What is a hot tent?

A hot tent is simply a term used to describe the use of a woodfire stove within a tent. With quality gear and the right prep work – creating a hot tent set up can be a transformative outdoor experience.

Why hot tent?

Keep your abode toasty warm

Adding a heat source to your tent offers all sorts of possibilities of extending your stay when camping in cold conditions. You will have a homely and welcoming base with which to stay comfortable for longer periods. Importantly, you will have a warm space to dry wet clothing, boots and gear (having dry socks when camping in Winter is a must).

Cook a hot meal

Being able to easily cook hot food and having hot water on tap inside your tent has obvious advantages and being in a warm environment means you will need to burn fewer calories, and so, require less food. Most stoves have some sort of provision for cooking – generally, a flat surface on the stovetop, even the ability to remove a top plate so you can cook directly over an open flame – see the Winnerwell Nomad Stove.

Conserve energy and wood

In inclement, stormy and wet weather, starting an open fire can be difficult and time-consuming. Having a stove makes lighting a fire a straightforward process. Compared to an outdoor fire, a stove will burn wood much more efficiently so you will need to source less fuel. As you will have a protected dry spot inside the tent and a steady heat source, you also have a dependable way of drying and storing wood.

Ambience

Aside from the practical reasons for camping with a hot tent, it gives you a relaxing and uplifting respite away from the elements – a simple hot meal inside a cosy tent whilst it is pouring down outside tastes superb and there is the pleasing ascetic of fire gazing and natural ambience created by a fire inside your tent – checkout the Winnerwell View series or WorkTuff stove which have glass sidewalls that create an awesome cosy vibe.

The stove

Woodfire stoves are a firebox set on legs that has the ability to draw in fresh air, burn fuel safely and efficiently, and then exhaust the smoke and gas fumes outside your tent via a pipe (aka flue or chimney) system. See our Flashing Kits.

There should be an adjustable air-intake vent set into the door opening which controls the amount of oxygen drawn into the firebox. To help regulate airflow there will be a ‘Damper’ mechanism inside the stove exit or flue. In combination with the front air vents, Dampers are airflow controllers that help adjust the fuel burn rate and are useful for keeping the heat in the stove instead of escaping out via the pipe system.

Once the stove pipe exits the tent then it should end with a spark arrestor to reduce the risk of burning the outer tent.

There are many stoves available that are ideal for a hot tent, ranging from lightweight but expensive Titanium stoves through to larger and stronger stainless or black steel stoves.

Some reputable brands that manufacture stainless or black steel stoves are WorkTuff, Winnerwell (both stocked by Homecamp and highly recommended!), Kni-Co, Bereg, GStove, Four Dog and Australian brand Ozpig. For Titanium stoves check out the Winnerwell Titanium Fastfold Stove or stoves from Kifaru, Luxe Hiking 3W and Seek Outdoors.

Some accessories available for stoves are hot water tanks (having hot water on tap is a game-changer), pipe or folding ovens (pizza or fresh bread anyone?) and a built-in thermometer is handy.

The tent

Large tents are best suited for hot tenting as you can keep a safe distance between yourself and the stove. Cabin or Wall Tents are often used in the USA/Canada for winter hunting expeditions. With the correct precautions, Bell, Tipis, Yurts, Esker and Laavu tents are good options but you should check on the compatibility with the manufacturer.

With the right precautions (Flashing Kit, Double Wall Pipes, Fireproof Matting) most tents can be used with a hot stove, however, if you are using a hot tent commercially or continually as part of a semi-permanent set-up, we recommend a tent that has been manufactured using a fire-resistant weaved canvas or another material with a special fire-resistant coating. Check out the Homecamp range of Classic Bell Tents.

Lightweight tents tend to be made from Nylon or Polyester and you will need to pay special attention to how they are constructed for use with a woodfire stove. Again, if in doubt ask the manufacturer if they are compatible with a stove.

See our range of Hot Tent Bundles which includes everything you need to get set up.

