Plus and minus of different fuels for multi fuel burners?

[elkatsa]

Hallo all.
I intend to buy a multi-fuel burner (like trangia, Nova +, Primus Omni, …) so I can continue hammock camping even during winter.
I would like to know what are the plus and minus of the different fuels that can be used.
Anyone knows?
Also I would like to know where I can buy each different fuels from; is it from gas stations or elsewhere? In case it makes any difference, I live in Europe (Finland).
Many thanks!

[Lofty]

I have an Optimus - Nova+ , and been really happy with it. I've only used Kerosene and white gas(coleman camp fuel).
the kerosene did cause LOTS of soot on the bottom of the pots - but performed well.
White gas is what I use - it's cheap (relatively), nice and hot, primes quick and doesn't blacken up my pots. I'm in Canada so I can't suggest where you buy in Finland - perhaps a camping supply store?

I do know the Nova+ can burn diesel - which you should be able to fill your fuel bottle at a gas station.

[sturgeon]

I can only speak about Trangia. It's not multifuel. Just use ethyl or methyl alcohol in the burner. It might be dangerous to try some other type of fuel--definitely do not use gasoline!

Alcohol (methyl hydrate, methylated spitits, etc) is less efficient than other fuels, but it is foolproof, silent, and available in every hardware store. In winter you might want to use a more efficient fuel, especially if you need to use a lot of fuel to melt snow.

But the windscreen base has a hole in it so you can feed a hose through it from a fuel bottle and then use a different type of burner in that windscreen (like a whisperlite, etc).

[shumway]

Trangia sells a propane burner that will fit their windscreens. I think it uses standard canisters. Like sturgeon said, their regular burner is for alcohol only. Using any petroleum based fuel is very dangerous.

[shumway]

Whoa... Just checked Trangia's site. They show a multifuel burner now. It looks like many of the others out there with the pressurized fuel bottle and hose to the burner. It appears to be matched to the windscreen of the 25 or 27 series. Cool. Except that the reason I bought a Trangia was to get away from petroleum based fuels.

[PDA]

Here's a Trangia type alcohol stove (an Evernew) being used on snow, so you can expect a Trangia or soda can stove to work effectively at pretty low temperatures. Using the trangia windshield and stand system keeping the stove off the cold ground would make it work even better
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BZN_7H1an0

In my experience, winter temperatures in Finland tend to be pretty extreme and for temperatures below, say, -20C gasoline type liquid fuels are probably better. Althoug
h not multifuel, and recommending "white gasoline" only, the Optimus SVEA 123 is a great classic strove with a very high reliability record.
I believe that COleman White Gas is known as Naptha in Scandinavia and is probably the best fuel to use, as it is a pure gasoline product, whereas automotive gasline contains additives. Lead free gasoline can also be used in a multifuel burner, although you may need to change the jets for each type of fuel depending on the make.

[born2roam]

Hi there,

the Trangia multi fuel is afaik, a licensed copy of the Optimus nova. Burns white gas, diesel and other liqued fuels, but, afaik, not lpg (the gas canisters with a mix of propane, butane and sometimes isobutane, like Primus, Coleman etc.).

I bought a Primus Omnifuel, took off the legs so I can use it in my Trangia setup. Now I have a complete kitchen that can burn alcohol (rot sprit) with the regular Trangia burner and in a pinch with the Primus Omnifuel lpg, diesel,kerosene, whitegas (coleman fuel in my case).

A great winter setup, though not particularly lightweight.

Don't know about Finland but in Sweden the rot sprit (alcohol) you just get in the supermarket, lpg canisters I fount in several outdoorsy stores, the same with white gas and other liq. fuels, not to mention that you could get the latter one at a gas station.

In Holland though, you officially need to buy at least 5 ltrs of petrol at the gas station so showing up with a .6 ltr bottle to fill might be a bit of a challenge.

I would go for the Omnifuel. Hope this helped a bit, good luck anyway.

Grtz Johan

[elkatsa]

Thank you all. Your responses are very useful to me.
Dear PDA, you are right about the low temperatures in Finland. Even in Helsinki (which is at the South-est part of Finland), the temperature can drop even below -20C during winter. For me it will be the first time this year that I will do winter camping and I will start with more mild weather (e.g -5C). But I would like the burner I will buy to stand strong and effective for much lower temperatures (so it can support me later on when I decide to go outdoors even when it gets - "a lot" C)