The tensile band has been tightly held around a small backpacking stove pipe heat robber. The domed lid is held tightly to the heat exchanger body. The band has small clips attached to it and, under tension, these clamp the flange of the upper heat exchanger lid to the flange of the lower heat exchanger body.

Ultralight band tensioner for backpacking tent stoves

About a DIY ultralight band tensioner for holding round components together on ultralight backpacking tent stoves.

Background to the DIY ultralight band tensioner

For many years, I have tinkered with DIY hot tent stoves for ultralight winter camping. They have evolved to have a tiny primary combustion zone within a large secondary combustion chamber/heat exchanger that provides radiant heat for the campers and a cooktop for melting snow, boiling water, and preparing hot meals. They are very efficient and effective, and they are much more compact and lighter than typical tent stoves.

My most successful heat exchangers have been made from round stainless steel cookware with a flange around the opening. The round shape makes them pack efficiently in a suitable cooking pot or a nest of pots. The flange on the pot provides extra strength and allows the opening to be covered with a flat metal foil to make a sealed heat exchanger. The cover can be welded to the flange, but preferably, the cover should be removable so that the stove components can be stored inside the heat exchanger while backpacking. Also, for my experimental purposes, it allows various heat spreading baffles to be tested to optimise stove performance.

I have used various methods to hold the covers in place, including folded and crimped aluminium foil and a string of small folded stainless steel clips. The tensioners for the string of clips were clunky, difficult to adjust and had parts that could easily be lost. This post is about a DIY adjustable band tensioner that can tightly hold a string of clips in place. It is a simple, one-piece tensioner with an elegantly low profile and a delightfully low weight.

n ultralight band tensioner for a backpacking tent stove. The stainless steel band has a hinged lever on one end and a sharply folded bend/hook on the other. The lever has a loop welded around it to engage the hook. The effective length of the band can be adjusted by the folding of the hook at a length that achieves the desired tension in the steel band.
An ultralight band tensioner for a backpacking tent stove. The stainless steel band has a hinged lever on one end and a sharply folded bend/hook on the other. The lever has a loop welded around it to engage the hook. The effective length of the band can be adjusted by the folding of the hook at a length that achieves the desired tension in the steel band.
An ultralight band tensioner for a backpacking tent stove. The hook on one end of the band has been engaged in the small welded loop on the hinged lever in preparation for tensioning the band..
An ultralight band tensioner for a backpacking tent stove. The hook on one end of the band has been engaged in the small welded loop on the hinged lever in preparation for tensioning the band.
After activating the ultralight band tensioner lever, it can be held down with a slip loop that is fitted around tensile band.
After activating the ultralight band tensioner lever, it can be held down with a slip loop that is fitted around tensile band.
The ultralight band and clips have been tightly held around a small backpacking stove pipe heat robber. The flange of the lower domed lid is held tightly to the flange of the upper heat exchanger/ cooktop body. The band has small clips attached to it and, under tension, they hold the two components tightly together, leaving the device suitable for backpacking. If required, a gasket made of scrunched aluminium foil can also be used to improve the flange seal.
The ultralight band and clips have been tightly held around a small backpacking stove pipe heat robber. The flange of the lower domed lid is held tightly to the flange of the upper heat exchanger/ cooktop body. The band has small clips attached to it and, under tension, they hold the two components tightly together, leaving the device suitable for backpacking. If required, a gasket made of scrunched aluminium foil can also be used to improve the flange seal.

Conclusion

At about 3g, this DIY band and tensioner is ultralight, strong, and has an elegantly low profile for backpacking. Being a one-piece device with many reflective shiny metal clips attached, it will make it difficult to lose in the hurly-burly of backpacking camping.

A similar ultralight tensioner band can effectively fit a flat stove base or top to an opposing flanged opening.

Tim

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