The set up

Having a red hot stove in your tent presents real risks which should not be taken lightly. You will need to evaluate your gear (and competence level) for this type of camping. These risks can be reduced by doing the appropriate research and taking a commonsense approach to safety precautions.

The most obvious risk is fire. It’s strongly recommended to position the stove within your tent somewhere that ensures good clearance from combustible materials such as the tent wall or bedding, allowing at least 1.2 m of space for people to move around the stove. Always use a fireproof mat or another type of fireproof flooring beneath your stove and leg extensions can be useful for getting more clearance beneath your stove.

You will need to consider how the stove chimney exits the tent – usually via a built-in stove jack or a silicone Flashing Kit. The beauty of using a Flashing Kit is that allows you to choose the exit point of your stove chimney and therefore better control the layout of your stove within the tent. Once you have gotten over the shock of making an incision into your tent canvas to create the hole, it’s a simple process to install the kit.

If your whole tent is not made from fire-resistant canvas then ideally the area or panel where your stove flue exits the tent should be made with a fireproof material (best option) or treated with a fireproof coating – there are many fire retardant sprays made especially for fabrics, we recommend Burnblock or similar.

There will need to be a way of keeping the hot stove pipe insulated from coming into contact with your tent canvas, this is usually done by incorporating a double pipe section or tent protector where the flue exits the tent via the flashing kit.

We recommend that the end of the flue has a clearance of at least 1m above your tent and use a spark arrestor on the last section of the pipe chimney, this will keep your tent protected from any errant sparks that make their way up the chimney system. Guy ropes can be used to securely anchor your spark arrestor in place and help maintain stability in high winds.

Other potential dangers

Probably the most common danger in hot tenting is being burnt by the stove itself. If you are camping with kids or multiple people then please incorporate a fireguard in your setup. Don’t handle the stove or other parts without wearing fireproof gloves (welders gloves are useful and inexpensive).

When you position the stove, think about your access to the rest of the tent and the position of the stove in relation to the tent door and ventilation is important. Stoves deprive your tent of oxygen as they use it to burn fuel, so it’s important to provide plenty of ventilation in your tent whilst the stove is in action.

Don’t place the stove somewhere that will inhibit your exit or somewhere you will need to move past too frequently. You will need to be mindful of not having flammable gear near the stove. If there are a few people in a confined space with a stove then get used to sharing tasks and being mindful of each other’s movement. Having a small fire extinguisher on hand is a sensible safety precaution in case of fire as is sleeping with a knife nearby in case you may need to cut your way out of the tent in an emergency.

Carbon Monoxide

Do not underestimate the danger of carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon Monoxide is odourless and colourless and therefore is difficult to detect.

You should keep your tent well ventilated – windows or even doors open whilst the stove is in use – ensuring there is a continuous cycle of fresh air in your tent.

Exhaust fumes can escape your stove system into the tent either because there is some sort of blockage in the pipes or strong wind is blowing directly into the exit pipe. You should regularly clean your stove and pipe sections to remove creosote that may block the chimney. It pays to keep your Damper open so that carbon monoxide is continually drawn out of the firebox up through the chimney flue and you should invest in a battery-operated carbon monoxide alarm – they are inexpensive and can save your life.

We DO NOT recommend sleeping with your stove lit but if you do plan to have your tent blazing overnight then taking turns for a fire vigil is recommended with each member of the camping party can take turns keeping watch.

Is it worth it in Australia?

Naturally snowy regions in countries such as the northern states of USA, Canada, NZ, Northern Europe and Japan call for this type of camping, however, having a warm, dry environment to head back to on a cold and very wet Victorian alps adventure has plenty of attraction. There is no reason that a Hot Tent setup shouldn’t be considered for our varied climate here in Australia and some of the bigger stoves are suited to use outside of a tent as a controlled fire and can double as a fire pit or bbq in your yard when not in use camping. 

Whatever you do make sure you research and evaluate the risks before going on a Hot Tent trip. If well prepared, the benefits can truly enhance your camping experience, ensuring a longer camping trip, especially in the underrated seasons.

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