Bell tent. Stove flap or flashing kit?

[Woody girl]

I have a 4m bell tent that I'd like to fit my frontier stove into.
My dilemma is do I get a smoke flap or a flashing kit to pop the chimney pipe through?
Pros flashing kit. Easy to fit. Could do it myself.

Cons. expensive bulky tent not completely sealed if not using stove.

Pros smoke flap. Not bulky. Cheaper Tent can be sealed if not using stove.

Cons. Has to be sewn in and that could be a problem as I can't do it myself and I don't know anyone who can localy.

I'd prefer the flap as I think it looks neater and the tent can be used without the stove without a large hole in it! but I'm torn as to which to get and fit.
Any advice ?

 

[Janne]

Can you read this or am I on your Ignore list?

 

[Woody girl]

Can you read this or am I on your Ignore list?

Yes I can read it and you are not on my ignore list... nobody is.
Just at moment can't recieve or send pms due to a problem with my phone which I'm still trying to sort out but being tech illiterate I can't sort it!

 

[Janne]

I am a tech Neanderthal myself.
What I personally would do is to fit the flashing kit, then fit some snap fasteners both on tent and on a ‘cover’.
This way you can cover the hole.

The flashing system can be removed and put on another tent later on?

 

[Woody girl]

The flashing can be removed fairly easily but it leaves a big hole in the tent. It's not a cheap thing so don't want to ruin it.

 

[Nice65]

I’ve a 4m bell that I thought I might put a Frontier stove in. Once I’d looked into it I realised we’d lose about a third of the living space to the fire area. 2 of us, maybe more, plus a couple of dogs + how many nights we’d realistically be spending out cold camping, and I decided against. I’ve got a Gelert butane heater that raises the temp nicely. Before any trolls comment, I don’t leave it on unsupervised, and bell tents are large, airy spaces compared with plastic tents. If I had a wood stove I’d get a CO alarm and hang it about waist height on your pole.

You need both, the flap is made of fireproof canvas and is also for strengthening the tent canvas to fit the flashing kit. I’ve seen the stove and flue on a Frontier glowing red almost halfway up on full chat, it needs to be very well insulated, even the flue section that passes through ought to have some insulation if possible. The stove is likely going to be fitted towards the edge of the tent, so the canvas is quite low at the exhaust. Out of cold season, just seal the flap over the flashing kit.

I have to say, rather you than me when it comes to sticking a sharp knife into the roof canvas, desperately hoping that I did measure twice, cut once and not the other way round.

 

[Nice65]

The flashing can be removed fairly easily but it leaves a big hole in the tent. It's not a cheap thing so don't want to ruin it.

It’s designed to be fitted with the fireproof flap, see above. I’m not sure I’d remove it once fitted, but it looks like the flap wouldn’t cover it otherwise. A bell tent isn’t a teepee, steep and tall, the flue exiting high up.

https://belltentboutique.co.uk/prod...fSxpQbyXeCHXcPuJU7OtKikWDUb8am-QaAmlMEALw_wcB

 

[Woody girl]

Yes must admit I'm in two minds about it. I don't cold camp anymore..(. fairweather camper and biker nowadays sadly due to health issues.) I bought the tent and stove over ten yrs ago to use together, as a family set up. to be honest not having a car it's not easy to take camping unless I have a willing haulier. So it doesn't get much use now.
I do love the ambience of a bell tent, I'm thinking of either selling it and getting a smaller one with a smoke flap already fitted or keeping this one and fitting the flue. Can't make up my mind. I'm a sentimental old thing at times and I hate to get rid of memories. This tent has a particularly poignant one as our last family holiday was taken in it before I lost my son then two years later my partner.
It's a hard one. I'd like to use it as we planned. I just can't decide. Meanwhile it's unused.
Hark at me! Not after sympathy, just need a good kicking and sort it out!

 

[Nice65]

You have them anyway, we’ve lost a couple of close family in the last couple of years and things have been pretty rough for us emotionally.

You need a good mate with a vehicle so you can both get off for a week or so. The 4m bell is ideal for two and a stove even if it’s only used sentimentally to boil the kettle for tea in the evening.

 

[Woody girl]

Thanks nice 65. You are right. I'm ok ish with things now. Things have to move on at some point.
Most of my friends back off in horror at the thought of a night in a tent with no en suite... or a ride out pillion on my bike. .
Apparently I'm totaly bonkers (politely put) to be able to enjoy myself that way!. (They realy don't know what they are missing!) And as for spending time under a tarp in a hammock!!!!!..........

So , back to topic...
I've not seen my stove glowing red as yet, I don't overload it and keep the fire smallish inside the firebox. Seems to work just fine that way. I have the water heater too so once it's up to temp I just keep it ticking over nicely and it does the trick.
Yes learned the hard way about having a carbon alarm in a tent many years ago on a cold wet camp in the lakes. Got up to go to loo and almost fainted. Luckily realised what was happening and opened door and yelled at partner to switch off the gas heater. Close one!
Always VERY careful after that! Won't use the gas heaters now.
Ventilation is massively important.

