In January 2025, Andre G. was homeless in Harrisburg, PA.
He often slept in a tent where it was difficult to keep warm.
One extremely cold night Andre used canned gel fuel to provide heat inside his tent.
The cans are often referred to by the brand name Sterno and are typically used to heat food or for survival situations.
Around 7 a.m., a passerby heard a pop that sounded like gunfire coming from Andre’s tent.
When she got closer, the woman heard a large explosion, then people started screaming for someone to call 911.
Thankfully, Andre made his way out of the tent, but he was severely injured.
He was flown to the hospital and listed in critical condition, suffering with burns.
The fire was determined to be an accident, with officials determining that Andre was using the canned fuel to stay warm during the extreme cold.
Now, many people camp in the winter, and some people (like Andre) are forced by circumstances to sleep in a tent.
And if you are sleeping in a tent, it’s understandable to want to have a heat source inside the tent.
This is called “hot tent camping,” and to do it safely, you’ll need to take added precautions.
What is hot tent camping?:
For centuries people have relied on hot tent camping to survive.
Hot tent camping is the idea of not only creating heat, but having a tent that keeps the heat in.
The source of the heat is often a wood stove with proper ventilation – such as a stove pipe – to remove smoke.
The benefit of hot tent camping is that you can survive extreme cold and stay relatively warm.
Tent materials for hot tent camping:
A common material for hot tent camping is canvas.
Canvas is excellent for heat retention and spark resistance.
That’s why canvas tents are often used for permanent camps designed for long-term use.
If you are interested in a canvas tent, consider the offerings at Kodiak Canvas.
Another option is pyramid-style, or tipi, tents.
These are easy to set up and are great for smaller spaces.
Tipi-style tents are single-pole tents and don’t have a lot of features like storage pockets.
One tipi-style tent to check out is the FireHiking Leva tent.
Ultralight tents are designed for backpacking, are usually made of nylon and are water resistant.
All of these tent materials can be used for hot tent camping.
How is hot tent camping different?:
Hot tent camping is different from regular camping because the goal is heat creation, retention, and ventilation.
So, you want a tent that will do a decent job of keeping heat inside.
Also, the tent will need some simple mechanism to properly remove smoke in order to limit carbon monoxide risks.
Another benefit to hot tent camping is that you can cook meals and dry clothes, so you get more functionality than traditional tent camping.
Choosing a stove:
You can’t hot tent camp without a stove inside your tent.
It’s the stove that will allow you to stay warm, cook, and keep dry.
The best stove options are titanium or stainless-steel stoves such as ones made by Winnerwell.
You can also choose a stove with a glass window for monitoring the fire and adding light.
Make sure the stove has a spark arrestor to prevent fires and it’s a good idea to have a CO detector in your tent.
Also, you want to find one that is foldable for easy packing and carrying.
Hot tent camping can make survival a lot more comfortable.
It’s more work than traditional camping, but it could save your life in extreme cold.
But a stove and a good tent or just a few of the things you should have in your bug out gear, or survival prep.
A quality survival knife, tomahawk, water source, emergency power alternatives, fire starting kit, etc. are things you need to have set as well.
