I thought about buying an alcohol stove, looks like I’ll be sticking with canister stove. I live in the desert so it doesn’t get very cold here to worry about canister giving me a hard time. Matter of fact I think I’m going to break out my camp set and do a backyard camping trip lol

As a stove collector, I have around 600 stoves from around the World, the oldest dating to 1866. That stove is an alcohol stove! I love white gas stoves, and kerosene stoves, and also have several favorite canister stoves. As for alcohol stoves, I have tons of them, too, and find them excellent, IF you know how to use them. The Trangia stoves are basically windproof, IF you setup the windscreen the proper way. We use two of them to cook bacon and eggs, for breakfast burritos, and they really work a treat! There is very little that a good Trangia, properly used, cannot do, and we find them "fairly" fuel efficient, again, if used properly. For what it's worth...... - Doc Mark

While thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail, there was a particularly nasty Arctic front that pushed down from Canada. Three other hikers at my campsite, all had JetBoils stoves that seized up because condensation froze in the fuel line. I used up all of my alcohol making hot water for their dinners, breakfasts, and coffee on my always reliable Trangia.

Technique: assuming you've got the Trangia with full-size base, get it going as soon as you stop to camp - because it's so sturdy you don't have to worry about knocking it over as you pitch your tent and by the time you're set up you've got boiling water for your tea or coffee.

My personal experience is that I've really struggled with gas stoves in windy, high altitude mountain conditions but I've used meths (alcohol) stoves reliably in all sorts of hostile environments and they have never ever let me down. The simplicity and reliability does it for me every time - when you're in really remote, cold and hostile place you can't take any chances. That hot meal or drink could really literally be a life saver. BTW - you had the Trangia base upside down; that may well affect it's performance! 😉

Been using a Trangia For 35 years and it has never failed me.

I really love the Trangia and its intended cookware. Last time I was out in the wild I did a serving of fried vegetables, fried halloumi cheese, as well as couscous (boiling water) mixed it together with spices for a really yummy dinner. During the evening I heated water for some tea and a water bottle to keep warm in my sleeping bag. and in the morning I made oats porridge and boiled water for coffee.... I did all of this without refilling the stove... I even had some alcohol left. I wonder if there's different efficiency to different alcohol fuels because I can't relate to the "always needing to fill up the stove". In Sweden we use a Swedish product called "T-Röd" by the company Kemetyl. Perhaps it's really efficient? And I also use modern trangia cookware, which is stackable and the aluminum windshield greatly decreases heat loss. The "tower" of cookware helps to isolating the heat, as well as spreading throughout all components... I generally preheat the frying pan by using it as a lid when boiling water. If I make two pots, let say one with rice and one with stew, I will start with the stew pot, until it gets to simmering temperature, then I switch it out for the rice pot stack the stew pot on top... It requires a bit of re-learning. but is a really efficient way of cooking and not wasting the heat or fuel. If I am feeling particularly brave, I stack the frying pan on top of the Stew pot as a lid, but I could fry some mushrooms (since they are best fried at low temperature. :) It's a juggling act, but I like it. Since I am out in nature I try to live in the moment enjoying the quietness the alcohol stove provides. Listening to the sounds of nature while focusing only on the cooking. :)

I'm an alcohol stove DIYer. I love toying with different setups, hole patterns and fuel mixtures. I've even got several designs that do have the ability to simmer. That being said, I also have several different canister stoves and even a larger butane burner. You've nailed it in that they all serve a purpose and I don't rely on just one design. I'm really big on solo bicycle camping for few days at a time. For these trips, the alcohol stoves work great. However, if I'm cooking or making coffee for more than just myself, a canister stove is the way to go. And you may have heard about the struggles we had with losing power, in February's freeze, here in Texas. WIth four of us here, the butane burner had it's time to shine in keeping my wife and I in hot coffee and the whole family getting hot meals.

I have my dads trangia that he bought in the 70's. I used it today and it worked as well as the day he bought it, brilliant things in the UK

I’ve been using my Trangia for 27 years and I love it it.

Hi Luke, and thanks for outstanding videos! In the Swedish Army we typically use alcohol stoves mainly för three reasons. First, the trangia-style alcohol burners are indestructible. You could probably drop one from an aircraft into the forest, and still be able to use it. Secondly, they do not pose the risk of explosion as gas-canisters do. You can imagine a group of soldiers trapped in a burning vehicle with a few gas-canisters in each backpack. Third, as you mentioned, they work in low temperatures, where gas will not. If you turn the gas-canister upside-down you can use it a little colder, but alcohol is still much better. The only time we would use gas-stoves is on LRP or other remote missions, where a fuel supply chain is not available. ALL WELL!

Thanks for posting this. Each stove has their limitation and there's simply not a "one size fits all" approach to backpacking stoves and you presented that well here. There are too many voices out there pushing their favorite as the best, etc., etc. In the end, do your homework and figure out which one works for your situation. I've had a Svea 123 for decades and it's a tank that just works, but so does the Trangia. The canister stoves don't do so well in extreme cold, alcohol stoves are more temperamental in windy conditions, et cetera.

I've used Trangia meths stoves for over 30 years both in the UK and Australia . Never had a single problem . Spares are readily available in good camping stores . Tip , if you put two tea spoons full of water in the burner before adding the methylated spirt it cools the flame a little and help avoid soot build up during heating .

