"Hey, they have a chimney in their tent!"
"Maybe we should ask if we can go in and join them?"
These are just a few of things we've heard whilst camping at a festival recently. Our frontier stove has been a blessing on those chilly nights. Here is our original review.
As a very outdoorsy family, we had always dreamed of owning a bell tent and camping out under the stars in all seasons and after some hard work and a lot of luck, last year we were able to buy a 5 metre tent from Bell Tent Boutique.
What next? Well of course, to be able to camp in the winter without freezing in our sleeping bags, we looked to getting a wood burning stove - something that would warm the cockles on the bitterest of nights, yet would also be practical enough to take camping on a regular basis, but also one that wouldn’t break the bank.
After looking around and speaking with some friends of ours we decided upon the the Frontier stove from Anevay and boy are we glad we did.
Anevay are a company based out of Cornwall who got started designing portable stoves for the humanitarian aid world and disaster relief, but quickly became known as the company to go to for stoves in the camping community.
Our stove arrived very quickly, and with much excitement (both mine and my kids) we tore open the box to reveal its contents. What surprised us was how compact it was…not small, just neatly folded away into one easily carried piece.
The Frontier Stove Contents
5 flue sections that store inside the stove body
Folding legs for easy carrying
Stainless steel leg locking pins
Extra-strong 2mm stove top material
3 legs for stability on any surface
There are three fold away legs which unfold after removing the locking pins and provide a secure platform for the stove to sit on. The 60mm stove/flue pipe sections are neatly packed away within the stove itself when not in use, and are easy to assemble.
As we knew we were getting a stove we bought a flashing kit suitable for our tent (which was very easy to fit for my husband - though, be warned, the metal is very sharp so please be careful as he managed to cut his fingers a couple of times) and a spark arrestor for the top of the flue, that prevents hot sparks that go up the flue coming down onto your tent.
Assembling the stove literally took minutes (including putting the flue through the newly placed flashing).
I would like to mention that when you buy any stove, please make sure you do your “first burn” in a well ventilated area (preferably outside of the tent) as there is a protective coating that needs to be burnt of first as it does have an unpleasant smell.
It just so happened that when we first used our stove it was on a festival weekend that turned out to be 30°C, so could only use it on the first night. The stove did give off nice heat which will be very welcome on colder adventures with the added bonus of being able to cook on it too (not something I would’ve looked forward to doing outside when freezing). Since then we have used it on cold evenings in our tent and it is fabulous.
As with all things that involve fire, please follow any advice/directions included, as well as read other peoples “do’s & don’ts, as they are really helpful and will ultimately keep you safe.
Here's a couple of pointers:
Please don’t allow the children near it as it does get very hot, as a trip or fall could lead to a nasty burn.
Place the stove on a suitable surface with fire retardant matting below it to stop any stray embers from being a fire hazard.
Make sure your tent is suitable for the type of stove you are buying and has the correct flashing kit for that stove.
Never leave your stove burning unattended - especially not all night whilst people are sleeping.
Fire extinguishers/sand/water as a precaution
I would highly recommend this stove to anyone who likes the outdoor life, camping or glamping - it's lightweight, portable and above all provides that little bit of comfort to set off your adventure.
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