Which tent stove

[Larry S.]

I'm replacing my old tent stove and have, pretty much, narrowed my choice down to two stoves. These being the Colorado Cylinder Stove Spruce Model (complete package approx. $400) and the Two Dog Stove pkg from Four Dog Stoves (complete pkg approx. $400). Both seem sturdy and dependable. Both have the ability to heat my 12' x 12' wall tent.

I'm just looking for anyone with experience with either stove (or any other stove I haven't mentioned). Looking for good points and bad, how long they'll hold a banked fire at night, any glaring problems, any great features, etc.

What say you???

[92xj]

Four dog.
I really enjoy mine.

[birddogdad]

largest you can find, less you like to stoke several times a night in cold season..

[92xj]

largest you can find, less you like to stoke several times a night in cold season..

Buy 2 north Idaho energy logs for a dollar a piece. Build up a nice coal bed during the evening time. At bed time throw the logs in and go to sleep, wake up 9 hours later and still have plenty of heat from stove and coals to start the new days fire.

[Duckslayer89]

largest you can find, less you like to stoke several times a night in cold season..

Buy 2 north Idaho energy logs for a dollar a piece. Build up a nice coal bed during the evening time. At bed time throw the logs in and go to sleep, wake up 9 hours later and still have plenty of heat from stove and coals to start the new days fire.

Where do you get those logs?

[92xj]

largest you can find, less you like to stoke several times a night in cold season..

Buy 2 north Idaho energy logs for a dollar a piece. Build up a nice coal bed during the evening time. At bed time throw the logs in and go to sleep, wake up 9 hours later and still have plenty of heat from stove and coals to start the new days fire.

Where do you get those logs?

They sell them here at ranch and home, singles, case or pallet.  I think on the North Idaho energy log website they have a dealer locator.

[92xj]

"Find a dealer"
Top right of screen.
http://www.northidahoenergylogs.com/

[BULLBLASTER]

I have a kni-co with side table and water heater for my tent. It's a lightweight sheet metal stove and works very well. Can't comment on the other brands since I haven't used any. I do like the energy logs also but they will really plug a spark arrester. 

[Duckslayer89]

"Find a dealer"
Top right of screen.
http://www.northidahoenergylogs.com/

Dang there's one about 1 minute away from me can walk there. So do you just throw 2 in before bed with a little fire starter or something? Last longer then regular wood?

[92xj]

"Find a dealer"
Top right of screen.
http://www.northidahoenergylogs.com/

Dang there's one about 1 minute away from me can walk there. So do you just throw 2 in before bed with a little fire starter or something? Last longer then regular wood?

Burn normal wood, limbs, trees, whatever in the stove for a few hours before bed to build up a good red coal bed, no big flames needed to ignite the energy logs, but a coal bed is.  Place logs in and that's about it.  They last a long time.  Im my 10x14 when it's 25 degrees out, the tent will be mid 70s at bedtime, when I wake up in the morning it's been 60-66 degrees.

I've not had a spark arrester plugging issue,  maybe my screen is a little bigger 
I do clean it often, daily when doing a multi day trip.

[Duckslayer89]

"Find a dealer"
Top right of screen.
http://www.northidahoenergylogs.com/

Dang there's one about 1 minute away from me can walk there. So do you just throw 2 in before bed with a little fire starter or something? Last longer then regular wood?

Burn normal wood, limbs, trees, whatever in the stove for a few hours before bed to build up a good red coal bed, no big flames needed to ignite the energy logs, but a coal bed is.  Place logs in and that's about it.  They last a long time.  Im my 10x14 when it's 25 degrees out, the tent will be mid 70s at bedtime, when I wake up in the morning it's been 60-66 degrees.

I've not had a spark arrester plugging issue,  maybe my screen is a little bigger 
I do clean it often, daily when doing a multi day trip.

Ok sweet. I'm trying to figure out which stove pipe I would need for a four dog stove in a cabelas alaknek tent. Any suggestions?

[92xj]

"Find a dealer"
Top right of screen.
http://www.northidahoenergylogs.com/

Dang there's one about 1 minute away from me can walk there. So do you just throw 2 in before bed with a little fire starter or something? Last longer then regular wood?

Burn normal wood, limbs, trees, whatever in the stove for a few hours before bed to build up a good red coal bed, no big flames needed to ignite the energy logs, but a coal bed is.  Place logs in and that's about it.  They last a long time.  Im my 10x14 when it's 25 degrees out, the tent will be mid 70s at bedtime, when I wake up in the morning it's been 60-66 degrees.

I've not had a spark arrester plugging issue,  maybe my screen is a little bigger 
I do clean it often, daily when doing a multi day trip.

Ok sweet. I'm trying to figure out which stove pipe I would need for a four dog stove in a cabelas alaknek tent. Any suggestions?

I bought the fourdog brand nesting stove pipe for my 3dog stove.  I have to install my stove jack so I measured the pipe diameter where it hit the canvas and bought that size stove jack to have sewn in.  I'd say whatever size your stove jack is on your tent, buy that size pipe as long as it fits on the stove itself.  If not, buy whatever fits the stove and it should be a little bit smaller diameter than the stove jack in the tent.

[BULLBLASTER]

Maybe that's my issue with the spark arrest or. I don't clean it. 

[Colville]

I have a cylinder stoves brand outfitter model. 15 years going strong.

Suggestion for spark arresting.  My damper is in the second pipe section as close to the roof as possible keeping more heat down in the pipe, in the tent.  I had poor arrester results in snowy wet weather, they would plug up bad.  Now I use hardware cloth that I cut to fit inside the pipe.  I hang this from the spindle of the spark arrester.  It's in the hot part of the pipe and doesn't plug up seems to provide comparable results.