Loved my Trangia when I used to hike. No idea who's saying they're crap in cold weather, I used mine all over Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and North Western Russian Boreal with no problems. Trangia is very well shielded from the wind. And cooking times are longer, but it never concerned me, I'm not in the office. I'm kicking back in the outback.

Thank you for making this video. The statement I fully agree with is that one tool is not appropriate for every job, and there are better times and circumstances for different kinds of stoves. That said, I think this presentation was definitely biased and not "just the facts" as presented. This is a long comment, but a lot of points were made in the video and I'm offering rebuttals or more information to many of those points: (Disclaimer) I've taught backpacking for over a decade and I've used and own most kinds of stoves. The system I've settled on for most trips is a used cat food can with holes in the side which is its own stand. That stove is 1/3 oz plus about an ounce for wind screen/pot stabilizer. It isn't even the most efficient among alcohol stoves, but it does very well with my wider "grease pot". ALL stoves benefit from a wind screen so I don't count that weight. ALL stoves require fuel, and even wood burning stove users know the wisdom of carrying enough dry fuel to cook their next meal in very wet/rainy conditions. 1. Fuel weight - I carry (generously) 1 oz fuel per cooked meal AND 16 oz. hot drink - basically, about 1.5 L total volume heated. I carry my fuel in a bottle that weighs almost nothing, and I'm not limited to whatever fuel is in a pressurized metal canister, whether full or nearly empty. (The canister weight averages about 40 percent of the total fuel+canister weight, which pretty much negates the roughly 2:1 efficiency advantage of canister stoves over alcohol stoves.) Also, don't forget that canister stove users will often end up carrying TWO canisters when one is somewhat low on fuel, and they have to pack out relatively large, uncompressible, and heavy empty canisters to a place where they can be properly collected and transported to a landfill. 2. Environmental impact? Imagine throwing away a stove after every few uses. From a manufacturing and materials perspective, this is exactly what you're doing with canisters. When it comes to the actual fuel, I think the petrochemical industry is worse for environmental impact than alcohol production. If I'm wrong and alcohol production has more impact ounce-for-ounce, and this is about environmental impact from production, then for most folks, drinking alcoholic beverages is far more of an impact by volume and frequency than the average of 1 ounce cleanly burned per meal only when backpacking. If you drink alcohol while decrying alcohol stoves for their environmental impact, that seems hypocritical. (Your body "burns" alcohol and produces the byproducts of combustion - CO2, H2O, and heat.) 3. Warning labels on methanol? Yes, it is extremely toxic to drink and slightly toxic on the skin. Of course, if fearful of this, you *could* use ethanol or isopropyl alcohols. As for displaying warning labels... Hint: EVERYTHING has warnings these days. My advice is don't drink the methanol and don't leave it on your skin. Plus, I notice you didn't display the much lengthier warnings on gas canisters - maybe because there is so many warnings in such a tiny font that the print just looks gray. That seems biased to me. 4. You treat alcohol stoves as if the gases produced by burning are somehow worse than liquid petroleum products. Really? Do you have any actual evidence for this? Bottom line is that no open flame stove should be used in an unventilated area, primarily due to the risk from carbon monoxide, even though a properly burning stove will minimize even that risk. 5. I agree that gas stoves tend to be more idiot proof. However, in all my years and thousands of trail miles of using alcohol stoves, I've NEVER had my alcohol stove spill or squirt burning alcohol, and I've NEVER tried to add alcohol to a still-burning stove. No offense, but that is pure user error and if your cooking area is properly prepared, even a tipped stove is not dangerous at all. If anyone is the kind of person who tends to make those kinds of mistakes, I agree that canister stoves may be a better option, though it is certainly possible to make those dangerous as well if you ignore instructions and warnings. 6. Speaking of canister stoves, I have seen them get knocked over and shoot out flames as the LP fluid exits the nozzles. I've seen singed eyebrows from people leaning over a canister stove while trying to light it. And heaven help you if a canister ends up in (or too close to) a hot fire and is not retrieved immediately. (I haven't seen that one, and hope I never will.) 7. Never try to make a rational decision based on a California law. I've lived in CA. It isn't all bad and there are still a lot of nice folks there, but the lunatics are definitely running the asylum now and the sane folks are fleeing in droves. 8. Cooking speed - If your goal is to boil water and pour it into a Mountain House type of "meal" as quickly as possible, you are probably better off with a gas canister stove. I cook things like steel-cut oats, fresh greens or mushrooms I've foraged while hiking, in addition to my own dehydrated meals. These take more time to cook or rehydrate and they actually benefit from the slower heating time. With an alcohol stove, I can measure my fuel accurately, start my meal and take care of other things while it cooks knowing it will go out on its own when done. 9. As for using thru hikers as an example for all backpackers, don't make someone pursuing a focused goal the measure of how to do something "normally". This is true in many intense sports. Is the best way to drink water to gulp it down from a paper cup, throw the cup on the ground, and run away? Is peeing your pants rather than stopping during a race or a game really "normal" behavior? Is going for days or even weeks at a time without bathing while sweating and getting covered in grime "normal" behavior? Unusual choices like these may be acceptable in some circumstances and for some goals, but pushing physical boundaries may also mean temporarily ignoring other boundaries. The requirements of the extremes don't have to be the standards for everyone else. 10. Finally, if you are an early riser like I am, don't underestimate the value of being able to silently prepare your meal while enjoying a sunrise without disturbing any fellow campers who prefer to sleep a little later. Same applies if you're a night owl who might want to cook after folks go to bed. Again, none of this is personal, and I appreciate anyone who tries to help people do outdoor activities better. As a professional analyst (including forensics), I know that truly unbiased analysis is an elusive target, and in most cases it is better to simply acknowledge your bias before presenting evidence to support your argument. Even a forensic analysis starts with an hypothesis, but the final report should only demonstrate how that hypothesis is proven OR disproven by the evidence. Plus they are really dull reading. Inherent bias is why we don't trust the same attorneys to present both sides of a case. Each side is responsible for doing their best to present a compelling argument and evidence for prosecution or defense, and both sides are needed to help a judge and sometimes a jury get closer to the truth. For gear choices, a lot of that "truth" boils down to (see what I did there?) personal preference and backpacking style.

