Tent Heater

[Ratchet]

Need some advice.
Anyone out there have experience using a propane heater in a tent? Could there be a problem with fumes? We'll be using a 12 x 20 tent. I haven't cut a hole for the wood stove pipe yet, hoping there might be an alternative. From reading another post and hearing from other hunters that firewood may be hard to come by, I was considering using a propane heater. 4 of us and hunting Colorado 3rd season around Pagosa Springs, public land.

Your input is greatly appreciated.

 

[DirtyDan]

Most propane heaters are going to have a low O2 sensor built in so you should be alright on that end. I'd be more concerned with carbon monoxide and condensation. Water vapor is not going to be fun if you're staying in a nylon tent.
We just got back from south of Pagosa and had no issues finding downed wood to burn. If you're that concerned you could always bring those fire logs for burning.

 

[Eric.MN]

I used a little gas stove top like burner to heat my 10x14 kodiak tent last year. It worked just fine but I have air vents a cracked and brought with a battery co2 detector for in the tent. Down fall you burning gas was the moisture on the tent walls, nothing beats the dry heat and feel of a wood stove.

 

[VAspeedgoat]

I've used them a lot bith hunting and camping. I use buddy heaters and yes they have a low o2 sensor. I also use a carbon monoxide alarm. Neither have ever gone off. My biggest concern for you is condensation as mentioned above. The heater will work great but when it gets cold there will deffinitely be condensation on the tent. If its a high ceiling or a canvas type tent this may not be an issue as it will run down the sides away from the sleeping area. The problem will be trying to get clothing dry. The inside of the tent will be humid and clothes that are wet or even damp will not dry properly overnight so pack accordingly. If a wood stove is an option I would highly recomend it unless you can carry enough clothing incase you are soaked. I'd recomend the carbon monoxide alarm either way. Just my opinion

 

[TLowell02]

I used a Mr. Buddy heater for my elk hunt a few weeks ago with no problems. It has a built-in low O2 sensor in addition to a CO detector I keep in the tent. The tent is made of canvas and there were no condensation issues.

 

[pre6422hornet]

I have used a wood stove, a propane, and nothing at all.

I think I prefer using nothing at all. I have a zero degree and a -45 degree bag. I tend to be hot blooded though.

Of the two stoves, I liked the wood stove, until you had to get out of the warm bag and stoke it... haha.

 

[406LIFE]

Another vote for the Mr. Buddy heater and a 10x10 canvas tent.

 

[Bulldog0156]

That's a big tent; a wood stove is going to be way more efficient.

 

[Gerald Martin]

I tried a small buddy heater in my wall tent. Was not impressed. My wood stove is the cat's meow. It keeps the tent toasty warm for 3-4 hours between loading. I wake up once in the middle of the night to keep it going and usually have a few coals in the morning when I wake up. The extra heat is really nice in damp weather when your clothes are wet.

 

[PAGOAT]

We use a Mr Buddy heater with the windows cracked open in a 10x14 tent with no problems. Get the long hose for the heater and run it out the door to a 20 lb bottle that sits outside.

Goat

 

[MThorseshoer]

The mr buddy was a game changer for my better half this year. I do get some condensation in our cabelas outback lodge but its better than freezing or having a cold woman in the morning. But nothing can beat a wood stove in my opinion. If you have the option for a wood stove Id go that route!

 

[wytex]

You can buy the stove pipe tent jack from a wall tent company with the gasket etc. ready to go and just sew it onto the tent then cut the opening. A wood stove is way more efficient in a big tent, Plenty of wood around but you will need a chainsaw with you for downed trees. Colorado was not spared the pine beetle epidemic.

 

[Ratchet]

Thanks guys. Sounds like I might try both. I would rather use wood stove, even though it reguures a little more work and a chainsaw.
A wood stove or no heater is all I've ever been involved with before.

 

[mplane72]

We use a lp heater in a canvas wall tent. One of the old school triple burner deals that mount on top of a tank. This is in early archery so we don't always need it but it was pretty cold this year at 10,500 feet and we ran one burner all night every night. Of course the vents and a window were open when it was on.

 

[nuevo_eph]

Another vote for a BuddyHeater in my Kodiak Canvas tent.

 

[Tom]

I've done that quite a bit. I light it in the am to warm the tent before getting dressed. I put water on and it gets hot for oatmeal and/or coffee by the time I'm dressed. In Colorado I"ve hunted where we do that to warm up the dining tent quickly when its cold. The wood stove, we kept going in the big canvas tent and would just use the propane heaters to get some good warm heat at meal time.

 

[johnp]

Buddy heater works for me . I have a system where I can reach the buddy heater from my cot , alarm goes off , heater gets turned on, backpack stove with coffee and oatmeal water gets started. I stay in the sleeping bag until its' nice and toasty in the tent.

 

[TheSurveyor]

I prefer the wood stove as I don't have ration my heat.
Never been to a spot where I couldn't find wood. Sagebrush has been burned in my stove more than once.

 

[Skeeter 20I]

We usually run a Big Buddy heater all night during early deer season in our 12x14 wall tent w/ a rain fly (believe it or not the rain fly helps hold in the heat) and always have a battery powered carbon monoxide detector. It's really hit or miss on if its safe to run a wood stove, sometimes its ugly dry outside and I don't want to risk it.

For elk and late deer season I run a four dog wood stove it's a lot of stove for such a small tent but with the addition of a 8' cook shack it works just fine. We had a cold snap a couple of years ago before I bought the wood stove and it got down to -5deg and I said never again and haven't regretted the stove purchase once since then.

 

[Whiptail]

In places where firewood is unsure I've brought these logs to use in my wood stove and they worked good.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Enviro-Log-Earth-Friendly-Fire-Log-5-lb/17248661?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&adid=22222222227017670340&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=52285903335&wl4=pla-79370097495&wl5=9028313&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=online&wl12=17248661&wl13=&veh=sem

I have no experience with these propane stoves but it appears they use a vent which should remove the CO danger.

http://nuwaystove.com/


Here's another one to look at:

https://arcticoventent.com/stoves/propane-stoves/