battered
Guru
Useless? I have a mini Trangia 28 & really like it, a great bit of kit (once a small "beer can" wind shield is added), & at only 330g.
No, not useless, but "useless compared to the real thing". If you are talking about the very small Trangia, the Mini Trangia (not the 28 with its proper windshield)it only really works with as you say an added beercan windshield. On that basis it loses all the attraction of the original, the real thing. The real thing scores because it's a one-stop shop. You get the works, it all fits together, it's bulletproof and it works. You wake up in the morning, no priming, no pumping, take the lid off the burner, one match, chuck the kettle on, nothing's wobbling about, nothing's falling over, 5 minutes later you have a cup of tea and you haven't even left your pit yet. Good work.
Any other stove including the Mini, is a bit of a pain in comparison, you can't snooze while it boils. On that basis you can junk the pot stand and replace it with one you made yourself from 2 bike spokes. You can replace that burner with a hexy stove or a penny stove weighing nothing, or a gas stove if you want something that's quick. So all you *really* need is the pot, and you can get a pot anywhere.
So not useless, no, but if you're getting a Trangia get a 28 for 2 of you or a 25 if you want bigger pans. IMO at least, if you get on fine with the Mini, great. There's more than one route to lightweight camping happiness.