Embrace The Chill: 5 Best Wood-Burning Tent Stoves For Winter Camping

Winter camping can be a rewarding and unforgettable experience. But, if you’re not prepared for the colder temperatures, you can easily find yourself having one of the most miserable nights you can imagine. Luckily there is a solution, a portable wood-burning tent stove.

Portable wood-burning stoves are the answer to making sure your tent stays warm and cozy. Plus, these handy little fire boxes are multi-functional. Not only do they keep your tent at a comfortable temperature, but they also double as a place to cook food inside your tent.

This helps you stay warm without needing to venture outside in the wee hours of the morning to heat up water for your coffee or cook breakfast.

In this article we are going to discuss the 5 best portable wood-burning stoves for winter camping, what to look for when choosing a stove, and how to stay safe while using a stove in your tent.

Let’s jump in…

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At A Glance

Best Overall – OneTigris TIGER ROAR Tent Stove

Best Runner-Up – MC Titanium Folding Tent Stove

Best Budget Friendly Tent Stove – DOALBUN Portable Wood-Burning Stove

Best Backpacking Stove – FIREHIKING Titanium Portable Wood-Burning Stove

Best Tent Stove For Glamping – Colorado Cylinder Timberline Stove Package

Who Are Wood-Burning Tent Stoves For?

Portable wood-burning stoves are an ideal choice for adventurers who dare to brave the coldest of temperatures to experience camping in the winter months.

They are for those who don’t believe in a camping “off-season” and consider any climate the perfect weather for camping.

A portable wood-stove is used in a hot tent that is equipped with a stove-jack. These stoves not only keep your tent toasty and warm, but they also provide a separate cooking space and a place to hang damp, wet clothes to dry after a hike in the snow.

5 Best Portable Wood-Burning Tent Stoves

The primary function of a portable wood-burning stove is to keep your tent at a comfortable temperature. When the temperatures outside fall to below freezing, a good stove can keep the inside of your tent at a comfortable 60° plus.

With any one of the best portable wood-burning stoves listed below, you can camp longer without the fear of being wet, cold, and miserable.

Best Overall – OneTigris TIGER ROAR Tent Stove

Since 2014, OneTigris has been producing quality camping gear for the outdoor enthusiast and the TIGER ROAR tent stove is just one example of their commitment to excellence.

The main body of this tent stove is made from a highly durable #304 stainless steel and the kit comes fully equipped with the stove-pipe, 90° and 45° elbows, ash scraper, and a pair of leather gloves. And all of the components of the stove can easily be stored inside the body when not in use.

Another notable feature of this stove is the viewing window in the door. It is made from a Schott ROBAX heat resistant glass and allows you to easily keep an eye on the fire without opening the door.

In addition, the stove pipe damper and the adjustable air intake valve make it extremely easy to control the fire.

The main drawback to this portable tent stove is the weight. At 22.5 pounds, it is not an ideal choice for hiking or backpacking. But it is an ideal choice for those who prefer to stay in one place while camping.

Dimensions: 17.32” X 8.46” X 10.63”

Best For: Car Camping, Hunting, Medium To Large Tents

Best Runner-Up – MC Titanium Folding Tent Stove

The MC Titanium Folding Tent Stove is a multi-functional, lightweight option for backpacking and hiking.

This portable wood-burning stove is easy to carry, thanks to its foldable design and included carrying bag. In fact, when it is packed away, it closely resembles the size of a laptop computer.

The body of the stove is made from a highly durable titanium that quickly conducts heat and resists warping and deforming. In addition, the sight glass located in the door and on the side of the stove is thicker than most other models on the market.

Included in the kit are rotating dampers for controlling the burn rate and size of the fire, a stove pipe/chimney, and a chimney spark arrestor to help protect the top of your tent, and the area surrounding your tent, from falling embers.

The flat top of this portable tent stove is specifically designed for cooking or for heating water for coffee, cocoa, or dehydrated food packs.

The main drawback to this wood-burning stove is the how difficult it is to assemble the stove-pipe the first time. However, there is a QR code included with the instructions that will take you to a YouTube video for a quick tutorial.

Dimensions: 12” X 7.6” X 9.6”

Best For: Hiking, Backpacking, Solo Camping

Best Budget Friendly Tent Stove – DOALBUN Portable Wood-Burning Stove

If you’re looking for a budget-friendly wood stove for your winter camping adventures, the DOALBUN Portable Wood-Burning Stove is worth a look.

This tent stove is made from a durable stainless-steel material and features two side racks for additional functionality.

The side racks can not only be used for drying damp clothes or warming food, but they also fold up to create a convenient carrying handle.

While this wood stove weighs just over 14 pounds, it is still an ideal choice for car camping, hiking, or for keeping things warm on your next hunting trip.

The heat-resistant glass allows you to see what’s going on inside the stove and the built-in chimney damper and adjustable air intake help control the burn rate.

The included stove-pipe sections and ash scraper can be stored inside the body of the stove when it’s not being used to keep your tent warm.

The main drawback to this wood stove is the size and weight for portability. It weighs a bit more and is not as compact as some of the other stoves in this list. But it does feature foldable legs and side racks that double as handles.

Dimensions: 18.14” X 10.92” X 11.89”

Best For: Hunting, Fishing, Medium-Sized Tents

Best Backpacking Stove – FIREHIKING Titanium Portable Wood-Burning Stove

Don’t be fooled by the compact size of this portable tent stove. Weighing in at just over 3 pounds, this ultra-lightweight camping stove is the perfect choice for hiking or backpacking to your campsite.