I love my Trangia stove. I even got the one with stainless steel lined pots and pan. It has a clever design that makes it unlikely to tip over and is good in the wind. It’s not the fastest to boil water but it’s fast enough. The flame regulator allows for cooking of real food and if used properly, saves a lot of fuel.

I agree, I have went full circle myself. Started out with a Jetboil 10 yrs ago. Switched to a homemade fancy feast catcan alcohol stove, got tired of the time required to boil with no weight savings in the end. I'm trying a Snowpeak titanium stove and canister this year.

I love my alcohol stoves. Pure simplicity with no moving parts to lose or break. I always use the yellow Heet with mine.

I use my alcohol stove through every season here in Ohio and Pa, never had an issue, one ounce of alcohol boils two cups of water in less then 5 minutes. I’m out enjoying where I am, cooking is part of that. Never in a hurry even in the morning. Everything nests in my pot along with my cup, pot stand and wind screen. Alcohol bottle on the outside of the pack. 8oz is good for more than 3 days.

Thank for your comprehensive and helpful review. It could be helpful (for beginners) if you would mention in your video to never refill a gas stove such as the Triangia without having closed the stove with the lid for at least 30-60 seconds before refilling in order to avoid burns. Very often, one doesn't see the flame as you correctly mention. So very easy sequence: need to refill - if yes, cover the stove with the lid 30-60 secs- only then refill.

Usually not the most practical but I love them

I live in my van and cooked outside on a Trangia 27 nearly everyday for years, Yes it does take practice to judge the right amount of fuel and set the simmer ring and refuel. Only in really high wind I found it really fuel hungry. A litre of fuel lasts me about a week if I don't simmer stews. The trangia however is the whole system of windsheild, frying pan, pots and kettle not just the burner and in combination I can cook everything I can cook on a home stovetop, its compact and silent. I use it for day hikes with cooking in scenic location, very relaxing so who cares about a couple if minutes to boil a bit of water. I agree that for a long distance hike it would probably be too fiddly to set up everyday just to boil water and heat food. But for cooking proper meals from scratch it's great ( with practice) I noticed that Luke was not using the Trangia base and windsheild correctly so the burner was not getting the right airflow, it does make a difference But I have to agree I made a few pop can stoves with foil windsheild and they do work but are quite inefficient with fuel. The Trangia system is perfect for my purposes, but for long distance hiking it would be heavier than expected and fiddly

Trangia stoves are one of the few types that burn quicker with a breeze, so long as you point the windshield in the right direction. You can also leave unspent fuel in the burner. My favourite feature of a Trangia, however, is that the pots and kettle are all part of the system.

I think for me, the main factors leading to alcohol generally being my first choice (for trips less than a few days, or for longer trips where I'll have refueling opportunities) 1) Wind. I find I still have issues with wind with a minimalist canister stove. There's things like a jetboil or windburner, but those are substantially heavier and bulkier, and they are still subject to wind. With my caldera cone + alcohol stove, wind is not an issue - but that's not an option with canisters - unless you get a stove connected to the canister via a hose. But again, that adds substantial weight and bulk. 2) Refueling. Canister fuel is substantially more expensive, and the canister itself weighs as much as the fuel. The lack of flexibility in the amount of fuel you can bring can be annoying on shorter trips. A canister can be heavy and bulky compared to the amount alcohol you'd need for a day or two. And you end up with a bunch of partially-used canisters to manage - which you can't trust to last your trip, so you need to bring a second canister as a backup if you want to use those up... With alcohol, I can see exactly how much fuel is left, and simply refill the existing bottle, without having a collection of partially-full canisters to manage, or empty ones to figure out how to recycle. And the fuel for alcohol stoves can be sourced pretty much anywhere - not limited to specialty camping stores. For me the arguments for a canister stove are: speed of setup and boiling, and density of the fuel - handy on longer trips. I think which to bring depends on how long you'll be out for, and your refueling options. In many places alcohol stoves are simply banned, though - due to forest fire danger - despite alcohol stoves stuffed with a wicking material not having that fuel spill danger that others have.

I am one of those people who loves his homemade alcohol stove. I love the peace and quiet, free from the jet noise spewed out by both canister and white gas stoves. I also enjoy the extra quiet time in the morning waiting for my water to boil for coffee and oatmeal. That said, I'm not a fanatic, and appreciate the balance you provided between the advantages and drawbacks of using alcohol, especially on long distance hikes. Thanks for being fair to both sides.

