Winter Camping with a Stove - An Experiment That Worked!

[vdoob]

this is so awesome. love to see greats ideas come to life

[Ceri JC]

Anyone successfully used a Kifaru 6 man Tipi with a TiGoat box (not cyclindrical) stove?
What size stove did you go for?
What size pipe best marrys up with the Kifaru's hole?
Anything to watch out for during setup?
Any custom fabrication/modification necessary to get them to fit together?

Reason I ask is based on my research so far, Kifaru looks like the best of the Tipis (weighs very little, hardwearing, great reviews, built-in washing line, option of condensation screen), but the TiGoat stoves looks marginally better (lighter, more corrosion resistant, burns hotter- just a shame about the lack of warming tray). I've come across people who've owned both comparing the two brands, but haven't seen any examples of this particular combination/heard from anyone who has done it.

I've just signed up for a winter rally, where there could quite easily be snow around and would love to "get it right first time" on this.

[hppyfngy]

Originally Posted by Ceri JC

Anyone successfully used a Kifaru 6 man Tipi with a TiGoat box (not cyclindrical) stove?
What size stove did you go for?
What size pipe best marrys up with the Kifaru's hole?
Anything to watch out for during setup?
Any custom fabrication/modification necessary to get them to fit together?

Reason I ask is based on my research so far, Kifaru looks like the best of the Tipis (weighs very little, hardwearing, great reviews, built-in washing line, option of condensation screen), but the TiGoat stoves looks marginally better (lighter, more corrosion resistant, burns hotter- just a shame about the lack of warming tray). I've come across people who've owned both comparing the two brands, but haven't seen any examples of this particular combination/heard from anyone who has done it.

I've just signed up for a winter rally, where there could quite easily be snow around and would love to "get it right first time" on this.

I've never actually seen a TiGoat box stove but their sizes seem to be similar to the Kifaru's, except they don't offer a medium. I'd think the large would automatic since there is no medium. XL is probably overkill.

They 6 man Kifaru is 7'6" at peak, so the 7.5' pipe would be plenty long enough, but I'd opt for the 8.5' just so I could have more options for angling the stove pipe. More pipe is better than not enough. The diameter of the pipe is the same 3" in both systems so the pipe would work fine with their stove jack.

The Kifaru Forum is pretty active. I'd post the same question over there. And post pictures of your setup when you get it going!

Good luck,
Randy

[mookybird]

A friend has the 8 man and medium stove from Kifaru, everything they make is top shelf and priced as needed to stay in business.

In a prior life I sewed miles of silnylon so when it came time to start up backpack elk hunting I made a tent and bought a stove and chimney from ti-goat. For anyone interested in making their own or modifying a Go-lite or similar product the forum on backpack hunting on Bowsite should hold hours of reading and all of the needed info.

They work great, my thinking is if your going to haul 6 or so pounds of tent and stove along that It should be tall enough to stand up in. The stoves are like burning dry tumbleweeds, very hot and very short lived so burning up while you sleep isn't a problem because the stove will go out and cool in a short time.

Even when it's real cold outside it was fairly easy to hit temps in the 80 plus range at the peak, which makes standing up to get dressed on a cold morning and pleasant experience. Depending on the stove you choose they work great for cooking and heating water and in the remote back country being able to heat water without using fuel you had to carry in is a real plus.

I think floorless heated shelters are great but they work best for me in the wilderness and less so in organized campgrounds with limited sized tent spaces "these things have a large footprint" driving stakes into the ground and availability of firewood also factor into that.

Another point is the difference in starting and maintaining a fire, in September in Montana it's easy, in the winter in the Olympics not so much. For local use I leave the ti-goat stove at home and use homemade versions that are top loading and have screens to raise the fire and vents under the fire.

Heres mine about 100 yards from the Continental Divide in 2007 The peak is about 7 ft tall and the shape is very similar to the sawtooth that Kifaru sells, the strength of the design is a high peak, nearly vertical door "which makes it much easier to zip closed from inside" and long length "approx 6x11 inside" for storing stuff and being able to lay out your expensive down bag without it being alongside the stove. denny



And it doesn't seem right to not show a picture of my two buddies who helped carry it now and then, Mitch particularly enjoyed sharing a Clifbar and could read your mind when you were thinking about having one.

[hppyfngy]

Originally Posted by mookybird

For local use I leave the ti-goat stove at home and use homemade versions that are top loading and have screens to raise the fire and vents under the fire.

Love to see that homemade stove.

BTW, how much can Mitch and company carry?

[Ceri JC]

Originally Posted by hppyfngy

I've never actually seen a TiGoat box stove but their sizes seem to be similar to the Kifaru's, except they don't offer a medium. I'd think the large would automatic since there is no medium. XL is probably overkill.