[skeeter 20i]

largest you can find, less you like to stoke several times a night in cold season..

Buy 2 north Idaho energy logs for a dollar a piece. Build up a nice coal bed during the evening time. At bed time throw the logs in and go to sleep, wake up 9 hours later and still have plenty of heat from stove and coals to start the new days fire.

  +1  these work great for the last stoke of the night.  Another member turned me on to these.  I use a 4 dog in my 12 x 14 tent.

[ghosthunter]

I own a  12 x 12 and a 2 dog.
That stove can cook you out. When I first used it I had it 92 degrees in there in October.

Since that I learned how to regulate air and damper. I can fill it with logs at bed time damper it down and it will hold 62 degrees all night in 35 degree weather.

My buddy has a 3 dog in same size tent. No way you need a 4 dog unless you plan to get a bigger tent.

[Larry S.]

Ghosthunter...any problems with scorching tent walls from the radiated heat? Do I need to buy a heat resistant cloth to hang behind the stove?

To all others, appreciate the comments - especially about the pressed logs. There's an outlet within two miles of my home and I definitely plan to look in on them.

[skeeter 20i]

Here's some more info.
http://www.walltentshop.com/collections/tent-stoves

[ghosthunter]

Ghosthunter...any problems with scorching tent walls from the radiated heat? Do I need to buy a heat resistant cloth to hang behind the stove?

To all others, appreciate the comments - especially about the pressed logs. There's an outlet within two miles of my home and I definitely plan to look in on them.

I worried about that at first. But after 20 days in it I stopped fussing .
I have a tie in bug screen. I put something like a tent pole to keep it away from stove. Other than that the walls just don't get hot.
These stoves are well built and the hottest point is the top ,center and the front sides.

The best thing I found for under it is a oil drip tray you use in your garage.

In the photo I have a mat for under a BQ.

Check out the wall tent tips and tricks thread ,lots of good info.

[Stein]

Thanks for the pressed log trick, I will try it out for sure.

We run the 2-dog in our Bighorn III and you can get it as hot as you want it.  The dog sleeps under the stove and I keep a fire extinguisher handy as I'm sure she is going to just burst into flames one of these times.

[Larry S.]

Ghosthunter...any problems with scorching tent walls from the radiated heat? Do I need to buy a heat resistant cloth to hang behind the stove?

To all others, appreciate the comments - especially about the pressed logs. There's an outlet within two miles of my home and I definitely plan to look in on them.

I worried about that at first. But after 20 days in it I stopped fussing .
I have a tie in bug screen. I put something like a tent pole to keep it away from stove. Other than that the walls just don't get hot.
These stoves are well built and the hottest point is the top ,center and the front sides.

The best thing I found for under it is a oil drip tray you use in your garage.

In the photo I have a mat for under a BQ.

Check out the wall tent tips and tricks thread ,lots of good info.

Thanks for the response, the tips, and the photos! All are much appreciated. I think I'll be going with the two dog for my tent also.

[pd]

One thing about energy logs (or any similar product): They tend to accumulate moisture over time, and break apart.  Keep your powder and your pressed logs dry!

[kevinlisa06]

My vote is cylinderstoves.com great stove, I have the Yukon model. No need to get up and stoke the stove at night.

[Whitelightning]

I was in the same position earlier this year. I asked the guys on here and after looking at a few I bought a 4 Dog with two shelves nesting pipe and spark arrestor. My tent is 14x 17 the 4 dog is awesome well built truly airtight heats the heck out of the tent so far. 

[fishngamereaper]

Anyone ever try a rocket stove design. Buddy of mine swears by one for their elk camp. I can weld so thought about trying to build one and see how it works. Think he used 4" square steel tubing in a V design...

[finnman]

Whatever you decide to buy, you better look at them first in person. Myself and a friend both use the Utah Cylinder stoves. Best one we have found. The one from Colorado is not as tight, in fact is terrible. My other friend went and bought a package from Montana Canvas tents and this is the one they gave him, he could not keep it full of wood, it was too drafty and would just burn like crazy, too hot to start off and then dead cold out at midnight! It was a problem with the door and venting, just not built with tight enough tolerances.
So like stated before, its not always about the wood you burn, it starts with the right stove.
We do burn presto logs and once stocked full it burns all night long and it has coals in the morning, no need to get up and refill it.

[Moe the Sleaze]

I use a Four Dog Co. Four-Dog model in my 16x20.  If I use good wood, I can keep 58 degrees inside when outside temp is 0.  This is with a rubber- mat floor and a tarp laying on the roof so snow slides off.

If banked properly with GOOD WOOD at bedtime, will stay warm (45 degrees) until 0500 and have a useable bed of coals for easy morning re-start.

By "good wood", I mean SEASONED fir, tamarack, or maple.  I like a fir-maple mix, the fir will get it burning and the maple will provide longevity.

I love this stove and would buy no other!

[ghosthunter]

Anyone ever try a rocket stove design. Buddy of mine swears by one for their elk camp. I can weld so thought about trying to build one and see how it works. Think he used 4" square steel tubing in a V design...

I know a guy who uses a round cylinder like store , upright like a tank sitting on the ground. pipe out top.
Door is about 16 inches off the floor. No bottom in the thing. When he breaks camp he just picks it up and goes no clean out.

Saves a lot of space too being on end.

[grundy53]

Just got my Three dog delivered today. I just set it up. Can't wait to try it out.

Sent from my E6782 using Tapatalk

[ghosthunter]

Enjoy

[Wanttohuntmore]

Congrats.  I like my four dog/four dog in my 12x12 alaknak in sub freezing weather.  With crappy wood we could get about 5 hours burn time in 17f temp. before we would have add wood.  I can see with seasoned or presto we could get close to 8 hrs.  Well built.