Wall tent stove overnight burn

[Fogalo]

I’m looking to get the most out of my wall tent stove for overnight burn duration. I live in WI, but hunting elk in the snow and cold.

My current strategy is - I try and get the best looking dead, dry aspen I can find. Get a good bed of coals right before I go to sleep and pack the four dog night stove as full as I can with the biggest pieces I have. That usually lasts 4-5 hours. I drink about 40 oz of water right before bed so I wake up. Pack the stove again, and my alarm goes off about 45 minutes before I need to get up, at that time I pack the stove a second time and get the tent hot for the morning.


Does anybody have a strategy that extends my burn time (that doesn’t include propane or bringing oak from home)? I’ve heard of folks pushing all the coals to the back of the stove to burn from the back, forward. Does this make a difference?

 

[go_deep]

Yes, push all the coals to the back, put a piece of split wood on the bottom each side, then the rest of the wood unsplit round wood. Takes longer for the unsplit to burn and you'll get more of a smoldering burn. Just got back from 10 days at elk camp, can get about an 8 hour burn that way in my wilderness 5 stove.

 

[Bobbyboe]

Yes, push all the coals to the back, put a piece of split wood on the bottom each side, then the rest of the wood unsplit round wood. Takes longer for the unsplit to burn and you'll get more of a smoldering burn. Just got back from 10 days at elk camp, can get about an 8 hour burn that way in my wilderness 5 stove.

Interesting, I’ve always pulled coals to the door. Do you close down the air intake too with your method?

With rounds I’d get 4-5 hour. Not a big deal, as I tend to have to pee in the middle of the night.

 

[ArcherAdam]

I am trying anthracite coal next time. My plan is to get a wood fire started and have coals. Near bed time I plan to add the coal. Now I truck camp so that makes this possible.

Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk

 

[MaraviaDave]

I also have a Four Dog stove and absolutely love it, for fly-in hunts, when I can’t bring in propane. You mentioned wall tent in your question. So, I’m assuming you’re not restricted by using aircraft that won’t allow you to transport propane.

I know you mentioned not being interested in using propane. Why?

Have you looked at Nu-Way Stoves?

Check out the Model #4000. The stove is roughly the same size as your Four Dog, weighs 11 pounds, and is very easy to set up and use. These stoves incorporate a stove pipe, similar to what’s used by Seek Outside or Kifaru…..a titanium roll up pipe. Which vents out of the top of the tent, resulting in dry heat inside (no wet condensation).

You’ll be able to get consistent heat, with zero fussing around, and very little effort.

 

[taskswap]

I am trying anthracite coal next time. My plan is to get a wood fire started and have coals. Near bed time I plan to add the coal. Now I truck camp so that makes this possible.

Coal lasts forever but be careful with how you use it in a stove, especially something small and thin-walled. It burns way hotter than wood and can burn through a lot of thin gauge steel. I even warped a cast iron grate once that was too thin to handle it ("only" 3/4" thick bars). Do a test burn in your stove first to be sure it'll stand up to it.

 

[Wrench]

Dense. You want as much dense dry wood as you can find. You want to throttle with the damper to capture the heat and the draft to keep the fire alive. Do burn a hot fire every day to keep buildup under control.

 

[cnelk]

Ive had good luck using a Duraflame log along with a loaded stove at the end of the night.

Damper the stove down and have coals in the morning.
Be cautious of stove pipe buildup after a few days tho

 

[go_deep]

Interesting, I’ve always pulled coals to the door. Do you close down the air intake too with your method?

With rounds I’d get 4-5 hour. Not a big deal, as I tend to have to pee in the middle of the night.

I have the pipe dampener completely closed, and the door vent open just a crack.
Every stove is going to be a little different on where you can set the dampeners, but essentially give it very little air, but you have to have a nice bed of coal to work with.

 

[92xj]

Good coal bed, right before bed insert two north Idaho energy logs, half choke it down. This would last me for 8 hours and in the morning would have enough coals still hot to ignite split wood pieces with no effort other than putting them in. We can find the energy logs at any of our local farm stores.

