Alternatives to wood burning stoves

Flatlandr · Oct 31, 2004

Are there good alternatives to wood burning stoves for heating in the tent like maybe LP? We have a 12'X 24' wall tent. Any suggestions, opinions or past experiences would be appreciated along with brands and where to find them.

Thanks, Mark

YukonDall · Oct 31, 2004

LAST EDITED ON Oct-31-04 AT 04:44PM (MST)[p]HEY FLATLANDR,.... AFTER USEING A WOOD STOVE FOR YEARS/ PROPANE IS THE WAY TO GO. ITS CLEAN, NOT MESSY, PROVIDES MORE BTU THAN WOOD, PACKS EASIER, YOU DONT HAVE TO HAUL WOOD/CUT/FIND DRY WOOD,LIGHTS IN AN INSTANT, A 5GAL. CONTAINER LASTS FOR DAYS,ITS CHEAP,YOU CAN LEAVE YOUR ALWAYS IN THE WAY WOOD BURNER AT HOME,NO SET UP TIME, ASH MESS, VENTS FINE IN ANY NORMAL TENT,PROPANE IS AVAILABLE ANYWHERE, NO MORE WHO HAS TO GET UP EARLY AN START THE FIRE, NO MORE TAKE DOWN OF WOOD STOVE/ STORAGE, NO MORE WHERES THE MATCHES,OR KINDLING........ AND YES I DO HAVE ALOT OF PROPANE STOCK. TAKE YOUR PICK OF BRAND NAMES, BUT I LIKE THE DUAL BURNERS... WITH PUSH BUTTON IGNITION... TRY ANY OF THE CATALOGS, TAKE ER EASY, YD.

Flatlandr · Oct 31, 2004

Thanks YD, but where does a guy go looking for these LP heaters at?

YukonDall · Oct 31, 2004

GO TO WALMART, KMART, BIG 5, ANY SPORTING GOODS STORE. THERE IN MOST CHAIN STORES. YD.

BlackTimber · Oct 31, 2004

While I really like the romanitisism of a wood burner lately I have been thinking of a generator and a couple electric heaters.
It's good to have a generator for back up power at the house. We seem to lose power a couple times a year. If I do get the generator for the house why not take it up and plug in a couple space heater. You could even let it run all night.
I'm still leary about propane burning while I sleep. I wouldn't trust it.

kingfish · Nov 1, 2004

Yukon is right on!!!!, We used to heat with a wood burner but changed over to two propane heaters 10 years ago. We have a 14x18 wall tent and use a one burner heater on one propane bottle and a two burner on the other. Both heaters mount on top of the 5 gallon propane bottles. MAKE SURE YOU DON'T RUN THE HEATERS AT NIGHT!. Make sure you have good ventilation at both ends of your tent. We have two open vents, one at each end of our tent up along the frame. Buy the heaters that have the push button starters. We just reach outside our fart sacks and start each heater with one finger. It's a great way to wake up on those sigle digit mornings.....

gleninaz · Nov 1, 2004

Mark-Look in Cabelas for a double burner Mr. Heater catalytic and hook it up to a 5 gal propane bottle. It attaches directly to the top and will put out 30000 btu. I have used one for years and it is the best heat solution and makes life much easier.

cowdog · Nov 1, 2004

We use a military tent heater that burns any kind of liquid fuel.We burn unleaded in ours and run them all night.No sufferin at our camp. they cost about 125.00$ at the surplus store.

searcher · Nov 1, 2004

I have a 12 X 12 cabelas Alakanak tent. Have used a small wood stove with good success in the past but someone does have to get up and stoke the fire a couple of times during the night. This year we bought a Coleman Pro-cat propane heater. It runs off a 1-pound propane cylinder and has a battery powered fan to circulate the heat. It kept the tent bearable but not as warm as the wood stove did. On the third night, the threads on the regulator got cross threaded when we changed cylinders. The regulator housing was made of aluminum so the threads stripped right out and the heater became a useless paper weight. My buddy is going to send it back for a refund.

bowhuntnnut · Nov 1, 2004

You could look into the Portable Buddy heater by Mr. Heater. They're made to be used inside tents and other enclosures. I'm looking to get one myself for a late season muley hunt. They run around $75 bucks at Academy.

Foreman4x4 · Nov 2, 2004

I have a heater buddy, and while it would take the chill off in my 10x12 wall tent, it by no means kept things toasty. On the high setting, I'd go through a 1lb. bottle of propane in about
2-1/2 hours. The combination of the heater buddy and a propane lantern kept things bearable in morning and evenings, but I wouldn't run one all night eventhough they claim it to be ok. I still think a wood stove is the best heat source.

elk_horn · Nov 2, 2004

The Mr Buddy heater will shut off if the oxygen gets low therefore they are safe in doors and in tents. They also can hook upto a large propane bottle.

Flatlandr · Nov 5, 2004

To all that replied, Thanks for the great information, looks like I will be giving the wood stove the boot!

Has anyone had a low oxygen sensor fail to shut down a gas unit? I think a battery operated sensor alarm in the tent would also help prevent a untimely demise.

Any additional thoughts appreciated.

Mark

stinky · Nov 14, 2004

Our group just brought a Mr Buddy Heater for our cook tent. The stove was not working worth a hoot int it. We used a single burner heater in that tent. It was 30'x 30' and we could barely feel it. We bought a double burner one ($90) at Sportsmans's Wharehouse. Murdoch's also had em for the same price, and single burners for $50. The one we bought can be used w/one or two burners, I THINK 5K- 24K BTUS. They claim 12 hours, on high, for a 20# bottle. It mounts on the bottles handle.

The woodstove in the sleep tent worked great, although, we did let it burn out, and it did have to tbe restarted at 2:30am. If we souldn't have been sleeping so soundly it wouldn't have happened. The two stoves were dif, one would burn and one wouldn't (4", and maybe a 2" pipe, w/an elbow...guess which one wouldn't burn)

The guy that bought it, used it in his garage the other day. It is a 2 or 3 car garage---H-u-g-e and he says that it warmed his garage up in no time.

DonV · Dec 10, 2004

FYI while researching this elsewhere I learned that o2 sensors shut down at over 8,500 feet, so if you are camping higher a heater with an o2 sensor will not work.

muleychaser · Dec 10, 2004

I have always wondered and am actually going to try a stove out of a camper or a trailer in our tent. I was thinking just hook it up to a bottle with a battery powered fan and a guy should be good all night as long as it is vented properly.

Shane

Jamie · Dec 11, 2004

Try the Dyna-Glo propane heater. It runs between 50,000 and 80,000 Btu's and is rated for around 2000 sq ft. I got mine at Home Depot for $80.00. I use it for an instant hot water heater for hunting and for heating my trailer. It might weigh 10lbs and is all aluminium.

Hornseeker · Dec 13, 2004

The propane heaters work good if the temps aren't bad, like above 10-15, but dang it, I like it TOASTY in my wall tent. You spend a lot of time in there and sometimes you come in wet and such. Propane heaters will not quickly dry wet stuff like a good wood stove. I used a really nice big 4 burner propane heater down in Salmon, ID a couple years ago in December mule deer hunting. Never quite could get real warm. I want to walk around in my underwear and bear feet Baby! I'm remodeling my wood stove this winter so that its more air tight.

However, has anyone seen or heard about tent pellet stoves? They are auto feed, keep going all night, burn hot and are really efficient. I am going to try and find them!