Heat source options for tent camping.

[okie archer]

I plan on doing a family camping/scouting trip in June in Colorado. Also if I draw a tag I plan to hunt first rifle elk in Colorado mid-october.
I think I want to have a 2 tent set up. One canvas wall tent style for a separate kitchen area and then a sleeping tent, probably a bell style. Obviously by my recent post I'm new to mountain camping so I'm in the process of gathering equipment and trying to learn what I will need.

I have pretty much ruled out a propane type heater for all night heat while sleeping. I cannot get peace of mind with the thought of carbon monoxide poisoning. Not to mention the condensation that propane heat puts off.

I have researched the diesel heaters and the propane air exchange heaters from proplex and I do like the idea of those type of heaters but are very pricey unless you bought Chinese knockoffs.

I am considering the idea of bringing a generator along with cans of gas to run it. Then I would just bring extension cords with electric heaters to run inside the tent for heat. Any experience on this?

Seems like the other viable option is an actual wood burning stove designed for tents that have the stove jack. I like the idea of not worrying about emissions or propane or gas and Diesel. I like what I have researched about Winnerwell stoves but they seem a bit small. I really don't want to have to get up every 2 hours to add more wood to the stove. I'm looking for something with more heat endurance. Some of these stoves can be a bit pricey as well but for me personally the Peace of mind of not worrying about emissions would be worth it. Another concern would be having enough seasoned wood to burn for a week long camp. I could bring my own if need be. Not sure what the laws are about burning dead wood from NF plus if it rains any it could all be wet. I could use the wood burning stove for the sleep tent. And I wouldn't mind to have some type of a Mr Buddy heater or some type of propane heater to heat up the kitchen area for a bit and then turn it off.

Feel free to critique my thoughts and research. Also open to any other ideas from experience.

 

[brockel]

Riley pellet stove. Fill the hopper before you go to bed. Still warm in the morning when you wake up

 

[pabearhunter]

NO to diesel, gas and kerosene !!!!!

 

[WildWill]

I plan on doing a family camping/scouting trip in June in Colorado. Also if I draw a tag I plan to hunt first rifle elk in Colorado mid-october.
I think I want to have a 2 tent set up. One canvas wall tent style for a separate kitchen area and then a sleeping tent, probably a bell style. Obviously by my recent post I'm new to mountain camping so I'm in the process of gathering equipment and trying to learn what I will need.

I have pretty much ruled out a propane type heater for all night heat while sleeping. I cannot get peace of mind with the thought of carbon monoxide poisoning. Not to mention the condensation that propane heat puts off.

I have researched the diesel heaters and the propane air exchange heaters from proplex and I do like the idea of those type of heaters but are very pricey unless you bought Chinese knockoffs.

I am considering the idea of bringing a generator along with cans of gas to run it. Then I would just bring extension cords with electric heaters to run inside the tent for heat. Any experience on this?

Seems like the other viable option is an actual wood burning stove designed for tents that have the stove jack. I like the idea of not worrying about emissions or propane or gas and Diesel. I like what I have researched about Winnerwell stoves but they seem a bit small. I really don't want to have to get up every 2 hours to add more wood to the stove. I'm looking for something with more heat endurance. Some of these stoves can be a bit pricey as well but for me personally the Peace of mind of not worrying about emissions would be worth it. Another concern would be having enough seasoned wood to burn for a week long camp. I could bring my own if need be. Not sure what the laws are about burning dead wood from NF plus if it rains any it could all be wet. I could use the wood burning stove for the sleep tent. And I wouldn't mind to have some type of a Mr Buddy heater or some type of propane heater to heat up the kitchen area for a bit and then turn it off.

Feel free to critique my thoughts and research. Also open to any other ideas from experience.

I'll be following along. I went wood burner and you're right they're a pain. Last 3rd season it was really cold and I spent more time feeding that thing then warm. Plus even with good ventilation it's always seems to kickout enough smoke to cause issues.

 

[Lostinthewoods]

Part I - valuable input.
Growing up I hunted the North Maine woods in November.
We had wood burning stoves for heat and propane set ups to cut the edge off when we woke up to get dressed.
The priority was nice sleeping bags to stay warm, not redoing the fire every two hours.

I prefer to have cooler temps to sleep in while being warm in bed/sleeping bags.

All that to say - wood stove and a little buddy heater when you wake up to take the edge off is fine.



Part II - informational input.

I run a Kodiak canvas flexbow and little buddy heater as my set up now.
I spent two January hunts in -30 to 15 degrees and that was my heat source.
I vent the tent, I run a carbon monoxide detector, and I mitigated risk as much as I could.
It's an option that a lot of people do successfully year round.

This isnt to sway you because no one will take care of you and your family like yourself and no one else gets to accept risk on your behalf, but I just wanted to say it's not a death wish running that set up.

 

[2rocky]

I'm in the Woodstove/Little Buddy camp. LB is turned on from bed and in 15 minutes the floor isn't so cold. but the woodstove keeps your water jug from freezing and heats up quick and could run you out if left wide open....

Our USFS lands are full of deadfall and you can gather wood just breaking off branches from down trees. AKA "Squaw Wood". Pick a spot with a southern exposure close to good wood and water but not under any widow makers. Picking a good camp spot is a learned art.

I am looking at a diesel heater for my horse trailer though there is a good Fresh Tracks video on setting one up for a truck camper.

 

[WVmike]

Used a lite outdoors 18 inch titanium stove last year with the tipi tent in second season rifle in Colorado last year and it was the difference between being absolutely miserable to being tolerable when sleeping. Every few hours we would have to add wood which was a pain but it's not like the wood stove that I grew up with in my mom and dad's house either. It was in the 60s during the day then it plummeted at night with the temps in the teens. Like brockel said the pellet stove would probably be a good choice for your preference/situation. Especially if you are running a 2 tent setup.

