Newbie tips on lightweight backpacking stoves

[Mtwood24]

Looking for some advice/tips on using hot tents that someone new might not want to learn the hard way. I am purchasing a Kifaru sawtooth, which will be my first hot tent and I’m curious about what I may overlook on my first trip out.

 

[rcb2000]

price has gone up a bit on that Sawtooth, $1330 for a two person shelter?? You could get a Cimmeron, stove, and liner for $944

 

[Mtwood24]

I’m going the used route on the tent, and most likely the stove as well haha. Plus I’m already in the Kifaru cult…..

 

[Carrot Farmer]

I’m going the used route on the tent, and most likely the stove as well haha. Plus I’m already in the Kifaru cult…..

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[BDRam16]

I would also recommend the box stove vs roll up. The roll up works, but lord it’s a pain to get it set up some times. Especially if going used. If they didn’t burn it in perfectly, and sometimes even if they did, every little dent and ding in the roll makes it that much more difficult to put it together. If you go used I would build in the cost of replacing the stove body roll at minimum.

 

[Dos Perros]

Since the fires tend to burn out relatively quickly (limited by the size of wood that fits, and the type available in the west) I have come to value a torch or another means of re-stoking a fire to get it ripping again. You could blow through an arrow shaft, or those little battery powered fans are handy.

 

[Dos Perros]

That's a cool product.

While we're sharing links...

I love this thing, but probably wouldn't backpack with it unless I wasn't carrying a weapon: https://www.amazon.com/Snow-Peak-GT...929468&sprefix=snow+peak+torch,aps,172&sr=8-2

And then this pump pulls double duty for the pad and stoking the fire (I have an earlier version):

https://www.amazon.com/FLEXTAILGEAR-Portable-Rechargeable-Ultralight-inflatable/dp/B09FT7RJFG/ref=sr_1_6?crid=26JFFN0U089I5&keywords=ultralight+sleeping+pad+pump&qid=1686929533&sprefix=ultralight+sleeping+pad+pump%2Caps%2C136&sr=8-6

 

[Dos Perros]

I'm getting schoolgirl giddy about that torch. do you think you could modify the handle and cut down the barrel to lighten it up?

You probably could. It's a beautiful little product, I'd honestly hate to foul it up like that. Might be easier just to fab up something yourself. Looks like you could replace the barrel by backing out a screw. Could probably also remove the wood and either go naked or electrical tape some foam on there.

 

[Dos Perros]

I should also mention, that torch RIPS.

 

[Duckhunter14]

I bought that set up last year and used it on an 8 day Idaho backcountry hunt and absolutely loved it.

A few things we learned quickly, a little gap at the bottom of the sawtooth helps airflow and keeps condensation from getting bad if you don’t have the liner (seems like you’d want it tight against the ground, but we got pretty bad condensation that way). Set the low side into the wind and Use a trekking pole for the rear support because it’s easy to adjust and you can make it nice and taught, inevitably it will get kicked in the night. We had high winds several times with zero issue. Take your time to find a spot that is nice and flat and realize the footprint is bigger than it seems.

Keep your gear organized and it makes life easier. We also pre built the fire every night so that when we woke up in the dark all we had to do was light the pyro putty and keep the door cracked and then listen to the wood burn until it was warm and then we’d get up and get dressed.

Be sure that when you assemble the stove you do so with gloves (Kifaru provides a pair with their stoves). It helps to have two hands when assembling the stove and pipe. We took our time to ensure it was put together snugly (not over tight) just snug and burned it in the first time with a couple of hot fires. It seemed to keep its shape better when we moved camp and was easier to assemble the second time. The only snafu we had was the little steel rings that hold the stovepipe together come with a little piece of paracord and we didn’t realize one of the rings was right in the exit port of the tent and that piece of high viz paracord got pushed against the stovepipe and melted. Not a huge deal, but thank god it didn’t start a fire, be nice of they used something resistant to heat for that.

For cutting wood we measured the stove (stuck the saw to the back) and noted the length our wood needed to be and then cut everything an inch or two shorter than that. Smaller dryer stuff burns up quick, but a good bed of coals and some bigger rounds with the stove dampened down will last a bit longer and throw some amazing heat. Be sure you don’t put anything (sleeping bag, blow up pillow, sleeping pad, etc) directly in front of the door because the fire will inevitably pop and throw some burning embers out.

I can’t wait to use my set up again this year. Game changer.

 

[*zap*]

I second the 3' above the peak for the pipe and there are some awesome foldup stoves out there. I have a so medium for packing and use a kni-co trekker for non packing or close packing. I found that having a offset elbow set up makes it better to position the stove for more useable space in the shelters. lbo+vest, 4man and ti-goat 7.5. I have those for both the so and the kni-co. The kni-co uses a larger diameter pipe than the so but I made an adapter to use the so pipe if I need to do so.
You may find orientating the pipe to be in the front better and I recommend a stove stand.

 

[Mtwood24]

These are great! Keep the hot tent camping tips coming!

 

[Carrot Farmer]

The arrow shaft is an awesome idea! I never thought of that.

This is the pocket bellows I use to carry with me until I lost the last one:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LDSW5BA/?coliid=I15A1WCWB4VJRA&colid=3NUCLAPSC4W3Y&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it

I put a can of pyro putty and extendable bellows in my stove kit

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