Cooking in tents

[Lophophaps]

Advice is sought about cooking in tents.

In fine calm weather it's nice to cook outside, but as the wind picks up, the temperature drops and precipitation starts it can get unpleasant. This is especially so in winter. In such conditions some people cook in tents. However, there is a very real danger of a tent catching fire (which does not aid cooking) or carbon monoxide poisoning (which changes cooking to a first aid problem or a perhaps burial).

Some questions. How many people cook in tents? How bad does the weather get or how low does the temperature get before you cook in a tent? Have you ever had or seen an adverse tent cooking incident? Anything else? TIA.

[tom_brennan]

Advice is sought about cooking in tents.

Be careful

I occasionally boil water for the morning drink in the vestibule, but I can see that it wouldn't take much for it all to go pear shaped. I suspect that carbon monoxide poisoning is only an issue if you're cooking for quite a while in a tent with very little ventilation.

[FootTrack]

I did it once up at the snow when the weather was pretty ordinary outside (my only snow experience mind you). We cooked in the pit of our vestibule which we had shoveled out. I wasn't too concerned about CO poisoning because we have a vent right about our vestibule. Having the stove lower meant the flame was further away from the tent fabric too. Usually we try to avoid it though - we were just cold and looking for something to warm us up. I usually just take some extra scroggin with me that I can eat for tea if the weather is too bad to cook in outside.

[RonK]

I've ever had a problem and feel it quite safe to use a gas or metho stove in the vestibule.

I wouldn't use a pressure stove though.

[DarrenM]

I cook in the vestibule year round in any weather. 90% of my cooking is done midwinter in the backcountry and never had any issues. If I'm snowed in proper then I make sure there is at least one point of air flow wether it's the small rear vents in most tents or the top storm flap of the entry.

People cook in tents all the time in the highest places on earth. Common sense with non canister stoves helps. Know your stove well enough and you will be fine

[walkerchris77]

U can buy carbon monoxide detectors for the house. You could always take one with you. Just a thought.

[DaveNoble]

I only cook inside my tent - mostly in the vestibule - but sometimes inside the main section, with care. This is when the vestibule is too windy or I want to take the chill off the tent -which is not often. I use a gas stove, and have never had any problems.

Dave

[Strider]

I am amazed either of those stoves function in the snow!

[icefest]

A caveat: I've mentioned this before and I'm sorry for repeating myself, feel free to search my previous posts for more info.

Most liquid and solid fuel stoves create an enormous amount of carbon monoxide. Several orders of magnitude more.
These can very easily be very deadly.

I would never use these in any tent. Some I wouldn't even want to use inside at all (I'm looking at you - confined metho burners).

Some gas stoves are, with ventilation, quite alright. I use mine inside.


That being said, this can easily be deadly. People die from this, and it's not even that rare.

[wander]

We normally cook in the vestibule (wisperlite internationale) and have done for many years. Never a problem to date and an important skill to learn before you are forced to learn in tougher circumstances.

The stove dramas except 1 I have seen have all been in huts.

The 1 drama was a very wet and windy arvo at Lonely Tarns and our companions forgot the stove needs to be treated differently when warm and over primed it, a simmer lite I think, it was noisy. The resultant flaming stove was tossed from the vestibule pretty quick, recovered and all was good. It always pays to have a plan B.

[Snowzone]

Quite often cook my breaky up in the vestibule and eat in bed. Its that snug warm feeling before hitting the elements for the day, Yes Icefest you are probably right about the risk but I'm careful to make sure my vents are open and I put the trangia nowhere near tent fabric.
I have wondered at times if the heat from cooking could damage the fly, particularly if the stove was in the same place constantly.

[DarrenM]

I am amazed either of those stoves function in the snow!

Why?

[Strider]

I am amazed either of those stoves function in the snow!

Why?

Because the canisters are directly in contact with the snow and must be very cold.

[DarrenM]

I am amazed either of those stoves function in the snow!

Why?

Because the canisters are directly in contact with the snow and must be very cold.

I guess that's the problem with most people and their gear. They always get bogged down in detail and statistics while others are out there consistently using them in real world conditions day in day out.

I bought the pocket rocket the day they came out and have punished it for over a decade without problem. The Jetboil is better again.

