Tips for running a stove and flue in a synthetic tipi/laavu

[Nonsuch]

Hello folks. Advice please. I have always used a tipi stove with my Tentipi polycotton Safir - with its nice thick material and special stove vent in the top hat. Now I fancy running the stove in my light(er)weight synthetic tipi - a Helsport (Reinfjell = Varanger). It just has an open centre hole, and then a separate top hat that gets draped around the centre opening - like most tipis I suppose.

So who please has experience of how to poke the stove flue (and its heat baffle which maintains a gap around the hot flue) out through the centre hole, drape the top hat around it, keep the rain out and keep the flue relatively stable. Do you fasten it to the centre pole somehow? I am worried about melting part of my tent! I know quite a few people on here have stoves and synthetic tipis and get along fine, and I am sure there are some tricks of the trade

Any tips gratefully received.​

 

[rik_uk3]

There's no problem using stoves in nylon tents but I'd be tempted to fit a stove jack and take the flue out off centre.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tent-Stov...691?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5aedb7aafb with roll down rain cover.

 

[ex-member BareThrills]

I have a varanger and a kongsvold and run them with the helsport stove. I go up in the middle alongside the pole and use the insulated section(s) to ensure the hot flue does not contact the material. i had an issue when i ran a stove without a baffle or spark arrestor but never with the helsport stove. the top hat closure ropes inside your varanger make it very easy to adjust the top hat. I did consider a stove jack for using lightweight stoves with no insulator but fast came to the conclusion that if i wanted to go light i wouldnt be taking a varanger so i got a seekoutside for that purpose. A stove jack makes for an easier life but obviously will take up more room as it will need to be lower down the side wall.

Helsport design these tents for use with a stove up the centre and if you are sensible i cant see a problem. ventilation is excellent.

What stove do you have?

 

[Shewie]

With my Bergans it's easily done, the top hat just wraps around the insulated section and then stakes to the ground. When I set it up on uneven ground once I wombled a piece of wire from somewhere and hooked it onto the lip of the shield and then round my centre pole, not really needed but I was careless when setting up and couldn't be bothered moving it afterwards, the flue was leaning out slightly but the wire soon fixed that.

When the top hat is wrapped round it gives total closure from the elements ...

 

[coln18]

i have the bergans 6-8 man tipi and use a frontier stove with mine, set up is pretty much like Rich tipi, except i have wrapped fire tape rated up to 550 c temp round two of the sections of flue, so it gives me scope to move the stove around the tent, after a full weekend of the stove running, you cant touch the flue beneath the tape, but can easily hold your hand on the taped sections for a good five minutes and its only slightly warm to touch, have used the tent seven times with this and no burns or damage whilst using the tape, (except of course when the wind ripped mine apart last week lol) link below, only £1.55 a metre and self adhesive too, so only takes five minutes to put on.

http://shop.vitcas.com/stove-thermal-tape-black-10mm-self-adhesive-377-p.asp

 

[Nonsuch]

I have a varanger and a kongsvold and run them with the helsport stove. I go up in the middle alongside the pole and use the insulated section(s) to ensure the hot flue does not contact the material. i had an issue when i ran a stove without a baffle or spark arrestor but never with the helsport stove. the top hat closure ropes inside your varanger make it very easy to adjust the top hat. I did consider a stove jack for using lightweight stoves with no insulator but fast came to the conclusion that if i wanted to go light i wouldnt be taking a varanger so i got a seekoutside for that purpose. A stove jack makes for an easier life but obviously will take up more room as it will need to be lower down the side wall.

Helsport design these tents for use with a stove up the centre and if you are sensible i cant see a problem. ventilation is excellent.

What stove do you have?

I have the old Mad Bear stove, which is basically a Helsport stove clone, but also the Frontier stove which I am thinking of using as it is nicer.

Thanks to all for the advice. I'm going to give it a go as soon as I can see green again in the garden!

 

[Nonsuch]

With my Bergans it's easily done, the top hat just wraps around the insulated section and then stakes to the ground. When I set it up on uneven ground once I wombled a piece of wire from somewhere and hooked it onto the lip of the shield and then round my centre pole, not really needed but I was careless when setting up and couldn't be bothered moving it afterwards, the flue was leaning out slightly but the wire soon fixed that.

When the top hat is wrapped round it gives total closure from the elements ...

That looks like Comrie Croft! Is it? Nice spot

 

[Shewie]

That looks like Comrie Croft! Is it? Nice spot

Well spotted, from my trip back in October

 

[Nonsuch]

Nice. Live a few miles away and have never camped in their woods!