My Dad gave me my tranger , he used it in his younger days,I am 60 now and it Still going strong if you like old fashioned things and not in a rush They are great,if you use it properly it will never let you down

have used Trangia for about 30+ years; when they first came out. yes a learning curve... after a few trips i worked out the human - stove time, handling, refueling, vs no parts. have taught stoves in scouts with so many different ones including homemade. Trangia works well if you plan your meals. 1 full charge will cook a pizza in a bag as thick with ingredients as you want. No speed demon to heat water but does the job well. for more water use the larger kettle. When i watched a fellow adult lose a part on a can gas fuel burner(ended his hot meals), talking about him sleeping with the fuel can... i looked for an alternative. Say what you will, TRANGIA IS FOR ME.

Hey spot on from my experience! I use my al stove for day hikes in the winter ( nothing better than instant soup for lunch!) to 1-2 nights year round ( just to qualify, I do not “cook”; just boil water). After that, fuel volume carrying becomes an issue. Absolutely reliable, especially at altitudes above 10k in the winter; something that cannot be said about gas canister stoves. Thanks for your analysis 👍

"Pro tip", actually two tips, if you use the Trangia version with a lid - Always check to see that the rubber o-ring seal in the lid stays in the lid. I had one come loose and be left on the burner and in my haste and otherwise engagement with food-preparation-related activities I failed to notice this fact and I lit the stove with the rubber ring on it. I did, however, most certainly not fail to notice the smell and black smoke from my field-kitchen; something rather unusual for the normal routine. I had to put it out and deal with the now burned stuck rubber. Most of it could be peeled off in flakes once dried, but it took some work, and what little was left was kinda burned-in and not smoking or so during further use. They work well without the o-ring seal though and this one continued to serve me well for the rest of my time with it (until I gave it back to the Swedish Air Force as it wasn't owned by me). Without the o-ring seal you can not store and carry fuel the same way you can with an intact burner equipped with one though, but see point and second tip below. You are not supposed to store fuel in them for transport or long periods anyways we were taught unless for absolute necessity, such as if you for some reason really need to bring fuel and have no suitable container at all for some reason because someone shot a hole in your fuel container or something. I don't know, they didn't specify. Anyways, this is for a few reasons. One is because they *can* leak and particularly so with older burners as the brass and o-ring seal age and with heavy use. For example they may come to develop small cracks or so on the lid around the screw-threads (which mine had by the way, perhaps also a contributing factor as to why the o-ring seal came off that one time). Long time exposure to the fuel can also damage/weaken the rubber o-ring which would be good to have in case you really do need to use it as a fuel storage container at some point. For that reason it is preferable to fully burn out or vent the burner a little to keep it dry and best cared for when you are not using it. At least such is what I gathered as for the reasons not to store and carry fuel in the burner itself. Of course the o-ring seal may also keep residue vapours contained when need-be, so it is good to have regardless in that way. One other added benefit I can conceive for not having fuel stored in them may be to lessen the risk of spillage when opening the burner itself (more easily done if cold enough to lose dexterity, under stress, etc) as covering yourself in flammable liquid prior to intending to light a fire is probably a bad idea. So there you go. Don't go burning your rubber unless you're making donuts and know what you're doing if you're storing fuel in the burner itself.

as you said there is a when & why for every stove, I use alcohol (Trangia), twig-stove (Firebox), fuel (Whisperlite, Primus), canister (Optimus, Trangia)... most of the time I carry 2 (Firebox + Trangia). The only thing I would add is that when speaking about alcohol stoves the Trangia set (25, 27 or military) is something QUITE different from a catfood-can stove...

Used a Trangia mini for years. Love it. Learn to use them and they are the best minimal kit. I get the bit about the weight but with the mini you have a fry pan, pan lifter and saucepan included.

This was the first video of yours I watched just a few months ago and now my wife and I watch your videos of cool trips almost every evening like we would tune in to an actual TV show. So nice especially during a brutal winter in the Midwest. Keep up the good work

I like my trangia for boiling water quickly and food that cooks in less than 10 minutes. Just cooked a small ribeye wrapped in bacon, seasoned with a dash of Montreal seasoning last night at camp. It was done in about 10 minutes. Very tastey. Also, it's nice to be able to use a little alcohol to get a wood fire going quickly when you dont want to screw around being bushcrafty. Like when your boots are frozen and you want to get them thawed out asap. Been there, done that. I also carry a diy firebox style stove for when I want to ration the alcohol reserve and there is tinder available. Always have a backup. You are right though, there are tradeoffs with anything. Canisters are handy and good for when you have extended cook times but I do not like throwing away the cans I have to pack out when they're spent...seems like a waste. Of course I have tossed out my share of empty Heet containers supplying my alcohol stove. Anyway, good review. My Trangia stays in my kit as a good, efficient light weight option, maybe not "the best" camp stove, but definately a great option to have available.

As a person who has made hundreds of alcohol stoves. I would say you nailed it. I use them for times when I want to relax and don't mind the wait such as a evening cup of coffee, but when I am hungry I pull out my pocket rocket and let it roar.

I’ve had a Trangia 25 for nearly 30 years, wouldn’t be without it

One pro you forgot is that the alcohol stove fuel makes a good martini. I spent half a hike of 4 days without any hot foods because the expensive and complicated backpacking stove we had quit working. It turned out it was plugged up in the tiny Ventura that you had to have a special tool to repair. The simplicity of the alcohol stove is a big, big plus.

