Boundary Waters, Message Board, Forum, BWCA, BWCAW, Quetico Park
Chat Rooms (0 Chatting)  |  Search  |   Login/Join
* For the benefit of the community, commercial posting is not allowed.
 Boundary Waters Quetico Forum
    Winter Camping and Activities
       Winter
          Reply
Date/Time: 03/28/2024 05:23PM
Winter

* Help stop spam. Please enter the lake name you see over the flying moose.

  

Previous Messages:
Author Message Text
Birdknowsbest 10/07/2017 12:07AM
Just got my Snowtrekker basecamp last week. It looks great. I've set it up in the yard with a used 4dog Ultralight 2 titanium stove. Works amazing.


Headed up in 3 weeks and gonna basecamp with the tent and stove. 4 people and my dog. We will see if we fit. The tent is 11 by 9.5ft. Tent is 25lbs, Stove is 12. Easy to travel with in winter and will allow me to be dry in the spring and fall. Being dry I see as the added benefit. Yes, warm esp in winter but being able to dry your gear is gonna be such a luxury.


Spendy yes, but you get what you paid for and I I paid less than half price for my 4 dog stove.


Duane is great at ST. Everyone I talked to camps more in the transition seasons bc of their ST. I will get my moneys worth out of it.



Caw
Soledad 10/06/2017 08:42AM
About stove jacks-
I burned my stove jack because I let the stove pipe rest on the jack. I run a pretty hot stove and that combination forced me to replace it this season.


I got a new stove jack from Duane at Snowtrekker, and he dropped it off at Kevin Kinney's shop- (Empire Wool and Canvas) out of Duluth. I asked Kevin to sew on velcro on the tent and on the jack so that it can be replaced every 5 years or so. (maybe I will learn my lesson and won't have to replace it again) but since I also use the tent during the spring and fall, I will also sew a solid canvas cover for the hole, and a clear window each with velcro.
my 2 bits
Soledad 10/06/2017 08:42AM
x2
WTer123 10/06/2017 02:02AM
quote awbrown: "There are a ton of canvas tents out there, but many are designed for either historical reinactments or western hunting.



Snowtrekker tents are the cream of the crop if you are interested in light weight and ease of set up. Snowtrekkers use lighter weight canvas than most other tent makers and every tent includes a sturdy, but light weight internal pole system.



I purchased a snowtrekker tent several years ago and love it.



"



Might consider getting one. Need to finish installing the new shocks and smittybilt bumper we ordered from 4WheelOnline for the current Jeep project and then proceed with the Bronco before I find some time to try the winter camping. My initial research seems Snowtrekker is one of the best out there.
Jaywalker 09/22/2017 09:40AM
AWBrown - looking at your photo it just hit that on fall trips with rain it might make sense to take the detachable jack cover, roll it up and tie it with some cord, and velcro it in place above the stove? You would have to make sure it was firmly attached and would not slip down onto the stove pipe, but it should help divert at least some water that runs down the tent. I think the Davis or Montana tents tie up their covers in place. May help keep some water out??
Jaywalker 09/22/2017 09:23AM

Stopping the runaway quote....

The 5 or 3 inch pipes are not meant to fit tightly through the stove jacks as AWB says which is to allow the tent wall to move up and down bit in the wind without moving the stove pipe. You want just enough room to allow the wall to move freely (though I really like AWB's idea of the flat hook and wire), but with too much space you get too much moisture in and more heat out. I don't think a 4 inch pipe in a 5 inch hole would be a good idea. You could try to make some DIY solution, like finding or making a piece of pipe that converts 4 inch to 5 inch, or just making some sort of gusset that would allow the movement but prevent/minimize the moisture in or heat out problem. Or you could just go with the simpler solution of the Knife-co stoves that Snowtrekker has customized for them. That's what I use. It would be nice to shed some pounds with a Ti stove, but I'd be more interested in that for fall trips where I am carrying it than winter trips where I am dragging it on my toboggan.

WhiteWolf 09/12/2017 04:26AM
Thanks again for the info!!!! Thanks for that link Pinetree!!
Pinetree 09/04/2017 08:33PM
Maybe a few ideas here? Winter
Arcola 09/04/2017 08:14PM
quote WhiteWolf: "Thanks for the replies. I'am leaning heavily towards the Snowker.trek "
If you've got the funds, don't eeven blink! Top shelf.




"Maybe a stupid question here. Stove jacks. I see Snowtrekker has either 3" or 5" stove jacks sizes on their tents depending on which model. In researching stoves I have come across some stoves that have a 4" stove pipe. Obviously that will not work in a 3" stove jack-- but is there something that can be done to seal up the remaining space if the 4" pipe went through 5" stove jack?? Or am I totally not understanding something?"
There isn't really a "tight fit" with any of them, and reducers are available for size adjusting.



"Not saying I would get this stove -- (costly- but I don't mind if the quality is there) but doesn't it have a 4" flue / stove pipe? I know there steel stoves (at least the smaller ones) are 5" which fits just fine on the snowtrekker model I'am looking at purchasing. "


Those Ti stoves are the cats PJ's!!



"Any input is appreciated- and again maybe I'am out to lunch on this."


Naw, you're close enough. :)




awbrown 09/04/2017 10:27AM
quote WhiteWolf: "Thanks for the replies. I'am leaning heavily towards the Snowtrekker.



