If you have ever gone camping during winter or are considering a winter trip over the following weeks/months, you are probably worried about low temperatures, right?
Apart from tent heaters, you can also use a hot tent, which is nothing more than a tent with a stove inside it.
A camping wood stove might help you create a cozy and warm environment and improve your experience.
However, some questions might be in your mind at the moment, such as:
- How do you keep a hot tent stove burning all night?
- Can you sleep with a mood burning stove on overnight?
- Can I use a camping stove inside my tent?
We answer these questions and many others in this post – keep reading it!
How do you keep a hot tent stove burning all night?
A couple of steps will help you keep the fire going all night are detailed below!
However, as a precautionary measure, if you are considering using a stove inside your tent, we highly recommend you use a tent with a stove jack – there are plenty of options available in the market, and we have reviewed a couple of them in this post – best tents with stove jacks.
Also, preferably use a stove with a decent size that can fit a sufficient amount of wood logs, such as Winnerwell Woodlander Large Tent Stove.
Step 1 - Remove the ashes of your wood stove
After assembling your stove, make sure you remove all old ash that can potentially still be in the stove – make sure you are wearing thermal gloves and remove it carefully (if you have recently used the equipment, the ashes might still be hot!).
Step 2 - Position the coal in the front area
With the clean area, now it is time to think strategically: how to place coal and wood in the best way possible? Simple.
If you are using coal, rake them and put them together in the front area of the stove (close to the opening) and the wood logs after it. The rationale is simple if you spread the coal across the base and ignite the fire, the logs will all ignite all the same time and burn faster.
By concentrating the coal in the front, the wood in touch with the coal will progressively transfer the fire through the logs, making it last longer.
Step 3 - Position the coal in the front area
The final step is placing the wood logs – you need to be smart here and think of this process as a “Tetris game”. The more wood you have inside your stove, the longer it will burn.
Therefore, place them tightly side-by-side and avoid crossing them – if you place them crosswise, the fire will spread faster and make your flames last shorter.
Generally speaking, experienced campers like to place the logs from left to right (as detailed in the picture below) – make sure that they are touching the back panel of your wood.
Keep loading the logs until they finally face the charcoal area that you prepared in step 2 – again, put as many wood logs as you can!
Now it is time to ignite the fire and enjoy the joys of a hot tent!
Can you sleep with a wood burning stove on overnight?
Yes, you can. But a couple of safety measures should be taken, especially when using wood stoves inside a tent, such as:
- Ensure your chimney is well connected and there is proper smoke exhaustion to the outside of your tent.
- Remove any flammable gear or items nearby your stove (preferably out of the tent, if possible), such as candles, aerosols, canisters, etc.
- Make sure that your stove is not placed next to tent walls so that there are no overheating risks.
- Have a portable fire extinguisher close by in case of an emergency.
- Place your wood stove above a firemat.
- DO NOT leave the wood-burning stove door open.
- If possible, leave your tent openings slightly open to allow for minimal air circulation.
Which firewood lasts the longest on fire?
Overall, hardwoods such as maple, oak, ash, and birch are the best burning woods that will last longer and offer more heating.
This is because they have a higher density and provide more fuel for combustion – Hickory, oak, and beech are amongst the higher density woods.
On the other hand, softwood, such as spruce and red cedar, burns faster and might not be a good option if you need a flame source for long periods.
How to choose the best firewood?
Below are some tips on how to choose the best wood for your stove to keep it burning clean and long:
- Pick up DRY wood, which will burn better. Wet wood
- Look for dark logs, which indicate older and drier wood.
- Pick logs from the bottom of the woodpile – they probably are drier and older, which is the best for your fire.
- Choose older logs since they burn cleaner and have a better quality – a good tip to know whether your wood is old enough is their cracking eds.
- If possible, buy hardwood with higher density – they will burn longer and provide excellent heating output.
Conclusion
We hope by the end of this article, it became clear how to keep your hot tent stove burning all night – with only three steps, you can solve this issue and have a warm night in your tent.
If you are considering other alternatives to tent heating, it might be worth considering tent heaters – we have prepared a full guide on how to choose them and what the advantages and drawbacks of each option are in this article.
Alternatively, if you are considering other options to allow for cooking while camping, it might be worth checking some camping stove options, such as butane and propane, or even solar-powered options.
Have an excellent camping trip!
