View Full Version : Cooking under vestibule of your Tent
RockStar
03-02-2007, 18:35
Please don't be mean...I am delicate ;)
I know only I can prevent forest fires and tent fires but, is there anyone who has cooked under their vestibule? I am curious to know how many ppl have done it, would do it again and advice on safety. And to save the smarty pants responses Ill go ahead and say it for you "Safest thing is to NOT do this" Now on with it...:-?
Jack Tarlin
03-02-2007, 18:40
You're right.....it ain't a particularly smart or safe thing to do.
That being said......yeah, everyone's done it.
I always try to pack at least a day or two's worth food that doesn't require cooking (bread, cheese, tuna, meat, etc.) in case I run into weather so awful I can't use my stove. This has come in handy many times.
P.S. I have also seen people cook IN their tents. This frequently ends badly,
mainly for the tent.
cannister stove, maybe.... alcohol stove, not on a bet!!
RockStar
03-02-2007, 18:52
Yes Dad. :o I had to ask. Good advice about the no cook food. I do that for lunch but, didn't consider dinner.
Frolicking Dinosaurs
03-02-2007, 18:53
This is part of the reason we carry a large silnylon tarp and a tiny tent. Having space to cook is important to us.
RockStar
03-02-2007, 19:01
This is part of the reason we carry a large silnylon tarp and a tiny tent. Having space to cook is important to us.
I thought about getting a tarp instead of using my vesti. but, I thought maybe it would be more weight than the Vest. and wouldn't keep me as toasty. Do you have a pic of your tiny tent and large tarp?
P.S. I have also seen people cook IN their tents. This frequently ends badly,
mainly for the tent.No pictures?:D Not making light of misfortune, but that's a "they had it coming" if I ever heard of one.
hopefulhiker
03-02-2007, 19:16
I have cooked under the beaks of the Tarptent once or twice....
Frolicking Dinosaurs
03-02-2007, 19:18
Don't have any pics, but we are an older couple and I have mobility issues - we use a Campmor 10' x 12" silnylon tarp (http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=88644) and (for now) a TexSport Knollwood tent (http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/lowcarbscoop/Knollwoodtent.jpg) (primarily because of the door design - it is the only small tent I've found that I can get in and out of) I'm in the process of making us a cross between a double bivy and tent that will hang under the tarp and be both bigger and lighter than the tent. Even with that in place, we would have plenty of room to cook.
You could use something like a poncho to tarp over your cooking area while you sat in the vestibule.
RockStar
03-02-2007, 19:27
Don't have any pics, but we are an older couple and I have mobility issues - we use a Campmor 10' x 12" silnylon tarp (http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=88644) and (for now) a TexSport Knollwood tent (http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/lowcarbscoop/Knollwoodtent.jpg) (primarily because of the door design - it is the only small tent I've found that I can get in and out of) I'm in the process of making us a cross between a double bivy and tent that will hang under the tarp and be both bigger and lighter than the tent. Even with that in place, we would have plenty of room to cook.
You could use something like a poncho to tarp over your cooking area while you sat in the vestibule.
That Tarp is pretty light. I use a Kelty Crestone1 tent, bought a New Kelty Stick 1 but, considering selling the Stick 1 and going with a Hubba. However...the Stick1 is pretty spacious for the weight. And I THINK it may be a few ounces lighter than the Hubba. hrmmm...Thanks. :)
Lone Wolf
03-02-2007, 20:32
Please don't be mean...I am delicate ;)
I know only I can prevent forest fires and tent fires but, is there anyone who has cooked under their vestibule? I am curious to know how many ppl have done it, would do it again and advice on safety. And to save the smarty pants responses Ill go ahead and say it for you "Safest thing is to NOT do this" Now on with it...:-?
yes. lots and lots of times
Please don't be mean...I am delicate ;)
I know only I can prevent forest fires and tent fires but, is there anyone who has cooked under their vestibule?
Obviously yes.... but not me.
Jester2000
03-02-2007, 20:37
Vestibule? Everyone's done it. It's fine as long as you pay attention.
