Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Cooking inside a tent

How many people here cook inside a tent vestibule? From what I can gather, having a flame inside a nylon tent seems to be sort of taboo here in the US, however, it seems to be quite acceptable to people across the pond. I'm not talking about having a wood burning stove inside the sleeping section. What I'm more referring to is having a small stove like the MSR whisperlite inside a large tent vestibule. It seems to be standard practice among mountaineers and polar travelers.

The new tent I'm getting has a large vestibule, and by large, I mean 6' long by 40" high. I'd like to be able to cook inside it when the weather turns nasty, but I've never had a flame inside a tent before. I'm not sure how low the heat would have to be to keep from getting the ceiling too warm, probably quite low.

I've also seen some people put a few of the tiny candles inside a cook pot and have that in the inner tent for warmth. I'm really not crazy about the idea of candles burning while I'm sleeping. I could see doing it (with good ventilation of course) for a short time to bring the temp up slightly, but then putting them out before going to sleep.

Anyways, I'd be curious to hear other people's thoughts on this subject, especially since I know we have some real stove and cooking experts here.

I can't recall ever really cooking much outside of tent or vestibule.

Pocket Rocket mostly for freeze dry or oatmeal etc.. in the mornings we open the flap a bit, and cook while in our bags. Evenings a bit more open and relaxed..

FWIW i'd be more worried about ventilation than about anything else. Plus it takes minutes to boil water so stove is not on that long...

In a large floorless shelter, all the time. In a cramped 1 or 2 person tent I cook under the vestibule with the zipper open just a bit. I can just lay in my sleeping bag and cook under the vestibule in my Big Agnes fly creek. Mountaineers use a stove in the tent because they have to. Long as you practice caution and have adequate ventilation you should be fine. There is also being "bear aware", that says you should not cook in or near your tent. I have not had a problem but I always keep a really clean camp and hang everything before bed.

We cook in the vestibule if the weather sucks pretty regularly. 3 jetboils going in a Nallo 2 GT Vestibule will raise the temp considerably.

Don't care much for open flames in the living quarters, but have done it. Much less of a concern in a floorless tipi where you can get away from the fabric easily, but you creating condensation. Everything is put out long before I go to sleep.

Yes we cook in the tent all the time. Pocket rockets and jetboils. With the door zipped down a few inches, I don't see a problem with it.
However when I bowhunted exclusively, we would never cook in the tent. Just didn't want any odors to accumulate even though we bagged our hunting clothes once back in camp.

I generally cook outside. After having been wakened by a big black bear licking my pots and pans 3 feet away from my tarp, I just don't feel comfortable cooking inside,and having my tent or tarp smell like food.

I don't and it is due to the large number of Grizzlies in the areas where I hunt. I prefer to have a separate tarp shelter hung away from my sleeping tent and cook under it. I have heated water, etc, in my vestibule in the past, but, will not if I can avoid it.

I even prefer to get up, make my morning tea by headlamp or flashlight and eat granola bars for breakfast to avoid odors on my gear and clothing.

I can see doing it in extreme weather and I use different tents for winter camping and hunting, but, in decades of winter camping to a measured -40*, I have never needed to cook inside my tent.

That said,it can be done safely, like most outdoor issues, it just requires using your brain.

NOT a good idea with that stove, unless you light it outside and then bring it in, still iffy if you ask me. With a butane that won't turn over, like an MSR Windpro, no problem if you are REALLY careful.

I really try not to cook in my shelter if I'm in real deal bear country. At home I have a shake around 5pm and supper at eightish. I just reverse this on the trail. The 16oz nalgene I drink the shake in gets some water in it and is then hung PCT style at dark.

I partially burned a vestibule door with a lantern...made a believer out of me..
I cook in my tipi now.. lots of head room above the stove.

Thanks for the feedback you guys. Please keep it coming.



The Nallo 2 GT has a large vestibule. My new tent is the Saitaris, which also has a GT style vestibule, although I believe the Nallo's might be larger due to that portion of the tent being taller.


Take a Knee, I know the Whisperlite causes a nice big fireball when it is primed. You aren't the first person to suggest lighting it first, before bringing it inside. That makes good sense. I've got to be honest, I'm no stove expert, but for winter camping I just don't like the gas canister stoves. I much prefer liquid fuel. My last snow camping trip I used a Snow Peak Giga Power canister stove. It wasn't super cold, about 19*F, and the canisters kept freezing every few minutes. I sort of swore off gas canister stoves for anything other than summer camping.

