First Time Elk Hunting - Making Camp in CO

[DirtyMo]

Hey Guys

Is a wood stove or a propane heater a better option? Not having done it the propane seems the most turnkey, dont know if elevation plays on it or not (never hunted this high). We have also looked at Fourdog Wood Stoves, but unsure about availability of good wood etc

Look forward to hearing yalls opinions

 

[jamesball945]

I use a wood stove in my wall tent. Works great. Just have to feed it a xouple times a night. Just not big enough to last the night. The dry pine is your best bet. Good luck.

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[smartweed]

How big of a tent are you trying to heat? A backpack tent or a wall tent? Most areas there's a ton of good, dry wood. I can't see that wood supply would ever be an issue, unless you're in a very popular area.

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[go_deep]

If you want to save the work of gathering and cutting wood, bring the largest Mr. Heater with a O2 sensor, and a couple tanks of propane (I have a 12x12 wall tent). Never had any issues with mine, and when you leave camp before light and get back after dark, it's just nice to turn the knob and push ignite.

 

[wy-tex]

Plenty of dry pine, beetle kill, laying around. Pine has high BTU output. Just damper down at night and it will hold heat.

 

[Slugz]

I heated a very large wall tent with propane for many years. Its good heat and quick. I switched to a wood stove because of the high humidity heat the propane puts out. At altitude 10,400, the perfect weather, the perfect temp...it will produce a fine layer of moisture at night inside the tent. I found this happening more time than not so I made the switch. Wood is normally not an issue as stated by others. Cut up the aspen,beetle kill or dry pine that is not laying on the ground and it usually burns well. We just spent four days glassing and cutting wood for camp this year.

Im a Four Dog guy and love em.

 

[DirtyMo]

Everyone,

Thank you for the input. Slugz, appreciate the specific to the humidity and resulting tent moisture of the propane..that would have been a surprise to us...

We are chewing on spiking out of the main camp. Looked at little burners, http://www.gofastandlight.com/The-Reactor-Single-Billet-6061-Aluminum-Camp-Stove/productinfo/CO-REACTOR/

But is it just as good to take fire starters etc and build a small fire instead of lugging this stuff around?

 

[Slugz]

Everyone,

Thank you for the input. Slugz, appreciate the specific to the humidity and resulting tent moisture of the propane..that would have been a surprise to us...

We are chewing on spiking out of the main camp. Looked at little burners, http://www.gofastandlight.com/The-Reactor-Single-Billet-6061-Aluminum-Camp-Stove/productinfo/CO-REACTOR/

But is it just as good to take fire starters etc and build a small fire instead of lugging this stuff around?

If you are using it to boil water......then I'd go the Jet Boil route......For small fires a 35mm canister with cotton balls soaked in vaseline and a lighter/matches for your small fire. Just really depends on how quick you want the water to boil.

 

[JimP]

After having the feed lines to the propane stove freeze up along with the smaller bottles spitting liquid flaming propane at me I gave up on it except for cooking. As was mentioned dead wood is everywhere and if it isn't right where you are camping it will be a short distance away. Bring a good bow saw and a ax, a chain saw is even better and don't be afraid of scaring away game with the chain saw. I have had deer and elk walk right into the area that I have been cutting firewood to see what the racket was all about.

For small fires a 35mm canister with cotton balls soaked in vaseline and a lighter/matches for your small fire.

Slugz:

Where do you find 35mm film canisters anymore since we are in the digital age now? My supply is about gone.

 

[Slugz]

After having the feed lines to the propane stove freeze up along with the smaller bottles spitting liquid flaming propane at me I gave up on it except for cooking. As was mentioned dead wood is everywhere and if it isn't right where you are camping it will be a short distance away. Bring a good bow saw and a ax, a chain saw is even better and don't be afraid of scaring away game with the chain saw. I have had deer and elk walk right into the area that I have been cutting firewood to see what the racket was all about.



Slugz:

Where do you find 35mm film canisters anymore since we are in the digital age now? My supply is about gone.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=743206&gclid=CjwKEAjwiYG9BRCkgK-G45S323oSJABnykKAxWewkRXC69fOQUVRmAWt2TNQxiRaGyl_rW-9fSE0VhoCxijw_wcB&is=REG&ap=y&m=Y&c3api=1876,92051677562,&A=details&Q=

 

[Matthoek21]

If you are using it to boil water......then I'd go the Jet Boil route......For small fires a 35mm canister with cotton balls soaked in vaseline and a lighter/matches for your small fire. Just really depends on how quick you want the water to boil.

Slugz is right on.

Yeah it's hard to find a 35 mm film canister so I use a small travel Motrin bottle that had maybe 25-50 pills in it. It's about the size of
35 mm film canister. I shove about 10 Vaseline soaked cotton balls in there. Great fire starter even in the damp humid wet swampy areas in Georgia where wood isn't as dry as out west and can be considerably harder to get burning.

 

[JimP]

Now that I am getting older and the doctor prescribes more and more drugs I'll use a old pill bottle for a container. I have them from 1" diameter to about 2", they can hold a lot of stuff.

 

[ivorytip]

when hunting late in the season and temps get pretty low ill bring some coal and throw a lump in the fire at lights out, keeps me from waking up at 0200 to restock wood and makes for a fast fire in morning to heat water for coffee and fry some eggs and deer loins mmm, I may just have to buy 2nd elk tag so I can hunt in late November just for that!

 

[maine canoe guide]

Ivory tip thats a great idea. It's always better to have to build up a fire than start a new one. Coal cranks out the heat and lasts way longer than wood. Do you have to be careful putting out the fire t the end or does it die out fast with a good dose of water?

 

[ivorytip]

close the vents, eliminate the air flow and they will burn out soon enough. if you cant hold it in your bare hand because its to hot, its not ready to be left unattended. we never use it unless its cold and there is snow outside. makes for a fast put out after removing the stove. my stove is bottomless. like I said, I need an upgrade coal puts out a very hot steam when dowsed with water, so if you go that route be careful. better to just plan around it and let it burn down.

 

[rackpack]

We tried using a dual tank buddy heater a few years ago at an elevation of 10,600 and due to the low oxygen sensor it would not light. when I returned I called the manufacturer and they told me those heaters generally won't work above 7,000ft although, I've seen some posts where folks say they've used them at 8500-9000. The manufacturer did say that their larger dual tank top heater does not have an oxygen sensor and would burn at higher altitudes. For us backpacking in we couldn't justify the extra weight of a larger tank, hoses , etc.. We just brought heavier sleeping bags and it was just fine. Little chilly in the mornings. ha ha Just makes you move faster and hurry up and get the coffee water boiling.

 

[Slugz]

We tried using a dual tank buddy heater a few years ago at an elevation of 10,600 and due to the low oxygen sensor it would not light. when I returned I called the manufacturer and they told me those heaters generally won't work above 7,000ft although, I've seen some posts where folks say they've used them at 8500-9000. The manufacturer did say that their larger dual tank top heater does not have an oxygen sensor and would burn at higher altitudes. For us backpacking in we couldn't justify the extra weight of a larger tank, hoses , etc.. We just brought heavier sleeping bags and it was just fine. Little chilly in the mornings. ha ha Just makes you move faster and hurry up and get the coffee water boiling.

Yep. Just like the carbs on some quads/bikes gotta take into account the altitude and modify.