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If you love cold weather camping but hate sleeping in freezing temperatures, a hot tent is the best option for you. Unlike four-season tents or mountaineering tents, which are basically beefed-up three-season tents, a hot tent is designed so you can safely operate a wood-burning stove inside the tent.
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While hot tents are generally too big for backpacking, they’re great if you plan to stay in one spot for a while for activities such as ice fishing.
And if you didn’t know, hot tents are kind of a big deal. While campfires are fun and satisfying at a campsite, burning them inside traditional camping tents is extremely dangerous. With the ability to vent a stove, you can safely maintain the heat.
We wrote this guide because hot tents can be challenging to find. That’s why we listed the eight best quality hot tents for outdoor enthusiasts who want the best stay in cold weather conditions.
As you’ll see below, we picked the Whiteduck Canvas Bell Tent as the best overall because it has ample space and durable construction, but we also selected a handful of other hot tents that excel in other areas like weight and price.
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For the best overall, we picked the Whiteduck Canvas Bell Tent. It offers ample space and a high level of protection.
Although there are small models, the ones with a stove jack can sleep up to eight people. Plus, it offers lots of head space as the center height measures in 7-foot-5 and the door 4-foot-9.
In addition to the space, what people say they love most is the quality. The canvas materials are both heat resistant and water resistant and has UV and mold protection as well.
However, there are two criticisms. The first is that it’s heavy. Depending on the model, it weighs between 50 and 90 pounds. Also, while you can pitch the tent in 15 minutes as Whiteduck says, you can’t do it alone.
For the best budget, we picked the Preself 3-Person Lightweight Tipi Hot Tent. Although we picked the mid-size model to highlight, it’s available for about half the price of the two-person model. Plus, if you didn’t add a stove, it could function great as a backpacking tent.
What people love most about the Preself hot tent is that it’s easy to pitch as it’s relatively compact and lightweight — it weighs less than 4 pounds. Also, people love the way it looks. It has that traditional camping tent appearance and OD green color.
However, there are some complaints. Most people question the size, with some saying you can really only fit one person comfortably while others say you could squeeze in three, which means three people uncomfortably.
The other complaint is that the synthetic material isn’t as heavy-duty as other materials, meaning it’s not as warm or dry.
For the best value, we picked the MC Canvas Tent with Stove Jack because, for around three bills, you get a high-quality tent. Although the standard model is not as spacious as the Whiteduck, it still fits two adults comfortably.
What people say they really liked about it was how easy it was to set up and how much foot traffic it could realistically endure throughout a multi-day camping trip. Plus, the quality of the material is as advertised.
While it may be comfortable and it may be warm, it’s not as durable as some would like. The main complaint was that it won’t hold up well amid harsh wind and weather.
For the runner-up, we picked the OneTigris Rock Fortress Hot Tent with Stove Jack. It’s a spacious tent with a traditional teepee tent style but made with synthetic materials.
Despite being made out of lightweight nylon fabric, what most people like about the OneTigris Rock Fortress is its ability to trap heat. Even with the floorless design, they were able to get temperatures of up to 80 degrees. They say it’s also very durable and capable of withstanding high winds and rain.
Additionally, OneTigris says the Rock Fortress can sleep up to six adults, but you should always take that with a grain of salt. Based on reviews, the maximum number of adults you can fit inside the hot tent is more like four.
Weighing less than 3 pounds, we picked the Peregrine Floorless Tent Stove with Jack as the best lightweight hot tent. Although it’s not much more than a tarp, the Peregrine hot tent is really durable and spacious for what it is.
What people say they love about this portable hot tent is the ease of setup, which makes it great if you want to pick it up and go or set it up outside of a vehicle when you’re car camping. It’s also ideal for backpacking as you can pair it with an aluminum stove and pitch it with some trekking poles.
The main criticism is that it’s a tight fit for four people, but you can fit roughly three adults, their gear, and a stove comfortably. Still, as far as backpacking tents go, it’s pretty darn good.
