Heat a tent safely

bowhunt · Sep 24, 2011

Hi all,
I have researched the crap out of this, and still am not convinced there is a 100% safe way to heat a tent.
I worry about CO2, and burning up the oxygen in the tent.

I have a Kodiak tent, it does have some high ventilation ports.
What are your thoughts on the best and a 100% safe way to heat this tent.

Thanks!

Foreman4x4 · Sep 24, 2011

A good sleeping bag...

bucklover · Sep 25, 2011

I use one of those "Buddy Juniors". I also have a small single wick propane lantern that puts out a lot of heat. The size of the glass around the wick is a smaller than your doubled up fist, but the glass is very thick, However, the only time I torch them up is when I'm up and moving and have some venting opened up. It doesn't take long to heat up a tent. When it gets warm, I turn the heater off. I know, tents lose the heat fast, but by that time I'm out of the sack and dressed and moving around. I'm talking about when I am camping next to the truck or 4-wheeler, not back packing in.

nfh · Sep 25, 2011

is your tent made of canvas, if so:

we use a sims stove. folds up so easy to pack on a horse. set it up and then we put some dirt on the bottom of the stove so the stove dont get red hot at the bottom. then end of the year before its put into storage we wd-40 the heck out of it.

been doing it for years and years. be sure to have a spark resitor at the tailpipe of stove.

like i said thats if your tent is canvas

wyflyguy · Sep 26, 2011

I also have a Kodiak canvas tent. I use the Big Buddy heater in mine. I don't usually like to leave it on all night, but I have without any problems. I usually just turn it on to warm the place up (doesn't take long) before I crawl into bed and then again before I get up in the morning. I keep the heater within arms reach so if I wake up cold in the night I can just turn it back on for a few minutes. All in all, I've been very happy with the heater and tent combo.

trophyhunter · Sep 27, 2011

bowhunt: I worried about this same issue. I did a lot of research. For cold weather tent camping hunts for use at our main tent camp. We purchased the Mr. Heater "Buddy" series heater. They are equipped with an oxygen sensor shutoff that shuts off if the oxygen level drops near unsafe levels. The heater is also equipped with a device switch at the bottom that if the heater falls over the propane is automatically shut off killing the heat source so you don't start a major fire. I tested this Mr. Heater and made sure it was safe because a few years back I was sending out my boys alone tenting camping with temps down to 0 F degrees. I ran the heater on high for an hour then put my hand on the tent floor. The tent floor was slightly warm and no chance of catching fire. All the heat from the glowing heat membrain( no external flame afer start-up) raidiates outward and upward with no heat damaging the tent floor. You can also use this style heater indoors in homes but it gets pricy using a lot of propane. We purchased the adapter and connect to a 5 gal propane tank. The heater gets so hot it will run you out of a 12x12 tent on high setting. For just night use on low we get about 6 nights out of one 5 gal propane tank and it stays toastie all night. We have the original regular size Mr. Heater about 10,000btu's they have since come out with a Magnum with higher btu's but they use more propane. Lots of hardware stires carry Mr. Heaters and they are also available on-line at Cabela's. If you have a bigger than 12X12 tent think abot 2 heaters on low I feel they are more efficient than one heater on high or the Magnum series heater. Most important as long as you crack a flap for air/venting I do not know of a safer heater on the market that uses propane and you don't need to deal with stove pipes, wood and stoking a fire as well as dealing with some smoke odors.

These heaters are safe and work great. We have used them for over ten years.

))))--------->

oilcan · Sep 27, 2011

trophyhunter i just got that same set up for this years hunt.So do you put anything under the Heater or just directly on the tent floor?

pirogue · Sep 27, 2011

I've used the Mr. Buddy for several years in a 6 man dome tent. Warming it up at night before bedtime, and first thing in the morning. It gets too hot in the tent to leave on any extended period.

bowhunt · Sep 27, 2011

Thanks you guys! This is perfect information.
I will pick up one of the buddy heaters.
Thanks!

trophyhunter · Sep 28, 2011

Oilcan: We just put the heater directly on the tent floor. The floor will only get slightly warm and not anywhere close to hot. All the heat radiates out and upward...never down....great design... When we hunt cold weather around teen's and lower. We keep the heater on low all night and a tent window open about the size of a baseball opening for air. We have had canned food freeze solid in the tent some years before we got this heater. Again lasts about 6 nights and could push 7 nights 9pm to 5am +- on one 5 gal. propane tank. Always take a backup propane tank just in case of a big storm and you must stay in camp a day or two due to extream conditions. That way you always have enough propane. We also can hook the heater to one of those propane distribution posts so you can run the stove and heater off one tank if you wish. We mostly prefer keeping the heater tank seperate but both are good options depending one the situation.

I tested the "emergency shutoff oxygen sensor" in the field at camp one year and it really works. We tried leaving hardly no "air vent" opening and the heater shut off.

Good hunting and enjoy being nice and warm this season with your new heater.

))))------->

Readypro1 · Sep 29, 2011

LAST EDITED ON Sep-29-11 AT 07:56AM (MST)[p]Take it to a canvas shop and have a stove jack sewn in. Use a smaller woodstove like this

bowhunt · Sep 30, 2011

Thanks Guys!
I purchased the Buddy Heater. I will let you know how it works when I go to Idaho in late October.

trophyhunter · Sep 30, 2011

Bowhunt and all you new "Buddy Heater" owners: A suggestion

It is always good to break-in that Buddy heater prior to your first trip using the heater. I always burn in a new heater by turning it on high for an hour to allow any manufacturing oils/paints/etc. to burn off odors outdoors prior to using the heater in an enclosed area. Once broken in the heater will have no odors when in use.

))))------->

gznokes · Dec 2, 2011

Coleman makes an incandescent heater that runs on those small propane bottles. Pair it or any of the above w a kidde brand battery powered carbon monoxide alarm and you should be good.

treedagain · Dec 21, 2011

buddy heater for me.....

fatrooster · Dec 21, 2011

I use a wood burning stove and a buddy heater. Its easy to cut up a bunch of wood to heat your tent in camp and use a wood burning stove to keep you warm and cook on it. In the early morning I set my alarm to wake me up about 10 minutes early and then I reach over and turn on the buddy heater. It cuts the chill and makes it tolerable to get out of bed and get dressed. But this way I carry a lot less fuel for the buddy heater. fatrooster.

SantanaOutdoors · Dec 24, 2011

This last season on a deer hunt in AZ 13B we used a buddy Heater hooked up to a 5 gallon propane tank, 5 days running all night on low in a 14 X 20 canvass tent, kept the big chill off. Snowing and windy part of the time. Awesome!

I also got a new sleeping bag called the Toaster 10,000! Best sleeping bag I ever slept in, warm and comfortable. I did not want to get out in the morning!

Eric Santana
www.SantanaOutdoors.com
"Premium Hunting Gear"

Califelkslayer · Feb 11, 2012

nothing heats like wood.

I prefer the Riley stove although it isn't packable. But it's light, heats a tent up quickly, and wood heat really dries clothes/boots out qhickly.

My program is as we go to bed, I'll stoke the stove with rounds (unsplit wood) as much as i can get in it and shut the damper. When the alarm goes off, I jump up, open the damper and add kindling. I turn on the coffee and jump back in the bag. When the coffee begins perking, the tent is 70-80 degrees.