The Trangia is undeniably a good stove. It has good heat output, is lightweight, is even more indestructable than an MSR stove since there are no moving parts and a suitable fuel (alcohol) is widely available world wide.
Which Stove, Petrol, Meths or Gas?
I have had a long running competition with a friend between the Trangia and a Coleman petrol stove for, probably, 25 years. I have had a Coleman petrol stove since the Peak 1 was first imported into the UK in the early 1980s. The stoves arrived before Coleman fuel and so I got used to running it on unleaded petrol from the start. Nowadays, I prefer to use Coleman fuel despite its hideous expense. Camping trips in Canada and the US are a pleasure if only because the price of Coleman fuel is a tiny fraction of what it is here and is available (in Canada at least) just about everywhere, including supermarkets. I also have an MSR multi-fuel XGK.
I have had a long running competition with a friend between the Trangia and a Coleman petrol stove for, probably, 25 years. I have had a Coleman petrol stove since the Peak 1 was first imported into the UK in the early 1980s. The stoves arrived before Coleman fuel and so I got used to running it on unleaded petrol from the start. Nowadays, I prefer to use Coleman fuel despite its hideous expense. Camping trips in Canada and the US are a pleasure if only because the price of Coleman fuel is a tiny fraction of what it is here and is available (in Canada at least) just about everywhere, including supermarkets. I also have an MSR multi-fuel XGK.
Mostly these days I use the MSR. This is not very adjustable; either hot or very hot is about the only control you have. It is also very noisy; don't expect to have a sneaky brew without waking your colleagues. The advantage of the MSR is its servicing capabilities in the field; if you carry a set of spares it is virtually indestructible. And its multi-fuel capability means that you should not run out fuel, anywhere. I have run it on Coleman fuel and petrol. The latter does tend to cause soot to develop but with regular cleaning and pricking of the jet this is not a problem. MSR stoves can run on a multitude of other fuels, including diesel and paraffin but I have never tried them. The latter two will burn hotter than petrol - if you are into melting Glacier ice or need more charcoal in your diet.
On a recent trip to Spain I was seduced by the sheer convenience of butane / propane gas.
For heat output, convenience, controllability, and cleanliness, gas wins every time. I had an MSR "multifuel" gas stove. Multifuel because it fitted different types of canister "readily available all over Europe". A great stove, if you can find these "readily available" cannisters; believe me they were few and far between. I spent a significant amount of fruitless time scouring villages for Gas and had to "eat out" a lot more than we intended. I swore never again to be without an MSR stove and a fuel bottle. That said, we did enjoy eating out and ate in some interesting places and ate some interesting "things". Ask my wife about the "Pollo de Rollo".
Coleman Peak 1
MSR XGK
MSR Gas
Yes, I am warming a baby's bottle...
Trangia
No, this is not one of my recipes...
They are impressive in all weathers; in fact I think in high winds they work even better. I just prefer the roar of pressurised petrol; maybe its a boy thing.