Vented propane vs. wood stoves

[dec0y]

I know this topic has been discussed before but there doesn't appear to be any form of consensus (surprise!) on what the best option is to heat a wall/outfitter style tent. People with propane setups seem to love them, people with wood stoves would never give them up.

For clarification I am referring to the pros and cons of a vented propane setup (Nu-way ) vs a standard wood stove. I am NOT considering a MrBuddy heater as a long term solution. The propane stove would be vented and use a stack robber to increase heating efficiency.

The main use of this shelter/heating system is for elk hunting in September, November deer hunting, and winter steelhead trips. The winters here are relatively mild (but wet), and seldom drop below 20F (at least where I will be). Drying out clothing is a main concern.

The other major consideration is that around here a wood burning stove is considered a campfire even with a spark arrestor. This is problematic in bow season around here as campfires are almost universally prohibited until October.

Additionally I have just come into possession of a 12x12 alaknak tent. I am also open to the idea of returning that tent and getting a canvas, although I prefer the herder/center pole designs (for ease of setup) as opposed to the framed designs, but I digress...

The benefits of propane over wood as far as I can tell are:

Regulates heat better (no filling the firebox at 2am)
Consistent fuel supply (no chopping/sawing wood)
Lighter weight (probably non-issue with the sheepherders/KniCo stoves)
Can run propane cookware off of the same fuel source
Does not smell like a campfire

The downsides appear to be:
Limited fuel supply (only what you bring)
Propane may not work well in extreme cold weather
Does not smell like a campfire
Carbon monoxide threat (mitigated through CO/Natgas sensor on floor of tent)

What am I missing here? Has anyone used both setups? What do you prefer?

 

[DRP]

I have the cabelas alaknak 12x12 tent with a wood stove, I went thru the same thought process over and over again about switching to the vented propane style stove. It was so confusing with the polar opposite reviews on the Nu-way stove. some people claimed it would get hot enough to run them out of there tent, other people said that in freezing weather it would not keep the tent above 40°F. Also it came down to whether or not you want the stove to run all night or not. In the end I settled with a wood stove (mostly because I got one cheap). I would have a good fire going before I went to bed and would usually still have coals (no real heat) in the morning and then stoke it up again to warm the tent up. I would say the best part about the wood stove is the intense dry heat, if it was wet outside hanging my wet clothes in the tent and boots by the stove would dry everything out in a hurry. Im really interested too as to anyone who has used both setups.

 

[dec0y]

Thanks DRP.

Does anyone else have any experiences?

 

[Akicita]

In all of our wall tent drop camps and late season cow camps we run the Military issue H45 radiant heater or equivalent. No fuss, easy and efficient heating but they are kind of a pain to clean when you break camp. NSN: 4520-01-329-3451. There are some newer models but they get pretty pricey.

 

[Yellowknife]

I have both in my shed right now for a large arctic oven tent.

The wood stove was a pain. It was small, so draft was an issue and it was either going wide open or smoldering with nothing in between. Larger ones are better in some ways, but can cook you out even faster!

Nu-Way requires carrying a propane tank, which adds considerable bulk and weight, but I can maintain even heat in the arctic oven into sub-zero. When it gets cold enough for freezing propane to be an issue, I just bring the tank inside the tent. It turned out I would often pack wood in for the little stove to insure a supply of dry stuff, so going to propane wasn't really that big of a deal.

This was my end of Sept camp. Brought and 8 yr old and 11 yr old along, and being able to dry gear and sleep warm was critical to happiness.

 

[John Havard]

I have a 16-man Kifaru tipi and have used the largest titanium wood stove that Four-Dog makes. A great combo. However, next year’s moose hunt will require camping far above any source of wood. Yesterday I looked at Nuway’s largest vented propane stove while at Alaska Tent & Tarp. My question is how effectively 26000 BTUs will heat the big tipi. Anyone have any first hand experience with the Nuway, especially in a large tipi?

 

[Poltax]

One of the things to consider with Propane heat is the moisture that will be produced by the heater. Even if the heater is a vented heater you will still have moisture build up. Just crack a window or the door to let the moisture escape. Otherwise you might have rain on the inside of your tent.

 

[John Havard]

Unless I’m missing something the product of clean combustion should be CO2 and water vapor - both of which should be vented up and out of the tipi via the stove pipe.