A convertible tent stove
This post describes a tiny tent stove that is quickly convertible to a fast cooking outdoor stove that can cook two pots at the same time using little sticks for fuel and a USB fire blower.
In tent mode, it can be used with a small or large pot and can be fuelled from a top port for maximum tent heating power or from the side for more gentle heating that leaves residual charcoal. It uses ~400g/wood/h.
It also is convertible for cooking outside using a USB fire blower. It produces so much heat so that it can also cook in a second pot.
In this convertible mode, it can use a tiny alcohol burner (9g) for backup cooking.
It packs up efficiently in the large cooking pot and a second large pot (<100g) can be packed around the first pot.
The convertible tent stove
This stove is a modified KISS tent stove. The little extra tweaking of the design allows it to pack most of the features of my previous Dome Stove designs into one tiny package, including the roll up stove pipe, without complexity or compromise.
No charcoal choking or reverse burning
The convertible tent stove design eliminates problematic charcoal choking and reverse-burning. These small deficiencies were inherent in many of my previous stove designs. Addressing these issues means that the convertible tent stove no longer requires special skill/management to keep it burning effectively and safely.
High temperature and good heat distribution
The convertible tent stove produces a high temperature that is distributed over most of the fire dome when using the top fuel port. This means that it provides generous body warming heat and strong but gentle cooking power for a small or large dinner pot and snow melting.
Why have a side fuel port?
The convertible tent stoves multi-functionality depends on this extra port on the side of the fire dome. It allows fuel stick feed in, supplementary air entry and flame exit when the stove is used in blower stove mode.
So many brackets on the convertible tent stove?
The convertible tent stove has a series of five brackets welded around the middle of the fire dome wall. These can be a little confusing at first sight. However, they all have a purpose and most have multiple purposes that will be discovered by a user who gets the most out of converting the stove during a variety of adventures and camping situations.
The brackets hold the V-wire fittings to provide support for the overhang of a large cooking pot. Similarly, they have the same function in supporting a second cooking pot in blower stove cooking mode if required.
The other purpose for the brackets is to provide three very simple mounting points for the stove when it is required to be mounted above the ground or on a deep snow surface.
The brackets also allow the stove to be mounted by insulating ‘fencing wires’ that can be attached to suitably distant bush poles that are used as wood stove legs.
This wooden leg mounting provides optimum heat distribution to tent occupants and provides space for a convenient fuel stick storage/drying rack below the stove.
My convertible stove mounting wire devices have evolved over time and become much easier to use with cold hands. The latest version no longer requires the tieing of cords. They can be used on sticks of any diameter and can easily be adjusted up and down crudely broken sticks. It means that it is easy to make the cooktop level.
For more details please see Tiny test stove mounts .
Discussion and conclusion
The convertibility of this stove makes it my favorite tent stove. Of course, the hot, efficient and clean combustion that is easy to manage is a big benefit. The shortish fuel tube, in essence, forms an inverted J-burner. I have used this type of burner in many of my best tent stoves.
The steady glowing red high temperature that is distributed over most of the fire dome makes its heating power soar above my other wonderful hot tent stoves.
Me
The past drawback of such burners has been charcoal choking and reverse burning. The modification to the burner in this convertible tent stove eliminates charcoal choking and only very dry wood sticks will provoke a small but very manageable amount of reverse burning.
Half your luck if you can find such dry wood when winter camping!
Me again
Tim
Hi Tim,
Another great stove! I have a couple quick questions. I’m assuming you could elect to only feed in wood via the side port for a slower burn. If so, would you recommend a cap for the vertical feed tube? Would that qualify as a 4th mode of operation making it a 4 in 1 stove? Is the any difference in the way you first light and feed the stove? Lastly, how do the boil times compare to the miniature dome stove? That stove has a larger contact area but a lower temperature.
Cheers!
Nick
Hi Nick, All good questions. Yes, fuel can be fed exclusively either way. With experience, it can also be done both ways at the same time. A cap for the top port would be good, particularly while starting the stove from the side. However, the pot can also cover the hole, if needs must. Yes, I could claim one of these as a fourth mode and could I claim using both as a fifth? Starting the stove is easy with either mode, but the side mode is just a bit quicker as the hot flame is never inverted. Here is a little video that shows how a little flame that wants to burn upwards needs to be pulled downwards. https://www.instagram.com/p/CAtWpFphax2/
Also. sloping sticks can be fed in through the top port, and they will burn slower, a bit like the side port feeding. I will add this to the post. Is this a sixth mode?
On boil times, I need to do more testing, but they are looking quite good, considering the smaller contact area. It is so good that I have designed the KISS stove with only the top port which should make it much simpler, always brilliantly hot and cheaper to make. Have a look and let me know what you think. https://timtinker.com/the-kiss-tent-stove-for-alpine-tent-heating/
Kind regards, Tim