My Trangia 25-4 Camping Stove Kit

 The Trangia when fully deployed

I took a long time to consider buying this cooking stove set because, at $130, it is significantly more expensive than the other backpacking stoves I've got. My Campingaz Bluet was $25 and my solid fuel stove was a very affordable $2. To me, if an equipment is too expensive, I tend not to bring it out with me as I do not want to damage a beautifully designed and well made item.

The Trangia 25-4 is the bigger of the 3 sets and meant for cooking for 3-4 persons. The 27 series is for 1-2 persons while the Mini is adequate for 1.

Mmm... Cooking instant noodles is a breeze and you can fit the entire block of noodles inside without having to break it into smaller chunks. This packet of Korean Kimchi noodles is one of the bigger instant noodle packets and require longer time to cook to soften the noodles adequately.

The Trangia makes short work of this. I thought that it would turn this instant supper into a long wait but it was just as fast as my kitchen stove (any faster and its just wastefully boiling the soup away). Its easy to eat directly out of the pot, reducing the number of bowls to wash.

Well, unlike my other stoves, the Trangia 25-4 is a full self-contained set compete with a non-stick pan, bowls, kettle, windshield and alcohol stove. Being a set, it all nests together into the size of a bowl and fits well in a backpack. Being a non-pressurized alcohol stove, it is a little disadvantaged in terms of heating power compared to gas stoves and petroleum based (e.g. kerosene, white gas, petrol, etc.) liquid fuel stoves. Nevertheless, the designers have taken care of many aspects to overcomes its shortcomings and made it a particularly efficient and reliable stove.


The stove itself is a brass container to hold and burn the fuel. It burns methanol, ethanol (most recommended) and propanol (not recommended due to its sooty burn). Methanol and ethanol burns very cleanly and quietly. Its simple design means that there are very little that can go wrong with it when you are out in the wilderness. Despite its simplicity, it is still possible to control the flame up via a simmer ring which limits the rate of burn. Opening up the possibility of cooking more complex and delicious meals while you enjoy the sunset

For efficiency, the stove has little holes near its circumference. When the burner is hot enough, alcohol evaporates through those holes, forming a fire "bloom" similar to kitchen stoves, allowing of a better mixing of air and fuel for a leaner, more efficient burn. A blue flame is a hot flame. Yellow flame, not so good.

For reliability, the windshield is part of the whole stove set, greatly reducing loss of heat from the wind. In addition, it keeps the wind from blowing out the stove and forces hot air to travel up the sides of the pot before it escapes the stove. Another nice feature is that the stove itself is kept off the ground, minimizing heat loss and, lowers the chances of melting the snow beneath should it be used during winter time.

Just for fun, I used a tealight candle to heat up water, which explains the warm glow from the sides. It too was really slow, but I was surprised that it got hot enough for making coffee. Reaffirming the setup's high efficiency.

All these add up to form a very versatile, reliable and efficient stove for outdoor recreational use. For me, firing it up at a picnic would really open up a whole of food choices beyond prepacked sandwiches and pastries. The last time I went for a picnic, we had nice cakes, sandwiches and a thermos flask of mushroom soup. While it was nice, we couldn't help but envy the neighbouring picnickers who had a small disposable barbeque pit going on.

Unfortunately, like all things, it too has its weaknesses. First off, the stove is not particularly light and it can be an overkill for short hikes. Secondly, denatured alcohols or methanol is not easy to find in Singapore as people here have very little use for these. Pharmacies sell a small palm sized bottles for around $5 and some Home-Fix outlets sells a 500ml bottle for $3.50.

A small bottle of methanol that I bring along my stove. I have not tested how many meals I can get out of this.

About the fuel, methanol or denatured alcohol (methanol mixed with ethanol) is very unlike other obnoxious fuels such as kerosene or petrol. Alcohols typically smell pleasant and is said to taste sweet but it is just as poisonous as other fuels when consumed. Always use suitable containers and make sure that it is labelled clearly so that you and others do not mistake it as your booze stash. Consuming a small amount of methanol can cause blindness and subsequent death. If used correctly, its an extremely clean burning fuel that is easy to light up and dependable enough to work even in very low temperatures.