[corndogggy]

http://www.gandermountain.com/modpe...Start_Technology&str=tent+heater&merchID=4005

Claims it's great for tents. Are fumes not an issue?

 

[The Saint]

I have a Big Buddy, mine has an O2 depletion indicator that shuts it off if O2 levels fall below a certain point. I did not read that on the coleman, but I might have missed it.

 

[hawkbern]

I might stick with the Buddy line myself. Great reviews and supposed to be safe.

http://www.gandermountain.com/modpe...e_Buddy_Propane_Heater&str=buddy&merchID=4005

 

[gwopy]

http://www.gandermountain.com/modpe...Start_Technology&str=tent+heater&merchID=4005

Claims it's great for tents. Are fumes not an issue?

Uhhh...are you allergic to dogs?

 

[The Dark One]

I wouldn't use it inside any enclosed area.
These heaters put off plenty of Carbon Monoxide, and I wouldn't want to take the chance.

I don't own one.

 

[corndogggy]

Just rented a little cabin. Taking the kids into the mountains but a cold front is coming and it will be wet, 32 degrees at night, and I have a 1 year old that won't stay under the covers, much less inside a mummy bag.

 

[kev]

As drafty as tents are, I dont see a problem with it. If anything, leave the window open a little bit to let a small draft in.

I thinking its the same thing as a kerosene space heater. Just crack a window so fresh air can get in.

Deer hunters use heaters like that all the time in their stands, and I have never heard of any problems.

 

[ozarkeagle]

I have used catalytic tent heaters many times. Even still have my old Coleman ones that use white gas. The newer propane ones are better. I mainly use a Coleman black cat now.
As others have mentioned ventilation is critical, there is usually plenty of ventilation in most tents. A buttoned down 4 season model may not have enough ventilation. You could just use it in the morning to warm things up to get dressed or only run it while you are awake to increase safety.

 

[dcliffhanger]

For starters, if you are going to a cabin and the temps are dipping to 32 that little heater will not do the job. You are going to have sick kid.

I have 3-4 of the heaters shown sitting around. They are never used. If it is below 45 degrees you can sit right on top of them and freeze to death. I have sit in a chair and wrapped myself in a blanket with the heater under the chair and been cold.

Go for the Big Buddy. It uses two propane tanks and will run all night. The single tank units will only burn 5-6 hours. It has the O2 shutoff and you will be spared that worry. It also has enough BTU rating to actually heat a room.

Couple of years back we had a long term power outage mid winter. The Big Buddy kept 500 sq/ft of my house livable for 5 days of deep winter. I have been using it for 6 years as a tent heater (big tent 12x12x8 canvas) It is an excelent unit and I will buy another if this one goes out.

 

[gizZzmo]

Id be very careful about tent heaters. If used, only for short periods - never while asleep etc.

 

[EdD270]

I've used those propane cat heaters in tents and vehicles for years, also the older white gas models. They burn up enormous amounts of O2, but crack a window and they're fine and so are you. They also put out an amazing amount of heat, I've never had to turn up the setting above medium to get the tent plenty warm, even in the CO Rockies on elk hunts and winter Scout camps.
Leave a window open a couple of inches, and a roof vent if your tent has one, or two windows if not, and you'll be fine. Biggest thing I worry about is fire. Be sure to put the heater somewhere it won't get kicked over by someone tossing and turning in their sleep, or getting up to go to the Johnnie in the dark.

 

[haha49]

I wouldn't use it inside any enclosed area.
These heaters put off plenty of Carbon Monoxide, and I wouldn't want to take the chance.

I don't own one.

I would but I would only run it for a short time with a vent on the top of the tent open.. or a window.. then turn it off and close it off but I wouldnt recomend it for inside..

 

[msc]

I have plenty of catalytic heaters. That SportCat, a couple BlackCats, the bigger ProCat. Plus a couple Big Buddys I keep at my cabins. When I was driving those long distances, I kept the SportCat in my truck during the winter, as a part of my kit (but brought in in and out of the house when I got home and when I left in the morning). That SportCat will heat up my truck tent nicely, but is two small for my bigger wall tent.
All those heaters work extremly well (sized to the job) and are pretty safe. I use them in cabins, horse trailers, the shed, the milkhouse, truck tents and ground tents, and and have for many years with never a single issue. I use them only with sufficient ventilation and I never sleep with them in operation, Also, I never place one between myrself and the doorway of my tent, trailer, cabin, etc.

Never leave one unattended, Just use plain common sense

 

[sayter liften]

i have an old coleman catalytic heater, pretty big sucker, and used it while deer hunting in the ruby mountians nevada, very cold, and the tent has roof vents under the rain fly and was able to let it burn on low all night, kept the tent nice and warm and had a stable bottom, was very hard to knock over but i made sure it was not anyway near a place i would walk past going to the john or a flammable source and it burned for a couple of nights with one tank of fuel.

 

[CoSteve]

Please use caution when using a Coleman® Sport Cat™ Catalytic Heater With Intestate™. I use an old one 5 years or so back and got very sick.

We switched to the Mr. Heater and ran them for several seasons, we set up 2 of them in a 10x20 tent giving us 18,000 BTU. Be aware that you will go threw allot of those lb propane containers. Also they don't like it when your camping about 8,500 '. The O2 sensors will pop the flame off.

I don't know if its an option for you but we have moved things over to a 4Dog wood burning stove, this thing kicks a**.

 

[corndogggy]

For starters, if you are going to a cabin and the temps are dipping to 32 that little heater will not do the job. You are going to have sick kid.

I ditched the tent heater idea and got a cabin instead. I wasn't getting the tent heater for the cabin. The cabin had electric and an oil based radiator heater kept us plenty warm.

 

[Colorado Rancher]

We just heard of this today after some of our local rodeo kids found out their friends had died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
http://www.krqe.com/dpp/home/Teens-...+krqe-topstories+(KRQE+News+13+-+Top+Stories)

2 high school seniors dead after using a heater in a camper shell.

 

[Wetz]

I have a Mr. Heater Buddy. I have used it several times in my tent for cold camping while hunting and what not. I like it because it takes the edge off inside the tent. One of the 1 lb. propane canisters lasts me up to 3 hours. That's more than enough to keep me warm until I fall asleep and then after that I don't need it anymore anyway. If it weren't for that heater, I would be a lot less likely to camp in the winter. I would take all the necessary precautions because burning propane in a tent is inherently dangerous. I would make sure there is nothing around to fall on top of the heater. I also lift mine off the ground with a cooler or rubbermaid container so it doesn't melt the bottom of my tent and that also ensures it is on a level surface and less likely to tip over. Plus, I like the heat to be next to me not on the floor.

 

[a1bigtuna]

I use a Mr Heater portable (original set up is for the 1 lb can), but I have a hose and run it just outside the tent door to a larger tank. I have a small flat metal tool box that is 6 inches tall and a foot square and set the heater on that, along with a "D" cell battery powered fan (which will run for days on 4 "D" cells) and turn the heater sideways with the fan blowing the heat toward my sleep area. This way I don't have hot air being pulled into a cheap fan and possible fan damage. Oh, even though this has an O2 shut-off feature, but I have a smoke detector as well as a CO detector (that one is kept right by my head when sleeping). Haven's awoke up dead yet. That fan really does make a difference and can be directed a little more away when wanted.

 

[die_trying45]

I use the Mr. Heater Buddy (indoor use version) for my Eureka Titan tent (128 square feet), works like a charm compared to my older Coleman Procat which was cheaper in quality and didn't seem to output the same amount of heat. Just to be safe...I do keep 2 windows open a little bit which doesn't effect the heat too much.