Only use a stove in a tent with a fire-rated stove jack. Keep the stove well clear of beams and walls, fit a spark arrestor, keep vents open, run a battery CO alarm, and never leave a lit stove burning while everyone sleeps.
Check the stove jack first
The stove jack is the fire-rated ring the pipe passes through. Before every trip, look for cracks, hardening or gaps in the silicone and make sure the flap closes when the stove is not in use. The pipe should pass through the center without touching the fabric around it.
Give the stove room
Air beams are pressurized fabric tubes. Heat can soften and damage them long before anything catches fire. Set the stove on a stable, level heat-proof board and keep it clear of beams, walls and bedding. A good working rule is at least 20 inches in every direction, more if the stove maker asks for it.
Use a spark arrestor
Sparks leaving the chimney land on the roof. A spark arrestor screen on the top of the pipe stops most of them. Burn dry, seasoned wood, which throws fewer sparks and less smoke.
Keep air moving
A stove needs fresh air to burn cleanly. Keep at least one high vent and one low vent open the whole time the stove is lit. Fresh air also carries out the moisture you breathe, which cuts condensation on the walls.
Run a CO alarm
Carbon monoxide has no smell and no color. Put a battery CO alarm inside the tent at sleeping height and test it before each trip. If it sounds, put the stove out and get everyone outside.
Rule of the hot tent: let the stove burn down before you sleep. Wake up to a cold tent, not a fire.
Watch the pressure
A heated tent warms the air inside the beams, so pressure rises as the tent warms and drops as it cools overnight. Check the gauge before topping up in a warm tent. Our guide to beam pressure in cold weather shows how large the swing is.
Pack a small safety kit
- Battery CO alarm
- Heat-proof stove board
- Leather gloves for the stove door and pipe
- Small fire blanket or extinguisher
- Spare batteries for the alarm
Airfell Hearth
Steep walls that shed snow and hold the heat of a small stove.
See the Hearth · $399FAQ
Can you put a wood stove in any inflatable tent?
No. Only use a stove in a tent built with a fire-rated stove jack. Cutting a hole in a tent without one creates a fire risk and a gap that lets heat reach the fabric.
Do I need a carbon monoxide alarm in a hot tent?
Yes. Any fuel-burning appliance inside a shelter can produce carbon monoxide, which you cannot see or smell. A battery CO alarm at sleeping height is essential.
How far should the stove be from the air beams?
Follow the tent and stove maker's clearances. As a working rule, keep at least 20 inches between the stove body and any beam, wall or bedding.
Airfell sells inflatable tents. We keep these guides balanced, including the cases where another kind of tent is the better choice.