Cooking in the Tent

I know this is generally something that should be avoided but I recently made a hang kit for my stove and I’m looking for advice/tips on how to do it safely. I only plan to do it when absolutely necessary due to weather, cold, etc. and it’s not something I get to practice very often.

Obviously proper venting for CO2/CO is key but I’m wondering what else to consider. I’ve been told wrapping some cord around the pot and hang wires to keep the whole thing more stable is a good idea.

Share some wisdom?

Do not under estimate the weight when hanging a stove - think when melt snow for water. That said lots of ventilation. 

Depends on your stove.  Ive used a Reactor in my bivy sack and under my poncho in a canoe.  The first light can be exciting and eyebrow trimming (you wanna time the “bic flick” and gas turn on very tightly)  but it settles right down.

Nothing like paddling a cold and rainy BWCA morning with a Reactor brewing hot cocoa up under your skirt.  If were prone to wearing kilts, I’d definitely have a Reactor hanging below in the colder months. 

Cooked many cups of Everclear embellished Tea and water for freeze dried meals in a 1 liter titanium pot on a MSR Pocket Rocket on the floor with only a tee shirt on in my Bibler Awahnee tent with the downwind door cracked 1/2" at the top in freezing temperatures and blizzard conditions while reading my Nook under low power headlamp light for days waiting out a storm.

Do whatever you want to do, but make sure you're making an informed choice. https://zenstoves.net/COHazard.htm Skimming this article kind of killed my interest in ever cooking inside my tent.

Make sure the bottom of your pot is dry...

Not sure what that vague comment means. Cook Tea on stove, pour in cup, add everclear is some kind of problem ?

mark felber wrote:

Do whatever you want to do, but make sure you're making an informed choice. https://zenstoves.net/COHazard.htm Skimming this article kind of killed my interest in ever cooking inside my tent.

Thanks for posting this, I found this quite interesting. It hasn’t turned me off to the idea by any means but there is plenty of helpful information in there 

mark felber wrote:

Do whatever you want to do, but make sure you're making an informed choice. https://zenstoves.net/COHazard.htm Skimming this article kind of killed my interest in ever cooking inside my tent.

This is a very good article.  I would pay particular attention to the parts where long-term problems associated with CO exposure are discussed.  I used to have a cavalier attitude towards CO in tents because I never noticed any acute symptoms.  But after joining the fire service and learning a lot about CO and the long-term health consequences of exposure, I do everything I can to avoid any exposure to CO.  

I think it’s worth noting the effect of good ventilation on PPM in that report. That was one of my main takeaways 

tl;dr vent your tent

I’ve boiled a lot of water in my tent. These are my thoughts on it, they are not recommendations:

• I use a Reactor, but would be fine with a Jetboil style stove
• I do not like the concept of hanging the pot/burner, I’ve felt my tent walls blow around enough that this feels like a good way to spill water
• I like to cross-vent, but am not opposed to single venting when the situation calls for it 
• Spilling water could be a serious issue, I do everything possible to set myself up for success
• Lighting the stove is always a little concerning, as a flare up could put a hole in the tent which would be a serious issue

Do whatever you want to do, but make sure you're making an informed choice. zenstoves.net/COHazard.htm Skimming this article kind of killed my interest in ever cooking inside my tent.

The sources in that article are incredibly dated, but at least it brings awareness to the issue.

They are expensive (I spent over $100 on mine), but having a good CO detector with you can guide your methods. Even if you buy it and test it out at home with your own gear rather than hauling it with you. By good, I mean one that begins to alarm at 10ppm since there could be prolonged exposure.

I haven’t used it in a tent, but did use it recently in a ski hut with propane stoves. When the single burner got the detector (which it did pretty easily) up to 9 I was able to open a window to ventilate. Overall it gave me peace of mind knowing I wasn’t wreaking havoc on my mind (and body).