# Paraffin Camping Stoves



## vernon (22 Apr 2009)

Does anyone still use paraffin camping stoves? How do they compare against trangias?

I acquired a couple of paraffin stoves several years ago and promptly stashed them out of sight of my wife who objects to the clutter that I accumulate.

I've just unearthed them and fancy giving one a go on a short tour.


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## willem (22 Apr 2009)

I have used pressurised parafine stoves for almost all my camping life. I think they are great - but traditionally heavy. I now have an Optimus Nova multifuel stove runing on parafin, and used inside a Trangia 25: quite light and unbelieveably powerful. Parafin stoves really are a lot faster than meth burners such as the unsupported Trangia. However, they are also heavier. A better comparison is with petrol stoves, to which they show great similarity. Petrol is slightly more powerful, but also more toxic and explosive. With modern multifuel burners you can even choose which fuel to use.
Willem


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## vernon (22 Apr 2009)

willem said:


> I have used pressurised parafine stoves for almost all my camping life. I think they are great - but traditionally heavy. I now have an Optimus Nova multifuel stove runing on parafin, and used inside a Trangia 25: quite light and unbelieveably powerful. Parafin stoves really are a lot faster than meth burners such as the unsupported Trangia. However, they are also heavier. A better comparison is with petrol stoves, to which they show great similarity. Petrol is slightly more powerful, but also more toxic and explosive. With modern multifuel burners you can even choose which fuel to use.
> Willem



I'm not too concerned about the weight and unconcerned about petrol options as the ones that are in my possession are vintage Primus and Burmos presurrised paraffin stoves which can not use petrol.

How about things like paraffin spills, fumes and food tainting?


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## ASC1951 (22 Apr 2009)

vernon said:


> How about things like paraffin spills, fumes and food tainting?


I've got a small collection of vintage Primus stoves too; even a Burmos, although the quality isn't as good, and a couple of Indian imitations.

The only one I used in anger was an Optimus 96 like this 
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1970s?-OPTIMU...ItemQQimsxZ20090420?IMSfp=TL090420128002r7794

an absolutely brilliant bit of kit - powerful, beautifully made, simple and totally reliable. Best small stove I have ever used.

Paraffin stoves do need care to stop the raw fuel tainting your food, although the burnt gases are fine. Petrol is far more penetrating but evaporates off. Paraffin is of course much safer and produces noticeably more heat per cc. IMO the only things that beat a paraffin Optimus are a stoves like a Whisperlite if you are a weight weenie or a gas Trangia if you really can't do with the smell.


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## psmiffy (22 Apr 2009)

I am somewhat middle aged and my memories of the smell of fry ups as a kid car touring with my parents around europe in the early 60s still lingers - the large chunk of primus brass was immensly reliable , could be subtle in operation and easily outperformed in both performance and certainly in safety the small petrol stoves it replaced - It lived in a large biscuit tin upright in the boot so spills were never a problem - it was serviced and maintained by my father who never cooked so food tainting was also not a problem - in operation it was efficient at burning the fuel so the fumes were relatively innocuous - however as an adjunct to cycle touring.........


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## andym (22 Apr 2009)

I've been feeling my age as well - singing 'Blue blue blue blue/Esso Blue' not to mention 'Smoke gets in your eyes'. 

But can you still get paraffin these days? I was talking to someone recently who was complaining about having to pay an arm and a leg to get paraffin on special order from his marina.


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## psmiffy (22 Apr 2009)

Paraffin -Garden shops and DIY - it is the staple of greenhouse heaters


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## vernon (22 Apr 2009)

andym said:


> I've been feeling my age as well - singing 'Blue blue blue blue/Esso Blue' not to mention 'Smoke gets in your eyes'.
> 
> But can you still get paraffin these days? I was talking to someone recently who was complaining about having to pay an arm and a leg to get paraffin on special order from his marina.



What goes around comes around.

When I was a kid some local garages used to have coin operated paraffin dispensors while others had bulk storage tanks. The dispensors and storage facilities diappeared along with the paraffin room heaters that were the main consumers of paraffin.

Paraffin is now once again freely available on garage forecourts prepackaged in gallon containers and costing £5 or so per gallon. It's kept with coal, BBQ briquettes and kindling wood.


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## andym (22 Apr 2009)

vernon said:


> Paraffin is now once again freely available on garage forecourts prepackaged in gallon containers and costing £5 or so per gallon. It's kept with coal, BBQ briquettes and kindling wood.



Ah right, you can tell I don't own a car!