This from the guy who burned Mala's tent using a Coleman 2 burner and a bakebox.
RockStar
03-02-2007, 20:45
So what kind of vestibule height are we talkin to be the safest? I have the new kelty Stick 1 and that thing has got some room under the vestibule! A midget could camp out under there. No offense to midgets...*shrugs
You guys think Ill be better buying a tarp to go over Lik Frol. Din. Suggested...
Toolshed
03-02-2007, 21:08
Isn't the stick vesty like 48" high - Definitely fewer worries than say a Clip Flashlight.
No pictures?:D Not making light of misfortune, but that's a "they had it coming" if I ever heard of one.This comment was aimed at inside the tent stove use. Vestibule? It can be done, and I do it quite a bit. The exit is never closed tight and I prime the stove outside the footprint of my rig.
RockStar
03-02-2007, 21:23
Isn't the stick vesty like 48" high - Definitely fewer worries than say a Clip Flashlight.
Dimensions: 6 ft. 11 in. x 2 ft. 9 in.
Floor Area: 16 sq. ft.
Vestibule Area: 10 sq. ft.
I am 5'2" and it is so roomy! I wish they made tents in sleeping bag lengths...
Mother Nature
03-02-2007, 23:57
Everyone knows that tents and fire don't mix with good results. Everyone also knows that pouring rain, freezing cold and the feeling of starvation can inspire taking a chance.
I wouldn't EVER cook inside my tent. Kind of like being trapped with a skunk in the privy. Things could happen fast with long lasting results.
Vestibule cooking (if properly ventilated and carefully screened with a windscreen) could be done if you are very comfortable with your stove's mechanics. I have seen a friend light her alcohol stove under a tarp and the homemade stove separated under pressure sending flames six feet in the sky creating a nice skylight and singed hair.
I am with Jack, I feel safest with carring foods that are nourishing and don't require cooking. Anticipating the worse that could happen if you had a stove flameout in the vestibule or tent proper is that you would melt your tent onto your body, set your hair on fire. One advantage is that it would be unnecessary to carry tent stakes as you would be wearing the silnylon tent laminated like a glove to your seared skin, Mostly this result would also emiminate the need for raingear.
Each to his own. A canister stove would be much more reliable than an alcohol fueled stove.
MN
hikerjohnd
03-03-2007, 01:13
I use the vestibule to protect me and put the stove just outside the tent (assuming I am not camped in a hurricane) just to be on the safe side.
As seems to be the consensus - everyone's done it - you'll figure out what works for you!
Trailwind
03-08-2007, 00:29
I've cooked under the vestibule with a canister stove. I've eaten foods that don't require cooking a lot more times than I have cooked under the vestibule though, and I have cooked out in the rain (boiled water). I tend to select the easiest/quickest foods to prepare when the weather is bad. I wouldn't cook under the vestibule with a white gas or alcohol stove though. Last Saturday I was talking with the ATC Caretaker that stays at Springer Mountain during thru hiker season. He said he had to carry a half burned tent out of the woods earlier in the week. Sure enough, when I walked back to the parking lot there it sat in the bed of his truck.
Blue Jay
03-08-2007, 02:01
Cook your main meal at a shelter in the afternoon if it is raining, sleep in a tent, it's not that hard.
P.S. I have also seen people cook IN their tents. This frequently ends badly,
mainly for the tent.
First post: Not a thru hiker. Just a lurker.
During blizzard conditions in Colorado's White River National Forest/Maroon Bells area (Feb 1984?). I was melting snow in my tent when the stove malfunctioned and caught the tent floor on fire. I was able to toss the stove out of the tent and extinguished the fire before any major damage occured. Tent still functioned passably. Used a backup stove (Svea 123 with pump) for the remainder of the trip. It could have ended much worse.
That said, I cook under my vestibule all the time and have even cooked in the tent since. Some folks never learn.
