Hi Everyone, I'm a newbie in the world of camping, so I might need quite a bit of advice. Thankyou in advance of lots of silly questions.
Im about to buy a 5m Bell Tent,and i know they have a space in the canvas for a flue for a small wood burning stove, I just wondered about Campsite rules and the use of a wood burning stove and what they might be, or are there only specific sites that allow the use of woodburning stoves.
many thanks
From what I have seen there arent any rules about using log burning stoves, its only open camp fire that campsites generally dont like because of the damage it does to the ground and also possible damage to tents from sparks etc.
So far we've never had any issue from site owners even the ones with strict No Campfire rule . We've been ok with our chimney puffing away but people with BBQs trying make a fire in it were told straight away to put it out . Beware the green eyed monster !
We carnt wait for October half term and Newyears .
I asked exactly this question some months ago. You need to check with campsites individually as they will all have different policies. A C&C Club site said no, while another site which encourages open fires has no problem with the stove. Two other sites eventually replied to say I could bring it as long as I kept to certain conditions. I got the impression that they didn't have a general policy and this was the first time they had been asked. One had to pass my email on to the forest rangers. It doesn't follow that because a site allows raised barbecues they will automatically allow a stove, so just check to avoid disappointment.
The problem can be a total lack of knowledge on the part of campsites regards woodstoves in tents . This is understandable as it quite a new think in the UK . We just go to sites we want to go to set up and then get approval . Because if you try to explain it to some one who to be honest has no interest and or knowledge of what your on about there first reaction is bound to be NO . All who see ours think it's great site owners campers a like . Thats 5 years and not one negative comment . We avoid park resort type site so it avoids us being off script so to speak .
The best policy is to be very knowledgable your self .
Check out some North American or Scandinavian websites quite amazing .
Has any body else seen the frontier stove chimney kettle ? Looks great but very expensive .
I would hope that anyone using a woodburning stoveon a campsite would also take account of their near neighbours. We have had stays on two campsite this year (in Europe) where the use of wood burning devices in close proximity to other camping units has caused us a lot of discomfort meaning that we have had to shut up the caravan complete when we should have been able to enjoy sitting outside in the freah air.
Quote: Originally posted by David Klyne on 25/9/2012
I would hope that anyone using a woodburning stoveon a campsite would also take account of their near neighbours. We have had stays on two campsite this year (in Europe) where the use of wood burning devices in close proximity to other camping units has caused us a lot of discomfort meaning that we have had to shut up the caravan complete when we should have been able to enjoy sitting outside in the freah air.
David
Would these devices be BBQs of some description by any chance ? A problem on any and most sites during the summer months . It gets far to warm in our tipi to light our stove in the summer .
They were BBQ's of a type but one was designed to burn logs and every evening we had a fog of wood smoke coming our way. Charcoal is not so bad as once that gets going they do not tend to give off as much smoke. The other occassion was a charcoal BBQ to which they later added wood from around the site. This year having visited about 30 or so sites, mainly in Europe, we have come across an increasing amount of disregard for neighbours, not just with smoke but other things as well. We only go out of season which makes it a bigger surprise.
David, rest easy wood burning stoves (at least the one I got to see) are a different kettle of fish, they are used inside the tent and have a chimney flue that pokes out of the tent to a height that should be sufficient to ensure that the smoke should not be an issue for other campers.
I would do as has been suggested and ask the site before booking, or if they do not take bookings, ask before you just turn up.
Unlike myself who does have a stove and used to run a site where camp fires and stoves were encouraged, some site owners do not understand what they are all about. Some site owners are paranoid about people being overcome by carbon monoxide, so will not allow stoves in tents.
Hi, I really don't know about the rules and regs of campsites about the use of wood burning appliances.
But what I can say is any fossil fuel burning appliance including BBQ's can and do produce Carbon Monoxide which is a killer.
Just having a flue that goes out through the top of a tent or any other structure is insufficient to ensure complete combustion and unless you have taken care to ensure adequate air for combustion and flue dilution before using the appliance you are putting your and anyone else in the proximity life at risk.
I'm all for camp fires,open fires,woodburning stoves etc(.I used to fit woodburners & chimney linnings for a living).
..but in all honesty,I don't think that they are really the sort of thing to be used whilst pitched up on a "campsite",in amongst other campers..
Fine if you're away in the woods by yourself..or tucked away in a corner of a field...but not on an "ordinary" campsite...
As for flue height,taking smoke away..well the chimney on our house is far higher than any tent flue will be and yet smoke will still swirl around our garden at "people level", if the wind catches it wrong...
..and even if you've got a spark guard fitted to the flue,small sparks will still get through..and they can (and do) make a mess of a modern(polywhoteva!)tent..
It matters not,whether it originated from a bbq based fire 2-3ft from the ground or from a flue pipe 6-7ft up..."a face full of smoke" ,is still "a face full of smoke"...
Take a look at my profile photos the one in the snow is -6 and the stove was almost at full wack . Can you see any smoke ? . When we first started using it I was very aware of the annoyance it could cause . Like I've said as yet we've had no complaints . If there is some one down wind I have a wonder around to make sure it's not causing problems . The only comment we've had regards smoke is that it's smells nice ? So there's a slight wif of wood burning some times . We allways use dry wood . The compressed recycled wood logs are great very clean burning .
I for one would never do something that I thought was going to disturb others . To be honest when it's cold enough to have the stove running for long periods there tends not to be to many other campers .
Quote: Originally posted by robnchar on 26/9/2012
Take a look at my profile photos the one in the snow is -6 and the stove was almost at full wack . Can you see any smoke ?...
No,I can't (..but there again,I shouldn't,not if it's "at full wack" and you're burning decent wood.. )
I don't see any other campers either...and that was really my point...-6 in the snow is hardly an.."ordinary campsite"...
Quote: Originally posted by robnchar on 26/9/2012Take a look at my profile photos the one in the snow is -6 and the stove was almost at full wack . Can you see any smoke ?...
No,I can't (..but there again,I shouldn't,not if it's "at full wack" and you're burning decent wood.. )
I don't see any other campers either...and that was really my point...-6 in the snow is hardly an.."ordinary campsite"...
I have to agree. That pic looks fabulous; so idyllic, but it's one thing to see a stove in a tent on an isolated spot, quite another to see a flu poking out of the tent on the next door pitch just a few metres away from your own tent. I'd worry about smell, smoke and sparks, big time!