[Hermione]

We've cooked in the vestibule many times when the weather was rubbish, it's easy enough particularly if using a gas stove but outside is easier still in decent weather. It's just we seem to do a lot of walking in ordinary weather.

[Strider]

Not always about statistics. For the first time, I had simply so much trouble with my Fire Maple canister stove while at Lake Rhona that I really lost faith in it ended up replacing it with a Kovea Spider instead. Then again, I notice you are using Jetboil and MSR gas there, so probably a far better mix than I was using on that occasion. It wasn't even snowing!

[DarrenM]

Not always about statistics. For the first time, I had simply so much trouble with my Fire Maple canister stove while at Lake Rhona that I really lost faith in it ended up replacing it with a Kovea Spider instead. Then again, I notice you are using Jetboil and MSR gas there, so probably a far better mix than I was using on that occasion. It wasn't even snowing!

I've used every type and brand available including the non cold mix types. They all work, some just better than others.

[Strider]

Maybe the problem is I was cooking outside of my vestibule

[DarrenM]

[Mark F]

Many years ago myself and a mate did come close to knocking ourselves out using solid fuel in a very well sealed tent. Despite that experience I still regularly cook in the vestibule of my tent but I have been careful to investigate the amount of CO produced by my stove and ensure there is a bit of ventilation. Roger Caffin has tested lots of stoves - details on bpl. The key thing you find is that the reputation of the manufacturer has little to do with the CO production of their stoves.

[Lophophaps]

Thanks for the above, very useful. I always cook in a tent in the snow - it's too cold outside. Away from the snow, if the weather is wet, windy or cold I'll cook in a tent. A small stove can heat a tent quite quickly.

I've been involved in a few critical incidents. One involved a choofer and a Blacks Good Companion tent. (Anyone under 60 may not know what I am talking about. Choofer - shellite. Blacks - heavy with 20 or so pegs.) It was not my tent. The safety valve burst and flame ensued, mercifully out the door. Hysteria inside - the Blacks has but one entry. I came in and with a nice hooking foot kicked the stove into the clearing, leaving little heaps of flames every metre or two until the stove stopped. The clearing was dusty and big, so there was no bushfire.

The second was in the snow. The two way zip was open at the top but snow had sealed all around the edges at the bottom of the fly. The occupant became drowsy and nearly collapsed, only just managing to open the bottom of the door, with welcome burst of oxygen. This was very, very close to being a dot on a graph.

I reckon with awareness of adequate ventilation and the potential of the tent catching fire, with a stove that does preferably not flare, cooking in a tent can be done with reasonable safety.

[Jaala]

No, never in a tent. I have many times dug a small hole to use as a wind break. I carry a firm piece of foil to shove over the flame if needed to protect from heavy rain. The reason I won't cook in the tent though is only in case it becomes an attraction for critters in the night.

[RonK]

No, never in a tent. I have many times dug a small hole to use as a wind break. I carry a firm piece of foil to shove over the flame if needed to protect from heavy rain. The reason I won't cook in the tent though is only in case it becomes an attraction for critters in the night.

Hehe - no bears here to worry about...

[walk2wineries]

If the stove DOES warm the tent, that's almost certainly an indication of inadequate ventilation isn't it?

[Tortoise]

Thanks for the above, very useful. I always cook in a tent in the snow - it's too cold outside. Away from the snow, if the weather is wet, windy or cold I'll cook in a tent. A small stove can heat a tent quite quickly.

I've been involved in a few critical incidents. One involved a choofer and a Blacks Good Companion tent. (Anyone under 60 may not know what I am talking about. Choofer - shellite. Blacks - heavy with 20 or so pegs.) It was not my tent. The safety valve burst and flame ensued, mercifully out the door. Hysteria inside - the Blacks has but one entry. I came in and with a nice hooking foot kicked the stove into the clearing, leaving little heaps of flames every metre or two until the stove stopped. The clearing was dusty and big, so there was no bushfire.

The second was in the snow. The two way zip was open at the top but snow had sealed all around the edges at the bottom of the fly. The occupant became drowsy and nearly collapsed, only just managing to open the bottom of the door, with welcome burst of oxygen. This was very, very close to being a dot on a graph.