In addition to being lightweight, the foldable design of this tent stove makes it easy to carry or fit into any backpack. In fact, this stove will collapse down to just over 2 inches thick.

The FIREHIKING Titanium Portable Wood-Burning Stove is not only strong and heat-resistant, but it is also rust and corrosion resistant.

Adjusting the burn rate of the fire is done by adjusting the built-in damper and the air-intake vent on the front of the stove.

The flat top design of this stove provides plenty of room for cooking or heating water, while keeping things toasty and warm inside the tent.

One alluring quality of the titanium is the color changing properties it has. It actually changes color with the temperature inside the stove. My guess is to let you know that the walls are extremely hot, so you don’t accidentally burn yourself by touching it.

The main drawback of this portable tent stove is the thin titanium it is made with. Although it is durable, it is prone to some warping and deforming because it is so thin.

Overall, this wood-burning stove makes an ideal choice if you’re looking for something that is lightweight, can be packed easily, and is capable of heating a small tent.

Dimensions: 13” X 9.5” X 7.5”

Best For: Small Tents, Hiking, Backpacking

Best Tent Stove For Glamping – Colorado Cylinder Timberline Stove Package

If you are looking for an all-in-one wood-burning stove package, the Colorado Cylinder Timberline Stove Package is right up your alley. This tent stove has it all and is perfect for those that want to elevate their glamping experience.

Made from 10- and 12-gauge steel, this wood-burning stove extremely heavy (92 pounds), but it is built to last.

The large flat top and integrated 3-gallon stainless-steel water tank are just two of the many great design features of this tent stove.

The threaded legs on this stove make it easy to level if you find yourself on uneven ground, which can be typical of some terrains. However, you won’t be packing this thing into the woods on your back. You will need to load it into a vehicle to transport it.

Other notable features of this portable stove are the nested stove pipe, warming tray, spark arrestor, and water tank.

The main drawback of this tent stove is the overall weight. It is definitely not suited for hiking or backpacking, but it makes an ideal choice for large capacity canvas tents that have the “glamping” feel to them.

Dimensions: 26” X 13” X 16”

Best For: Large Capacity Canvas Tents, Glamping

Things To Consider When Choosing A Portable Wood-Burning Tent Stove

Before choosing the best portable wood-burning stove for your hot tenting adventures, there are some key considerations to think about.

Size & Weight

The first consideration when choosing the best portable wood-burning tent stove is the size and weight of the unit. Depending on your style of camping, you should choose a model that can be packed in a backpack or otherwise easy to transport.

If you use a vehicle to haul your camping gear, then weight may not be an issue for you.

Ease-Of-Use

Choose a tent stove that is not only easy to assemble and dis-assemble, but easy to clean as well. You don’t want to spend your entire camping trip dealing with the stove.

In addition, built-in adjustable dampers and air-inlet adjustments make it easy to control the heat output and burn rate of the fire.

Materials

Choose a stove model that is made from high-quality materials like titanium or stainless-steel. The ideal portable tent stove will be built to last and will be able to withstand many camping trips during the winter months.

Pipe Diameter/Pipe Jack

If you already have a hot tent and are looking to add a stove for comfort, make sure the model you choose is compatible with your tent. Check the diameter of the stove pipe to ensure it will fit in the pipe-jack that is on the tent.

In addition, the size of the chimney pipe typically relates to heat output. The larger the stove pipe, the larger the fire you can have inside your tent. Of course, safety is always a concern when dealing with tent stoves.

Tent Stove Accessories

Many portable tent stoves will come with additional accessories that make camping with a wood stove more enjoyable. Fire resistant gloves, ash scrapers, and side trays are just a few examples.

Is It Safe To Have A Wood-Burning Stove In A Tent?

Wood-burning stoves are generally safe to use inside a hot tent. There are, however, some safety concerns that should always be followed.

First-Burn

Tent stoves will typically have a coating on them that needs to be burned off before using it in a tent, especially if it is painted. Always perform a “first-burn” outside, away from the tent and others before using the stove.

The initial fire will burn off any harmful coatings that may be on the stove.

Plus, this gives you the opportunity to check the stove for leaky seals and to make sure everything is in proper working order before you get to the campsite.

Chimney/Stove Pipe

The chimney is one of the most important safety features of any wood-burning tent stove. Afterall, it is what allows the smoke and other harmful gases to exit the tent.

Make sure the chimney, or stove pipe is installed correctly and there are no leaks. In addition, make sure the stove pipe extends a safe distance over the top of the tent.

It is always recommended to carry a small portable carbon monoxide detector anytime you plan to have a fire inside a tent.

Spark Guard/Arrestor

If the tent stove you choose does not come with a spark guard/arrestor, it would be a good idea to purchase one separately. You don’t want any embers falling on the roof of your tent and burning holes in it.

Plus, spark guards help to prevent hot embers from escaping and causing fires.

In Conclusion

If you’re an outdoor purist who doesn’t believe in a camping “off-season” or if you just want to give winter camping a try, a portable wood-burning tent stove is a necessity.

During the daytime hours the winter weather might be somewhat bearable, but the temperatures can, and usually do, plummet to dangerous levels once the sun sets.

The wood-burning tent stoves in the list above will not only keep the inside of the tent comfortable, but they are also a great place to cook your meals and warm your water.

So, gear up, be safe, and stay warm…

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