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## ASC1951 (22 Apr 2009)

psmiffy said:


> I am somewhat middle aged and my memories of the smell of fry ups as a kid car touring with my parents around europe in the early 60s still lingers - the large chunk of primus brass was immensly reliable , could be subtle in operation and easily outperformed in both performance and certainly in safety the small petrol stoves it replaced - It lived in a large biscuit tin upright in the boot


Bloody hell! I must be exactly the same vintage - my dad insisted on cooking on a Primus whenever we went on holiday and he kept it a big Smiths Crisps tin, too. In fact in windy weather he even cooked with it still in the tin, through a cunning arrangement of cutouts like an metal Advent calendar.

Did they all go to Army Primus School before being shipped off to National Service, or in my dad's case the last years of WW II?


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## vernon (23 Apr 2009)

ASC1951 said:


> Bloody hell! I must be exactly the same vintage - my dad insisted on cooking on a Primus whenever we went on holiday and he kept it a big Smiths Crisps tin, too. In fact in windy weather he even cooked with it still in the tin, through a cunning arrangement of cutouts like an metal Advent calendar.
> 
> Did they all go to Army Primus School before being shipped off to National Service, or in my dad's case the last years of WW II?




I've got one lurking around in a biscuit tin somewhere that is out of the sight lines of my wife. Thing is - it's currently out of my sight lines too and I don't know where I've stashed it. 

I've just had a couple of test firings of a Burmos and a Thermidor stove in the kitchen and the back door is now open to disperse the vapours. There's one or two sealing washers needing attention.

One of them will be accompanying me to Knockengorroch in late May as I fancy a more rapid and comprehensive fry up than the Trangia can deliver.


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## psmiffy (24 Apr 2009)

ASC1951-My dad was a blue job they would not have let him into any sort of army training school - the primus was the result of one of the petrol stoves having a bit of a flare up by the side of the Rhine followed by my mother having a bit of a flare up


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## Johnny Thin (12 Feb 2010)

I was looking to get my Whisperlite petrol stove from the 90s out again to use to melt some lead down, only the pump had sprung a leak and I never got round to replacing the wire that goes down the middle, so I just got an MSR Dragonfly from Field and Trek half-price for £57 inc P&P. This burns gasoline-type with one jet and parrafin, diesel or jet fuel with the other. I tried it with paraffin last night and it seems great, much cheaper and safer than Coleman Fuel (purified petrol) and unleaded was always a nightmare to keep the stove free-running and it stank and sooted up everything. Haven't tried the other 2 yet but paraffin is looking great so far, whenever with any luck I should get the chance to do some more backpacking.


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## valleyold boy (12 Feb 2010)

I,ve got the tin and stove in my shed in france (taken into care from my wifes dad),however the French have superb parafin room heaters,nil smell,electronic control,I tried to by one at home this winter,no chance !


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## Ergle (13 Feb 2010)

+1 for the Optimus Nova - I have one and am very happy with it. It's lightweight and packs down into the neat little bag that comes with it. The windshield is a piece of heavy duty aluminium foil - not sure how long it'll last. I chose it over the MRS whisperlite because it got better reviews, but having seen an MSR in action subsequently, there's not much between them except the price )MSR much cheaper).
The fuel bottle goes in one of the bottle carriers on the bike - its the same size as a bidon. I have had no issues with smell
The main reason I got a paraffin stove was because I like the noise they make. A proper camping sound!!


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## Headgardener (14 Feb 2010)

Somewhere in the garage is a paraffin stove in a large biscuit tin that belongs to my dad. He used to use it when camping with the Rover Scout troop he ran in birmingham.

<Whistful mode. _Might look it out at some point_. Whistful mode.>


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## Fnaar (16 Feb 2010)

Get a Kelly Kettle
https://kellykettle.com/


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## nigelb (16 Feb 2010)

I still use a primus (compact one, assemble out of a tin) when camping - nothing like it for boiling water fast - but flat gas stoves for frying bacon and eggs (the primus is just too hot!).

Touring on a bike, I think the smell and taint of paraffin will be a problem,and with space at a premium you won't have the option of putting all the "smelly" stuff together, away from everything else? 

Often fancied a Kelly Kettle, are they any good?

Nige


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## andym (16 Feb 2010)

nigelb said:


> Often fancied a Kelly Kettle, are they any good?



If you're in the market for a wood-burning stove the Bush Cooker
is well worth considering.


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## Fnaar (16 Feb 2010)

nigelb said:


> Often fancied a Kelly Kettle, are they any good?



Got one last birthday... have to be honest and say I haven't tried it out yet, but I will. The concept is simple, and should work a treat, methinks.


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