Tent Heaters

[Kirk]

I'm thinking of getting a tent heater. I apparently am going on a few winter camps with the scouts for the forseeable future. I have a 4 man kodiak tent - I have been looking at the Mr Buddy Portable Heater. I'm a little concerned about carbon monoxide poisoning (had a cousin die in a tent elk hunting because it snowed overnight and the snow sealed off his ventilation - he was using some type of heater). I'm not sure I would leave it on all night.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200395499_200395499

I did find this - made me feel a little better.
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=982349

What do you guys that go out in the winter use?

Thanks

 

[mesha]

I haven't found a tent heater I am comfortable sleeping with. I might turn one on to heat the tent up before bed and in the morning, but I don't sleep with one on. Many people use them with great success and the catalytic ones seem to be safe enough. If they don't poison you they can tip over and catch something on fire. My sister even caught her hair on fire while she was sleeping and melted her sleeping bag and popped her air mattress. she did have an awesome hair do for the rest of the moab trip. It was instant dread locks

I would invest the money in some warmer bags and a better pad. Although reaching over and turning the heater on to put clothes on in the AM is really nice.

 

[DOSS]

I would never run a tent heater while I was asleep.. They are great to make it comfy while dressing etc but for sleeping a better bag is the way to go. I wouldn't want to trust my ability to sleep safe and warm to a tent heater that could run out of gas at night let alone catch my bum on fire.. I have a Mr Buddy that I use to heat the tent when awake and some nice sleeping bags for the rest of the time A good sleeping pad goes a long ways to keeping you warm so keep that in mind

 

[sixstringsteve]

I use a mr buddy heater once, but only for about 10 min before I climbed into my tent. It was getting my tent super hot right above the heater, and I was afraid it'd melt it. The heater got the tent toasty warm, and my body heat keeps it warm all night.

Another option is to use a $10 fleece liner in your sleeping bag (I got mine from rec outlet, where Mesha works). I am normally freezing in my tent, even in the spring and fall, and the fleece liner has made a huge difference. I now get too hot, which is a great problem to have.

This easily raises the temp 20 degrees in my bag. For the past two klondike derbies that i've attended, I put hand-warmers in my socks, and a few in my pockets. That, along with the fleece liner, has kept me warm all night.

I use a small backpacking tent, so you have more air to warm up than I do, so this may or may not solve your issues. Our troop usually has a campout in november to prepare for klondike. We get the cold temps without the snow, and it helps us plan what we need for klondike.

 

[DOSS]

Oh and another option for keeping you warm for the night in whatever bag you have is to fill a nalgine bottle (or 2) up with boiling water before bed and stick them in your sleeping bag.. that way when you get in it is nice and warm and they will keep you warm all night long too

 

[DaveB]

When I camp in the winter I slip my lightweight summer bag inside of my winter bag and sleep on a 4 inch foam pad on a cot. I have used this method at Flaming Gorge where we sleep on the ice at way below zero and stay comfy all night. I would use the heater only to take the chill off before climbing out of the bag in the morning.

 

[sixstringsteve]

I've been thinking about getting a cot, but I was worried about the cold air underneath me. But after hearing your success Dave, I think I'll try it.

x2 on the Nalgene bottle filled with hot water (although I do feel a little clammy the next morning). There's nothing better than crossing the snow and cold air and climbing into a warm sleeping bag.

 

[Marsh99]

I have a Mr. Buddy heater and love it. I have never left it on all night I do what many others have said. I use it when I go to bed to warm up my tent, then change into new, clean, dry clothes. Then get in my warm quality sleeping bag.

 

[Spork]

Another option is to use a $10 fleece liner in your sleeping bag (I got mine from rec outlet, where Mesha works). I am normally freezing in my tent, even in the spring and fall, and the fleece liner has made a huge difference. I now get too hot, which is a great problem to have.

This easily raises the temp 20 degrees in my bag. For the past two klondike derbies that i've attended, I put hand-warmers in my socks, and a few in my pockets. That, along with the fleece liner, has kept me warm all night.

I got one of the fleece liners also, best $10 I ever put into a sleeping bag.

 

[jeep-N-montero]

Another method if you have the space is to place some rocks by the fire that fit in a dutch oven, once they are hot you place them in the warm dutch oven and then put the dutch oven on top of a flat rock or plywood in the middle of the tent. The effects last about 2 hours.