One thing I'd add is that there are some alcohol stove systems like the trangia which present a reasonaby priced cooking set with pots and a fry pan. Then to cover other adverse conditions you can upgrade to gas burner or multi fuel burners later. So can be great to start out and develop. We love the trangia here in the UK and temperate or Northern European regions!

a couple years ago i went through my "alcohol stove" phase, i was obsessed. i tried so hard to make it the best piece of camp gear i owned, but in the end, i pretty much reached the same conclusion as you.

Like said several times by others I agree, you really need to read the manual. Trangia has like three pieces and you failed to assemble it correctly. FYI Finnish Defence Forces have used Trangia for decades.

I enjoy DYI. So I've made a lot of different types of stoves and have used them out in the woods. I love the penny alcohol stove but just like this video points out they have their time and place, their pros and cons. Their biggest pro is making and using gear adds another dimension to your out door hobby.

I totally agree. When I first started buying kit, I bought a Trangia because so many people raved about it, plus its lightweight and indestructible. But, as you said, it takes forever, the fule is heavy, and can be dangerous. So I tossed it in a box and haven't used it since.

I have 3 alcohol stoves and 2 twig stoves. I decided alcohol would be better as a backup than a canister stove for me because of the fuel availability issue. I’m not a ‘hiker’, more of a survivalist. Great video Luke. Thanks for the info!

A very fair assessment, Luke. Personally my outings tend to be shorter so I carry a Trangia with the matching Triangle. It takes up less room in my pack than a canister and the triangle is quite stable on rough ground. It also works just fine up here in our cold Canadian winters. Thanks for the great videos!

A big factor for me with the alcohol stove compared to a canister stove, is the lack of waste. I use a white gas MSR over a cannister, because I don't like throwing away canisters. That makes the alcohol definitely more eco friendly.

Great presentation. I’ve made an alcohol stove, bought a trangia and bought a canister stove. For my over all use the trangia is best alcohol stove but I agree for getting the job done a canister stove is the best for most conditions. For both trangia and canister keeping the fuel warm is a good idea. Canisters and the trangia (as long as the sealing lid works) can be carried next to the body on cold days just for that reason.

I love my DIY alcohol stove where I fine-tune it until it gets the rice cooked when the alcohol is finished. I simply light it, put on my pot and go for my other chore and come back with a pot of perfectly cooked rice. No need to wait and switch off anything and I think this is so cool.

Yellow HEET is the best for this type of stove. I switched to ESBIT Tabs when I solo pack.

Well, Luke, after hearing your spiel I read every comment. Wow, folks are passionate about their alcohol stoves. One dude wrote in saying that if he is upset that he has to spend a few extra minutes heating his food, then he knows he needs to spend more time in the woods. Once, years ago, I bought a pump up stove, went on a camping trip, I want you to know, that frigin’ thing failed right out of the box. Yeah, there is a lot to be said for keeping it simple esp if you are 20 miles out. Enjoyed your video.

Great comments, especially about the weight of the fuel for the spirit burners vs. canister. I agree there is a right time and place for both depending on what you are doing.

I use the gas stove when I am working with children and so generally I need to eat and get back to work. If i am on my own, I like the Trangia stove as I find the light and the quiet very therapeutic. Thanks for the video though, more help during our lockdown in the UK x

The quiet of the alcohol stove and the joy I get from fiddling around with it keep me using them for now. Yellow bottle Heet is the cleanest and most efficient burner. Thanks for the video Luke, I enjoyed it.

I live in Canada. Just spent a week in the North with temperatures hovering just above and below freezing. Canister worked well. No issues. Fast and easy.

I agree with you that you need to use the right stove for the right circumstance. When car-camping I usually have choice of three stoves including the Trangier, canisters and Coleman Duel Fuel (brilliant but heavy). If walking any distance I will use a canister stove. Job done!

Some advice with alcohol stoves; always use a 360 degree windshield, use one that is just fuel up and light(no stand, prime etc.), just use them to boil water. For a through hike the numbers say that a canister is more efficient weight wise. I have used my Zelph Fancy Feast and Minibull Elite clone for over 5 years now, still working great, and 7g/15g each respectively. If I go out with my wife I use a Jetboil type stove.

I completely agree. I think it's the feel of manually refilling up the trangia itself and the whole contained kitchen set. The kettle, the frying pan and pots all fit together cosy contained in itself. I live in Northern Norway and I got gifted a trangia set off a camping friend to encourage me into the game. As much as I love it, I feel like I've got more sentiment attached to it than actual use. I use it every now and again but æ I ended up picking up a gas attachment for it instead 😂

Well done. I appreciate the unbiased information. I've used both and agree completely. Both have there place. The silence of the alcohol stove and its simplicity are very attractive and can make having a cup of tea out in the woods...nice. To cook an entire meal, that's another thing. Again, thanks.

You have confirmed my thoughts about these stoves, I tend to go with the gas canister stove as first choice and the alcohol stove when I fancy a change or mainly want to heat water quietly. The whole process with the gas canister stove just seems easier and it all fits into my stanley cookset. It doesn't get that cold in the uk even in winter and isobutane will mostly be ok here sometimes you have put your hands around the canister to keep it warm especially if the canister is getting low on gas when its really cold here. Like you say it depends where you are and what works for you. Good video gets a thumbs up from me.

