Eurohike Trangia copy stove/cookset

[thistler]

Has anyone tried the Millets/Blacks Eurohike cookset with burner? It looks very similar to the Trangia, at less than 1/2 the cost. I have £20 vouchers for Millets and was hoping to use them to get the cookware sorted....

If Trangia is far better then I will wait and save up till I can afford the 25UL but if the Eurohike version comes anywhere close.....  

Eurohike Cookset

 

[willem]

I think this is a pretty disgraceful imitation that infringes on the intellectual property rights of Trangia. That said, it is likely to be a lot less good. First, there is the weight. Most Trangia's are now of the Ultralight variety, with high quality thin aluminium. Second, the real ones can now be had with hard anodized or Teflon surface for better non stick properties, which really matters for at least the frying pan. Third, the Trangia is a very carefully optimized design, and I would be surprised if this probably Chinese imitation works as well. Finally, and only if this matters to you, the Trangia workers get decent Swedish wages and decent Swedish working conditions.
Willem

 

[thistler]

 Thanks Willem - there were some posts on the web that suggested these were made by Trangia and re-branded for Millets, perhaps that was just an ugly rumour.... 

 

[sgw]

I have tried a few clones and can confirm what Willem suggests, some not too bad but none anywhere near Trangia quality or performance.

There may be a decent copy about but I haven't found one.

 

[willem]

Oh no they are not. Just look at the actual shapes and details - they are clearly different but try to suggest that they are the same thing. It is misleading, and at least here in Holland it would be an easy case in the courts.
Willem

 

[thistler]

Useful advice as always!!!  thanks so much! 

 

[Crankarm]

Blacks were selling the Trangia 25-6 for £54.99 (down from £79.99), so with your vouchers it would be £34.99 and a bargain at that price. Not sure if it is still available at this price.

 

[thistler]

Thanks, unfortunately I don't have any cash atm so will have to save up. Hopefully can still find a deal when I've got the money!

 

[thistler]

PS If I ended up going for the basic non-coated version, will the frying pan be ok? I realise the hard anodized is better, but it's also a lot more money....

 

[chillyuk]

I have a surplus genuine Trangia, left over from my backpacking days. I am not sure which model it is, how do I tell?

It is not non stick cookware, and has the burner with it's cap and washer, but no simmer ring.

Did me for many years.


I also have one of the Swedish Army ones. This is also very good, but much heavier than the trangia.

 

[willem]

If the all hard anodized version is over budget, you could still opt for only the pots hard anodized, and cheaper still, only the frying pan in teflon non stick. The latter is something I would really recommend, and is hardly more expensive. I would also recommend the UL version. Skip the kettle if you want to save more money and weight. Look at the Trangia website for all the different versions (there are many).
Willem

 

[battered]

If all you have is the £20 voucher, what pot sets do they have in Milletts? The reason I ask is that the pots are the best bit on Trangias and DEFINITELY the best bits on cheapo Trangia copies. The burners on the copies are generally garbage, I have one that I bought cheap for the pots and frankly the pots are the only bits worth having.

I've recently been experimenting with penny stoves and got good results. I made a pot stand from 2 bike spokes, a penny stove (instructions on the net) from 2 beer cans and a jam jar lid, and it performs at least as well as a cheap Trangia copy. The fact that it weighs virtually nothing is a bonus. Trangias and copies are HEAVY.

In your shoes I'd be buying a light pan set and making a penny stove. Buy a hexamine stove for under a fiver as a backup. Done.

PM me if you need any further details, photos of what I made, all that.

 

[battered]

Further thoughts, if you want a Trangia, buy a Trangia. Regardless of their limitations (weight, bulk, fuel cost) they are bloody good at what they do. Cheap ones, well, they will boil water for tea. Eventually.

 

[thistler]

If all you have is the £20 voucher, what pot sets do they have in Milletts? The reason I ask is that the pots are the best bit on Trangias and DEFINITELY the best bits on cheapo Trangia copies. The burners on the copies are generally garbage, I have one that I bought cheap for the pots and frankly the pots are the only bits worth having.

I've recently been experimenting with penny stoves and got good results. I made a pot stand from 2 bike spokes, a penny stove (instructions on the net) from 2 beer cans and a jam jar lid, and it performs at least as well as a cheap Trangia copy. The fact that it weighs virtually nothing is a bonus. Trangias and copies are HEAVY.

In your shoes I'd be buying a light pan set and making a penny stove. Buy a hexamine stove for under a fiver as a backup. Done.

PM me if you need any further details, photos of what I made, all that.

Thanks - Millets had one of their Eurohike sets at £21 and one Trangia 27-1 for £51. They did have those hexamine stoves as well.

I'm dithering about what to do - I don't have my heart set on Trangia but they come so highly recommended I'd almost feel foolish now buying anything else. I do hate buying poor quality goods that will need replacing, I'd much rather spend time hunting for the best product at the lowest price. Unfortunately my financial situation means I can't just buy what I please, but it's unlikely I'll be doing any tours before next spring so will have this winter to get the rest of my gear sorted. I had thought of buying something like this as it's hard-anodized and getting a Trangia burner/stand: http://www.family-ca...php?cat=40&i=59 but I don't know. Willem has some very good points. 

I wish I could use these vouchers online, then I could spend them in conjunction with a promotional code. Our local Millets is very very small, and there is no local Blacks. 

 

[battered]

That pan set isn't bad. Watch the YouTube stuff on penny stoves, then as you aren't in a rush build one and decide if you can live with it. Make a windshiled from beer cans or ally sheets from the local takeaway type trays. Weighs little, costs even less.

Hexy stoves aren't half bad, for occasional use they are fine. A pain for a week, and expensive to run, useless for melting snow, but for a quick overnighter when you just want a bowl of noodles in the evening and a brew in the morning, they are ace.

Have you tried a wanted ad here? I bet there are any number of people with stray camping stoves from way back when that you could get for loose change. I got a Peak 1 cookset in stainless steel from a mate for something daft like a fiver, it's what I use for lightning speed bivvys in the mountains when weight is critical.

I'm a great fan of the Trangia, but that heatshield is HEAVY. I still use my Trangia bits but the heatshield is only of use in base camp.