Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting small wood stoves and hunters tipi/tents

I have read a number of threads in this forum from 2007-2008 about Kifaru and TiGoat tipis and small wood stoves. The Four Dog titanium small wood stove was also mentioned.

I am interested in the performance of any and all backpackable small wood stoves in hunter's tipi/tents.

My property is on a ridge next to Glacier National Park. I have experienced -41 F. That was a historic weather record, but it does give an idea how cold it can get around here.

I would like to snowshoe camp. I have a pulk but I would rather backpack. I haven't decided on what tipi/tent or wood stove I will have.

I started a thread at a forum for backpacking stoves: small wood stoves for "hunter's tents" and I have listed all the threads that I read over here.

The use of the titanium foil or the stainless steel foil is more than interesting. These roll-up foil stove pipes have made backpacking a wood stove, for keeping the hunter's tipi/tent warm, a reasonable weight and bulk to carry.

The people who own a tipi/tent or a small wood stove for heat have had more experience and I have more questions than I have seen answered in older posts here in the forum.

I would like to know the temperature difference from outdoor temperature to the temperature inside the tipi or tent for backpacking wood stoves use for heat in a tipi/tent.

I have some concerns about using titanium foil or stainless steel foil for the stove "firebox" body. Has this worked out over the past two or three years?

In particular, did the stoves warp and leak smoke and unburned gasses into the tipi/tent? Did they always leak some smoke and unburned gasses into the tipi/tent? If so, after the draft started well could you close up the tipi/tent?

I can give you a bit of info about the Kifaru Tipis and stoves.
I've used the paratipi and small stove for about 6 or 7 years and the 6 man and large stove for about 5 or 6 years.

Both have there place. I solo alot so packing the 6 man and large stove is not practical for me. The para and small stove are very handy and what I use for backpacking. If you are wanting to use them for winter and have a pulk the larger one would be no problem. I've used both down to about -25C in the winter and would have no problem using the 6 man down to -30C or so. The stoves will not burn through the night so you need to make sure your sleeping bag is up to the task.I'm not sure about the temp. difference but can say that I've been driven out of my tent more than once when I got a little carried away with the feeding!! The only problem I've had with stove smoking was related to operator error... starting with wood that was to large or having clogged spark screens. No problems with failure of either stove and I've run both cherry red at times. The tents have worked out really well for me as well. They are light,easy to set-up and have been through some really miserable weather. The only issue some might have is condensation as they are single walled. I use the liner in the 6 man and this is no longer a problem. I make sure the para Tipi is vented a bit and that takes care of a lot of it and the stove takes care of the rest along with drying your clothing and keeping you warm etc.There is enough air leakage
through the zippers, stove jack, open floor etc. to not cause a problem with CM . I'm a bit of a gear junkie and I'm always looking at new equipment,but after buying the 2 tent/stove combos I've stopped looking further. Now as far as rifles , packs etc that a different story.;)

Hope this helps

SJ

This stove, left to burn down from a full stoke,



in this tipi (8-man)



gives this temperature differential with and without a reflectix liner:



Inside Temp recorded at stove height ~ three feet away from stove.

Now that is my kind of reply/data!!!

I hope others notice.

However, I would be very happy only with words.

Glacier,

I have been running wood stoves in nylon tents/tipis since the mid 1980's. I built stoves for Kifaru for 7 years and designed their current stove. I have continued to experiment with stove prototypes, have been fooling around with roll-up stainless stoves for over five years. I am currently working with Patrick Smith at Kifaru on a new design I have been using for a while.

So, I have a fair amount of experience with wood heated backpacing shelters.

As far as difference in outside/inside temps. The greatest exreme was with an outside temp of -15, we had a prototype Arctic stove inside a Kifaru 8 man tipi and the temperature at the clothes line height got to 138 degrees F before we opened the vents. Lots of heat potential here. Cooking too. We often bake biscuits, corn bread, fry meat etc on the wood stoves. Living large in a lightweight style!

As far as the roll-up stainless stove bodies, like I said I have been experimenting for about 5 years with them, working on tweeking the design and there are no problems. The shim stock used on these and I assume also on the Ti Goat Ti versions is the same that we have been using for stove pipes for going on 10 years. Tough stuff. I can't imagine wearing it out.

If you come to the Montana Kifaru Rendezvous the weekend of August 7th, there is a good chance you will get to see a prototype of what is coming.

Best'

Ed T,

Where is it at?

It will be NE of Lincoln, Mt.

You can PM me for exact directions. I'll have them written the 1st of next week.