For me personally, I prefer an alcohol or gel stove when I am pretty sure I will have the luxury of time, which is most of my overnighters and day hikes. I'm usually not in a hurry to heat up my coffee or my packet meal; I enjoy the process and do not feel rushed... after all, that's what I go into the outdoors for! And I hate the roar of a Pocket Rocket! With gel stoves (at least the ones I've used) you can see the flame, which is quite nice in itself. However, I will choose a canister stove if it's going to be very cold or wet and I will want to get things done quickly or if I was thru/section hiking (I've never done this but plan to!) I know alcohol stoves work better in the cold, but a canister works just fine if you warm it up a little in your pocket or sleeping bag. Just takes a slight bit of forward planning. And as Luke says, I would expect the novelty of an alcohol stove to be lost on me pretty quick on a long trip. Both types have their uses :)

The best is the Fancy Feast stove, .4 to .8 oz works in -30f temps and one of the more efficient.

I agree that there is a place for an alcohol stove but there are better choices. What a person needs to focus on is diversity. If you have many methods of cooking food then you are certainly better prepared. Thank you Luke for pointing out the pros and cons of alcohol as a fuel. Your videos are always top notch.

For hikes of up to 2 days/nights, my alcohol setup is lighter. For 3 days/nights, the weight is about the same as a canister gas stove - for longer durations than that, gas is lighter. Gas is always more efficient, always cleaner, always easier to use, and always faster. But I mostly choose alcohol because I just enjoy it more!

I use all type of stoves, when I have the time I love the fireant trangia combo.

The Caldera Cone, from Trail Designs, makes a BIG difference to the efficiency of alcohol stoves. Not so much the speed of cooking, but definitely the amount of alcohol you'll need for a trip, including in windy conditions. For me, it's what tips the balance in favor of using alcohol stoves because it removes three of the negatives you mention: wind resistance, fuel efficiency and, because you can carry less fuel, weight.

Swedish Army Mess kit works great. Key is the windbreak/base and the tight-fitting mess pots which let you trap and use all the heat.

I chose an alcohol stove as a way to cook in an emergency power loss primarily because they're reasonably safe to use indoors (always use ventilation). So for me fuel weight wasn't an issue. Plus if it ever came to a SHTF situation I like how easy to come by the fuel is.

I have the small trangia stoves I actually like them

I use my homemade alcohol stove almost everyday on my porch to make my coffee. But to cook with I'll probably use my canister stove. But I do enjoy my alcohol stove.

As a former scoutmaster I showed my scouts how to make these. They are easy to make and tend to work as well as purchased stoves. I had one scout spend a weekend building and testing several models to find which ones were the ‘best’. He came back and showed the troop his prototypes and results! I prefer my pocket rocket for ease and speed. In sub zero temps the canister like my water filter is in my bag or in my inside pocket. Thank you for a great review!

Instead of a mind-blowing, this was MIND-FILLING and so informative and conclusive to helping me on my way to deciding what stove and why, for my style of camping. Thanks so much!

I go out into the woods to avoid being in a hurry. Then again, I can get eight meals out an 8 ounce bottle. While I have a lot of stoves, I usually go with one that will let me burn wood or alcohol like a Caldera Ti-Tri or one of my homemade can stoves. I have alcohol when I don't want to fiddle with wood, and wood the rest of the time. If I'm too impatient to wait for my water to boil, I need to be spending more time in the woods.

During my conscript time in army I used standart issued trangia sprii stove and not once I had to refil. But I give u that they are pian in the ass to lit when it’s freezing (which it was most on my time in service) over all quite nice wey to cook meal after harsh day at the forest! Ps. You make great videos keep it going💪🏼

In full agreement. Alco stoves are a lot of fun to use I have a few, but they often work out heavier on multi day hikes incorporating enough fuel, and often takes up just as much capacity as a jetboil system, once including a 500 ml liquid fuel bottle. For reference I use 100ml iso prop gas can 200 grams, and the BRS micro stove, which fits into my 500 ml GSI Glacier pot, and gives 16 boils. I refill the iso prop cans with butane using an adaptor. Cost per 16 boils now 50 UK pence, 16 boils of liquid fuel costs me £4.00 UK pounds. Sound advice from you, great vid, subbed for years but never commented before. Happy trails buddy...Bex

I strap on the 3 burner Colman white gas stove with the collapsible oven. I love the metallic sounds it makes as it clanks off the trees.

Great review--I agree with your assessment. I consider them a novelty, and I will carry as backup but prefer my Jetboil.

The fuel consumption is one of the reasons I often use alcohol stoves. I usually eat one heated meal per day and use about 20 ml alcohol per meal, or about 2/3 of an ounce. So that 8 oz fuel bottle of yours would last me for 11-12 days on the trail and the total weight for fuel, fuel bottle, stove and wind screen add up to about 9 oz in total! (1 oz of volume alcohole isn't 1 oz in weight, it's 0.81 oz of weight, so the alcohole in your bottle weigh in at about 6,5 oz, I guess about 1 oz for the bottle itself, so 7,5 oz total for the fuel. The small canister and the lightest possible stove and wind screen weigh in at about 6.5+1+1 oz, so indeed, it's lighter, but with this set up, I can usually make 8-10 cookings, (or even fewer in low temerature,) so it add up to the about the same weight per meal for me. I can add some effect by using a better (and heavier) stove, so it still add up to about the same! When I use a bigger canister, there is an added weight benefit, but my break even is at about 2 weeks, so it almost never make sense to me (based on weight) to use a canister stove. Of course, if you make more than one hot meal and drink a few cups of coffee or warm beverage per day, that break even would end up in about half a week instead! And also, using a Trangia burner... that's almost 4 oz on it's own! That would move that break even to even less time. So, frequency of hot meals and what kind of burner is used play an immense role to change the weight benefits. It's brought up in the video, and yes, the alcohol stove is a one hit wonder. Once the objective is something else than just heat up water, I'll choose the canister stove every time! 😀 Despite my pride in my DIY alcohol stove. 😉 Thumbs up for the video, I'll say everything in the video is true, but not the entire extent of the truth. YMMV, depending on, but not exclusively, the above criterias.

