The Permanent Portfolio, Investing, Finance and Random Thoughts.
Posts tagged Gear Reviews
Westwind vs Clikstand Trangia Alcohol Stove Stand and Trangia Thoughts
3 months ago
In this review I take ideal indoor conditions and compare performance times to boil 16 ozs. of water. My findings are that the Westwind when run *upside down* is near identical performance to the excellent Clikstand system. When used with a windscreen, both of these systems provide outstanding lightweight performance with the Trangia stove.
The Trangia mini is a neat nesting pan system with simple burner. However the performance is just average. Although I do give it credit for a good all-in-one contained system and decent weight. It is also a good value.
For the money the Westwind stand is a really good deal especially when you buy it with the Trangia burner. Add a cheap aluminum flashing or foil wind screen and you’ll get really good performance for under $25 at most stores!
If you add in the Evernew 0.9L ultralight titanium pot you’ll have a complete cook system for about 10-11 ozs. of weight. This is for a rugged Trangia (4 oz.), simple stand (2.7 oz.) and a good versatile pot (4 oz.).
Sound like a good setup? It is. You can help support my work by ordering one from my Amazon store. 
Thanks for your subscription and comments. If you want to see other gear reviewed or have further questions, send me a note. See you on the trail!
Trangia Westwind Alcohol Stove Stand Review
3 months ago
This stand is shown often with the Trangia burner set in the top section. However a tip I saw online a while back suggested using it upside down (from YouTuber “TheBeebopper”).
This tip has you put the Trangia burner on the ground first and then set the stand over it. In this video I test it both ways to see how much of a difference it makes. And yes, it does make a big difference!
For a price around $20 you get the Trangia burner and the stand. This will give you a cook system around 6-7ozs. very inexpensively to use with your own pans. I like this little stand as an inexpensive and lightweight hiking stove and have used it many times on multi-night and day hikes for hot drinks and food on the trail.
You can find this stand listed in my Amazon store as well as larger Trangia systems for more elaborate cooking needs:
http://www.crawlingroad.com/store
The Trangia stove (in various configurations) is a simple and reliable system that I’ve been using for over a decade. It won’t let you down!
Thanks for watching and your support!
Aquamira Water Purification Chemical Review
4 months ago
Aquamira is a very lightweight water purification chemical. It comes in two parts, mixes easily, and produces water with no bad tastes. This is a good solution for hikers looking to save a lot of weight over a filter. Also, for those that don’t want to deal with a clogging filter, broken parts, busted seals, etc. that many pumps may have.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), chlorine dioxide (the chemical of Aquamira) is one of the best chemical treatments for a wide number of pathogens. A chart detailing the various methods is here:
CDC Backcountry Water Treatment Options
Aquamira is a simple, light and reliable way to get clean water. Highly recommended!
If you want to use a filter, then I highly recommend the Platypus GravityWorks system. It is a great solution as well:
If this review was helpful to you, please consider making your purchase through my Amazon store. It costs you nothing extra but helps support my work. Thanks!
