Camp Stoves Produce Carbon Monoxide. Can You Still Use Yours In Your Tent?

You hike in, pitch your tent, and the weather turns nasty. The idea of firing up your stove inside the tent while you stay warm in your sleeping bag is incredibly tempting.

But here’s the key issue: any flame-based stove can produce carbon monoxide (CO), an invisible, odorless gas that can accumulate in enclosed or low-ventilation spaces. And tents, despite feeling airy, can still trap enough CO to be dangerous.

When fuel burns, it produces a mix of gases. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is common, but carbon monoxide is the one that can turn a cozy camp moment into an emergency.

CO is dangerous because it binds to hemoglobin far more strongly than oxygen does, reducing your blood’s ability to carry oxygen where your body needs it. The worst part is that you usually cannot smell or taste it, so you may not realize anything is wrong until symptoms show up.

A controlled test compared three popular canister stoves running at maximum output inside a closed three-season tent for 15 minutes, measuring CO levels over time. All stoves produced carbon monoxide, but not equally.

In that test, the Primus Power Trail produced substantially higher peak in-tent CO levels than the Jetboil MightyMo and MSR PocketRocket 2. CO concentrations rose quickly in the first several minutes, then tended to plateau as gas diffusion and leakage through tent fabric balanced production.

If conditions are pushing you toward shelter, the goal is simple: reduce exposure by increasing ventilation, minimizing burn time, and avoiding enclosed spaces.

Many experienced cold-weather campers cook in a well-ventilated vestibule or under a tarp rather than inside the sleeping area. Still, it requires caution: keep flames away from fabric, keep openings wide, and never fall asleep with a stove running.

Using a camp stove inside the tent body (the sleeping area) is high-risk because carbon monoxide can build up quickly and you may not notice until you feel sick. Even stoves that look like they burn clean can still produce CO.

If weather forces a compromise, prioritize cooking outside or in a very well-ventilated vestibule or under a tarp, keep the burn short, and stay alert for symptoms. When in doubt, skip the hot meal and go no-cook for the night. You will hike better tomorrow.