IdahoDavid
03-08-2007, 14:27
My inclination is to discourage cooking or eating anywhere near where you sleep if you are using a tent or tarp. I am less concerned about the fire safety aspect than the attraction of animals. Bears have been known to be attracted to toothpaste and coffee smells and I am concerned that cooking smells left behind on a tent would be even more attractive. Even if you aren't in bear country, raccoons, squirrels and even smaller beasties can make a mess of your gear looking for grub.
I've got a Kelty Windfoil tent from the early '90s that has a zippered cut-out area in the floor, specifically intended for cooking.
Haven't actually tried that.
Incidentally, it weighs about eight or nine pounds - I don't remember whether that was with or without the one pound ball peen hammer I used to pound stakes with. Might have been with. Nice tent, which I no longer take backpacking. It's entirely suitable for extreme conditions if only you can get it there.
the_iceman
03-09-2007, 15:28
Yeah, cook bacon in bear country.
What are you joking? Do you want to play Budhist monk and go up in a ball of fire or become bear bait because your tent smells like a meal.:eek:
Used to cook in vestibules and tents plenty of times. The only problem I have had is lighting stoves under bug nets, (Huge holes in the netting). The tent fires are mostly caused during cold weather with two people in the tent, one of whom knows that there is a lit stove and where the stove is located. It is usually the second person unaware of the lit stove who causes the excitement. At present I cook under a Hammock Tarp.
the_iceman
03-10-2007, 10:37
Okay, I am really not trying to be mean.:sun
This thread explains why it is a good reason to have some food that you eat cold in your pack. Unless you are in an "at risk" situation and need warm food/drink why put yourself (and others - including the forest) in an "at risk" situation??
If you are thru-hiking YOU WILL BE WET at least 30% of the time. On really rainy days cook mid-day in a shelter and cold camp at night.
Ever wonder why the smartest people have the least common sense?
mambo_tango
03-12-2007, 00:47
When I was in 6th grade my friend's mother had her stove in her tent and died by aphyxiation (she fell asleep). It was pretty sad and the girl ended up getting hooked on LSD by the 9th grade.
digger51
03-12-2007, 01:08
I almost always eat in my tent as I am not in need of the little extra protien the insects add to my food when eating outdoors. However, I cook by boiling water in my Jetboil and using freezer bags to rehydrate my food. I would never light a stove in my tent, they cost too much.
troglobil
03-12-2007, 15:25
I've got a Kelty Windfoil tent from the early '90s that has a zippered cut-out area in the floor, specifically intended for cooking.
Thats not what the hole was for. It wa sfor cold wet nights.:o
All burners are not the same. The "StarLyte" will absorb 1 ounce of fuel nothing will spill out and if accidently overturned it will extinguish itself.(in most cases) I'm sure someone will come up with something sweet:)
Photo one (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/obijiwa/starlyte002.jpg)
Thread one (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=21273)
It is the most safe burner!!!!!!IMHO
G.H.O.S.T.
03-15-2007, 17:01
I know most don't use one because of the weight, but a jetboil would likely be the safest under the vestibul. Toothpick and I have both been using one while sitting in our sleeping bags for breakfast and dinner during the cold hiking.
Skidsteer
03-15-2007, 17:23
All burners are not the same. The "StarLyte" will absorb 1 ounce of fuel nothing will spill out and if accidently overturned it will extinguish itself.(in most cases) I'm sure someone will come up with something sweet:)
Photo one (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/obijiwa/starlyte002.jpg)
Thread one (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=21273)
It is the most safe burner!!!!!!IMHO
Zelph, your links are sending us to the WB homepage.
Jack Tarlin
03-15-2007, 18:13
I see from his above post that Iceman plans to hike in 2007.
Ya know, for a guy who hasn't thru-hiked yet, he sure speaks with authority about stuff! :-?
Um, yeah, you should always carry at least some food that doesn't require any cooking, but you're NOT going to be wet 30% of the time. It's a wet Trail, but not that wet.
