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Winter tent camping can be a lot of fun, but staying warm and cooking food can be a challenge.
That’s where tent stoves come in!
Before buying a tent stove, however, you should consider the quality, size, safety, and cost, amongst many other factors.
So, let’s look at three of the best tent stoves for winter camping and cooking, how to find the right stove for you, and some important tips to stay safe while using your new stove!
Best Tent Stove for Winter Camping and Cooking
The best tent stoves for winter camping and cooking are the Winnerwell Nomad Medium Tent Stove, Winnerwell Fastfold Titanium Tent Stove, and the Camp Chef Alpine Heavy Duty Cylinder Stove. All three models are durable, high-quality tent stoves made by reputable companies.
Let’s take a closer look at each of these options.
Tent Stove Comparison Chart
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Winnerwell Nomad Medium Tent Stove
- Best All-Around Tent Stove
- Best Tent Stove for the Money
The Winnerwell Nomad Tent Stove is one of the most popular tent stoves on the market today. And for a good reason.
Winnerwell makes a variety of different tent stoves (we even feature their Fastfold Titanium series below).
But, their Nomad series, which comes in various sizes (small, medium, large), is their most popular as it’s the middle ground between portability, size, and ease of use.
The Nomad Series is made of heavy-duty 304 stainless steel, resistant to corrosion and rust. Plus, it has a built-in window and air-damper on the door for fire management and ambiance.
As far as portability, it features nesting legs and shelves that fold flat to the stove body, essentially transforming into a small cube. The chimney pipe sections, spark arrestor, and ash scraper fits nicely inside the stove body. Plus, it’s fairly light and easy to carry at only 20 pounds.
The cooktop with extending shelves makes it easy to prepare food in just about any size pan.
This versatile stove can be used to heat and cook in a variety of small spaces, for example, canvas tents, teepees, wall tents, yurts, bell tents, tiny homes, and more!
This video from Winnerwell will give you a quick look at the Nomad Medium tent Stove.
Better yet, here’s a short two and half minute review of the Nomad Medium Tent Stove showing it in action.
Specifications
- Brand: Winnerwell
- Size: Packed: 15″ x 8″ x 8″ | Assembled: 15″ x 20″ x 90″ (90″ is the height of stove plus chimney)
- Firebox Capacity: 800 cubic inches
- Weight: 20 lbs.
- Fuel Type: Wood
- Material: Stainless Steel
- Includes: 1 stove, 5 sections of 2.5″ diameter chimney pipe, 1 spark arrestor, 1 ash scraper
- Warranty: Limited lifetime warranty on Winnerwell® products covering defects in materials and workmanship. Contact Winnerwell Support for more information.
Pros
- Made from extremely durable 304 stainless steel designed to handle high heat and never rust or corrode
- Folds down to a portable cube
- Industry-leading warranty
- Can be used for outdoor camping or to heat and cook in just about any small space
- Features a glass viewing door
Cons
- Has the smallest firebox of the three top picks in this list (though there is a larger version of the Nomad series)
Winnerwell Nomad Medium Tent Stove
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Winnerwell Fastfold Titanium Tent Stove
- Best Titanium Tent Stove
- Best Backpacking Tent Stove
- Best Ultralight Tent Stove
Yep, another Winnerwell brand stove on this list. They are hard to beat!
The Winnerwell Fastfold Titanium Tent Stove is built with the same quality and craftsmanship as the Nomad Series above but has a few distinct features that make it the perfect ultralight tent stove for backpackers and hunters!
First, let’s talk construction. It’s made of ultralightweight and durable titanium, weighing only 4 pounds with the chimney! Plus, the heat transfer efficiency of titanium allows this tent stove to heat a small shelter in the coldest conditions.
Their Fastfold technology is pretty incredible as you fold the walls down and secure them with clasps, resulting in only 2 inches of height when completely folded!
Here’s a quick video overview of the Fastfold Titanium Tent Stove.
Specifications
- Brand: Winnerwell
- Size: Packed: 15″ x 9″ x 2″ | Assembled: 15” x 9” x 7” (Add 9 feet to the height for chimney pipe)
- Firebox Capacity: 900 cubic inches
- Weight: 4 lbs.
