Stove or no?

hwy1strat

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Aug 9, 2016
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394
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Spokane, WA
So, I'm looking at getting a backpacking shelter and I really like the tipi and pyramid style tents. I'm torn between the Seek outside Cimarron or the Mytrailco Pyramid 4. What it really comes down to is the stove. I've never had a stove so i don't know the reality of me using it. Part of me seems to think that it won't be worth the hassle of carrying the stove, setting it up, and cutting wood for it. All of that just to burn it for a couple of hours in the evening. When I wake up, I eat breakfast and I'm out the door. So the only time I would burn it would be the evenings for maybe an hour or two before I go to sleep. So, what I'm really asking is, for those of you that have a stove, do you find that you use it or do you end up leaving it behind a lot? Also, can you burn the stove while you sleep? I would imagine there are some carbon monoxide dangers with that?

Thanks,
Travis
 
Joined
Jun 7, 2016
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412
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Idaho
Those shelters are floorless so there shouldn't be any issues of carbon monoxide buildup.

I say it depends on the weather you are going to be hunting in and how many people will be with you. If it isn't going to be very cold then I would not bring mine. If it was going to be colder and I had another person going with me I would probably bring it. If it was just me then it would depend on how many days I would be out and how mobile I would be. All that said I do have one but I have yet to consider it a must have on a hunt, of course I have only had it for one year so time will tell.
 
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Most tents have plenty of ventilation, so carbon monoxide is not an issue. If I am hunting in mild temps, a stove is not necessary, but can still be nice on both chilly nights and mornings. Cold and wet weather, a stove is a priceless luxury. If you need to dry things, it can be a necessity. But bottom line is that a stove significantly improves my game. I go to bed warm and dry, leave the tent in the mornings warm and dry, and sleep much better. Overall, a stove allows me to be much more rejuvenated, and thus able to hunt more effectively. My personal NSHO is that a stove is worth it. But, it takes room, so you need the volume to be able to pack it. If you have the room, take it.
 
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I've hunted in weather where it never got close to being above freezing the entire week. In those conditions, a stove, despite me not having one, was a necessity. My buddy and I managed to stay the entire week, but we lost a whole lot of weight. Bottom line is we were barely surviving the entire time. With the weight we lost, it's a safe bet to say that would would not have been capable of surviving those conditions much longer. In short, having or not having a stove can make or break a hunt. In that hunt I describe above, my buddy and I were the only people still there and hunting. On the entire drive out, there wasn't a single person occupying any of the camps.
 

Tsnider

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Sep 8, 2016
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Carbondale, CO
im in colorado too, I wont go without the stove. warmth is nice, drying out is necessary. the stoves don't weigh much. if i were doing some ultralight hunt then maybe id leave it behind but not likely. i wont let cold wet boots ruin another weekend of hunting. cutting wood isnt something most guys do for these little stoves, you just pick up twigs and burn those which is a pain in the ass IMO and burns for very short times.

i recently got the QiWiz little buck saw and its amazing for a 4 ounce saw. the maximum log size for the little stove will burn for a good long time. i could cut up 3 days worth of wood in 20 minutes with that little thing, and stuff that i can get a good hour burn time from. very impressed with it.
 

Read1t48

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May 18, 2017
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Oregon
With new technologies, a stove is pretty lightweight for any shelter -- especially the smaller ones. It really doesn't take much to gather enough fuel for a few days. Even when the fuel is wet, it dries quickly when you stack it by the stove. Aside from the ability to dry out gear, warmth, cooking, etc, a stove is good for the mind. When you're solo, it's a nice companion and helps pass the time, particularly in the late fall when the daylight is short. With a buddy, it's a great way to pass the time. 10" of snow or ice outside and you're laying on top of your sleeping bag and it's 70 degrees inside your tipi/tent.
 

Zoo Keeper

Lil-Rokslider
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Nov 26, 2015
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Missouri
I have a Cimarron & very glad I got the stove for when it is below freezing (even just to warm up for a while) & especially when I need to dry out.

The cool thing is, if forecast is good, you don't have to take it.


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bbrown

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Mar 9, 2012
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Laporte - CO
When the weather is going to be crap or I'm going to be set up in one spot for a while during later hunts the stove is well worth the extra weight and bulk. For shorter trips and just taking a bite off the morning cold the Primus Micron lantern is hard to beat for the size and weight.

Nothing beats a wood burning stove when you really need it though...
 
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oldgoat

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Mar 5, 2015
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Arvada, CO
We love ours, it gets burned in the evening and sometimes I'll get it going again in the middle of the night and most importantly in the morning before we climb out of the bags! Sure nice crawling into a warm bag with a warm body. But you can take the chill off a small shelter with a micro lantern also. I won't take mine hunting solo, but when wife goes, it goes! Not counting actually tending and starting the fire, I doubt I spent an hour total collecting wood and setting up taking down the stove for I think 9 days. Simple as finding a down tree, bust off limbs up to size of my wrist then busting them down to sub 18". An 18" cylinder stove is 2lbs of pure luxury!
 