I reckon with awareness of adequate ventilation and the potential of the tent catching fire, with a stove that does preferably not flare, cooking in a tent can be done with reasonable safety.

Interesting comment, with the history. I tend to agree. It's all about air and fire, and managing them adequately for acceptable risk. I'd NEVER have considered using a choofer (aka 'flame-thrower') in a tent myself. But that's just me. Mostly the vestibule will suffice - which is why i like a decent sized vestibule.

In blizzards we've used a trangia inside the tent on occasions - well ventilated for the short period required, and the stove on a CCF square. Once we nearly came unstuck when we put the tent up at lunchtime to reconsider our options and have a hot drink . 4 of us were inside the Macpac tent, and we were heating up a litre of water in a billy. Wind got under the floor and lifted the whole thing - stove and billy - into the air. Quick reflexes and woollen gloves saved the day and the hot drinks.

Another close call was when someone decided to climb over the stove, which was on the ground in the vestibule, knocking the rolled up fly out of its doover, so the fly went into the flame. That one was more foreseeable. Again, quick reflexes helped, and the small hole was repaired. Coulda been very nasty, though. I'm very wary of tents with slippery fabric that sometimes slip out of their doovers (the rolled up door unrolls).

So I often cook in the vestibule, but not for long. And I'm a bit nervous if someone else is in the tent at the time.

[Orion]

If the stove DOES warm the tent, that's almost certainly an indication of inadequate ventilation isn't it?

No, it isn't.

[GPSGuided]

In reverse, if one feels a strong draft through the tent, then it's likely there's adequate ventilation.

[sim1oz]

We've cooked in our tent to escape mosquitoes and in the vestibule when it's been pouring rain... I always hold onto the pot and stove if people are moving nearby, even when cooking outside with lots of space. I think it is important to be aware of what's happening around you when you cook, no matter where, and consider ventilation, fire risks, etc. I've always been more concerned about campfires and flying embers putting a holes in my tent.

[Lophophaps]

Interesting comment, with the history. I tend to agree. It's all about air and fire, and managing them adequately for acceptable risk. I'd NEVER have considered using a choofer (aka 'flame-thrower') in a tent myself. But that's just me. Mostly the vestibule will suffice - which is why i like a decent sized vestibule.

In blizzards we've used a trangia inside the tent on occasions - well ventilated for the short period required, and the stove on a CCF square. Once we nearly came unstuck when we put the tent up at lunchtime to reconsider our options and have a hot drink . 4 of us were inside the Macpac tent, and we were heating up a litre of water in a billy. Wind got under the floor and lifted the whole thing - stove and billy - into the air. Quick reflexes and woollen gloves saved the day and the hot drinks.

Another close call was when someone decided to climb over the stove, which was on the ground in the vestibule, knocking the rolled up fly out of its doover, so the fly went into the flame. That one was more foreseeable. Again, quick reflexes helped, and the small hole was repaired. Coulda been very nasty, though. I'm very wary of tents with slippery fabric that sometimes slip out of their doovers (the rolled up door unrolls).

So I often cook in the vestibule, but not for long. And I'm a bit nervous if someone else is in the tent at the time.

Tortoise, your stories caused me to say a few very rude words, like development, cattle and gondola. It's many years since I used a choofer, but I must have used it in the snow, as that was just about all that was available in stoves except perhaps a Trangia. I can't recall anything bad happening with a choofer except the Pisa-like habit of leaning. In most cases the vestibule suffices. I had not thought about the wind catching the floor. Carrying lots of weight keeps the floor down! Climbing over a stove is ill-advised. There's even a song - Great balls of fire.

Most of my tents have a clear gap at the bottom of the fly, perhaps 10-20 cm. A stove will quickly heat the tent due to the fairly small volume. I've had candles warm a tent about five degrees C, and a small stove adds as much as 15-20 degrees C. All of this is without anything bad happening. Attracting moths is good - protein.

[nq111]

I am actually surprised by how many people seem to have never cooked in their tents. I thought this an essential camping skill as certainly there are plenty of times (too windy, wet or snowy) to be able to cook outside).

A big vestibule, open up the ventilation and lots of care are required. Certainly warms up the tent nice, particularly when melting lots of snow.