# Heating shelter ?



## Grumpy556 (Jan 3, 2015)

Can a Dakota fire pit be used to heat a shelter safely. I have a few ideas on how to make it somewhat safe I think, but is it a good idea in general.


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## Dubyagee (Nov 9, 2012)

How would you exhaust the smoke. If you have that taken care of it seems like a good idea if the intake is outside of the shelter. No drafts in the shelter to feed the stove with air.


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## Tennessee (Feb 1, 2014)

Yes! I will try to draw it for you as soon as I can find a draw program on this computer


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## Dubyagee (Nov 9, 2012)

The only other issue is being able to control the draft somehow to keep it from becoming a blast furnace when the Chimney heats up.


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## Grumpy556 (Jan 3, 2015)

My idea was to make a spark arrester and yes leave the intake hole outside, close up the opposite side and leave a gap at the top and just the opposite at the fire side. My real concern is the tarp going up.


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## Tennessee (Feb 1, 2014)

Here you go! you can line the walls with flat stones and seal it with mud/clay. The exhaust will also heat the bottom of the shelter too. FYI I would test the draw before you build the shelter on top. You might need to adjust a few things.


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## Dubyagee (Nov 9, 2012)

Ill wait for the drawing but youll need a long intake run to keep the heat away from the tarp. A freestanding stack would work with some sort of throttle on the intake entrance to keep the air flow in check. Seems easier to make a small stove to me.


Edit, Okay that makes sense but smoke will most likely fill the space.


The smoke will not go that way. That's where the air comes in.


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## Tennessee (Feb 1, 2014)

I was in a hurry, sorry. FYI this is not to scale either. Just a quick example!

I've used this design several times and it works great. You don't need a large fire so the flams don't come out into the shelter. I make my chimney out of stones and mud. Helps with getting the sparks away from your shelter.


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## csi-tech (Apr 13, 2013)

I just use my Kerosene space heater.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

I just put on some extra fleece.


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## tinkerhell (Oct 8, 2014)

Jmo, but I thing that is a bad idea.

If I was you, I'd build a fire outside, and use an emergency blanket to reflect the radiant heat into your tent, 

or water bottles to take into your sleeping bag.

Or build a portable woodstove out of a paintcan and a length of automobile exhaust pipe


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## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

Dakota fire pit is flawed in design because wind direction changes threw the day normally.

A tipi is so effective because the exhaust flaps are adjustable & the exhaust adjusts the amount of draw. When I was buckskinning I had a 17ft tipi. cold nights I would burn two candles & no fire. I remember one morning going out early to do my business & surprised everything was covered in ice.


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## Grumpy556 (Jan 3, 2015)

I just heard from someone on another forum that candle lanterns work well also, anyone know anything about them.


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## Charles Martel (Mar 10, 2014)

I'd go with a thermal mass heating rocket stove.

rocket stove mass heater


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## Tennessee (Feb 1, 2014)

HuntingHawk said:


> Dakota fire pit is flawed in design because wind direction changes threw the day normally.
> 
> A tipi is so effective because the exhaust flaps are adjustable & the exhaust adjusts the amount of draw. When I was buckskinning I had a 17ft tipi. cold nights I would burn two candles & no fire. I remember one morning going out early to do my business & surprised everything was covered in ice.


Agree a true Dakota fire pit is best used outdoors and for hiding smoke.


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## hawgrider (Oct 24, 2014)

Grumpy556 said:


> Can a Dakota fire pit be used to heat a shelter safely. I have a few ideas on how to make it somewhat safe I think, but is it a good idea in general.


Snake hole pit shelter

Part one





Part 2


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## tinkerhell (Oct 8, 2014)

There is a guy on youtube that makes a fireplace out of fireproof welders cloth. 

Another design I really like, I have look for pictures but havent found any is: an upside down 'wok' with a muffler chimney, can be placed over a ground fire so that the end result is basically the same as a woodstove.


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