How Tent Stoves Work

Stove for heating during camping: what every tourist should know

Creating a comfortable environment during vacation requires certain skills and knowledge. Learning the features of a tent with a stove allows you to make the right choice and enjoy its results. Learn its features and other information for quick troubleshooting, so it's worth testing your knowledge before any problems arise.

Fire formula is the first thing that deserves your attention

The cold weather makes tourists think about ways of heating tents during a hike. To maintain comfortable conditions, you will need to use special stoves. They will carry out a chemical reaction, or rather, the combination of wooden fuel and oxygen.

The use of such equipment allows you to control the process. Fuel and combustion products are placed in a protective case, so the heat is released. The tent material keeps this valuable resource inside and warms travellers.

Today, tourists can find a wide range of wooden fuel options with different calorific value and efficiency. The combustion process implies some waste (gas, ash, smoke), the amount of which directly depends on the quality of briquettes or wood.

Oxygen performs an important function, too, since its lack leads to slow combustion and waste emissions into space. The inflow of fresh air enters the stove through the air intake, and the hot air is removed via a flue.

The use of high-quality equipment allows you to receive energy in the form of heat and light. Capture, storage and radiation lets you burn wood and distribute the resulting resource. Reducing losses permit the efficient use of fuel and reduces the amount of waste.

Main functions of the stove

Converting fuel to heat is the main function of the stove. If we compare heating equipment with an open fire, the main difference is the concentration of air and heat before they are released into the atmosphere through the pipe.

Thanks to this, it is possible to use the fuel frugally and get the necessary energy for heating the tent. The less waste, the higher the efficiency. This is the second important difference between a special stove and an open fire.

Thermal energy can accumulate inside the tent. This is necessary to increase the temperature of the fuel and more efficient combustion. To ensure your safety, choose materials taking into account the throughput. Gas and other wastes can leave the space without any harm to people.

To select a suitable design, pay attention to the heat transfer properties. This characteristic plays an important role, so don’t forget about it. The construction and design of the stove determines how effective the use of a pipe flue stove will be.

Main parts of the equipment

The usability of any model depends on several factors. Tourists often pay attention to its material and the size of the firebox, but this is not always justified. To understand how the parts affect the efficiency, study the main characteristics:

1. Combustion chamber size. The larger the firebox, the more fuel can be placed inside it. However, this should not be the main selection criterion, since a small but high-quality stove will allow you to get more heat.
2. Manufacturing material. Cast iron, steel, titanium and aluminum are popular options, but it is up to you to determine the most suitable firebox metal. In this case, the compromise is to buy a steel, moderately heavy and efficient model.
3. Door tightness. Removal of combustion process waste is carried out through a special door. Please note that it affects the safety of using the selected model.

Remember that a pipe flue is a must for a tent. This is the only way to ensure the removal of combustion products and keeping the air clean. Reliable legs will protect the floor of the tent from fire, so it’s worth spending money on heating mats or special tiles.

Additional components

To increase the efficiency of heating, it is worth looking at additional equipment.  In this case, it is possible to improve heat transfer and maintain high performance. The purchase of separate parts will affect the cost, but the result will make you forget about this drawback.

Increasing the performance of wood combustion in a firebox is achieved thanks to:

1. Refractory bricks. This material is used to prevent heat loss in the firebox. The result is an increase in the heat retention time and heating efficiency.
2. Fire grid. To ensure better ignition of wood, it is necessary to purchase rods. The air that enters the firebox will increase the fire and will make it easier to clean the bottom.
3. Air intake. An influx of fresh air to keep the fire going will improve ventilation. Oxygen enters through a special hole to increase the efficiency.
4. Control devices. Adjusting the amount of fresh air will control the fire. If necessary, you can reduce or increase the influx of oxygen.
5. Pipe flue dampers. To create an environment that is not only comfortable, but also safe, use special dampers. Restricting the airflow helps control the fire.
6. Partitions. The ability to keep heat and redirect it for better combustion of wood is useful for owners of cylindrical models. Heat will not escape through the pipe flue, which means it will be easier to maintain the temperature.

Think about improving the performance of your equipment before buying a tent. This will allow you to use the heating accessories with the maximum efficiency. The manufacturer's recommendations are indicated on the packaging and provided by the store.

Improve usability

Purchasing additional accessories for the tent allows to increase the safety and facilitate the operation. It is worth noting that the use of special parts affects the overall weight of the camping equipment.

Usually stoves have a special window so that tourists can watch the fire. However, ash and other products don’t allow to enjoy this advantage to the fullist. For this, use air washing, which helps to clean the glass from smoke and ash.

The door will be required to load wood and kindle fire in compliance with safety measures. There is a special window to observe the fire. It is made from special durable glass, which can withstand high temperatures and doesn’t endanger the property inside the tent.

Comfort is achieved through the use of fire to dry dishes and other equipment. For this, there are grids that keep all things at a safe distance from the source of the heat. They are usually located next to the pipe flue, where the temperature is much lower than in other parts.