Product Review - Trangia Alcohol Burner

Last year, I found a treasure at Goodwill - an antique "motoring" basket.  It was beautiful, mostly complete and in remarkably good condition - especially for its age.  Motoring baskets are very difficult to come by.  They hail from the halcyon days of motoring - when the journey itself was the true adventure and the destination was merely a pleasant diversion.  The baskets came equipped with everything a proper family would require to enjoy their tea time whilst traveling - tins for sandwiches and biscuits, tea cups and saucers, plates, silverware and a kettle and burner for brewing tea.  Even the basket itself was designed for the in-basket heating of water with nickel clad wicker around the burner assembly.

As I said, the basket was very nearly complete, but not entirely.  One enamel tea cup was missing, but, more importantly, the tea kettle was missing.  The original burner and water tank were in tact, but without the kettle, my basket was sorely lacking. 

The water tank nestled over the burner

I spent the better part of a year searching in vain for a kettle that would work for my basket.  It had to be small, with a folding handle.  It required a lip around the bottom of the kettle so that it would sit securely atop the burner assembly without slipping and I preferred stainless steel to aluminum. 

One day, flipping through The Sportsman's Guide, I came across what looked to be the perfect kettle.  It was small, stainless steel, had a folding handle and best of all, it was inexpensive.  I ordered the kettle and anxiously awaited its arrival. 

My new kettle - it is a perfect fit!

Once the kettle arrived, I pulled my basket down from its perch and with Sir Knight's help, readied the burner for our first test run.  I filled the water kettle with water, just to make sure that it didn't leak and proceeded to rinse out the alcohol burner.  Water gushed out of the bottom of the burner!  I had never closely inspected the burner - if I had, I would have noticed that there were numerous tiny areas that had small holes.  These holes rendered the burner assembly useless.  I was crestfallen!  My beautiful basket was nothing more than a pretty face - and although I am a hopeless romantic, I expect everything I have to be not only beautiful but practical.

It was Sir Knight who saved the day.  He suggested that we buy an alcohol burner.  He knew of one that was based on a hundred year old design with a proven track record.  The burner was small, so it would fit tidily into the basket and may even fit under the water tank just like the original burner.  We ordered two burners (Sir Knight had always wanted one for his multi-fuel stove) and waited to see how they would work.

The Trangia Spirit Burners arrived within the week.  At first I was a little concerned, thinking they were only designed to be used in a specific lamp or stove, however, my misgivings were unfounded as they performed admirably as a stand-alone unit.

The burner is made in Germany

Sitting in my burner assembly

These little burners don't require wicks of any kind.  They burn denatured alcohol, which burns incredibly clean - no black soot on the bottom of the kettle!  What really surprised me was how hot they burned!  We filled the burner with alcohol, took the top off, placed the burner in the basket assembly and touched it with a lighter.  Blue flames began to grow and as the burner warmed up the flames grew.  We positioned the kettle over the flame and waited.  Within 12 minutes steam was shooting from the tea kettle spout!  We had attained a full rolling boil.  Tea was served!

Merrily heating away

They burn denatured alcohol

The burner comes equipped with a screw-on cap so that you can leave fuel in it and transport it without any leakage.  The cap does have a gasket, however, the gasket must be removed before extinguishing the flame.  Once the unit has cooled, unscrew the cap, replace the gasket and screw the lid back onto the burner.  Quick, easy and painless!

Sir Knight tried his burner in the multi-fuel stove and was equally impressed.  It was easy to start, compact enough to transport and provided an instant, reliable cooking method while in the bush.  Denatured alcohol is inexpensive and stores well, making it a solid preparedness essential.  This little burner, in concert with a multi-fuel stove, would be a perfect cooking back-up during a power outage or other natural disaster, not to mention being just the right size to tuck into your first line gear or hiking pack.

Burning in a multi-fuel stove

We are now equipping all of our packs with these spirit burners.  They are inexpensive, lightweight and reliable - just right for your pack, your car or your house.  And, if you're a romantic survivalist - just right for your motoring basket!

