Wall tent stove question.
08-23-2008, 04:28 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location:
Posts: 211
Wall tent stove question.
How important is it to have a damper installed in the stove chimney pipe? The stove, from Davis Tents, has a damper on the door; I would think that would be sufficient to control the fire in the stove. I have wood burning stove in my big living room, that stove doesn't have a damper in the chimney. I burn a lot of wood in the winter and have never had any problems, so I'm just questioning the need for a damper in the tent stoves chimney. I'lldefer to the Elk Camp experts. We fired the stove today for the first time, burned off the paint smell and tried out the water heater. The little stove looks like a solid little unit, should keep the tent comfortable in the cold.
One more question for those that use charcoal briquets at night; how many pounds of briquets for 5-6 days? 20-30 lbs?
Thanks in advance and fair warning, I'll be asking more questions.
Bugs.
One more question for those that use charcoal briquets at night; how many pounds of briquets for 5-6 days? 20-30 lbs?
Thanks in advance and fair warning, I'll be asking more questions.
Bugs.
08-23-2008, 05:14 PM
#2
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 10,679
RE: Wall tent stove question.
I assume you are talking about a spark damper / arrester?
I would leave the damper in the chimney becausethe chimney inthe tent ismuch much shorter than a chimney in your house. It keeps sparks to a minimum when stoking the fire. It doesn't take much to start a fire in the mountains with all the dry pine needles around and those sparks can travel for quite a ways down the mountain.
If we were going when there was the potential for very cold weather we would use real coal instead of wood or charcoal. It will burn much longer at night than either of the other two. I can't remember how much weight but we had two bags for 1.5 weeks. It was either 50 or100 pounds total. We would go to a rock yard and pick our own chunks. Try to get the bigger chunks cause they will take longer to burn than a bunch of smaller chunks.
I would leave the damper in the chimney becausethe chimney inthe tent ismuch much shorter than a chimney in your house. It keeps sparks to a minimum when stoking the fire. It doesn't take much to start a fire in the mountains with all the dry pine needles around and those sparks can travel for quite a ways down the mountain.
If we were going when there was the potential for very cold weather we would use real coal instead of wood or charcoal. It will burn much longer at night than either of the other two. I can't remember how much weight but we had two bags for 1.5 weeks. It was either 50 or100 pounds total. We would go to a rock yard and pick our own chunks. Try to get the bigger chunks cause they will take longer to burn than a bunch of smaller chunks.
08-23-2008, 05:35 PM
#3
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location:
Posts: 211
RE: Wall tent stove question.
I'm talking about a chimney damper, round cast iron with a rod on a spring, controls the exhaust flow up the chimney. The instructions said to install in the first section of pipe, drill opposing 1/4 holes in the chimney, disassemble the damper and thenre-assemble in the chimney. The spark arrester that came with the stove is just some hardware wire that appears one slides over the top of the chimney.
Coal is also an option, might take some work to find a source though.
Bugs.
Coal is also an option, might take some work to find a source though.
Bugs.
08-23-2008, 06:09 PM
#4
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: IL
Posts: 6,575
RE: Wall tent stove question.
I think most that I've stayed in/used never had a damper.
It may help control the burn rate etc....
but I usually just leave that to how much I crack open the stove etc....
I don't think I'd worry too much about it.
It may help control the burn rate etc....
but I usually just leave that to how much I crack open the stove etc....
I don't think I'd worry too much about it.
08-23-2008, 07:46 PM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Rivesville, WV
Posts: 3,192
RE: Wall tent stove question.
It is very easy, and inexpensive to install a damper in the stove pipe. If I were you I would put one in. It definitely helps control the burn rate. With a short stove pipe the outside weather greatly affects the draw of air through the stove(kind of like a vacuum). The damper puts you in control. And as stated above it controls the sparks. Tom.
08-26-2008, 12:21 PM
#8
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location:
Posts: 211
RE: Wall tent stove question.
Talked with the experts at Davis Tent regarding the importance of the chimney damper. Basically, the chimney damper in conjunction with the stove damper gives one greater control over burn rate and heat output in the stove. Load up the stove at night before turning in and damper the fire down with the stove and chimney damper and you're more likely to still have a fire going in the stove come morning, than if you just used the stove damper (no chimney damper). It's not critical to have a chimney damper installed, but it does give you greater control over the fire in the stove.
Bugs.
Bugs.
09-07-2008, 09:09 PM
#9
Spike
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: NY
Posts: 88
RE: Wall tent stove question.
Even with a good stove and a pipe damper, you will have to get up a few times to stoke the fire in the middle of the night. Staying in a tent you will be a little cold that is for sure. Make sure someone puts wood in, don't let the fire go out in the middle of the night.We went the 3rd season in Colorado last fall. 1st week of november, no snow last year but was real cold at night. Heavy frost every morning. Teens when you wake up. Had a tent stove and it was cold. You can't get warm like a camp. Back home here I am used to sleeping in our camp, and we have to get up at night also to stoke fire. But it gets way warm in there until morning.
09-07-2008, 09:28 PM
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location:
Posts: 1,813
RE: Wall tent stove question.
ORIGINAL: bugs11
How important is it to have a damper installed in the stove chimney pipe? The stove, from Davis Tents, has a damper on the door; I would think that would be sufficient to control the fire in the stove. I have wood burning stove in my big living room, that stove doesn't have a damper in the chimney. I burn a lot of wood in the winter and have never had any problems, so I'm just questioning the need for a damper in the tent stoves chimney. I'lldefer to the Elk Camp experts. We fired the stove today for the first time, burned off the paint smell and tried out the water heater. The little stove looks like a solid little unit, should keep the tent comfortable in the cold.
One more question for those that use charcoal briquets at night; how many pounds of briquets for 5-6 days? 20-30 lbs?
Thanks in advance and fair warning, I'll be asking more questions.
Bugs.
How important is it to have a damper installed in the stove chimney pipe? The stove, from Davis Tents, has a damper on the door; I would think that would be sufficient to control the fire in the stove. I have wood burning stove in my big living room, that stove doesn't have a damper in the chimney. I burn a lot of wood in the winter and have never had any problems, so I'm just questioning the need for a damper in the tent stoves chimney. I'lldefer to the Elk Camp experts. We fired the stove today for the first time, burned off the paint smell and tried out the water heater. The little stove looks like a solid little unit, should keep the tent comfortable in the cold.
One more question for those that use charcoal briquets at night; how many pounds of briquets for 5-6 days? 20-30 lbs?
Thanks in advance and fair warning, I'll be asking more questions.
Bugs.
Put one in, so you can turn the stove down, saveing on wood, and not over heat the tent.
DM