Thread: Improving the Camping Experience

Originally Posted by 87County

You can reduce the sooting a lot if you add 10-15% water to the metho

Interesting, how far can you dilute it before it looses too much efficiency?

I'd heard of adding cordial, but not water, , ok ignore that, that was for another application or rumor of such...

Originally Posted by Greatsouthernland

Interesting, how far can you dilute it before it looses too much efficiency?

I'd heard of adding cordial, but not water, , ok ignore that, that was for another application or rumor of such...

I suspect that it may reduce efficiency at any %, someone with a scientific outlook could test boiling times with & without....

....but I was just addressing the question of how to reduce sooting.

Personally - I let it soot


...... yet another noun has become an instant verb ! (goodness me - we do bugger up the english language)

Originally Posted by 87County

...... yet another noun has become an instant verb ! (goodness me - we do bugger up the english language)

Yes, happened about 1,100 years ago

British Dictionary definitions for soot
soot
/sʊt/
noun
1.
finely divided carbon deposited from flames during the incomplete combustion of organic substances such as coal
verb
2.
(transitive) to cover with soot


Word Origin
Old English sōt; related to Old Norse, Middle Low German sōt, Lithuanian s'dis, Old Slavonic sa'da, Old Irish sūide
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
? William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 ? HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cite This Source
Word Origin and History for soot
n.

Old English sot "soot," from Proto-Germanic *sotam "soot" (cf. Old Norse sot, Old Dutch soet, North Frisian sutt), literally "what settles," from PIE *sod-o- (cf. Old Church Slavonic sa'da, Lithuanian suod?iai, Old Irish suide, Breton huzel "soot"), suffixed form of root *sed- (1) "to sit" (see sedentary ).
Online Etymology Dictionary, ? 2010 Douglas Harper

But in my experience ,you get old waiting for a Trangia to heat a (Trangia )kettle for a cup of tea.

I ended up putting a Primus burner in the bottom, which was made for Trangias. It clips in the metho hole, and has a flexible hose that screws onto a squat type cartridge.

Don't use it all now as SWMBO dislikes anything Trangia, and will not cook with them, so if I want dinner it had to go.

Now we have the camper trailer which is "pre shmick" so has two of those cast iron burners which do a great job.

We also recently bought the latest tech Companion silicone fold down kettle which is great because it has a really wide base and heats water about twice as fast as the Trangia kettle and takes up very little more space.

We also have a ABR Sidewinder rectangular pan which fits great on the limited size stove and cooks bacon and eggs well.
Regards Philip A

Originally Posted by 87County

I suspect that it may reduce efficiency at any %, someone with a scientific outlook could test boiling times with & without....

....but I was just addressing the question of how to reduce sooting.

Personally - I let it soot


...... yet another noun has become an instant verb ! (goodness me - we do bugger up the english language)

Ethanol is miscible with water in all proportions - ie it's not like putting sugar in your coffee, where it will dissolve a few spoonfulls and then clump up on the bottom of the cup. You can add a drop of water to a litre of ethanol, or a litre of ethanol to a drop of water, and it will mix at a molecular level.

As to how much water you can add to metho (ethanol) and still be able to light it, I'm not scientifically sure. But what I do know that Bacardi 151 proof rum has a flammable liquid warning on the back That is approx 75% alcohol by volume

Originally Posted by PhilipA

But in my experience ,you get old waiting for a Trangia to heat a (Trangia )kettle for a cup of tea.

I ended up putting a Primus burner in the bottom, which was made for Trangias. It clips in the metho hole, and has a flexible hose that screws onto a squat type cartridge.

Don't use it all now as SWMBO dislikes anything Trangia, and will not cook with them, so if I want dinner it had to go.

Now we have the camper trailer which is "pre shmick" so has two of those cast iron burners which do a great job.

We found the wind and temperature conditions affected the use of the Trangia. During winter we found we would use more than twice the amount of fuel than we would in summer to do the same thing. Same with the wind getting the Trangia sheltered did a lot too improve its effectiveness.

Overall we never found it to be that slow. On the other hand, we did try using a butane burner once to make 2-minute noodles. An hour later we were still waiting. When we got back to the caravan park we left it in the camp kitchen for someone else to use.

Gotta agree with teh camper trailer now. Camping is so easy with it.

Just a little post at the end
My Origo metho stove is the type used on boats so is well sealed when not in use Safe to use in confined spaces doesn't generate nasty gases.
I only use it in the camper for brekky or other meals when weather is foul or a late cuppa And metho is readily available I small quantities for these situations
Cheers
Mary

Originally Posted by loneranger

Gotta agree with teh camper trailer now. Camping is so easy with it.

might as well stay in a hotel