DIY Stove Conversion - Advice Needed

[CiK01]

http://www.rokslide.com/forums/sleep-systems/81509-tipi-warmth.html

I posted the other day about my Lite Outdoors XL burning me out of a 2-man Seek Outside Silvertip. Now I am in a rabbit hole trying to figure out which direction to go in. Need opinions. I am either going to buy the materials needed to convert the XL into a shorter stove or a smaller diameter stove.

My current setup is:
18" length by 10.5" diameter = 1558in3

Option 1: 10" length by 10.5" diameter = 865in3
Option 2: 18" length by 8.25" diameter = 962in3
Option 3: 12" length by 10.5" diameter = 1039in3


If you had to pick one, which would you pick and why? I am leaning towards #1 or #2. Just not sure.

Tony

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

If you can experiment this winter I'd personally just test out blocking off some of the vent holes in the bottom. I think regardless of stove size if you've got a hot fire going its going to sweat you out, a smaller fire at a slower burn rate in a large stove doesn't seem like it would inherently be "too hot". I don't have a ton of experience with my liteoutdoors 18" but I noticed a big difference in how much heat was coming off it based on how much air I was allowing it to get. Off the bad I needed to let a good fire build up which was really hot (open up the tent doors to vent some) but once established I could choke it back, heck with a nice coal base going I could close the door vent off completely and toss on a fresh load of sticks and they'd slowly burn down through the night with just the air leaking past the door creating a small/mellow radius of warmth coming off the stove.

I think the folks saying use a smaller stove are used to the manufacturers who have loose flaps or permanent vent holes in the front of their stoves and any wood they throw in there will burn up fast/hot.


Edit: I misread I thought you had the seek stove with the permanent vent holes. I see you have the liteoutdoors stove thought. Have you closed down the inlet vent completely or close to it and still gotten too hot in your silvertip?

 

[CiK01]

Have you closed down the inlet vent completely or close to it and still gotten too hot in your silvertip?

I think I need to give it more time and vent the tent a lot more than I do. I have it in my head that a smaller stove will put off less heat and that is the path I should be going. I am sure it does, but I think if I spend more time getting the right fire going in the larger stove I will be ok too.

The Silvertip tipi is small. It can heat up fast. I think venting is going to be my best bet because the alternative is a smaller stove with more stoking through the night. I don't have a lot of 4th season camping, so venting seems counter-intuitive to me......heat the stove and open the tent.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Yeah I temporarily had a silvertip so I know the size, I have a LBO/vestibule now which is only slightly larger but haven't ran the stove in it yet. The Cimarron I've run the 18" normal dia stove in so far and that is where my experiences were coming from. Getting the fire going to develop a stable fire was hot but really only talking the first bit of time you fire it up and as long as it isn't raining its not a big deal to open up the door. After that I as able to make big swings in temperature based on how much air I allowed into it. Just play around with it and in the end if you feel a smaller stove is needed you can always make the change then but I think the size of fire you built and the amount of air you feet it is going to make a much bigger difference than if the stove is 18" long or 12" long or 2" larger diameter. If all your sticks are shorter and pushed to the far end of the 18" stove how is that really any different than a 12" stove?

Also one of the reasons I went 18" is its fairly easy to boot stomp dry branches to fit into an 18" stove, some of the 10" or 12" stoves seem like getting proper length pieces of wood could be a pain in the butt.

 

[Beendare]

I've made a couple of these stoves...and currently own the 18"...so I have a bit of experience with them.


My take. I wouldn't bother.

The bigger stove is easier to get burning and keep burning at a regulated temp. The problem with the smaller stove [12"] is it much harder to regulate them. More stove volume makes it easier.

Also you want to have the baffle....AND the damper. These stoves are tricky to get just right as you know, its mostly in how you feed them and develop the coals.