- Fuel Type: Wood
- Material: Titanium
- Includes: 1 Fastfold Titanium stove body, 1 rolled titanium 9 ft. chimney pipe with rings, 1 tent protector, 1 spark arrestor, and 1 carry bag
- Warranty: Limited lifetime warranty on Winnerwell® products covering defects in materials and workmanship. Contact Winnerwell Support for more information.
Pros
- Made from ultralightweight titanium, making this stove perfect for backpackers and hunters (only 4 lbs.)
- Generous 900 cubic inch firebox capacity
- Fastfold design collapses to only 2 inches high
- Industry-leading warranty
- Can be used for outdoor camping or to heat and cook in just about any small space
Cons
- No viewing window into the firebox
Winnerwell Fastfold Titanium Tent Stove
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Camp Chef Alpine Heavy Duty Cylinder Stove
- Best Tent Stove for Cooking
- Best Tent Stove for Winter Camping
The Camp Chef company operates out of Cache Valley, Utah, and has been an industry leader for over 20 years! And you can see why with their Alpine Cylinder Tent Stove.
The Camp Chef Alpine Cylinder Stove is made of durable alloy steel and comes with everything you need to start heating and cooking in your tent.
This is our top pick for cooking and winter camping for several reasons. The huge flat top surface is perfect for cooking for multiple people. And the built-in water tank brackets for the hot water tank (sold separately) really come in handy when you want hot water on hand. Plus, the huge firebox is perfect for keeping your shelter warm for hours when winter camping.
All parts of this stove store neatly inside the firebox for easier portability. But keep in mind that this beast of a unit weighs 74 pounds. So, it might not be the best option to carry on long hiking excursions.
Here’s a quick video overview of the Camp Chef Alpine Cylinder Stove.
Specifications
- Brand: Camp Chef
- Size: 24 in. D x 30.5 in. W x 22 1/4 in. H with racks attached (Add 10 ft. in height with chimney attached)
- Firebox Capacity: 2885 cubic inches
- Weight: 74 lbs.
- Fuel Type: Wood
- Material: Alloy Steel
- Includes: 1 stove body, damper, internal log grate, spark arrestor, accessory shelves, chimney pipe
- Warranty: 1 year from purchase date. Contact Camp Chef Support for more information.
Pros
- Made of durable alloy steel
- Huge flat top surface for cooking
- The extra-large firebox is perfect for heating your tent for hours
- Stove racks can be used to dry clothes, dishes, or to store items
- Long 10 ft. stove pipe
Cons
- At 74 lbs., this stove is by far heavier than the other models on this list and is not ideal for backpacking or carrying long distances
- Warranty isn’t as good as the Winnerwell stoves
Camp Chef Alpine Heavy Duty Cylinder Stove
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What Should I Look For in a Tent Stove?
When looking for the best tent stove for your specific situation, you’ll want to consider the type of stove, the material it’s made out of, size and weight, any accessories you might want or need, and if it’s made by a reputable brand.
Let’s break each of these down in detail.
Types of Tent Stoves
Separating tent stoves by type is a little difficult, as there are no definitive types defined by the industry.
But, taking a step back, you could classify tent stoves by any of the following:
- Cylinder vs. box: Cylinder stoves are typically larger and heavier than box tent stoves. The advantage is they usually offer more cook space and heat tents better than box stoves but at the sacrifice of portability.
- Classic tent stoves vs. Ultralight tent stoves: Your classic steel tent stoves are heavier and bulkier but usually bigger than your ultralight tent stoves that are made from lighter metals like titanium and are designed for portability (for backpacking, long hikes, etc.).
- Military vs. civilian tent stoves: Military tent stoves are typically used for heating and drying wet gear as opposed to heating AND cooking that your regular tent stove is designed for. Though some military stoves have cooking tubes that attach to the side of the stove to warm up a potato, etc.
While the industry hasn’t split tent stoves into specific types, different tent stoves are designed for various uses. Which one you ultimately choose will depend on how you plan to use it.
Material
Pay attention to the type of material your stove (and its parts) is made of.
