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Tent heat?

Mannlicher said:
well gee whiz.
I suppose a fellow has to write a freaking book here, to put forth all the antecedents, and outline one's entire life experience before asking a simple question, that requires an answer such as "yes, have used x heater, and it worked", or "I used a heater and it did not work", or even "I used a heater and died because I was overcome with CO", or ...........

well you get the picture.:jerkit:
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No, I don't get the picture. I thought everybody was quite helpful. Maybe I'm missing something? This is a discussion forum, right?

Doc
 
If your bag is a 40 degree bag on a good mattress and you wear your long johns and socks, along with a hat you'll be good. The extra wool blanket won't hurt and water bottles work well too.

Have fun.
 
There are lots of tips for keeping warm while winter camping and some of them have been touched on here, but your qustion was ...
Mannlicher said:
If someone has used a catalytic propane heater in the tent, I'd appreciate your thoughts.
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I am an experienced cold and hot tent winter camper and have tried several models of heaters. During the time between shutting down the camp kitchen and turning in for the night I will use a heater in the tent if it it is too cold to sit without my coat on. Once I turn in I shut it down but in the morning it is nice to heat things up a bit before getting out of the cozy bag.

The model I use http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_10210207_325003000_325000000_325003000_325-3-0has a low Oxygen sensor/shut off and will also shut off if tipped over. It is widely considered to be one of the safest catalytic heaters for use in a tent. Note that there is a minimal amount of ventialtion required but you need that anyway to prevent frosting on the ceiling. good luck, gerry
 
When I went camping over the summer it didn't get very cold (low 40's) but in the morning the moisture inside the tent was so bad everything felt wet and I knew if it happened any more I would probably wake up sick. I decided to solve this problem by heating rocks by the fire and putting them in the tent when it was time for bed. I don't know how well this would work for heating the tent but it made a huge difference in my case and is something I will do from now on.
 
I like cold weather camping. The foam mattress under the thermarest is good. I've taken one of those fleece sleeping bags and slid both mattresses into it. Works well. I also sleep dressed. Fleece pants and hooded jacket. Fleece hat and gloves. Remember to swap your socks out for dry ones. I have a small candle lantern lit. This adds a small amount of heat and I've found it lessens the condensation. Eat something before bed and keep a bottle of water. dehydration is an issue in the cold. getting a leg cramp at 3 am while all zipped up can be interesting. In the am, remove your bag and air it out. See you in the woods
 
knifenut1013 said:
When I went camping over the summer it didn't get very cold (low 40's) but in the morning the moisture inside the tent was so bad everything felt wet and I knew if it happened any more I would probably wake up sick. I decided to solve this problem by heating rocks by the fire and putting them in the tent when it was time for bed. I don't know how well this would work for heating the tent but it made a huge difference in my case and is something I will do from now on.
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This works very well but I would add that if you do this, it might be a good idea to place the rocks into some kind of canvas bag or something. I had a few rocks explode in my tent last year. Just a thought.
 
^ I put them on a piece of wood to keep them from melting anything, I also used rocks that had been around the fire for a few burns. Never seen a rock explode but will keep it in mind, that could turn out bad :( hot rock shrapnel stuck in your arse.
 
knifenut1013 said:
^ I put them on a piece of wood to keep them from melting anything, I also used rocks that had been around the fire for a few burns. Never seen a rock explode but will keep it in mind, that could turn out bad :( hot rock shrapnel stuck in your arse.
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Its not so much that they blew up like a grenade as much as it was that they shattered into sharp pieces that I didn't see when getting up to pee and it didn't feel good on bare feet. So canvas bag and put it on a piece of wood....I think we got a good plan now.
 
You guys who are getting out of a warm sleeping bag in sub-zero temps to recycle some beer should consider an Advanced In-Tent Urinary Management System. Those old wide-mouth Lexan Nalgenes that some folks say aren't the safest for drinking can be converted to waste disposal. Alternatively, I'll put some military logos and the acronym AITUMS on a new Nalgene and sell you one for $20.:D

Joking aside, not going outside to relieve yourself and staying mostly inside the sleeping bag really does help keep you warmer through the night.

DancesWithKnives
 
gerryg said:
There are lots of tips for keeping warm while winter camping and some of them have been touched on here, but your qustion was ...

I am an experienced cold and hot tent winter camper and have tried several models of heaters. During the time between shutting down the camp kitchen and turning in for the night I will use a heater in the tent if it it is too cold to sit without my coat on. Once I turn in I shut it down but in the morning it is nice to heat things up a bit before getting out of the cozy bag.

