When I started camping for slaloms and other paddling events I needed a new stove and after looking at a number of options (spirit burners, gas stoves etc) I settled on the Optimus Nova+. Why did I choose the Nova+? It produces a similar heat output to a gas stove and burns petrol which can be bought almost anywhere.
After using the Nova+ plus for a while I came to realise that the aluminum windshield that is supplied with the stove was tricky to use, not very sturdy and not that effective. I liked the stove and was impressed by its performance but something had to be done about the windshield.
While looking for a spares kit to service my stove I noticed that Optimus manufacture an adapter to mount the burner of a Nova/Nova+ stove inside the windshield of a Trangia. I had used Trangia stoves in the past and knew that they were sturdy, lightweight and compact. When a local camping store had a Trangia 25-2UL (ultra-light, large with kettle) on sale I decided to buy one and try the adapter. (continue reading…)