For the best teepee, we picked the KingCamp Torino Hot Tent. With a windproof exterior and extra insulation on the interior, it’s extremely warm.
Besides the double layering, what people really love about it is the integrated floor, which prevents the cold from coming up from the ground. It also has a skirt to help secure the tent amid blustery conditions.
The main criticism is that although KingCamp describes itself as waterproof, there have been multiple reports that it’s not, so it’s ideal for camping in arid locations.
For the best 2-person, we picked the Stovehut 70 Hot Tent. With three doors and about 36 square feet of space, it’s perfect if you’re camping alone and just tight-squeeze for two people.
What people say they love most about is the quality, appearance, and accessibility. The side curtain is an excellent addition. It secures down to keep the wind and cold out and lifts up to provide easy access and a little more shelter from the rain.
The main criticism of the Stovehut tent is that it might be difficult to pitch the first time you set it up. It might actually require two people. And for that reason, some consider it more of a glamping tent than a camping tent, but to each his own.
For the best dome, we picked the Preself Freestanding Hot Tent. The lightweight design is meant for long hikes and mountaineering. With a little more than 64 square feet of space, you can squeeze three people on the inside.
What we liked most about it is its ease of setup. Because it’s freestanding and uses a single pole, you can assemble it quickly and in all sorts of conditions. However, the main drawback is that it’s not meant for very cold climates and wintry conditions. Just cool or cold nights.
One of the main things to understand about hot tent camping is that it requires a lot of gear, so consider it an activity in and of itself.
In a video on the subject, Jon from the Lost Lakes Channel explained that hot tent camping requires that you haul out a load of gear. Hot tent camping gear consists of the tent and stove as well as all the other essentials to live. Therefore, you can’t really do it while backpacking.
Once you find a decent enough spot to camp, you’ll have to set up your tent and stove, and then collect firewood, if you didn’t bring it with you, which means you’ll need a saw and an axe.
You’ll need to monitor the stove while it’s burning and to keep you and yours safe, you’ll need gear like a thermometer and carbon monoxide detector.
As far as the tent is concerned, Jon explained there are two big decisions you’ll have to make. The first is deciding if you want a tent constructed from canvas or synthetic fabric. He said he prefers cotton canvas tents because they breathe better than synthetic fabrics.
The second decision you’ll have to make is whether or not you’ll want a tent floor. He said he prefers not to have one because a tent floor would trap water, especially if it’s snowy outside.
Features of a Hot Tent
There’s not much difference between a hot tent and a traditional camping tent except for the stove jack.
Stove Jack
A stove jack is essentially the hole in the tent that allows the stove pipe to poke through the side or top of the tent. While it allows the stove pipe to release smoke, the stove jack is usually designed to prevent heat from escaping.
Tent Stoves
Most hot tents don’t come with a tent stove, so you’ll have to buy it separately. Before you buy a tent stove, you need to make sure it’s compatible with the tent, meaning it’ll work with the tent as well as leave ample room so you can set up your gear and stay comfortably.
FAQS about hot tents
What is a Russian bear hot tent?
A Russian bear hot tent is a style of tent meant for extreme cold weather camping. Some call it a four-season yurt. It’s often built with multiple layers of insulation on the walls, floor, and ceiling.
Is a camping stove a wood-burning stove?
There are lots of different types of camping stoves, including gas, electric, and wood-burning stoves. However, when you’re looking at hot tent stoves, you should only consider wood burning stoves.
According to tent maker RBM Outdoors, a gas stove poses a higher risk than a wood-burning stove because if a fire is extinguished in a gas stove, you breathe in the gas whereas if a wood-burning fire is extinguished, there’s no gas.
Is hot tent camping safe?
Hot tent camping is safe if the tent and stove are set up correctly. However, it’s important to understand that it is dangerous. It’s so dangerous, in fact, that the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission essentially tells Americans just don’t use fire inside of a tent.
It’s also worth mentioning that people have always found ways to safely maintain a fire inside of a tent throughout most of human history. So the answer is hot tent camping is safe as long as you do it safely.
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