I should add that bears are not much of an issue in our coastal areas where I camp. In the Sierras there are lots of black bears, and I keep my food and food storage away. I also generally camp with a very alert and decent sized dog, and I know bears don't like to be around dogs as a general rule.

I would not light the wisperlight indoors.... If you shake a jetboil wrong, you'll get a nice fireball from that too. Nothing like a white gas stove while priming, but enough to make you wish you weren't holding on to the cup.

Jedi, when temps get low sleeping with a gas canister in the footbox of your bag will do the trick for breakfast. It WILL burn like its Summertime.

I remember when I used to live in Central Calif and spent a lot of time during my summers in the Central and Southern Sierra back country. I was told by numerous rangers that having a dog could actually result in a bear attack. I had an Australian Shepherd that I took with me on MANY trips and actually did have a situation with a bear that occurred while night hiking in which the dog proved to be very helpful in keeping me safe. The rangers told me that a dog will charge a bear and then retreat and bring the bear right in on top of you. That might have been the case of some lesser breed dogs, but I am quite sure that my Aussie would have gladly given his life defending mine (he almost did).

When I lived in CA and used to pack back into the JM Wilderness I used an Ursack for my food stash and I would tie it around a tree trunk about 5-6 feet from the ground (just like the instructions say) and then I would stake Trevor (my Aussie) at the base of the same tree. I never had any problems with bears getting into my food and I stayed in some areas that were pretty highly populated with them. I sure do miss Trevor. He has since gone on to the happy hunting grounds in the sky. If I ever get another dog to take along on pack trips you can bet it will be an Aussie.

Anyway, I don't mean to hijack your thread off topic...

I don't believe too much of what Ranger's tell people... I have been around many , many bears in the sierra's and other than a bear tag, a dog is about the best deterrent for keeping bears away..Those rangers that told you that probably frown on dogs in the forest and on hiking trails...

Perfectly safe to cook on a whisperlite/simmerlite in a tent, but ONLY if you're camped on ice:



Just joking on the ice part, but you should have enough time with said white gas stove to avoid the gigantic fuel waste fireball that is the average guy's startup...

Calcoyote, no worries about the thread hijack. I agree with you on the benefit of dogs, and sorry to hear you no longer have your Aussie with you. My female pup that is my normal backpacking partner is a Belgian Malinois. She looks pretty darn ferocious when she wants to, but I actually hike with her on lead because she charges up to people and critters like you wouldn't believe. So the worry of her chasing a bear and bringing it back, even if real, wouldn't happen since she is always under physical control. Like you, I have no doubt she'd protect me if push came to shove.

My male is 1/2 German Shepherd and 1/2 Malinois. I generally don't take him backpacking since he's with me every waking moment of the day and night, 365 days a year. My female needs a little time with daddy. I have zero doubt about my male's willingess to protect me even at risk of himself, he's done it a number of times. As a matter of fact he found and apprehended another felon just a few hours ago.

There was a VERY strict rule when I was accepted into the "Ranger Staff" of the BC Forest Service, April, 1965,concerning ANY dog accompanying a member while on duty. In those days, there was NO union and it was clearly stated that ALL BCFS and Fish and Wildlife staffers were hired on a "day to day" basis and could be terminated at ANY time, at the pleasure of the Chief Forester.

This rule, was that NO dogs were allowed and it WAS enforced as above as there had been incidents where a pet dog had run into a Grizzly, barked at the bear and this resulted in a fracas with the dog running back to the BCFS person and that can be difficult.

One of the best "rangers" I ever served under, at New Denver, BC, in the 1969 "Fire Season" told me of having his Lab, when stationed at Elko, BC, just where one of the roads leading into the "Flathead" leaves the highway, harass a Grizzly that then threatened him when the dog ran to him for protection.

So, while I did take my Lab, "Spot"on the L/O that summer, I never did so again as even a "trained" dog can be a real issue in Grizzly country. I now have champion Rottweilers, exclusively, and would NEVER take one into Grizzly country, as they are too aggressive-protective and this can lead to major trouble.

Each to his own, many things are much different here than in more populous jurisdictions.

We have as many grizzles in my area as you do in BC Kute, and my dog/dogs are always along.

Either in B.C. or Montana I'd be more worried about the local Wolfe population hunting my dog ,I don't think dogs attract bears do they ?
Tim

I don't cook in a tent unless its floorless, as a safety standard. I use a Jet-Boil these days fwiw.

If the weather sucks, I crawl into my bag and cook with the stove an arms length or so outside of the tent.