Trangia 27-2 UL Review

Overview

The Trangia 27-2 UL is a complete kitchen in a single stack: two 1 L saucepans, an 18 cm frying pan, a 0.6 L kettle, a spirit burner and a two-part windshield, all nesting into a cylinder 18.5 cm across and 10 cm tall. It is designed for one or two people who want real cooking, in real weather, from a stove with no moving parts. The trade-off is in the name: “UL” refers to the alloy, not the base weight, and at 825 g this is a system for comfort-minded walkers rather than gram counters.

Key Specs

Spec	Detail
Weight	825 g
Packed size	18.5 x 10 cm
Material	Ultralight aluminium (5005 alloy)
Saucepans	2 x 1.0 L (one inner, one outer)
Kettle	0.6 L
Frying pan	18 cm (doubles as a lid)
Burner	Spirit (alcohol) burner with simmer ring and lid
Output	Roughly 1,000 W
Fuel	Denatured alcohol / methylated spirits
Group size	1–2 people
Strap	61 cm
Made in	Sweden

Performance

Wind and weather. The Trangia’s reputation rests on its windshield, and owners keep returning to it. A rigid two-part aluminium shield surrounds the brass burner and also serves as the pot stand. Owners describe the flame staying lit in very high wind and driving rain, and a Trailspace reviewer who tested a 27-series set in a storm reported hot meals despite what he called terrifying gusts. Outdoor writer Chris Townsend notes a small trick: holes around one side of the windshield base can be turned into the wind to feed the burner more air, which raises the heat but costs fuel efficiency.

Boil times and fuel. Output is modest. Townsend recorded 8 minutes 20 seconds to boil a litre in the standard pot, using about 25 ml of fuel. Users of the wider 27 series suggest adding roughly 30 percent to the boil times of a white-gas or canister stove, and report weaker performance at very high altitude, above about 14,000 feet. The payoff is the broad base of the shield, which keeps a loaded pot stable, and a pot that sits close to the flame inside a windbreak rather than losing heat to the breeze.

Simmering and cooking. Here the Trangia beats most backpacking stoves. The included simmer ring drops over the burner, and a movable lid covers part of the fuel well to lower the flame. Townsend calls it a fairly crude device that works quite well, and it can snuff the flame entirely. Add a frying pan and aluminium pots that spread heat evenly, and this is a stove for cooking fresh food, not just rehydrating it. The 27-size pans are small enough that hot spots are less of a problem than in the bigger 25 series.

Noise and upkeep. The burner is silent. There is nothing to pump, prime or clog, and long-term owners say maintenance amounts to replacing the burner’s O-ring every couple of years. Durability is a selling point: Townsend reports that his own Trangia is more than 40 years old and still working.

Weight and bulk. This is where the ultralight crowd balks. Backpacking Light forum members have long argued that calling the 27 “ultralight” is more marketing than fact, even with the stronger 5005 alloy, which is about 50 percent stronger than standard 1050 aluminium. Trailspace reviewers noted the same thing, describing the set as bulky and a fair bit of pack space. The kettle adds roughly 100 g over the kettle-less 27-1 UL, which is listed at about 720 g. The kettle set also comes only with the spirit burner, since a gas burner won’t fit alongside it when packed. Fuel has to be carried too, and Trailspace reviewers warn that elaborate meals mean carrying a lot more of it.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Excellent wind protection from an integrated, rigid windshield
• Real simmer control, and a frying pan for actual cooking
• Silent, with no moving parts to fail
• Fuel is cheap and easy to find worldwide
• Very long service life, and Swedish-made

Cons

• 825 g before fuel is heavy by thru-hiking standards
• Slow to boil compared with canister or white-gas stoves
• Bulky 18.5 x 10 cm cylinder takes a good share of a small pack
• Weak performance in cold or at high altitude
• Kettle version can’t be paired with a gas burner

Who Should Buy This

The 27-2 UL suits two people on multi-day trips in wet, windy country such as Scandinavia or the British hills. It also suits anyone who cooks real meals on the trail, and anyone who values a stove that will outlive several packs. It makes a good base for canoe trips, hut-based walking and family outings. Thru-hikers and gram counters should look elsewhere: a canister stove with one pot, or a small alcohol setup with a windscreen, weighs a fraction as much. Solo hikers who mainly boil water will also carry a lot of kettle and pan they never use.

Verdict

The Trangia 27-2 UL is among the most weatherproof and dependable cooking systems you can buy, and one of the few that simmers well. It is also too heavy and bulky for weight-focused backpacking. Buy it for storm-proof cooking for two; skip it if base weight is your main concern.