What is a Hot Tent? Hot Tent Backpacking

Hot Tent Backpacking

If you’re someone who embraces the cold weather, winter backpacking can be an enjoyable change from the typical fair weather hikes. The views are incredible, the trails are less busy, and you get to enjoy your favorite outdoor activity year-round! However, even people who like the cold can get chilly when spending a few days in the woods, even with proper winter hiking clothing. The solution – a hot tent! But wait… what is a hot tent?

What is a Hot Tent?

Simply put, a hot tent is a camping shelter that can be heated with a wood burning stove. The stove heats the inside of the specially designed tent and directs smoke outside of the tent through a chimney. This makes for a nice and toasty shelter that you can cook inside. After spending all day in the cold, there’s nothing better than having a heated place to warm up.

A hot tent is an excellent investment for someone who goes backpacking in the winter frequently. However, they are expensive and not very versatile. Hot tent backpacking is best suited for hikers who make a habit of camping during the cold months.

Hot Tent Design and Features

These tents are special. You can’t just throw a stove into any old backpacking tent and call it a day…it could get ugly.

These tents are made from resilient materials, often treated to prevent them from melting or catching fire. Your typical camping tent would not hold up well to this kind of heat exposure. In fact, they’d probably go up in flames easily!

A common material for hot tents is canvas, which doesn’t melt. Unfortunately, canvas can be rather heavy. This is not ideal for backpackers who are always trying to keep base weight down. To accommodate this, many new hot tents use other materials in addition to the canvas to minimize weight.

What is important in any hot tent is the stove jack. This is the ventilation hole in the tent for the chimney to pass through. The chimney, or stovepipe, will direct the smoke outside. It’s essential that the stove jack and the surrounding area is made from a material that can withstand heat. Some popular options are silicone or glass fiber.

Hot Tent Stoves

In addition to the tent itself, you’ll need a proper hot tent wood burning stove.

Titanium is a popular material for a hot tent stove because it is light and durable. A stainless steel stove will weigh significantly more, but is more affordable for the hiker on a budget.

The size of your stove will also impact it’s weight. A larger stove will be far heavier than a smaller one, but a big stove has it’s benefits. A large stove has the ability to hold sizable pieces of wood that will burn slower so you won’t have to fuel the fire as often. A small stove requires little pieces of wood, so you’ll spend more time breaking down fire wood and refilling the stove.

When shopping for a stove, be sure to find one that is easy to assemble. When you’re backpacking, you’ll need to set up your hot tent at every campsite. A challenging stove will prove to be a headache each day that you’re on the trail.

Hot Tent Backpacking

If you plan on going backpacking with a hot tent, there are a few things to keep in mind.

When it comes to weight, a hot tent won’t be your most efficient option. Especially compared to the weight of a typical backpacking tent. However, if you do some shopping around, you can find one that is relatively lightweight. Be sure to also invest in a smaller, titanium stove if weight is your priority.

You can also cut down on weight by leaving your cooking stove and fuel behind. When you have a wood stove in your tent, you can use that for prepping your meals.

Unfortunately, sleeping gear is not something you can leave behind. Unless you and your hiking buddy plan on taking turns sleeping, the fire should not be burning throughout the night. You’ll need a good sleeping pad and sleeping bag to keep you warm.

If you’re a solo backpacker, be sure to practice setting up your hot tent alone before committing to a trip. These tents can be difficult and time consuming to assemble. You’re going to want some practice before setting out on the trail so you’re not struggling to build a shelter when you need it the most.

Hot Tent Safety

You should be warned that a hot tent comes with an added level of risk. You should be familiar with the safety tips below before you spend time in a heated tent.

• Don’t sleep with the fire burning unless someone is awake to watch over it. Always keep an eye on the fire.
• Make sure the stove pipe is drawn properly to direct fumes and smoke out of the tent.
• Keep a knife handy. This can be used to cut the tent open in case the fire gets out of control.
• The fire should always be contained within the stove. Stomp out any ash that flies out immediately.
• Be cautious of wind outside – make sure the wind will blow smoke from your stove jack away from your tent in case any sparks or ash fly up.
• Never use a gas stove inside your tent. This goes for any tent!
• Practice fire safety (similar to what you would practice around a campfire) – always have something to put a fire out with. Always keep an eye on the fire, and don’t keep anything flammable close to the fire.

Hot Tent Recommendations

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Shopping for a hot tent for backpacking can be tough. Finding the right balance between quality, weight, and affordability can be a challenge.

We recommend OneTigris brand hot tents. The company is well known for their high-quality outdoor and tactical gear. Below are two of their popular hot tent options.

OneTigris Rock Fortress

OneTigris Smokey Hut

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