Beaverjack:

I have tried all the available configurations for leaving the front damper open - I get the best results at about 3/4 open with the stack damperabout 1/4 to 1/2 closed but it still burns fast. Some nights there are not even hot coals in the bed in the am - the first year we used pine and WY and that made it burn really fast but that is all we could get. This year in CO we brought oak with us for night use and used some aspen for general purpose and it was better. I am considering getting some coal and tossing in a couple of pieces to burn with the wood. We had a propane " buddy" heater (quiet) with a 20lb tank that helped ease the pressure a bit so we were not up feeding the fire every hour. Let me know what you think.