The model I use http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_10210207_325003000_325000000_325003000_325-3-0has a low Oxygen sensor/shut off and will also shut off if tipped over. It is widely considered to be one of the safest catalytic heaters for use in a tent. Note that there is a minimal amount of ventialtion required but you need that anyway to prevent frosting on the ceiling. good luck, gerry
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Hey gerryg,

Not to be disagreeable, but anything can malfunction, and I'm not willing to bet my life on it.

Doc
 
gerryg said:
There are lots of tips for keeping warm while winter camping and some of them have been touched on here, but your qustion was ...

I am an experienced cold and hot tent winter camper and have tried several models of heaters. During the time between shutting down the camp kitchen and turning in for the night I will use a heater in the tent if it it is too cold to sit without my coat on. Once I turn in I shut it down but in the morning it is nice to heat things up a bit before getting out of the cozy bag.

The model I use http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_10210207_325003000_325000000_325003000_325-3-0has a low Oxygen sensor/shut off and will also shut off if tipped over. It is widely considered to be one of the safest catalytic heaters for use in a tent. Note that there is a minimal amount of ventialtion required but you need that anyway to prevent frosting on the ceiling. good luck, gerry
Click to expand...


thanks Gerry, Just what I needed
 
Just a couple tips from a scout in Utah. I've done a lot of winter camping over the years. Eat some good carbs before hitting the sack, also fire up the stove and boil up some water. Get something warm to eat or drink. Take a couple water bottles that don't leak fill them with boiling water and put them in your bag before you go to sleep, this will get your bag warm before you climb in. You could also sleep with the bottles so you don't have frozen water in the morning. Take a leak before you get into bed. And don't over dress for sleeping, too many clothes can restrict the ability for you to generate heat.

The most important thing in ground insulation like others have said. It is also important to remember the wind in the mornings and evenings, find shelter from that evil beast. I used either a bivy bag, tarp envilope or even my body bag without a tent to sleep in. Do make sure you have some shelter from wind. I have woke up in the morning with 2 feet of snow on top of me and dread getting out in the cold because I've been so warm.

Also like all other out door or camping skills, go out and do it. You will learn quickly in the cold what works and what doesn't. Our troop would camp at least once a month all year round, good weather or bad. We learned a lot doing it that way.

You don't have to have a heater, just some experience under your belt.
 
Fellers your givin some great tips and I appreciate reading them but I'm pretty sure the OP is wanting to heat his tent up for hanging out in. He is not worried about sleeping, he has a good bag rated to 0 so should be fine at night. Which is exactly what I use my heater for, mainly mornings and late evenings before I rack out. I play paintball and hunt and it is nice to go into a warm, lighted tent in the evening to clean my gear and get it ready for tomorrow, when I go to bed I turn the lights and the heat off.

This trip was a couple of years ago in early December, before I got my cabelas tent. Earlier in the morning the same day this picture was taken, it was way down in the teens, the tent behind me was heated and I was very grateful for it. Chris

Picture015.jpg
 
No I haven't used any in tent heaters (except my woman) and I will not be using a heater while camping until I am camping in a trailer/camper.
 
You guys who are getting out of a warm sleeping bag in sub-zero temps to recycle some beer should consider an Advanced In-Tent Urinary Management System.
Click to expand...

I use the small liquid laundry soap containers with the spigot pulled out. For a smaller bottle I use the Ragu tomato sauce plastic jars, both have spill proof lids.

The only heat I've used is a 2-dog and 4-dog wood stove. I reload it a few times during the night. It drafts very well, the pieces of stove pipe are sheet metal screwed together. I have a piece of iron support holding the pipe on the outside of the tent. I only use it when camping for more than 4 or 5 days.

2196667930033885154S600x600Q85.jpg


2556631980033885154S600x600Q85.jpg
 
I have had great sucess with using electric space heaters running off the generator for heating tents, drying out sleeping bags and other gear after a wet rough day on canoe trips.

Sometimes the generator wasn't with us. I would place large rocks into the fire and get them really hot. Back in the tent I placed large flat rocks on the floor of the tent with the grill on top. Then carefully place the hot rocks from the fire on top. We were toasty warm at night even though there was frost outside.

As the rocks cool down over the hours, I would repace them with hot rocks from the fire as needed.
 
A lot of good info, and some valuable tips. I do appreciate all the input, despite my being somewhat of a curmudgeon. :p

I have been camping, hiking, and working on fieldcraft for better than 55 years now. I just don't live up north, so most of my experience has been in temps above 30F.
I have closets, boxes and a shed full of gear.............

Being an old guy, I darn sure know about 'middle of the night bottles'. :cool:

Thanks again for sharing your experience with me for getting along in an environment I don't normally camp out in.
 
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