wood stoves and air mattress

Renegade · Aug 5, 2004

Howdy all,
Girlfriend and I are getting ready and excited for our black powder elk hunt coming up in September. In our wood stove we usually burn the local pine in the area for heat in our wall tent. The pine burns fast and I usually need to get up in the night to add more wood. Some of my friends bring different types of wood to burn only at night. What are some good alternatives to use besides bringing your own wood? I have heard of some people using coal?

Another question is on air mattresses. We use a king size (I am a firm believer that one neesd to sleep and eat well while on an elk hunt). After 1-2 days we notice the underneath of our sleeping bag is wet. We have tried placing a blanket underneath but no luck. Any suggestions to help or stop the moisture build up besides getting a cot (air mattress is kind nice when your woman is along-lol). Thanks for your help and input!

Reneage

nmtaxi · Aug 5, 2004

Dang, are you elk hunting or honey-mooning.

. All you need is a battery powered CD player with a Barry White CD.
Sorry, I really have no helpful info. for you. Just smarta$$ comments fringed with a touch of jealousy

.
Have fun. Sounds like a good trip.

BlackTimber · Aug 5, 2004

I have taken coal along but I still have to get up twice at night to stoke it. I may be getting the wrong coal. I guess that there are different grades. I have only been able to get the "soft" coal. The hard coal will burn longer, but don't know wear to get it.

As far as condensation, you are stuck with it. Hang your bag over a chair or something during the day to dry out. I use a cot, and even with that I get condensation, more on top but I still get some.

jchisum · Aug 5, 2004

some of the worst sleep i've had was on an air mattress in MT. reason: temperature goes down so does pressure. my partners and I started making collapsible beds with real mattresses....

If you're traveling light I don't have any ideas for you sorry...

RACKMASTER · Aug 5, 2004

YOU NEED A MOTORHOME! SOUNDS LIKE YOU NEED THE COMFORTS OF HOME!
I just bought a new LANCE CAMPER and I tow my quad(I only go where I am allowed! and I hike in from their). I used a cot with a air matteress and thats worked! as far as the heat issue I used a gas heater and good sleeping bags with liners,If you still get cold invite your favorite drunk and bring lots of booze and park him next to camp fire with lots of wood(hopefully the tents not to far away from the fire)and he'll tie one on and get cold so therefor he'll feed the fire!
I've also bet $1.00 to the most stubburn, hate to lose, biggest ego in camp that he could not build a fire that would warm the camp til bed time then I hit the hay and evey once in a while I yell I getting cold from the tent and I would see and feel the fire grow! I would later pay up and the older guys thought I was
a genius!(THERES ONE IN EVERY CAMP!)
RACKMASTER

DonV · Aug 5, 2004

First air mattress, with 2 people I have found that it can be quite deflated and still feel fine once there are 2 one it, also I to use an air matress, I believe in sleeping well and an air matress is the bomb, even if I bivy I might still pack it.

As for the wetness inderneath, never had that problem, slept on it in NM for 2 weeks mid sept - still ne wetness, first make sure there is a tarp under it, if still damp every other day prop it up while you are out hunting. Wood stove should help keep moisture down in tent.

As for wood, oak is a good hardwood, do everythnig you can (not much) to limit air to the stove, if there is no dampner get one. For me I am going to also have 2 propane lanterns so in the AM you can simply light them and wait 10 minutes and the tent should be better.

Good luck

NUNYA · Aug 6, 2004

Dont ya just hate having to sleep in the wet spot!!!!

treedagain · Aug 6, 2004

I tried the coal thing in colorado last year, did not work as well as expected, stuff that stove as full as you can get it and hope you don't wake first and have to stoke it up.

NeMont · Aug 6, 2004

Why not have your girlfriend get up and keep the fire burning?

I hate burning coal as it always seems like I take you as much ash I put in coal.

If you have all the comforts of home maybe you should consider a good propane stove. Unless you are packing in of course.

Nemont

Jake_Sorensen · Aug 6, 2004

LAST EDITED ON Aug-06-04 AT 11:59AM (MST)[p]I for one am a firm believer in Propane and Propane accessories.

Renegade · Aug 6, 2004

Thanks for all you help and input on this. As far as the propane heating, what type of system do you use. I have a 9000 btu heater, but that really doesnt give too much heat in a large wall tent?

8Point · Aug 6, 2004

Heaters? I did a two year check and I found the best heater. Check out ZODI.com I have changed my heater so it can be started in the tent. I installed a push button starter and a spark plug with a coil to fire the spark plug. I know I may have not drawn a good picture for ya'll. I will have the gas bottle beside my cot,it has a six foot line run to the bottle,then it has a light switch for a 12 volt fan. Flip the switch and the fan comes on "a car battery", turn the gas on and then hit the starter button and the heater fires up. The heater sits outside and there are two 3-inch ducts that run inside the door. One hose pulls air out to the heater and then heats the air and is pushed back into the tent. There are different sizes of the heaters (mine is the 20,000 BTU). If ya'll are interested in this, email me . Zodi does not sell one like the one I have built. I called and talked to the owner of ZODI and got all my info to build this. This is a very safe heater and no dampness in the tent. This is something that I have come up with if it will help.