I love them for one reason, shtf factor. Whenever I make a purchase, I'm usually thinking about how useful it would be in an end of the world scenario. Once manufacturing and gas production comes to a screeching halt, I won't be able to rely on canisters for fuel anymore. Now my pocket rocket is useless. Not to mention that the moving parts of a canister stove will break. Acohol however, is going nowhere. It's been around since before recorded history and will survive as long as people do. And alcohol stoves are bomb proof because theres nothing to break. And so I keep one of these in my bug out bag just in case. My firebox nano is still king though for readily available fuel. And luckily I don't have to choose between the two because they pair together perfectly.

I have a different experience with the alcohol stove known as the Caldera Cone. I agree with your assessment regarding alcohol stoves in general, the Caldera being the exception. I find the Caldera very efficient in terms of fuel usage because of the cone which not only keeps out the wind but also directs virtually all the heat generated from the stove to the pot. (Jetboil is a similar concept for canister stoves, but I don't have one, and won't buy one because of the weight and expense.) With the Caldera Cone I can boil 4 cups of water in 7 minutes using 1.7 Tablespoons of alcohol. (2 Tablespoons = 1 fluid ounce.) So for two people if we use 4 cups of water at breakfast and 3 cups at dinner, I need 1 1/2 fluid ounces of alcohol per full day (less for the first day and last day because we need only dinner on the first day, and only breakfast on the last). Personally, the time savings of what, 3 or 4 minutes compared to canister?, is insignificant. That extra 3 or 4 minutes waiting for the water to boil can be used to enjoy the scenery which is the main reason I backpack! I also love the absolute silence of the alcohol compared to the roar of a canister. And finally I like it that I can calculate exactly how much fuel I need for a trip, so I end up taking that amount and no more.

Great overview! I have the Evernew titanium stove with a titanium windscreen from Amazon and use Everclear grain alcohol on my canoe trips. Quiet mornings on the river with zero stove noise. I still love my canister stoves though! Let you inner gear junky come out and use them all for different adventures! Cheers from Southwest Michigan!

Besides being an excellent review, this video demonstrated exactly what these stoves are good for... heating water. For backpackers and thru-hikers carrying coffee and dehydrated food, these stoves work. For campers wanting to cook meals using regular food these stoves are nearly useless.

Good points and well taken. I have a Trangia and use it on occasion. It's okay. I primarily use a cannister stove because it is the quickest, cleanest option for heating and cooking when temps allow use of it. I also have and use lightweight twig stoves where use of such a stove is permitted. There is never a problem with getting them to burn no matter the temperature and in my location fuel is plentiful for the picking. I'd like to mention that I recently purchased a BCB Firedragon stove and modified it thusly; I sealed the corners of the fuel tray with high temp JB Weld metallic epoxy and then stuffed the tray with two layers of coiled woodstove door gasket material. Fill the tray with HEET and ignite. In calm conditions it will bring 16 ounces of water to a rolling boil in 6-7 minutes depending on conditions. Perhaps not as efficient as other stoves but it is the quickest deploying stove I now own. Just unfold, fill the tray with fuel, light and start heating, but realistically it is only good for heating water. Everything is a compromise when it comes to cooking in the outdoors I guess.

I know this video is a little old. I've been bicycle touring, bikepacking, hiking, and backpacking for over 40 years. I have the cat food can alcohol stove, a BRS canister stove, a Bushcraft stick stove. Used them all. Love them all, hate them all. This is one of the best video comparisons I've seen on this topic. Very well done, sir. A lot of the fun of all of it is testing/playing with gear! However, in the end, it's not about the gear. It's about the adventure and connection with nature, right?

I have a stove addiction :) So whether it's alcohol, gas or wood.... I love them all. The methelated spirits in the UK (denatured alcohol) is pretty clean...only bi-product from burning them is water vapour. I like the silence of an alcohol stove but not the smell.....I like the smell of a wood burner, but not the soot.... I like the speed of a gas stove, but not the noise. Best wishes !

Luke, please give the Ti-Tri system from Trail Designs a try, I love mine. .5oz of fuel will boil 2 cup / 1L of water. That 8oz bottle should boil up to 16L of water 12-10 Stove will boil in 6-8 minutes and very hard to blow out. Luke, your fuel efficiency experience is MUCH different from my own. My summer alcohol setup is 6.3oz for a 1.3L pot wind screen and stove + 2oz for fuel. My Soto windmaster stove, (Very similar to the MSR Pocket Rocket Deluxe) is 3.4oz + 8oz weight (small) fuel can, + 4.6oz pot = 1lb / 16oz for an overnight trip. Essentially double the weight. This assumes you are only planning to boil 4L of water max with the Alcohol setup.