They 6 man Kifaru is 7'6" at peak, so the 7.5' pipe would be plenty long enough, but I'd opt for the 8.5' just so I could have more options for angling the stove pipe. More pipe is better than not enough. The diameter of the pipe is the same 3" in both systems so the pipe would work fine with their stove jack.

The Kifaru Forum is pretty active. I'd post the same question over there. And post pictures of your setup when you get it going!

Good luck,
Randy

That's perfect. Thanks so much for a really useful response!

[Loutre]

great one!
Will think about it for the Elef' meeting

[Speedo66]

In a small tent with no floor, think army shelter halves, I found a #10 can with a candle inside actually warmed it up quite a bit.

As far as cooking though, you may be limited to marshmallows.

[mookybird]

I don't have any pics of the homemade stoves, there is a wealth of info on 24hr campfire and the bowsite forums, those guys have spent a lot of time sorting things out. Just get into the backpack/bivy hunting sections and it's all there.

Because I owned the titanium ti-goat stove I felt no obligation to make my homemade versions do anything other than burn well, the were ugly and made from round or rectangle christmas tins. They didn't fold up but then I rarely fold up my ti stove, they are light and I just strapped them on the outside of my packs.

Mostly my homemade stoves had large doors to feed them and a piece of construction mesh bent to get the fire off of the floor of the box and then holes drilled under that. I made a few top loaders and smoke wasn't an issue providing I kept it going full speed.

These little stoves draft like crazy and the pipe will glow bright red for two or three feet, if you put a kit together be sure to place the stovejack high so you have as much exposed pipe as possible inside the shelter. The pipe puts out more heat than the stove.

Mitch and Hoov were great, they were still small in this photo and they were more companions then anything. I have always been an ultralight leaning camper so they usually got off carrying under 15 pounds and at the age they were in the photo they only carried a couple of pounds each but boy could they fly, jump and have great time in the mountains. Due to the horns I gave them up when grandkids came along, I just wasn't willing to risk an accident. They are still living well and spending time in the mountains with their present owners.

[S/W]

When I was a Boy Scout we would build the fire pit with a reflector back, aimed at the open front of the tent. This worked better then I expected. Google " Baker tents" and there will probably be a picture or drawing of this practice. It was a very common method of staying warm, and you don't have to carry a stove and pipe.Most old camping books discuss the practice.
In a small tent even a candle lantern can take the chill off, Just make sure you have enough ventilation to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, and put it out before turning in.
BTW, here is a cost effective pyramid tent. http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=984646

[Mr. Fisherman]

Nice work.

I thought about getting a small stove but the medium isn't much bigger and I already have it. Being able to load bigger, longer pieces of wood sounds like a benefit but I haven't tried feeding anything smaller. I have only been on the cool side of cold with the medium in my six man once with the medium and it will about drive you out of the Sawtooth and 4 man.

Loving my Sawtooth by the way. I need to write up a review one of these days. Lived out of it for most of my 2 month trip this year. Report in my sig.

[Ceri JC]

Just pulled the Trigger on 6 man Kifaru, med stove, warming plate and snow stove stand. I can't wait!


Sent from my Lumia 800 using Board Express

[hppyfngy]

Originally Posted by Ceri JC

Just pulled the Trigger on 6 man Kifaru, med stove, warming plate and snow stove stand. I can't wait!


Sent from my Lumia 800 using Board Express

Excellent! That's exciting.

Good luck!

[Mr. Fisherman]

Originally Posted by Ceri JC

Just pulled the Trigger on 6 man Kifaru, med stove, warming plate and snow stove stand. I can't wait!


Sent from my Lumia 800 using Board Express

I sure like mine.

Make sur eto pitch it a few times in the yard before going out.

Its a good idea to seam seal it at home too.

[Ceri JC]

Originally Posted by Mr. Fisherman

I sure like mine.

Make sur eto pitch it a few times in the yard before going out.

Its a good idea to seam seal it at home too.

Will do; just got my estimated shipping date: 28th Dec. It'll be cutting it fine for it to get to the UK, clear customs and for me to do the necessary prep before I need it in earnest for a winter trip in early Feb. Ideally, I'd like to do a weekend's hiking in the snow with it before using it on the bike.

Any "pre-reading" I should be doing before it arrives to ensure I can get right on it? (links please)
Anything I need to buy (I'm already getting and plasticoating roofing nails as "frozen ground" pegs) or does it come with seam sealer, etc. included?

EDIT: Just been emailing back and forth with Kifaru. Wow, their customer service is good! Big thumbs up already and all they've done so far is take £1500 off me.