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Great Falls MT
I've only had mine out for a couple short weekend trips for bear season. I ran it in a Gen 1 Megatarp and now a Gen 2. I can't tell you how nice it is to wake up to dry socks and boots! On my last trip this past weekend I got a bad sinus infection. It was so nice to be able to light the stove in the middle of the night and take the chill off.
I'm still new to setting mine up (you can tell by the steep angle of my stove pipe lol) it takes me about 25-30 min to get it set up and wood and a fire going.
It only weighs like a pound point six I believe. So if it's not late June through August in Montana I'm taking the stove. Planning on using it in September because of how bad the weather was last year. Snow wet and cold.
That and it works well for me because there's a couple deadfall trees next to my camo spot.

Can't wait to try it in November!
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b8a91ca3a393094963e1af3e162ef1f9.jpg


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Gobbler36

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None your business
First year running a stove and the few times I've had it out this spring for bear it hasn't even made me blink at the weight or the cost. It is a very nice luxury and imo has made a difference in quality of sleep on cold nights which in turn has made for a better hunt. Not to mention you can cook boil water on top so there are some things you can leave behind to make up for the small weight penalty
 
OP
hwy1strat

hwy1strat

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Spokane, WA
Well this has made the decision easier. Seems to be a unanimous agreement! I'll be purchasing a tent that will take a stove
 
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Well this has made the decision easier. Seems to be a unanimous agreement! I'll be purchasing a tent that will take a stove

Set it all up at home, and learn how to use/control it well, and you will never regret the decision.
 

Grabwad

Lil-Rokslider
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Mar 15, 2017
Messages
101
Last year I got rained on at least once a day during my early season archery elk hunt. I'm considering packing a stove this year just for drying clothes/gear. Is this an overkill when the temps are mild?
 
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If you have a hunting partner, split the stove and shelter between the two of you, make it part of your group gear. Makes it much easier to manage.
 

Grabwad

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Mar 15, 2017
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If you have a hunting partner, split the stove and shelter between the two of you, make it part of your group gear. Makes it much easier to manage.

I'll be solo again this year so I'm just wondering if it's worth it to carry in for opening week. It sure woulda been good for drying my clothes last yr. This will be my first yr with a floorless shelter so I'm on the fence as to whether it's needed bc I just don't have the experience.
 

pods8 (Rugged Stitching)

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Thornton, CO
I don't have a stove yet but plan to add one for the fall. I've done the multiday drizzle from truck campers and know it would suck in a tent w/o a way to dry things. Last year we got away with just frosted mornings but no rain while spike camped. A day or two of drizzle I know a stove would be the mental make/break difference in a hunt. You are much more motivated to still get out and glass when you know you can come back and dry things out.


Edit: Quick question for the stove users. How fast does ash build up that requires emptying?
 
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Edmond, OK
Coming from OK and only hunting elk in CO in Sept....its worth every penny and every ounce. Whether it be for drying gear, warmth at bed time and upon waking, or a general mood lifter after having your dick smashed for days on end seeing absolutely no game.... I have my go back up the Mtn w/o a tarp and stove.

Partner and I will split the weight between Tut and Smith stove or I'll carry both when going solo. It's a necessary part of my gear list.
 

ElkFanatic

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Aug 19, 2015
Messages
126
So, I'm looking at getting a backpacking shelter and I really like the tipi and pyramid style tents. I'm torn between the Seek outside Cimarron or the Mytrailco Pyramid 4. What it really comes down to is the stove. I've never had a stove so i don't know the reality of me using it. Part of me seems to think that it won't be worth the hassle of carrying the stove, setting it up, and cutting wood for it. All of that just to burn it for a couple of hours in the evening. When I wake up, I eat breakfast and I'm out the door. So the only time I would burn it would be the evenings for maybe an hour or two before I go to sleep. So, what I'm really asking is, for those of you that have a stove, do you find that you use it or do you end up leaving it behind a lot? Also, can you burn the stove while you sleep? I would imagine there are some carbon monoxide dangers with that?

Thanks,
Travis
No need to work with CO2 cuz your Tipi will allow enough air in and your stove typically will only burn 30 to hour anyway. You can easily restoke it for up to two hours if you have good bed of coals already. I always take my stove cuz you never know what kind of situation or weather you will run into. Remember things are different in high elevation in the fall. For me being able to dry out my clothes is totally worth the weight anyway. If you have ever gotten wet and not been able to dry out your clothes before you'll totally understand this.

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Grabwad

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Mar 15, 2017
Messages
101
No need to work with CO2 cuz your Tipi will allow enough air in and your stove typically will only burn 30 to hour anyway. You can easily restoke it for up to two hours if you have good bed of coals already. I always take my stove cuz you never know what kind of situation or weather you will run into. Remember things are different in high elevation in the fall. For me being able to dry out my clothes is totally worth the weight anyway. If you have ever gotten wet and not been able to dry out your clothes before you'll totally understand this.

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That was my hunt last year. I got rained on so much and the afternoon I put my clothes out to dry, it was beautiful except for the 30 min shower that drenched everything again. It really did mentally beat me up.
 
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