 

[Nohoval_Turrets]

Arapahoe outdoors do custom stovepipe sleeves - they're designed to be used with any tent. I was thinking of ordering one, but I haven't yet. Here's the link: http://www.arapahoeoutdoors.com/stovesleeve.php

 

[treadlightly]

i have the bergans 6-8 man tipi and use a frontier stove with mine, set up is pretty much like Rich tipi, except i have wrapped fire tape rated up to 550 c temp round two of the sections of flue, so it gives me scope to move the stove around the tent, after a full weekend of the stove running, you cant touch the flue beneath the tape, but can easily hold your hand on the taped sections for a good five minutes and its only slightly warm to touch, have used the tent seven times with this and no burns or damage whilst using the tape, (except of course when the wind ripped mine apart last week lol) link below, only £1.55 a metre and self adhesive too, so only takes five minutes to put on.

http://shop.vitcas.com/stove-thermal-tape-black-10mm-self-adhesive-377-p.asp

Thanks for that Col, could be just what I'm looking for

 

[Huon]

I have a Helsport and a Titanium Goat stove. I had a baffle/shield made up for the chimney and run it pretty much like Shewie's set-up. So far I've had no problems with the stove or the elements.

Cheers!

Huon

 

[ex-member BareThrills]

I have a Helsport and a Titanium Goat stove. I had a baffle/shield made up for the chimney and run it pretty much like Shewie's set-up. So far I've had no problems with the stove or the elements.

Cheers!

Huon

Any chance of a pic of the baffle on the goat please mate?

 

[Huon]

Any chance of a pic of the baffle on the goat please mate?

Sure. I think this is from the first set-up in a friend's back yard. The rain hat isn't closed down but normally I'd wrap it around the baffle in much the same way that Shewie has.

The stove weighs less than 2 kilos and is the large stove from this page. I had a support that clamps to the pole made for the baffle but to be honest I never use it. Friction from the tapes it passes through and from the closed rainhat hold it in place.

Please excuse the artistically angled photo. My other half took it and she has a tendency to do that.

 

[ex-member BareThrills]

cheers for that, i have the seek outside ti and was wondering whether the ti stove pipe could support the weight of an insulating baffle. You have answered my question

 

[Huon]

cheers for that, i have the seek outside ti and was wondering whether the ti stove pipe could support the weight of an insulating baffle. You have answered my question

"Seek Outside Ti"? I hadn't seen these before. Do you have one of their Tipis as well? I'd be interested in hearing about your stove and the tipi as well if you have it.

One thing to remember, my baffle is also made of titanium and is very light. Something more heavy duty might stress chimney and stove and may not be held so well by friction.

 

[ex-member BareThrills]

ive not used the tipi yet and the first burn of the stove was very good until it melted the legs. This would cause a tipping hazard so seekoutside are sending some more robust legs and im not touching it till those arrive. It has potential to be a very good setup and hopefully will be my overseas rig once ive got it running properly.

 

[Huon]

ive not used the tipi yet and the first burn of the stove was very good until it melted the legs. This would cause a tipping hazard so seekoutside are sending some more robust legs and im not touching it till those arrive. It has potential to be a very good setup and hopefully will be my overseas rig once ive got it running properly.

"Melted the legs" sounds worrying. Were they also made of titanium?

I've used the goat a few times and been very happy so far. The stove panels have warped slightly but it doesn't impact performance at all. The stove pumps out heat and it seems to get pretty good burn times. I haven't tried to cook on it yet but it works fine for water heating as long as you stoke the stove properly.

I'd love to have one of the Ti Goat tipis to go with the stove. The size/weight ratio is amazing.

 

[ex-member BareThrills]

yea the legs are ti and they buckled pretty bad. its not a good design as the legs run through the inside of the fire box. hopefully the beefed up jobbies with take the heat better.

my favorite shelter has to be the golite shangrila 5, Its 1200g with pole but 820g if you suspend it from a ridgeline. ive just got a stove jack that i need to get fitted. its difficult to pitch low to the floor though but i like plenty of vent anyhow

 

[Nonsuch]

Update : I had a test fire today with the Helsport 7 laavu and the Frontier stove running inside it. I used all Frontier stove flue sections, and the spark arrestor. I have a heat-shield made of galvanised wire which protects the laavu material from the hot flue. I was a bit anxious about radiant heat being an issue because of the open design of the heat-shield

The stove runs really well with a great draw. I did find that the top of the laavu was getting very hot because of radiant heat from the top of the flue. I wrapped a bit of fire blanket around the mesh heat shield where it was nearest to the laavu material and that solved the problem.

I will run it again this evening and see what temperatures I get inside when it is down to 0c outside. First trip for real will be Loch Shiel in a month's time. It's a useful combo that isn't too heavy to carry in a canoe as a group shelter in cold weather.