How do you rig up a hanging canister stove? I've looked online a little bit, but the pics aren't very clear. Any help is appreciated.

There are two imminent dangers to cooking in your tent: the first, and most obvious, is the fire hazard, while the second, and more subtle, is carbon monoxide poisoning.

Why take the risk? I've always found that food tastes better outside.

You are (ex.) just above Japanese Couloir on the Denali's Cassin, you climbed the couloir and now it's time to rest.The ledge just barely fits the tent, you are done for the day and need to boil some water. Going outside to cook? You must be kidding! In this example as in many other situations, hanging stove set up for INSIDE of your tent is the only sane way to go. Nothing else works. I think that is what the OP meant and asked about. There are many examples where inside the tent stove is inapropriate and not needed, but when in difficult terrain and in inclement weather, those INSIDE hanging stoves are the only thing that works. BTW, there was a pretty long post on the subject on SP while ago, with examples of hanging stove set ups etc.

lcarreau wrote:There are two imminent dangers to cooking in your tent: the first, and most obvious, is the fire hazard, while the second, and more subtle, is carbon monoxide poisoning.

Why take the risk? I've always found that food tastes better outside.

You dont spend enough time outside.

Cooking in your tent is fine. Keep the door open a little bit and make sure there is some air moving through and your not going to die. I use a jet boil and some times hang it using the jet boil hanging set up. Otherwise I just pack the thing between a few things in the tent so I wont knock it over and set it on the floor. I have cooked in my tent more than I have cooked outside in the last year, and never had an issue.

If you are using a white gas stove then do it in the vestibule.

That is beyond cool.

FortMental wrote:Everything you need to know on how to build a hanging system for your stove:

Hang Your Stove

Ok, That's where I saw it. FortMental has a page about it on SP. That should answer all the questions. Very useful page, great info.

Although I understand the sometimes necessity to cook in one's tent we never do it in a tent we are going to sleep in that night or ever again. Given Denali also has its share of enormous predators known to have more of an alacrity for human predation I'm suprised it was given as an expample. Do you have a different tent for approaches, etc?

Doublecabin wrote:Although I understand the sometimes necessity to cook in one's tent we never do it in a tent we are going to sleep in that night or ever again. Given Denali also has its share of enormous predators known to have more of an alacrity for human predation I'm suprised it was given as an expample. Do you have a different tent for approaches, etc?

I guess the Yeti problem on the Japanese Couloir is out of hand again.

Cooking in the tent seems like the kind of thing you do when you really don't have a lot of choices (which is probably one reason why Denali is the example rather than Mt Sunflower), and worrying about whether a bear will approve of it later or write you a ticket seems like it's small on the list of problems. I understand the desire to avoid creating attractive nuisances, but what do you do with the clothes you were wearing while cooking? And so on.

They had a brilliant stove in China that was perfect for tent cooking. Wouldn't spill as the tent rippled in the wind. Fact is, you need to have that sucker going all the time to convert snow into water.

Alasdair wrote:
You dont spend enough time outside.

That's not a true statement. I never admitted to being a "hardcore" climber.

I have spent countless days (OUTSIDE) on Mount Sunflower, and have obviously enjoyed myself.

Doublecabin wrote:Although I understand the sometimes necessity to cook in one's tent we never do it in a tent we are going to sleep in that night or ever again. Given Denali also has its share of enormous predators known to have more of an alacrity for human predation I'm suprised it was given as an expample. Do you have a different tent for approaches, etc?

The only predators one has to worry about on Denali are ravens. While bears and bear signs have been seen on the glaciers, it is extremely rare and I can only remember a single instance where a bear threatened climbers on the glacier.

White Gas in an enclosed tent...hmmm!

Responded to two different incidents during my SAR career where both parties ended up succumbing to their 3rd & 4th Degree burns on scene or in my helo, when during the priming phase of the light up, or cooking phase, fuel either leaked or shot all over the interior the tent, ignited and totally engulfed them,

When we arrived on the scene of both incidents, the only thing left was a charred rectangular debris site of smoldering melted nylon and humans crying in dire agony and gasping for air as their airways were completely burned.

Not a pretty site to say the least. Especially when ya got attempt to give them CPR and ventilate them.

All it takes is one time for this to occur and it most definitely will be one to be remember. Or in these cases, as others, the last time.

From the MSR XGK SITE

DANGER!
CARBON MONOXIDE, FIRE & EXPLOSION HAZARD
This stove consumes oxygen. Using it in an enclosed area will
cause carbon monoxide poisoning and death.
For outdoor use only. Do not use stove in a tent, car, house, or
inside any enclosed area.
This stove uses highly flammable fuel. Leaking fuel can
easily ignite and cause fire, serious burns, property
damage, personal injury, and death. Do not use a stove that
has a fuel leak.
This stove uses a sealed fuel bottle that can explode when
exposed to extreme heat. An explosion can cause serious
burns, property damage, personal injury, and death. Keep fuel
bottle away from stove burner and other heat sources.
READ, UNDERSTAND, AND FOLLOW ALL instructions and
warnings in this manual before using this stove.
Failure to follow all warnings and instructions can result in
property damage, serious injury, or death."

Canisters have a far better safety track record for interior tent cooking.... my system of choice even in the dead of winter down to -10F.


Utilizing one of these over the fuel canister assists in the insulation process as well...



Used my BIBLER CANISTER HANGING STOVE SYSTEM for almost two decades on Walls (inside the Fly of my Ledge) as well as in my Megamid in the dead of Winter.



EDIT: ADDITIONS

ExcitibleBoy wrote:The only predators one has to worry about on Denali are ravens. While bears and bear signs have been seen on the glaciers, it is extremely rare and I can only remember a single instance where a bear threatened climbers on the glacier.

And a fascinating story it is. Brian Okonek first shared this story with me in Talkeetna many years ago as he was involved as a responder to the situation. 15 years later......I am sharing my personal bear encounters with a fellow partner from NY (who I have climbed on and off with) as we hike out of a climb at Red Rocks last spring..........and he pipes up and shares his...which is in fact the incident Brian had shared with me those many years ago. An incredible story that comes across quite humorous, after the fact.

I try not to cook inside my tent...

FortMental wrote:I saw Russians using white gas, light-weight titanium heaters inside their tents. The kind of guys that designed the high tech writing implement that works in a zero-G, sub zero, outer space environment: the pencil.

The first incident which I speak of that I responded to out on Mina Bluff Antarctica, were four Russians. They all perished. Three on scene and the fourth in my helo as I and my assistant SAR Corpsman were attempting to administer CPR en route to Mac Town.