RockStar
03-15-2007, 20:11
I didn't mean to stir up a hornets nest though, I knew it would. I just felt compelled to ask and maybe get an idea of the do's and don'ts if it came down to me having to do this. I like Jacks Idea of taking stuff that doesnt need to be cooked but, also I am gonna try out this hammock deal so I will have lenty of room under the tarp to cook in all weather. :) Thanks again guys and gals. I will be tenting when hiking with my partner but, we wont hike when the weather is so bad.
Thanks!!!!
Jack Tarlin
03-15-2007, 20:23
Along those lines, here's some food that I ALWAYS try and bring along:
(I don't carry ALL of these all the time, but these are the types of things I'll carry much of the time)
*Bread of some sort, usually pita or flour tortillas
*Meat of some sort in a pouch (Tuna or chicken, a or small can of Deviled
Ham or Chicken spread)
*Pre-cooked bacon
*Pepperoni or Hard sausage of some sort.
*Hard cheese, like a Vermont cheddar
*An onion and a green pepper
*Mustard/mayonaise packets
*Squeeze butter
*Instant Hummos mix (needs water and a little olive oil)
*Peanut Butter
*Fruit
*Various snacks such as Pringles, Combos, Pop Tarts, Candy Bars, Granola
Bars, etc.
*Gatorade powder
the_iceman
03-16-2007, 07:41
I see from his above post that Iceman plans to hike in 2007.
Ya know, for a guy who hasn't thru-hiked yet, he sure speaks with authority about stuff! :-?
Um, yeah, you should always carry at least some food that doesn't require any cooking, but you're NOT going to be wet 30% of the time. It's a wet Trail, but not that wet.
I have already hiked the Northern 3rd of the trail and have 40 years of hiking experience. Historical weather charts show 1 out of 3 days of rain for the eastern mountians. Weather varies by year. 30% is the average but we all know averages are made up of extremes.
mweinstone
03-16-2007, 07:48
when your dead, youll be so sorry you didnt go out to cook.
All burners are not the same. The "StarLyte" will absorb 1 ounce of fuel nothing will spill out and if accidently overturned it will extinguish itself.(in most cases) I'm sure someone will come up with something sweet:)
Here is a photo of it (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/obijiwa/starlyte002.jpg)
Thread one (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/obijiwa/starlyte002.jpg)
It is the most safe burner!!!!!!IMHO
SkidsteerQuote:
Originally Posted by zelph It is the most safe burner!!!!!!IMHO
Skidsteer----Zelph, your links are sending us to the WB homepage.
Thanks for the heads up Skids. I could only get the photo to work. The link to the thread is dead.
Here's the photo again (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/obijiwa/starlyte002.jpg)
Skidsteer
03-18-2007, 22:47
SkidsteerQuote:
Thanks for the heads up Skids. I could only get the photo to work. The link to the thread is dead.
Here's the photo again (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/obijiwa/starlyte002.jpg)
Yep. Works better now.
ofthearth
12-26-2007, 14:52
I didn't mean to stir up a hornets nest though, I knew it would. I just felt compelled to ask and maybe get an idea of the do's and don'ts if it came down to me having to do this. I like Jacks Idea of taking stuff that doesnt need to be cooked but, also I am gonna try out this hammock deal so I will have lenty of room under the tarp to cook in all weather. :) Thanks again guys and gals. I will be tenting when hiking with my partner but, we wont hike when the weather is so bad.
Thanks!!!!
I have been wondering the same thing myself and glad YOU asked ;) Also wonder what the thoughts are on the safest ( I know, it's even less safe) or least foohish alcohol stove to use in such a situation. I carry a canister stove as have heard about flame ups and that worried me.
Thanks ofthearth
CoyoteWhips
12-26-2007, 15:21
Rain and an Esbit stove, sure.
maxNcathy
12-26-2007, 17:53
I carefully cooked macaroni with a Pocket Rocket inside my tent during snow storm in Smokys this past April.
Steam was wicked as was condensation on inside of tent.
Will not do that again.
Rain and an Esbit stove, sure.
Yep. Esbit. Safest and smelliest stuff around. Just let your tent air out well.