Maybe a stupid question here. Stove jacks. I see Snowtrekker has either 3" or 5" stove jacks sizes on their tents depending on which model. In researching stoves I have come across some stoves that have a 4" stove pipe. Obviously that will not work in a 3" stove jack-- but is there something that can be done to seal up the remaining space if the 4" pipe went through 5" stove jack?? Or am I totally not understanding something?



Not saying I would get this stove -- (costly- but I don't mind if the quality is there) but doesn't it have a 4" flue / stove pipe? I know there steel stoves (at least the smaller ones) are 5" which fits just fine on the snowtrekker model I'am looking at purchasing.



Any input is appreciated- and again maybe I'am out to lunch on this.
"



When I purchased my Snowtrekker, I also bought a Snowtrekker stove. It's a KniCo stove with nesting stove pipe,


The pipe set starts with a short section of straight pipe which is 5" diameter at both ends and is intended for installation of the stove damper, which is included with the stove. The damper is removed from the section of pipe for transport.


Then there is an adjustable elbow which is 5" diameter at both ends.

This is followed by several 2' lengths of pipe which taper down starting with 5" on the large end of the first section and end with 4" on the small end of the last section. The tapered sections all nest together to fit inside the stove for transporting.


The stove jack on the tent is called a 5" but it doesn't fit tightly around a 5" pipe, so rain water can enter the tent through the opening. I have camped many times in the fall and spring when it has rained all day and/or all night. A little bit of water does come in around the stove pipe. If my stove is in use, the water just quickly boils off, but I've had a small amount puddle around the area of the rear of the stove over night or through the day when the stove isn't in use. I've never had anything coming close to heavy leaking even though I've been through some heavy rain storms.

Now, after saying all that, if you magnify the photo of my tent from my previous posting of this thread, you will notice that I run a wire (picture hanging wire) from where the support posts cross down to the stove jack. I have a flat hook that I use to pull that area of the tent out a bit tighter, which also helps any rain water flow away from the area of the stove jack.

I have never seen anyone else use this technique, but I use it primarily to pull the wall of the tent further away from the back of my stove. Works well for that purpose, giving me about 3" more clearance.
WhiteWolf 09/02/2017 06:27PM
Thanks for the replies. I'am leaning heavily towards the Snowtrekker.


Maybe a stupid question here. Stove jacks. I see Snowtrekker has either 3" or 5" stove jacks sizes on their tents depending on which model. In researching stoves I have come across some stoves that have a 4" stove pipe. Obviously that will not work in a 3" stove jack-- but is there something that can be done to seal up the remaining space if the 4" pipe went through 5" stove jack?? Or am I totally not understanding something?


Not saying I would get this stove -- (costly- but I don't mind if the quality is there) but doesn't it have a 4" flue / stove pipe? I know there steel stoves (at least the smaller ones) are 5" which fits just fine on the snowtrekker model I'am looking at purchasing.


Any input is appreciated- and again maybe I'am out to lunch on this.



awbrown 09/02/2017 03:23PM
There are a ton of canvas tents out there, but many are designed for either historical reinactments or western hunting.


Snowtrekker tents are the cream of the crop if you are interested in light weight and ease of set up. Snowtrekkers use lighter weight canvas than most other tent makers and every tent includes a sturdy, but light weight internal pole system.


I purchased a snowtrekker tent several years ago and love it.


Arcola 08/31/2017 09:40PM
There are lots of options to which tent/ stove combo. I'm kid of a cheapskate and make my own stoves. I want to be able to put a decent size piece of wood in it the long way and enough chunks so I don't need to continually load it. All that being said, I still need to be able to haul it. :) Most importantly is to be able to control it, and for it to control itself to some degree, i.e. baffling, damper secondary air intake.
As for tents, I like old school. Don't get me wrong, CCS and Snowtrekker make awesome tents and are easy to set up with minimum poles or effort, but less expensive tents are out there. This is what I have right now and is generally not a one person set-up.



Kawishiwashy 08/31/2017 09:39AM
Whitewolf, I was in your position, before. I found it useful to be honest with myself and what type of winter camping I thought I'd be doing. Car camping, light travel, heavy travel. Who would be crazy enough to come with me? Solo tent, 2 person, 3 person, etc. Hiking vs. snowmachine vs. dog sled, etc. I ultimately decided on a snowtrekker that can hold 2 very comfortably and 3 if needed. We do light to medium travel/basecamp trips. Could not be happier with my setup. So you might get some better responses if you share more about what/how/who/where you're going to use your winter tent. Hope that helps.
SteveElms73 08/31/2017 09:23AM
I have an old military bell tent and it fits the bill for me. It's no Snowtrekker but it's also only about $300. I have a Kni-Co Alaskan stove that i use inside and it really gets toasty. Where I camp (Ontario) I'm usually using Spruce to burn so even if I load up the stove before I hit the sack I only get a couple hour burn time tops. So I wake up and my "hot tent" is a cold tent...


WhiteWolf 08/30/2017 11:15PM
Looking at getting back into winter camping but this time with a warm tent. I know about Snowtrekker/CCS tents and have researched stoves etc.. but just wanting peoples overall thoughts on the tents and stoves (including snowtrekker/CCS ) that our available. Just wanting to know the options a guy has. Thanks!!!