There was also plenty of wood lying around that we gathered and burned. If you had a larger stove than a small cylinder stove you should probably devote some time during your setup of the tents before the hunt itself to cutting and gathering wood to have a good supply to allow for the trip so you don't have to gather wood during the hours when you could be hunting unless you are in the dark, which is no fun.

 

[Alpine01]

I hunt CO mountains from 1st rifle thru 4th rifle. In my case, I backpack in and setup camp several miles in and at elevation (9500 ft +). Night-time temps range from 0 - 20 degrees for the most part. There are the occasional -10 degree (or colder) nights but I haven't experienced many of those over the last 10 yrs. You don't really need heat all-night long. Have heat prior to turning in and then again in the morning to take the chill off. Invest in a good, low-temp rated, sleeping bag and a good sleeping pad or low profile cot. I have yet to stoke a fire in the middle of the night to stay warm. If you are truck camping, either a propane or wood-fired heater/stove will work. Wood is generally either pine or aspen if you are looking to get it around your campsite. Pine burns fast and creates a lot of creosote so be careful about letting it accumulate. Aspen burns quickly as well and doesn't generate as much heat but is a decent alternative. Propane will allow you to have heat on-demand.

 

[Deez Nutz]

NO to diesel, gas and kerosene !!!!!

...why?

 

[SFC B]

Given the alternatives you listed here and that weight doesn't seem to be an issue. For a heat source I am (and will always be) primarily a wood stove guy. I love the thermal off put and the nearly unlimited supply of fuel. Propane for quick morning stuff totally understand. You should plan on time during camp set up to gather/cut/split MORE wood than you think you will need...you never know what the weather is going to do in the mountains. Bring the appropriate tools (saws, axes etc) and try to have duplicates.....Murphy's law.

MOST importantly, ALWAYS have a sleeping bag capable of keeping you warm no matter what the weather does. Betting/depending an outside heatsource in the backcountry is asking for the worst case scenario. I have a BIG rectangular bag, on top of a Therma Rest Mondoking pad inside a Montana canvas bedroll and with zero heat on while sleeping have never been remotely chilly down to -20. This is not only a comfort thing but a safety thing.

 

[np307]

I just use a buddy heater. Turn it on when you get back to camp and get warm before you go to sleep and then cut it off when you go to sleep. Fire it up in the morning while you get ready. Gotta have a decent sleeping bag to do that though.

 

[Bambistew]

I love a good wood stove, but if you don't want to fuss with wood, I'd go with a Nu Way propane heater, or a diesel heater like Rocky posted above.

For overnight burns in the wood stove, I toss in BBQ briquets, or half a fire log, depending on size of stove. Trial run it, because both get pretty hot, so be careful. I've tried coal as well, but its either not hot, or you worry that the stove will melt.

Lots of guys here use the nu wave propane stoves in their Arctic Oven tents. its the way to go in the winter. I've got a diesel heater in my snowmachine trailer. I will warm up a 21' trailer well enough to melt all the snow off sleds at near zero temps. heats an uninsulated aluminum trailer to about 45-50 degrees and burns about 1.5 gallons in 24 hours, and the 100ah RV battery will last about 2 days.

 

[cgasner1]

Would not try and run a heater with a generator. Very loud and burns a lot of fuel I’ve done it before in super nasty cold weather when the furnace in the camper wouldn’t keep up

 

[Cap’n Crunch]

Lots of good solid advice on here. I would suggest a wood stove( 1 size bigger than you think you need) and a Big Buddy heater with a 20 lb bottle conversion kit & fuel filter. Good quality sleeping bags, cots and layers of sleep clothing to sleep in.

Your camping in the Mountains where wood is plentiful. Plan ahead and cut/chop more than you need. Stash wood on your scouting trip for your hunting trip.

2 LP lanterns (1 for inside tent, 1 for outside tent) Maul/axe, hatchet, shovel & bucket are mandatory tools. There’s more but didn’t want to overwhelm and over step.

 

[Hunting Wife]

Nu Wave propane stove is great. No condensation issues like Little Buddy, no batteries or diesel to worry about in the really cold, no worries about being in places where wood is not readily available. Battery operated carbon monoxide alarms are cheap and small enough to run two if you want redundancy. Plus warm enough to heat food on it (have heated canned food and made quesadillas on it a few times). Have used one spring, fall, and ice fishing in sub-zero. Excellent little unit if you are base camping from a vehicle.

 

[stealthy_bowman]

Have been using a buddy heater in my Kodiak canvas tent for years now. Condensation isn’t really an issue in canvas tent like it is with polymer materials. I also put a CO detector in the tent for added safety.
It’s easy peasy. No firewood to have to deal with and it keeps you warm just fine.

 

[The_Jim]

I honestly don’t think you need a stove for either of those times.

A buddy heater is great but just don’t sleep with it.

Wood stoves are great, but if you want heat all night you’ll have to stoke it at least once.

I personally use both in later seasons but never in June and rarely in mid October. A good pad and bag are going to take you way further than a lousy pad and cheap bag will for comfort. If you use cots, you’ll still want insulation under you or you’ll be cold.

 

[wannabee]

Sometimes when I slept in the back of my SUV I used the remote start in the mornings while I was still in my sleeping bag lol

 

[pabearhunter]

...why?

The smell.

 

[Gellar]

heats an uninsulated aluminum trailer to about 45-50 degrees and burns about 1.5 gallons in 24 hours, and the 100ah RV battery will last about 2 days.

Is that running the heater just at night when the sleds are in the trailer or is that running for the entire duration?