Survival Net - Expedient Hide/Blind

Apparently Joe Nobody knew what he was talking about when he said that a survival net was an indispensable survival tool.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, we field tested the survival net by using it to string up a hammock in our woods.  The only equipment that was required, other than the netting, was a few lengths of paracord and a multi-tool (to help loosen the knots after using the hammock).  The hammock worked so well that we decided to put the netting to the test in yet another survival application.

Realizing that a hide or a blind may be of paramount importance in any number of survival situations, we decided to see how the netting would perform in that capacity.  First, Master Hand Grenade located a likely place to construct the hide.  He chose a well traveled path that was sure to see a lot of traffic so that he could determine if the hide was truly effective.

After using paracord to secure the netting between two trees (the netting was placed at about eye level), Master Hand Grenade went about finding local foliage to weave into the netting to create an almost invisible blind.  It took awhile to gather enough materials to adequately  fill in the net, and Master Hand Grenade had to be careful to go far enough into the woods to cut branches and twigs, so that there weren't fresh cut marks near the hide.

Tying the net off to the tree

The back side of the hide

Twenty minutes after this venture began, an intruder found her way onto the path.  Miss Serenity took her motorcycle to the woods to locate her dad and brother.  She took the path most often traveled looking for signs of activity.  Seeing none, she made her way up the hill, and then, out of no where, Sir Knight and Master Hand Grenade scrambled out from their hide!  It was a complete success.  Miss Serenity hadn't seen a thing.

Can you see the hide?

How about now?

Invading forces

The survival net hide

Again the survival net proved to be invaluable.  Not only did it make an adequate emergency hammock it also provided top notch concealment.  At this point, I can say with some authority that every kit or bug out bag is not complete without a survival net.  As much as I don't want to consider the fact that we may need concealment from our fellow man, I can tell you that if we do, I want my survival net at the ready.

Simple Survival - Investing in the Stock Market

For most people, the headlines jumping off the pages of newspapers and websites would give them pause for thought before taking a leap and investing in the Stock market.  With a seriously bearish market, the dow tanking and economic forecasters projecting nothing but doom and gloom, one might think it wise to stash their money in their mattress - but not us.  Sir Knight and I have come to realize that this is the best possible time to capitalize on our investments.  The stock market seemed like the logical choice.

A few things you must consider when entering the Stock market for the first time....

1. Not all Stocks are created equal.  Take the Vietnam era triangle stock, for example.  While proven in the field, and now considered very retro, it may not suit all applications or environments.   After careful consideration, we found that the MOE stock manufactured by Magpul was the perfect fit for our portfolio. 
2. Dress for success.  While an OD and black tiger stripe stock may be your preference and also be appropriate for your normal, everyday environment, it will falter in a winter/snowy environment.  A prudent investor would be sure to have a diversified portfolio, including a stock finished in snow camouflage. The snow camouflage is sure to round out an investors holdings.  Likewise, an investor living in desert terrain would see the wisdom of acquiring the necessary furniture for his particular region.
3. Keep it simple.  The standard bedded walnut stock will keep your National Match rifle up to collectors standards, therefore increasing its earning potential in the future. 
4. Gateway to commodities trading.  Choosing to enter the Stock market will open a conduit for numerous opportunities, not the least of which is commodities trading.  Joining a local group, such as "The Redneck Stock Exchange" will enable an investor to explore the world of trading precious metals such as lead and brass.
5. Hedging against inflation with tangibles.  The Stock market, in general, is a perfect opportunity to protect our investments against inflation.  You can turn your American Fiat cash into tangible investments, which, of course, can then be used in commodities trading.

Tiger Stripe (OD and black)

Tiger Stripe
Walnut
Snow Camouflage

MOE Stock by Magpul

Remember, invest carefully.  It's a jungle out there! (Hence, the Tiger Stripe).