DofE Expedition Training:
How to use The Trangia Stove

For many of you who work or volunteer with the running of DofE expeditions in schools, colleges or work with DofE community groups this time of the year would normally be one of the busiest times in your expedition calendar.

You will have been in the midst of planning DofE expeditions and training expeditions for your school pupils or group members when overnight everything has been put on hold! Rightly to ensure we instigate social distancing and keep communities safe. 

We at Mountain Water Expeditions have many years of working closely with DofE expedition groups in schools and colleges. Over that time we have created some amazing resources and activity ideas which we will share in our new series of blogs.

Hopefully these blogs will make your expedition training easier to plan, and lead to a safe, enjoyable expedition season for yourself and your DofE expedition groups when you are able to get out again.

The Trangia Stove

The following blog is all about the use of the Trangia Stove, we have produced a small video to accompany the write up and also a downloadable PDF document for your DofE expedition participants to refer back to.

For many of you the Trangia Stove will form the backbone of your expedition equipment and many of you will have many years’ experience with using this piece of equipment. Hopefully the blog will be of use to your expedition participants while they are stuck at home.

Please follow the following link to access the video are our YouTube channel.

If you found the video useful, please like our YouTube channel so you won’t miss out on further expedition training videos.

Instructions for using the Trangia Stove

Let’s take a look at the various Trangia stove components that make up the stove set.

Standard Trangia Cooker Parts:

  • Windshield – Lower
  • Windshield – Upper
  • Frying pan or Large Lid
  • Two saucepans one measurement on the side
  • Handles
  • Strap
  • Burner unit, lid and simmer ring
  • Yellow plastic bag

Optional Parts:

  • Kettle
  • Gas Burner

The first time you unpack your Trangia stove, remember how it comes apart, so you can repack it the same way again.

To set up and use a Trangia stove is simplicity itself.

Just follow the steps below:



Safety Tips

Although Trangia stoves are designed to be very safe and easy to use, I recommend reading the following safety tips, and always read the Trangia instructions that come with your stove.

  • NEVER refill a lit or hot burner, ALWAYS wait until the burner has cooled down sufficiently enough to be able to hold the burner in your hand before refuelling or use a second burner.
  • NEVER use inside a tent, unless it’s a large, well ventilated porch area, be certain the stove is a safe distance away from any tent fabrics etc.
  • NEVER leave an empty pan on a lit stove (they can melt).
  • Always use the simmering ring (in the closed position) to extinguish the flame, NEVER use the screw top lid as the rubber seal will be damaged.
  • Finally, no ball games, or pets running around whilst you’re cooking (for obvious reasons).

Mountain Water Expeditions is a DofE Approved Activity (AAP) for the Expedition section at all three levels of the award and also the residential section at gold level. 

We have over thirty years of experience of working with schools, colleges and other community-based groups providing DofE expeditions of all levels in the UK and overseas.

Mountain Water Expeditions has undergone external inspections from all the relevant authorities and has been successful in gaining a AALA license, DofE AAP licences for expeditions and the residential section and we hold the Learning Outside the Classroom Quality badge.

We are also approved to run leadership training from British Canoeing and Mountain Training and provide first aid training under the umbrella of Rescue and Emergency Care (REC).