Hot tent camping means pitching a tent that’s built to hold a small wood stove, so you can warm up, dry your gear and cook inside on a cold night. It’s one of the most comfortable ways to camp in winter, but it has a learning curve. In the video below, Wilderness Bushcraft and friends arrive at a provincial park after dark, pitch on a poorly chosen spot and wake up surrounded by meltwater. This guide covers the basics so your first hot tent night goes better.
What is a hot tent?
A hot tent is a shelter designed for use with a stove. It usually has:
- A stove jack: a heat-resistant ring or panel in the wall or roof that the chimney pipe passes through.
- Suitable fabric: canvas, poly-cotton or a synthetic fabric that the maker rates for stove use. A regular nylon tent is not built for this, so never put a stove in a tent that isn’t designed for one.
- Ventilation: vents or adjustable openings that let moisture and combustion gases out and fresh air in.
The stove is usually a small, portable sheet-metal or titanium wood stove with a chimney pipe, a damper and often a spark arrestor on top.
Choosing and preparing your site
This is where many first trips go wrong, including the one in the video.
Arrive with daylight to spare
Setting up a hot tent, the stove and the chimney takes longer than pitching a regular tent, and finding dry wood takes longer still. Plan to reach camp with at least an hour or two of light left.
Think about meltwater
A stove warms the tent floor and the snow under it. On a flat, low spot, that meltwater has nowhere to go. Look for a spot that drains, or stamp the snow down firmly with snowshoes or boots and let it set up before pitching. Many hot tenters also set the stove on a stove board or fire-resistant mat, or on legs that keep it off the floor.
Check overhead and around you
Look up for dead branches and avoid pitching under snow-loaded limbs. Keep clear of anything flammable near the chimney outlet, such as low branches.
Check the rules
Fire restrictions, wood-gathering rules and stove permits vary by park and season. Confirm them before you go, and bring your own firewood if gathering isn’t allowed.
Running the stove safely
A wood stove inside a tent can be safe when it’s used carefully, but the risks are real: fire, burns and carbon monoxide (CO).
- Bring a battery-powered CO alarm and place it in the tent, away from the stove. CO has no smell or color.
- Keep vents open whenever the stove is lit, even when it’s cold.
- Keep clearance between the stove, the chimney and the tent walls, sleeping bags, clothing and gear, following the stove and tent makers’ guidance.
- Use a spark arrestor on the chimney to reduce the risk of embers landing on the tent or nearby trees.
- Burn only dry wood cut to fit the firebox. Wet wood smokes, makes creosote and gives off little heat.
- Never burn trash, plastic or treated wood.
- Plan the night. Many campers let the stove burn down as they go to sleep and rely on a warm sleeping bag, rather than leaving a fire unattended all night. If your group takes turns tending the stove, agree on a plan.
- Keep a pot of water or snow and a shovel handy, and wear gloves when handling the stove door or pipe.
Gear that makes hot tenting easier
- A saw and a hatchet or axe for processing wood, plus gloves
- Dry kindling and fire starters, since wood found in winter is often damp
- A stove board or heat-resistant mat
- Snow stakes or deadman anchors, because regular stakes may not hold in snow
- A warm sleeping bag and an insulated pad, because the tent cools quickly once the fire dies down
- Camp booties or dry socks for moving around the tent
Common rookie mistakes
- Arriving after dark with no time to scout a good site.
- Pitching in a low spot where meltwater pools.
- Bringing too little dry wood, or wood that’s too long for the stove.
- Overheating the tent, then sweating into clothes and bedding.
- Hanging wet gear too close to the stove or chimney.
- Skipping the CO alarm because “the tent is drafty.”
Is hot tent camping for you?
If you love winter camping but hate being cold in camp, a hot tent can be a great step up. It’s heavier and more work than regular tent camping, so it’s best suited to car camping, sled hauling or short walks in. Start with a night close to your vehicle and practice lighting and controlling the stove.
Weighing a stove against other ways to stay warm? Read our guide to choosing a camping heater, and see how to stay warm in a tent at night (safely) for sleep-system tips.
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FAQ
Can I put a wood stove in any tent?
No. Only use a stove in a tent the manufacturer designs and rates for stove use, with a proper stove jack.
Do I need a carbon monoxide alarm in a hot tent?
Yes. A battery-powered CO alarm is an inexpensive, important safety layer whenever you burn fuel near where you sleep.
Should I keep the stove going all night?
Many campers let it burn out and rely on their sleeping bags. Avoid leaving a fire burning unattended while everyone is asleep.
Why did my tent floor get wet?
Heat from the stove melts the snow under the tent. Pack the snow down well, choose a spot that drains and keep the stove off the floor.