Trangia Westwind Alcohol Stove Evaluation.

Trangia Westwind Alcohol Stove Evaluation.

Short version:

IMNTBHO – This is a VERY GOOD BOB burner / stove. Using either Ever Clear grain alcohol or Denatured Alcohol from a paint store, it raised a quart of water from 69 degrees F to a rolling boil in 15 minutes. Packs light, small, and if using Ever Clear – you can drink the fuel.

Long Version:

Evaluation consists of Trangia alcohol burner and Westwind “stove”.

Trangia burner is about 3 inches in diameter and is about 3 inches tall. 

The “stove” is three flat shaped pieces of thin aluminum that hooks together to form a triangle that has a place to put the burner and put a pot on top of.

Evaluated

Trangia alcohol burner and Westwind “stove”

Testing conditions:

1 1/2 quart covered pot, slightly wider than tall – at room temperature.
1 quart of water – temperature measured after sitting in the pot for 5 minutes. Pot was covered during heating tests except for 30 seconds every 5 minutes for temperature check.
3 oz of alcohol in trangia burner positioned in Westwind stove.
Time check – to fully vaporized flame and then 
Every 5 minutes until 30 minutes or rolling boil

Tested fuel:

70 % Isopropyl Alcohol – purchased at a local Walgreens
70 % Ethyl Alcohol (ETOH) – purchased at a local Walgreens
Denatured Alcohol – purchased at a local Paint store
190 proof Ever Clear – purchased at a local liquor store

Test Results:

Time to heat stove before a fully vaporized flame appeared varied from 10+ minutes with the isopropyl alcohol to 8 minutes with the ETOH to less than a minute with either one of the other two.

Isopropyl Alcohol – 30 minutes – 69 degrees to 197 degrees. Significantly noticeable fume smell
ETOH – 30 minutes – 70 degrees to rolling boil. 25 minutes to 197 degrees. Significantly noticeable fume smell

Denatured Alcohol – Ever Clear – identical results. No real noticeable fume smell
5 minutes from 70 degrees to 100 degrees.
10 minutes went from 100 degrees to 150 degrees
15 minutes rolling boil.

The Westwind triangle is not a good wind break. To effectively heat/cook with the burner, you’ll need to provide a wind break or a lot of heat will blow away.

Why do I think it should be in used? 

1. In wet or cold or wet/cold weather the ability to have a warm to hot cup of water / tea / soup / whatever could be the difference between just being miserable and dead. Plus the occasional hot drink / food is a significant moral booster.

2. It packs small and light.

3. Most any alcohol will work in it – including whiskey/vodka/rum. It takes longer to get a fully vaporized flame but as it’s getting going, you can too with the same alcohol.

Note – some folks swear by the alcohol based product named HEET. I’m sure it works as well as a number of other alcohol based products will.  I’m not sure as to the cost benefit on those. For what I tested, you got a lot of heat for a few bucks EXCEPT for Ever Clear. It is a bit expensive but if you’re backpacking and have Ever Clear as you fuel, any leakage onto food is still edible. Everything else I tested was listed as being unable to be made non-poisonous.

Salty’s Note: As with all of the reviews and evaluations we present, we are neither affiliates nor do we use affiliate links with any items or companies. In other words, we have no dog in the hunt.