Common stove materials include titanium, alloy steel, and 304 steel. These are extremely durable materials, with titanium used in more portable, lightweight stoves, to alloy steel which is heavier and typically used in larger tent stoves.
Tip: If your tent stove is painted, you may have to cure the paint before using it. This process typically involves setting your new stove up in your yard and burning wood in it for one to two hours. Be sure to check your owner’s manual for specific instructions.
Size & Weight
Tent stoves come in various sizes and weights. For example, the Winnerwell Fastfold Titanium Tent Stove folds down to just 2″ in height, weighs only 4 lbs., and has a firebox size of 900 cubic inches. This is perfect if you intend to carry the stove long distances or move it frequently.
Winnerwell Fastfold Titanium Tent Stove
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In contrast, the Camp Chef Alpine Cylinder Stove doesn’t exactly fold down (at least the accessories fit nicely inside it), weighs 74 lbs., and has a firebox measuring 2885 cubic inches. This is perfect for tent setups that you can drive up to or that you don’t need to move often. Glamping setups are a good example of this.
Camp Chef Alpine Heavy Duty Cylinder Stove
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Other than price, size and weight will play arguably the biggest role in your tent stove buying decision.
Accessories
Tent stoves can come with a variety of accessories, depending on the model. Some accessories available include:
- Hot water tanks
- Utensils and tools
- Pots and pans
- Cleaning brushes
- Carrying bags
- Ash scrapers
- Fire-resistant mats
- Grill grates
- Sauna water dropper
- And so on
Not every brand and model has the above accessories available. So, if there’s a particular accessory that’s important to you, you may want to find a tent stove that offers that particular item. Keep in mind you may have to pay extra for it.
Brand
Whenever making a purchase, especially for something that could have a dramatic impact on your health and safety, you want to make sure it is from a brand with a solid reputation and a strong warranty backing their product.
Be wary of all of these mysterious brands popping up on Amazon with no website, contact information, or obvious warranty details. Tent stoves like the TMS Portable Military Tent Stove and the Fltom Camp Tent Stove, which a lot of other websites review and claim to be their “best” pick, have no company presence that can be easily found.
There are a lot of sellers buying cheap bulk items, rebranding them, and selling them on marketplace websites (Amazon, eBay, etc.). They might be great products, but for peace of mind, I personally like to stick with brands I can trust. I’ll admit, I’ve made this mistake in the past and even reviewed and tested products from these fly-by-night brands, but I feel going forward, I’d like to make a conscious effort to focus on brands that meet certain criteria – reputable, trustworthy, easy to contact, and so on.
With all that said, Winnerwell and Camp Chef are two trustworthy brands that make high-quality tent stoves!
Tent Stove FAQs
What Is the Best Stove Tent?
Our pick for the best tent stove is the Winnerwell Nomad Medium Tent Stove, as it hits the sweet spot in terms of size, durability, price, and portability. With that said, the best tent stove for you is one that fits your needs best.
Winnerwell Nomad Medium Tent Stove
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Are Stoves in Tents Safe?
A tent stove set up per the manufacturer’s directions in a tent with a stove jack should be safe as long as they are used properly.
Related: Can You Use a Camping Stove in a Tent?
How Far Away Must Your Stove Be From Flammable Items in Tents?
A tent stove should be 3 feet from any flammable items in the tent. With that said, depending on who you ask, you’ll get a different answer. According to Winnerwell, the stove should be 18″ away while Camp Chef says 2 ft from tent walls and 3 ft from combustible materials. We like to err on the side of caution.
Can You Use Charcoal in a Tent Stove?
No, we do not recommend using charcoal in wood-burning stoves. Not only can CO be an issue, but charcoal also takes longer to warm up, burns hotter (which may ruin your stove), and the ashes are harder to clean out.
How Do You Keep a Tent Stove Burning All Night?
To keep a tent stove burning all night, you should:
- Rake the wood coals to the front of the stove
- Fill the firebox with logs in a tight formation behind the coals
- Shut the door and allow the wood to burn all night.
Of course, the size of your firebox will play a role in how long the stove will burn.