couldn't be bothered messing around with meths.

However, it is not lightweight and tends to get used mostly car camping. Cylinder top burners eg pocket rocket are much smaller and lighter, but are intrinsically unstable and you will want / need a windshield. Also, it can be helpful to be able to invert the cylinder to keep one going that is almost finished. An alpine type burner will allow that.

Its a bit of a trade off really.

 

[samid]

I've got one of these: http://www.snowandrock.com/Activity/Camping/Cooking/Stoves+Lighters/Gravity+Stove+PRI0007.htm

and it's great!

How easy is it to find canisters for it? Does it need Primus brand canisters?

 

[chris667]

I have one of these, and although it's heavy, I rather like it. And I was never in the scouts.http://www.surplusandadventure.com/shop/bargains/winter-warmers/trangia-stove-mess-kit-330662.html

 

[vernon]

I've used gas stoves and trangias and I've settled for a Trangia. it's not the fastest or hottest but the fuel is readily available and it works well in all weathers.

Never been a scout - no blind prejudices - Trangias work for me.

 

[Cullin]

I have the Trangia 25 setup, and in France get hold of the Acol Brulee 90 good stuff, UK Meths is a cold joke and if you don't add 10% water, it covers the bottom of the pans in black soot.

 

[JackE]

pots

You asked about pots/pans etc. I have a Snow Peak titanium pan and mug I bought from Snow and Rock, very light and tough as nails. A friend has a MSR Titan Kettle which he raves about. I use a Light My Fire "spork", which are £1.99 (from Nomad) and are really light. Mark Beaumont used one on his round the world record breaking ride (so they must be tough).
I never take a plate/bowl as eating from the pan is fine. One of the lightest meths stoves available is called a "Caldera Cone" and is available from: www.winwood-outdoor.co.uk.

 

[rualexander]

I you are going to be cooking regularly and are away for a couple of weeks or more then gas is not a good idea as it is expensive and can be hard to come by when you need it.
Liquid fuel is a lot cheaper, meths if using a trangia (heavy kit), or petrol if using an MSR or similar. Petrol works out at about 10p a day in my experience.

 

[andrew_s]

If you go for a gas stove, you will find that canisters for screw-on stoves are not that widely available in France - you generally need to go to an outdoor store or a sports store such as Decathlon or Intersport.

The Camping Gaz canisters are widely available in village/small town supermarkets, the pierceable ones a bit more so than the click-on (CV270). CV270 look like they would fit, but have no screw thread for regular UK gas stoves.

I'd suggest either an MSR Superfly, which will take either regular screw-on or Camping Gas click-on, or getting the Vaude adapter to use a screw-on stove with a Camping Gas click-on canister.

Trangia plus gas adapter strikes me as being a not very light gas stove with a very large and heavy windshield.

If you go for a petrol stove, bear in mind that car petrol will clog up many petrol stoves, and that "white gas" or coleman fuel isn't that easy to find in Europe. Having said that, a litre bottle will last 2 weeks if you are careful (and not flying).

 

[vernon]

I have the Trangia 25 setup, and in France get hold of the Acol Brulee 90 (burns at 90 deg c) good stuff, UK Meths is a cold joke and if you don't add 10% water, it covers the bottom of the pans in black soot.

If it burns at 90 degrees how does it heat water to 100 degrees?

The 90 refers to the percentage ethanol content with the rest being methanol and other stuff that denatures the ethanol.

An alternative fuel is Wray and Nephews white cane spirit which can be drunk in emergencies