As of today (Oct 2021), the sky rocketing prices of canister fuel is makng alcohol stoves look much better. Also, there are work arounds to most of the cons you mentioned. I've used gas, propane, alcohol and wood over the years - and keep gravitating back to the alcohol stove. However, the convenience and speed of the canister stove is great, were it not for the price of the fuel canisters. Good review on the stoves.

Thanks dude. My wife and I are about to embark on a 5 day hike in mid Wales. We were about to buy an alcohol stove but your vid had been most informative so thankyou for clearing that up for us

Lol .... it seems everytime that I am frustrated by a choice I want to make, you come along and do a video! Thanks Luke! Hope all is well with you and your family!

Well Luke, I can't say ya or na on either systems I've never used them. But I can tell you that was a great video,😊👍👍 Dennis from Delaware

Most honest review of a class of stoves I have read anywhere. Thank you. I like alcohol stoves but have denied the cons. Canister stoves are efficient with the only negative being the noise.

I have used an alcohol stove for decades. They do demand a good wind break as wind does slow the cooking down dramatically. The best is the cook set, of the kind displayed in the video: the wind break is like an inverted bowl and I have never had problems with the cooking speed. As for heat regulation: I use methylated spirits (whatever you call it in the US). One tip I picked up is to add just a small dash of water with your metho, and that brings down the heat of the flame somewhat and it lessens the soot build-up that you can get on your pots. The fuel is available in any supermarket and I found that half a litre lasts a long time when used as I described above. Greetings from Australia.

The Evernew ti stove with the cross stand is kinda pricy but it’s by far my favorite alcohol stove. The markings on the inside makes it easy to use just enough fuel, using it is important for efficiency. It can be used with no stand for lower temp and with for full on boil. The pop can stoves can be a great hobby for budget in mind, fooling around with to get the best performance. The Trangia is by far the best survival minded stove, being able to screw the cap on and no fuel leaking keeps wasting fuel to a min. I’ve have better luck when I keep the alcohol warm, cold alcohol doesn’t light easy. Keeping your trangia or a small fuel bottle in your coat pocket makes things easier.

Good points made, stoves of all types are interesting to stove-aholics! :-) Thanks for posting.

I like using an alcohol burner as a backup for my multi-fuel stove. Most of the time I can use twigs and sticks and keep the alcohol burner for when it rains. I’m not really concerned with how fast my water boils and I like not using single use fuel canisters.

Thanks for the review, I really liked it. As you say, pros and cons, and situation-dependent. I do like the Trangia stove in the right circumstances. One thing I'd add to the discussion on that stove is that in cold circumstances it lights much easier if you pre-warm the fuel. The easiest way I find is to put the fuel in the stove, the lid on securely, and pop it in a pocket while you prep for the meal. It's also worth noting that these are subject to a small amount of sootiness depending on the fuel. If you buy purpose-labelled alcohol fuel that's not an issue. You can also buy straight ethanol quite cheaply, and if it's sold as 100% ethanol it will be less cheap and will burn with a sooty red flame. Hardware store grade is sold more cheaply and can be as low as 95% ethanol, the rest being water. But the cleanest flame is from 90% ethanol 10% water. So yeah, it's fiddly.

I like my Triangia. To me it has the commendable virtue of being extremely quite, with a easy to conceal thermal signature. Gas stoves are pretty useful, but only if I want to advertise my presence, which frankly most of the time I don't. I like to wear earth colour's, move quietly and watch where I am putting my feet. It's amazing just how much more of nature you see that way. Also if I am not at a safe policed camp ground, I prefer to be well away from the route, somewhere I cannot be easily surprised.

I have 3 alcohol stoves in my collection of stoves. I really like my alcohol stoves, but they are a right time right place stove!

We generally use a Kelly Kettle and wood that's laying around for most of our backcountry cooking, but carry a Trangia and a bit of alcohol for days when the twigs in the area are too wet. We were shocked last year when you couldn't find *any* denatured alcohol in Washington State, but you could find Heet. Seems to be a thing in the west, as Arizona didn't have denatured either. The Kelley Kettle is a bit heavy, but the fuel weighs nothing. The Trangia fits nicely inside the Kelly Kettle for heating and inside the pack. The Kelly Kettle protects the Trangia from wind when we're using it.

Got the Trangia 27, 25, Mini and Swedish m/44 army stove. Used as alcohol burning stoves they are silent and efficient and yes can take bit longer in some cases to cook your food. However, I have found at times that bringing an alcohol stove takes my pace down and makes me appreciate the camp situation more. Less stress, thus. I also have a gas burner for my larger Trangias so I can keep the system but pack less weight and bulk if I want to. Outstanding sets for larger groups as well as if I travel by cayak or canoe. If I want to go light I use my small gas burner and a canister. Each system got its pros and cons, it all depends on the situation. Luke, not sure what you were thinking when you set up the Trangia base and windshield...? Keep up the good work and keep those informative videos coming.

I use a mix of a trangia, optimus cruxlite and an esbit emergency stove for my trips, always depends on the situation which one I take

I bring several alcohol stoves to my trips so that I can use the other one when one ran out of fuel as it cannot be refilled when the stove is still hot. I prefer alcohol stoves over canister stove. A huge con of the canister stove is the disposal issue. It is extremely not environmental friendly because the small canister is not fillable. Also you suppose to poke a hole when you dispose the used canister. How many people has ever done that when they dispose it?

Thank you for your honest opinion! Looks like I'm going to go buy the canister stove as well and have both handy in case of emergencies.