 

[Rot Box]

X a million on the fleece liners!

I tried the buddy heater thing once in my camper and I won't do it again. Even with the windows open I didn't like the fumes even with it on for just a few minutes.

There are few things you can buy that have more reward than a good cold weather sleeping bad. There are some great ones out there to choose from and I think my next one will likely be a Wiggy. Dry thick wool socks and a good beenie make it even more enjoyable. Another trick I learned (much latter in life than I wish I would have ) is an empty pop/gatorade bottle with lid inside your bag makes the middle of the night wizz a million times better than climbing out into the cold

 

[kobyhud]

One for the other side of the fence. I have a big buddy that I run all night on low setting in a 7-8 man canvas tent. There is enough room in a large tent to sleep four comfortably (queen air matresses) and still put in the heater. You need to bring along a larger propane tank to go all night even on low though. 2 little propane tanks will only get you 4-6 hours of heating, which if you warm it up before you get in and when you get up works great. Really nice for putting on those frozen boots in the morning (a little smelly maybe but oh so steamy).

I have done a kerosene heater as well as the old school coleman heaters. I sleep a lot better but there is always the risk of dying . I view that risk as fairly small, when I sleep in a tent I sleep like crap regardless of the temperature, so with me waking up every hour or half hour the risk of dying is pretty remote .

 

[mesha]

I've been thinking about getting a cot, but I was worried about the cold air underneath me. But after hearing your success Dave, I think I'll try it.

sleeping on the ground or a cot can rob you of heat. Ground is conductive heat loss and cot is convective heat loss. A good pad set up will reduce if not eliminate either of those. If you want to sleep warm the pad is the key.

There are few things you can buy that have more reward than a good cold weather sleeping bag. There are some great ones out there to choose from and I think my next one will likely be a Wiggy. Dry thick wool socks and a good beenie make it even more enjoyable.

Dry socks and a beanie are the ticket. wise words.

Another thing to do is keep some simple calories close at hand. When you wake up a little cold pop in a hersheys kiss and do a sit up or two and you'll be back asleep and warm.

 

[sixstringsteve]

Davy, would a pad under a cot do the trick to stay warm, or am I still getting the convective properties of the cot?

 

[mesha]

^^^ pad under you but on top of the cot is the trick. Try to have an R-value of at least 5 when winter camping. I shoot for more in the 8 range. You can accomplish that by stacking pads too. Cheap closed cell pads go a long way towards winterizing a summer rated pad.

If you want to try the difference in a nice pad versus plain jane I have one you can borrow.

 

[MOODY]

I just use this:

http://www.westernmountaineering.co...g-Bags&cat=Gore-Windstopper-Expedition-Series


with a decent set of pads.

When it is a bit warmer, I use a Marmot Col sleeping bag.

 

[ID Bronco]

What pads are best for use with a cot? For below zero use?

 

[DOSS]

^^^ pad under you but on top of the cot is the trick. Try to have an R-value of at least 5 when winter camping. I shoot for more in the 8 range. You can accomplish that by stacking pads too. Cheap closed cell pads go a long way towards winterizing a summer rated pad.

If you want to try the difference in a nice pad versus plain jane I have one you can borrow.

If you can't stand how a cot feels with a pad on top you can always use a couple of blue closed cell foam pads and bunjee them just under the canvas on the cot and it works great that way too.. also even a sheet that goes all the way around a cot and hangs to the floor will stop a lot of drafts from blowing under the cot = warmer

 

[Corban_White]

This is the pad I use and I LOVE it. Dang near as nice as my bed at home.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Camping/Cots-Pads-Beds/Airbeds%7C/pc/104795280/c/104712480/sc/104186880/Cabelas-Self-Inflating-Air-Bed-Per-Each/713798.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Fcamping-cots-pads-beds-airbeds%2F_%2FN-1100679%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_104186880%3FWTz_l%3DSBC%253Bcat104795280%253Bcat104712480&WTz_l=SBC%3Bcat104795280%3Bcat104712480%3Bcat104186880


And this is the bag I use in the winter. Never been cold in this setup.

http://ledgestore.com/River-0-Degree-Sleeping-Bag-2167.htm

 

[jackjoh]

It is old stuff from the late 60's but ensolite is a good closed cell ground or cot pad and all you need for cold weather if you have a good bag.