UL Wood Stove Problems

[hunter2-4]

I've been using a SO titanium stove for about 12 nights (not in a row) and I'm having problems. The main problem is getting it started. I may not be an expert survivalist but I know how to start a fire in most conditions. I lived in western Washington for five years and I never had a problem getting a fire going even on the peninsula. However, when I attempt to start one in the SO stove it seems like it just won't draw enough air to really get it going unless I leave the door open for a while and blow into it every couple minutes which usually results in the tent filling up with smoke, then once it is going it only seems to burn in one spot. Even when it does get going I can't close the door all the way or it dies out even with the draft open. Just wondering if these are problems some backcountry guru has found a solution to, problems a different brand stove would solve like maybe a cylinder instead of a box stove, or are they just issues that comes with using this style of stove?

 

[Conrad101st]

I have a medium box. Made a baffle for it. I leave my door and all dampers wide open till the fire is ripping.
Use lots of twigs to get a good flame going and add wood slowly as you go. If it’s wet wood sometimes I throw 1/2 an esbit tab in there under the twigs. Then I close door but keep damper open until you have big wood chunks rolling in there.
Basically I just use the damper at bedtime to throttle back.

 

[hunter2-4]

Do you have any pictures of the baffle? And here’s an obligatory Air Assault.

 

[Conrad101st]

Hunter 2-4

Air assault! Good memories.

Anyway, Pm me your email. It’s way easier to attach the images via email.

Conrad

Conrad

 

[bhylton]

double check that your spark arrestor is not sooted/ creosote shut. i ran into this in my wall tent this fall burning wood that was not the greatest. filled the tent with smoke trying to lite it in the morning and could not figure it out. looked down the chimney and could not see daylight out the other end. pulled the arrestor off and the fire took off. This level of creosote built up in just one night burning sappy P - pine. good luck

 

[BCSojourner]

With good dry wood, small kindling or fire starter and clean pipe and spark arrestor that stove should fire right up with the door mostly open. I have the XL and it drafts just fine.

 

[hunter2-4]

Hey thanks guys! I have the large and yes I religiously check the spark arrestor after a very similar experience with pine (rough morning). I’ve been using some trioxane lately and it works a little better.

 

[HookUp]

where did you find the trioxane?

I used some small fire start cubes from wal mart.

 

[rbljack]

I had the same problem this year with a kifaru med box stove in a sawtooth. We had wet wood and snow on the ground. I had a hell of a time getting it going. Ended up using trioxane and still had to baby that fire for a bit to get it going. Took way longer than I feel it should have. Not sure what the answer or secret is, but I agree with others about getting it to draw being an issue. I figured maybe the long stove pipe and wet wood contributed to the problem.

 

[hunter2-4]

Amazon has either the three packs or the singles.

 

[seldomseensmith]

Alcohol soaked cotton balls and a pocket bellows are real helpful.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[CasNed]

I don’t put the spark arrestor in any more. Always seems to clog up throughout the night and I don’t like cleaning it first thing in the morning (I want heat immediately and coffee!) I carry a small hatchet / light weight saw, so I can get to dry spit wood. That along with trioxane works good for me. There’s a big difference between being able to spit wood to get good dry wood and looking for dry small branches, small branches are always wetter even if they seem dry.