Another quest for finding the perfect wood stove

[Motabobo]

Situation: We are a family of three and I want to do some hot tenting in 0F temperature this winter without upgrading the whole family’s sleeping system (20F). I also do NOT want to wake up more than once during the night to refill the stove. This is critical, I want to fill the stove before going to bed, close the damper and go to sleep for as long as possible without getting cold (don’t forget the 20F difference, if not more…). I’ll cut my own firewood from where I’ll set up camp.

Current equipment: We all have 20F down sleeping bags with Exped Downmats (we also have ridgerests to go underneath as well). We’ll haul all the gear using snowshoes, pulks + backpacks.

Gear to acquire: tipi tent (6 or 8P I’m not sure yet) + woodstove

My research indicates that there seem to be 3 “class” of wood stoves (my own classification):
1. Class A, what I’d qualify as collapsible ultralight stoves, ranging from 1.5 to 10 lbs: Titanium Goat, Ruta Locura, Kifaru, Four Dog, Seek Outside, etc.
2. Class B, what I’d qualify as “light” stoves, ranging from 10 to I’ll say 36 lbs: Snowtrekker, Riley, Kni-Co, Sims, Four Dog, etc.
3. Class C, the heavy stoves, 36 lbs + which I haven’t researched much for obvious reasons.

Class A stoves seem to be able to keep the heat for 1h top. The only exception, is the Four Dog owner’s claim to be able to reach 3-4h. Anyone here experienced otherwise? Evidently, I’d be more than happy to spend the extra bucks on ultralight stove if they keep me warm for several hours, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. So I’m really looking about confirmation or invalidation here.

Class B stove seem to be the way to go. I’m looking for that delicate balance between weight and the amount of time the stove will be able to hold the heat at night. All things being equal, I’m theorizing it’s better to have a bigger stove than a smaller one, so I’ve calculated the Volume by total weight ratio (including pipes, damper & spark arrestor) and I cross-matched the result with each manufacturer’s burn time specifications if available. Putting aside all class A stoves, the clear winners are the Sims Sportmans, closely followed by the Kni-Co Alaska and Snowtrekker Large. This is followed by each company’s medium size stove. So I think it’s safe to assume it’s a matter of choosing between models, especially since Kni-Co actually manufactures both the Alaskan and Snowtrekker stoves. I’ve discarded the Sims Sportmans stove because I haven’t found a single review.

So:
1. Has anybody compared the two “brands”, I should rather say models between Kni-Co and Snowtrekker?
2. Can anyone comment on these stoves ability to hold the heath? I was told between 4-6h for both!
3. I’m concerned that both stoves do not have a baffle.
4. All the math & logic is pretty cool but did I miss anything, do you have a comment?
5. Ideally I could go for a smaller size stove for weight purposes, would that be possible in my scenario, say a Snowtrekker Medium or Kni-Co Alaskan Jr. (or even smaller)?
6. There has to be other design differences besides the Snowtrekker’s snow float legs. I mean the Snowtrekker Large goes for 24.5lbs including a shelf while the Kni-Co Alaskan standard package goes for 24 lbs…I’ll call Kni-Co to find out.

Thanks a lot for reading and commenting

 

[mrcharly]

The key to keeping a stove going is working out the magical combination of ash bed, fuel and air settings.

I say 'magical' because it always seems like an alchemical art. At first it is impossible, then suddenly you get the knack of balancing everything.

So whatever stove you buy, do some practise burns before heading out for real.

 

[petrochemicals]

I find that coals when highly compacted, stifle the air flow and get worse as the ash builds up, adding further wood only seems to smoke without flame. On the one hand, it's not good if you want flames, but on the other it can take hours to burn away, great if you wanta long heat. A lot of people take coal with them for that very reason.