How to Choose a Tent Wood Stove: Size, Stove Jacks and Safety

A tent wood stove turns a canvas tent into a hot tent: heat through the night, a cooktop for coffee, and a way to dry gear. Choosing one comes down to how you travel (truck camp or pack in), how big the firebox needs to be, whether the stove pipe fits your stove jack, and the gear that makes it safe inside canvas. This guide compares the two Elk Mountain tent stoves we carry and the accessories that go with them.

The Two Elk Mountain Tent Stoves

Heavy Duty Cylinder Stove ($495). The camp workhorse. The legs, pipe and parts store inside the body so it travels as one unit, the roomy cooktop and door damper make it easy to control heat for cooking, and it takes the Hot Water Tank ($195), a 3-gallon stainless tank with a brass spigot for hot cooking and drinking water.

Medium Stainless Steel Stove ($599). Real heat without a cast-iron anchor. Its roughly 1,500 cubic inch firebox takes standard split firewood, the glass door lets you watch the fire without opening it, and the pipe, spark arrestor and ash scraper stow inside the firebox. Burn dry, seasoned wood only; it is not designed for coal.

Match the Stove Pipe to Your Stove Jack

Check the pipe diameter before you cut the jack. The stove jack on Elk Mountain wall tents and Yukon bell tents can be cut to 4, 5 or 6 inches. The Cylinder Stove runs 5-inch pipe; the Medium Stainless runs 3.5-inch pipe. Keep the hole as small as the pipe allows so rain and snow stay out. If you are unsure which combination fits your tent, contact us before you order.

Need a second jack or a gasketed one? The Stove Jack with Gasket ($85) sews over an existing jack or adds a new one, and Elk Mountain can factory-install an additional jack ($285) on a new tent (allow 2–3 extra weeks).

Give the Stove Room

A wood stove needs about 35–40 sq ft of floor, and anything flammable should stay at least 2 ft away. That is why a 13 x 13 is the smallest wall tent recommended for a stove: it sleeps 3–4 with a stove versus 5–6 without. See our hot tent buying guide for sizing by group.

Safe Use Inside a Canvas Tent

• Burn the stove outdoors once before its first use in the tent to burn off factory coatings.
• Set the stove on a fireproof mat. The Stove Mat / Tent Heat Shield ($85) is a 3 x 5 ft silicone fiberglass blanket with corner grommets, so it can also hang behind the stove.
• Keep anything flammable, including bug spray and other aerosols, at least 2 ft from the stove.
• Fold or roll the stove jack's storm flap well away from the pipe.
• Keep guy lines tight so wind can't rock the tent and blow smoke back inside.
• Clean the spark arrestor every 1–2 days of use and let the stove burn at least an hour a day to limit ash and creosote buildup. Keep the fire at the back, toward the pipe.
• Keep heat-resistant gloves and a fire extinguisher in camp, and consider a carbon monoxide detector.

Tent Stove FAQ

Can you put a wood stove in any tent?

Only in a tent with a stove jack, and ideally a canvas tent. The stove jack gives the pipe a heat-resistant exit, and most non-canvas tent fabrics handle sparks poorly.

How much room does a tent stove need?

Plan on 35 to 40 sq ft of floor for the stove and keep anything flammable at least 2 ft away, which is why a 13 x 13 is the smallest wall tent recommended for a stove.

What should I burn in a tent stove?

Dry, seasoned firewood. The Medium Stainless Steel Stove is not designed for coal.

Do I need a stove mat?

A fireproof mat under the stove is recommended, especially on a floor of wood, carpet, grass or vinyl. The Elk Mountain stove mat is a 3 x 5 ft silicone fiberglass blanket that can also hang behind the stove as a wall shield.

Do I need a carbon monoxide detector in a hot tent?

It is a sensible precaution. Keep a carbon monoxide detector, heat-resistant gloves and a fire extinguisher in camp, and clean the stove and spark arrestor regularly so smoke leaves through the pipe.

Shipping and Warranty

Elk Mountain Tents gear on Urban Supply ships free to the lower 48 states. In-stock items typically ship within 1–3 business days (the hot water tank and factory-installed stove jacks take longer, as noted on their pages), then take 3–5 business days in transit, and carry a 1-year manufacturer warranty against defects in materials and workmanship. Prices in this guide were current in mid-November 2026; the product page always shows the live price.

About the author: Jacky Chan is the founder of Urban Supply Inc, an online retailer of home appliances, fireplaces, power equipment and outdoor living products.

Related reading: Hot Tent Buying Guide · Shop Tent Stoves & Heating