I'm soon to build my 12 x 16 trapper shack style with logs. Currently shopping for the right size and style home that will last a bit longer than just the portable (thin metal) stove I currently have. Does anyone know of a brand /dealer who has a good selection of these types?? Any advice much appreciated!! Needacabin
You could check craigslist if you are looking for an old smoke dragon. Or are you looking for a modern stove?
Thanks Jetr,..Id buy used if it was what I was looking for?? But likely Id buy new if not tooo expensive.
Northern tool carries stoves in their catalog and online. Lehmans I think also has an online selection. I prefer to see things like that in person though. I have an all nighter stove that I am pleased with. I probably burn more wood than I would with a EPA stove but it suites my needs.
Trying to heat a small space with a wood stove can be a problem. If the stove is large enough to hold a fire overnight, it often overheats the space. If the stove is the right size for the space, it will have a short burn time and you will wake up to a cold stove.
An old Fisher Baby Bear is about the size you want. I suggest you try to find one. It will burn down overnight but will still keep you warm if your shack isn't too drafty. We have one in our 16x16 shanty and it does well enough even when it is below zero and our place is quite drafty. It'll cool down by the AM but there will still be enough to spark up a new fire. When its going the heat output is such that whomever is in the loft isn't in their sleeping bag. (And beer left by the door gets to that instant-freeze-upon-opening temp no matter what.) A Baby Bear is also rectangular so you can set it up sideways, parallel to the wall, thus taking up area in the center of the room. I suggest you think of making it a little wider. 12' is real tight with a few people in there. Add a few feet and it wont be so cramped. Bunk/Beds will eat up 3' or so on the side. And you can use a sleeping bunk at the right height as a bench for a table so it does dbl duty.
And I would leave lots of ash in it. The ash will insulate/smother the coals and keep them much longer than a clean firebox floor. Rake them in a pile in the morning and restarts should take off.
