What temp range do you switch to a heated shelter?

[180ls1]

Disregarding moisture concerns, at what general temperature range do you switch to a heated shelter?

 

[MtnsWinAgain]

Moisture/snow is more of a trigger for me. If your boots are going to get wet, then freeze over night, the hot stove makes a big difference getting them back on. Cold and dry not as big of a deal. Either way make sure you have a sleeping bag/quilt rated for less than the lows expected, the stove will go out.

 

[Salmon River Solutions]

Yep, came here to write heavy snow or rain.

Ken

 

[WyoHuntr]

When there is snow. Usually too much of a fire risk before that.

 

[180ls1]

So you guys just cowboy camp then if its dry?

I get the moisture/rain/snow part of the equation but it is interesting to see the outright temperature not really being a factor.

 

[sickles107]

Waking up to frozen solid boots and gloves... if ya know, ya know

 

[Poser]

Its more of a moisture thing for me as well. Temps could be moderate, but if it going to be raining quite a bit, I'll consider the stove. Day time temps could be a factor as well. If the daytime temps are pretty warm, I can work with some low temps that don't arrive until late at night.

 

[KHntr]

So you guys just cowboy camp then if its dry?

I get the moisture/rain/snow part of the equation but it is interesting to see the outright temperature not really being a factor.

The stove isn’t going to keep you warm all night. Thats what your bag and pad is for.

The stove dries out all your gear and lets you go to bed warm and get up warm.

 

[Poser]

So you guys just cowboy camp then if its dry?

I get the moisture/rain/snow part of the equation but it is interesting to see the outright temperature not really being a factor.

I do in fact sometimes "cowboy camp", but more typical would be just to not bring the wood stove unless its needed. Temperature unto itself could surely be a factor: lows in the single digits with daytime highs that aren't particularly warm. I once packed it stove in once for 3rd rifle where temps were well below zero, around -15, each night, but there was no moisture.

Southwest CO is a little more forgiving than quite a bit of the mountain West as the sun angle, elevation and jetstream will often favor a good portion of the day being potentially "comfortable" even when its cold. Someone hunting MT or ID will likley use their stove more often. Its also the case that on, say a 7 day trip, there will be 2 extremely cold nights with the rest of the nights barely being worth the hassle of the stove. That's more of the common scenario I deal with when deciding on bringing the stove. Stoves are great when you need them, but they sure turn into a huge hassle on longer trips as its lots of time spent dealing with wood and messing with a finicky stove.

I've seen people bring them along for summer high country trips where you are waking up with a light frost in August and some people just always bring them anytime they are out hunting in the Fall. That's just not even a consideration for me. Even truck camping, I just as soon bring 2 pairs of boots to swap out before trying to deal with the hassle of a wood stove to dry out 1 pair. The hote tent is cool and all, but once you get over the novelty of having one, the reality of the time investment of using one becomes something to more carefully consider.

 

[S.Clancy]

Temp wise, it's nice to have if the highs are below freezing. The nights don't really matter cause I am not stoking the fire all night.

I haven't used mine in the last 2-3 years. Usually, I am using it specifically to melt snow in areas there is no water. It's totally hunt dependent. Late season backpack elk hunting I am definitely bringing it because there are multiple people hanging out midday. Late season mulies same deal. If I am solo I just suffer with no stove so I don't have to deal with the extra weight.

 

[Macintosh]

Limited experience with a hot tent. But from my limited experience in the weather Ive used it, Id say the function of the stove is much, much more valuable as a drier than as a heater. The heat is a secondary benefit that is much less important for typical hunting season weather. Maybe if temps are down around or below 0*f it would become more of temp thing. But in general I can keep warm pretty easy. The hard part is drying out gloves, pants, boots for day 2, 3, etc when you’re 100% guaranteed to be thrashing through snow-covered hemlock thickets all day. Maybe in a dry climate (no snow, no wet) it would be more a cold issue.

 

[Jimss]

I’ve been hunting Wyoming’s Colorado Utah and Alaska for around 50 years without a fire or stove. Fires are a gob of work and I’d rather sleep and not smell like a smokestack.

Most of my hunting is from Sept through Nov. I’m generally prepared with layers…even when sleeping in cold conditions.

 

[Dioni A]

For me it had to be moisture and very limited hours of daylight. If you've only got sun for 9 hours of the day there's a lot of awake time that I'd rather not just sit somewhere cold.

 

[chuckD]

The heater buddy with a 5gal propane tank for going to bed and waking up. Always and forever

 

[npaden]

I’ve camped in dry conditions below zero with a stove and overall felt that it wasn’t worth the hassle.

I’ve camped in wet conditions in temperatures above freezing and felt the stove was worth its weight in gold.

The best bang for the buck on the stove is drying things out.

In my experience trying to heat a tent with a stove gets it too hot when the stove is stoked up followed by too cold as it does down. Constantly zipping and unzipping the sleeping bag. Better off just getting a good sleeping bag rated for the temperatures you are dealing with.

 

[5MilesBack]

Even during Sept archery I have my two-burner tank-top heater in my wall tent for the mornings. Starting out the day at 80 degrees is much better for me than starting at even 40 degrees. Even for pack tent camping I still have my Micron lantern to warm up the tent every morning. But for late season about mid Oct on.......like said before, it gets dark EARLY, especially the Nov seasons after the time change. That's a lot of hours in the cold. A wood stove is nice for that, but I still use my tank top heater in the mornings.

 

[mlevimadden]

Just echoing the good advice you have already received, but for me it is also moisture and daylight hours driven. I want the wood stove if there is snow or rain in the forecast for drying out gear, and I also want it starting in early November when the days are short enough that you're spending a significant amount of time in the tent every night.

 

[Macchina]

Never. When we do our week-long camp in a tipi with a stove jack we talk every year about bringing the wood stove but we all sleep so well we decide not to bring it again next year. It's a 6-8 mile hike in depending on where we start and we already bring enough crap. This hunt usually hovers between 50 degree days down to 20 degree days. It's below freezing every night. We have all invested in 0 to 10 degree quality down bags and high R-value mats. We are very warm at night.

I love a campfire where you can throw any size log on and hang around it at night. The extra time/energy for wood processing and stoking a stove has not been worth it to us. For rain we have pretty much all decided bringing an extra set of clothes (2 pairs of pants, tops, and thermals) is easier than trying to dry a single set over the fire each night.

Very high quality boots also makes a big difference. We're mostly wearing Schnees and wet feet almost never happen anymore. One of the main items we'd want to dry is boots and that need has largely gone away.

My hunting group does a lot of backpacking in the off-season and it's very rare to see a stove in that setting but becoming almost essential gear to many of the other hunt camps around us. I think you learn things backpacking that really apply to lightweight hunt camping and it's been hard for us to adopt many of the changes (mostly additional gear) modern hunters have made common.

 

[wyosteve]

I’m with the ‘never’ used heat while sleeping group. Only use it to warm up or dry off before climbing in the bag.

 

[blackhawk219]

Waking up to frozen solid boots and gloves... if ya know, ya know

Unfortunately I know... woke up with boots frozen solid in Idaho after trekking through deep snow the day before. That was a miserable time.

Now I know it's more of a moisture management game. If I can get/stay dry, I'm not too worried about the cold. I have a good sleeping bag and in the mornings I'll get warmed up hiking wherever I'm headed (usually up in elevation). I've never had a heated shelter, but never felt the need for it (even with lows approaching 0). I'm usually solo though and don't have the room/weight to carry a stove