 

[Fogalo]

I also have a Four Dog stove and absolutely love it, for fly-in hunts, when I can’t bring in propane. You mentioned wall tent in your question. So, I’m assuming you’re not restricted by using aircraft that won’t allow you to transport propane.

I know you mentioned not being interested in using propane. Why?

Have you looked at Nu-Way Stoves?

Check out the Model #4000. The stove is roughly the same size as your Four Dog, weighs 11 pounds, and is very easy to set up and use. These stoves incorporate a stove pipe, similar to what’s used by Seek Outside or Kifaru…..a titanium roll up pipe. Which vents out of the top of the tent, resulting in dry heat inside (no wet condensation).

You’ll be able to get consistent heat, with zero fussing around, and very little effort.

Why no propane? A big part is nostalgia. I like cutting wood and burning it. Grew up with it. Also never thought of using it because it burns wet and one of the big reasons for the stove is to dry out wet clothes.

I’m curious about these nu-way stoves. So you’re saying that the metal of the stove gets hot and all of the propane exhaust goes out the stovepipe?

 

[MaraviaDave]

……. Also never thought of using it because it burns wet and one of the big reasons for the stove is to dry out wet clothes.

……. So you’re saying that the metal of the stove gets hot and all of the propane exhaust goes out the stovepipe?

Yes, the ‘firebox’ gets hot and radiates heat into the tent. No different than your titanium wood stove radiating heat as the wood burns.

The water vapor, that results from burning propane, is transported up the stove pipe and into the atmosphere above your tent. Which results in having a warm dry tent.

Unlike someone using a Mr. Buddy heater inside a tent, that results in a humid environment that condenses and wets everything out after the stove is turned off and the air inside the tent cools.

I hear ya, about the nostalgia of a wood fire. I feel the same way.

However, the nostalgia quickly dissipates when I’m not needing to be constantly tending a fire and am enjoying a consistent output of heat from the stove.

 

[Sccritterkiller]

On run to town for supplies before the opener I found some scrub oak for sale..I will be looking that from now on...didn't burn nearly as much wood, fire was hotter, and it didn't clog up my stove pipe like pine. A good bed of coals and load it up with non split pieces, damper and vent cut down..burned all night.

 

[WyoKid]

+1 for the 4 dog stove. It is heavy at 55 lbs but for late season in a wall tent, nothing beats it for long burns and heating large tents.

I did buy a Knico Alaskan, Jr, which is much lighter. I got the Knico for Spring and Early Fall hunts since the 4 dog typically burns me out of the tent. Knico has great prices on their scratch and dent stoves. Mine had a small dent on the top edge . The damage is cosmetic and stoves get beat up when used anyway, so I didn't see the need to pay full price

 

[MaraviaDave]

+1 for the 4 dog stove. It is heavy at 55 lbs but for late season in a wall tent, nothing beats it for long burns and heating large tents.

Four Dog Stoves has a welded titanium version, that weighs ~10 pounds.

 

[WyoKid]

Four Dog Stoves has a welded titanium version, that weighs ~10 pounds.

I couldn't afford the titanium. This is their original 4 dog made of heavy gauge steel.

 

[Wrench]

I have one of the diesel heaters on the way to get some good dry heat for quick winter car camping.

 

[Fogalo]

I couldn't afford the titanium. This is their original 4 dog made of heavy gauge steel.

I prefer the heavier materials. They take a little longer to heat up / cool down providing more even heat. I’d put a 300 lb cast iron in there if I had someone to move it for me.

 

[taskswap]

Speaking of weight, this doesn't work on round/barrel stoves, but if you have a flat top, you can put some good size rocks on top and start your burn a little earlier in the day and the rocks will add thermal mass and radiate more heat longer into the night. If your stove is just about getting you to 3am or so, this can get you to 4-5am to where you're getting up anyway. It's why "soapstone" stoves are so popular in homes (and so $$$).

 

[MallardSX2]

After reading this I am so glad I use a heater buddy and a 20 pound tank. Lol