I used to cook in the vestibule of my Cannondale tent, which was 4 feet tall at the apex. My newer tent is a Hilleberg Akto, and I wouldn't cook in it because it's so low, but even more because it's silnylon and supports combustion.
I've been able to cook in very rainy weather by using a pot which is way bigger than the diameter of my stove burner (liquid gas or cannister). The water mostly drips harmlessly down the sides onto the ground, and the drop or two which does make it to the burner head is vaporized and causes no trouble. You can start a stove at the base of a tree or even just bend over it until you get it lit. Make sure you're careful not to set yourself on fire!;)
Two Speed
12-26-2007, 18:27
Standard procedure on Planet Two Speed is to cook under the vestibule when it's raining. Or even if it's not raining, sometimes.
So far all of my "Mystical Flaming Hiker Dance" episodes have been due to futzing around with a new stove in the backyard, which leads to the logical conclusion that stove testing is actually more hazardous than cooking in the vestibule.
shelterbuilder
12-26-2007, 20:15
Yeah, we've all done it at one time or another, even though we know that we're playing with fire (Oh, God, did I really say that?)
Before you do it in the field, run some tests at home to see exactly how high you can make your stove flare up. (You may need a second pair of eyes to help with this.) If the flames come closer than 18 inches to the height of the vestibule, I'd advise against doing it in the field. Condesation from the pot will be an annoying problem if you don't ventilate thoroughly while the stove is running. And don't try to use the stove as a heater - that's how people die.
I like the idea of swapping your cooked evening meal with a no-cook mid-day meal - it's a whole lot safer.
Tipi Walter
12-26-2007, 20:23
First post: Not a thru hiker. Just a lurker.
During blizzard conditions in Colorado's White River National Forest/Maroon Bells area (Feb 1984?). I was melting snow in my tent when the stove malfunctioned and caught the tent floor on fire. I was able to toss the stove out of the tent and extinguished the fire before any major damage occured. Tent still functioned passably. Used a backup stove (Svea 123 with pump) for the remainder of the trip. It could have ended much worse.
That said, I cook under my vestibule all the time and have even cooked in the tent since. Some folks never learn.
What model was the stove that malfunctioned?
And Tinker, how do you like the Akto??
I just got back from a winter trip where I spent several days sleet/snow bound and carefully cooked in the zipped up vestibule. I had to prime the thing outside of course, but as soon as my Simmerlite was buzzing I scooted it inside and zipped up. T'ain't my favorite thing to do, but when you gotta boil water since the filter is frozen solid, cooking occurs several times a day.
I love the Akto for winter, which is what it was predominantly designed for. It doesn't handle a heavy dump of wet snow too well (only one pole), but many tents that weigh more don't do much better. I still plan on using it when the weather is real cold near treeline in the Whites on weekend winter outings, other than that, I've found hammock camping to be to my liking down into the low 20s (possibly lower).
The only design "flaw" (my opinion) is that you have to reach way down into the corner of the tent to get to the zipper for the inner tent. Hilleberg could redo the zipper and maybe even save weight by having it go vertically down the middle of the tent then across the bottom (would keep the door zipper from dragging on the ground as well as make entry/exit easier).
Oh, it doesn't have much ventilation at all. Hilleberg would probably be able to make a killing if they offered a mesh inner (but what do I know;) ).
I do it a lot, never had a problem. I do it with all kinds of stoves accept wood-fired ones. I do keep the flap open and am always ready to kick the stove out into the open if needed.
I always have a tarp with me and try to cook under it when it’s less then optimal weather out. But I have many times camped where there simply was no way to rig a tarp. And being a person that likes hot food, I cook in the vestibule.
I really believe everyone does it on occasion. They may say they never do, but I don’t buy it.
I have never been all that concerned or worried about what the masses do. I evaluate & manage the risk of what I’m doing or want to do and then go about making it happen in a reasonability safe manageable way. If it’s been raining for several days I still want good hot food.
I haven't read the entire thread but generally I'll only cook under a vestibule while it's raining. I'll also pay very close attention. The likelyhood of setting my fire tent on fire is virtually nil.