 

[birchwood]

I have the same dilemma at the moment, putting my stove in my awning of my trailer. Don’t want to cut a hole in the awning so will probably build my own back wall and cut a hole in that.
Don’t really want one of the metal and silicone bulky pipe fitting things , anywhere from £16 to £35.
Army green flaps £28 but no pipe size stated.
Think the one I am going for is a canvas stove jack with rain flap, sort of white, about £35, 3” 4” 5” 6”.
My awning is pale olive green but the back wall is going to be off white as that’s the canvas I have.

 

[Woody girl]

The metal and silicone are so easy to fit. You pitch measure cut and fit. Possibly half hour job taken slowly and carefully.
The flap needs pitch, measure, Mark, take tent down, repack, take to a sailmaker or similar canvas sewer, pay lotsa money for job, fetch from sailmaker. Hope to goodness a proper job has been done!
In one way I can see why the silicone ones are so popular. Still prefer the look of the flap and the fact you can seal the flap over the hole and still use the tent without the stove, no open areas for rain to ingress.
The flaps don't seem to fit over the silicone and metal ones enough to seal it properly. And you have to pay for both too!.
If it wasn't such an expensive tent I'd have a go at fitting a flap by hand sewing but I just don't have the room to do it and I don't have a big enough garden to pitch it to find out where I need to put the flap.
The flap is far more work for sure. But in my mind neater option.
Such a dilemma!

 

[birchwood]

I am a sailmaker.....
The canvas one I have nearly decided on has silicone
I can’t do links but if you search for ‘stove jack with canvas edging ‘ on eBay you will see which one I mean.

 

[Sundowner]

Something like this ???
2 things were wrong on my tent back then!!
Flu pipe should have been higher than the tent, and if I'd ever get a Bell again, it would go nicely with the flu going up RIGHT NEXT TO THE Center pole!!
Flap is a big no no for me as the tent fills with a lot of smoke very fast. Not good when you're asleep!!
Get some fire bricks, put them onto the stove, and when the fire is out they'll give off heat for hours after!!!
And please, remember to clean your flu pipe every two days, especially when it is cold outside. Warm air rises, hits (in the pipe) cold air and suddenly soot is coming down onto the regulator flappy thing and blocks it with the same result, endangering sleepy you. I speak out of experience!!

 

[Woody girl]

Fires in tents of any sort are always a danger. Used to have a tipi and even with an open fire because of the flaps at the top it was much safer. Plenty of ventilation for the fumes to escape.
Sewn in or zip in groundsheets are also a bit of a problem as there is no airflow from the bottom to the top. I don't have a fixed groundsheet if I have any sort of heating and leave a good crossflow of air either from door to wall window flap or window flap to window flap.
It's very tempting to button up tight to keep the warm air inside, but you also keep any fumes inside too! Fire needs to be out before sleeping and some venting too while you sleep as fumes from the fire can still be around even if you think the fire is out.
Yes the chimney needs to be higher than the tent to carry smoke and fumes above the tent and away.
I've camped in tentipis with a fire both open and contained in a stove. They have excellent venting that can be controlled from a sleeping position. You don't have that with a bell tent. That makes them more dangerous.
I'm surprised they are so popular with less experienced " glampers " nowadays.
Careful management is important . Many glampers come from a sealed centrally heated home and try the same with bell tents. I'm surprised there havnt been serious accidents.

 

[birchwood]

@Sundowner , I think we must be talking about different tent flaps. The one I have seen has a rain flap you roll up , poke the chimney through the under canvas/silicone to use, then when you are not using the stove you roll it down to seal the hole.

 

[Sundowner]

@Sundowner , I think we must be talking about different tent flaps. The one I have seen has a rain flap you roll up , poke the chimney through the under canvas/silicone to use, then when you are not using the stove you roll it down to seal the hole.

Dame thing, I had the flashing, when not in use I put a plastic bottle into it. Always worked

 

[Woody girl]

That's a good idea to put a plastic bottle in the flashing to seal it.
Looks like it may have to be the flashing kit as my nearest person that can sew a flap is 40 miles away and that would be a trip of 6 buses to get it to them and back home. Same again to pick it up when finished.. Not realy feasible. Shame as I'd realy prefer the flap.
So now it's a toss up between selling it and getting a 3m with a flap ready fitted or buying the flashing kit and fitting that.
Decisions decisions. !

 

[swingerek]

Howdy woody girl ,belltentboutique do a "stove mate" canvas tent stove flap i installed one with a thing called a speedy stitcher 18 quid online its a hand lock stitcher , easy to use but you could do with some one in the tent to push the tag end through a loop you form , you can do it by yourself but would involve getn in and out of the tent many times. You tube speedy stitcher and see if it could help you. A.t.b.

 

[Chalkflint]

I too have a speedy stitcher. Great bit of kit. I have used it for making some short straps out of old seat belts and also used in for stitching leather.
Chalkflint