Wall tent heat source

[skeeter 20i]

We usually go with a big buddy heater for early deer season and a wood stove for late and elk camp.  Our tent is a 12x14 and the big buddy works just fine, we run ours from the time we come back for the night to the next morning.  We use one of those battery powered co2 monitors just to be safe also.  To give u an idea for consumption rate we usually change out a 20# tank every 4-5 days depending.

Yes there is some associated moisture with propane but it isn't that bad.  Everything is relative between wood/propane yes wood is a better kind of heat in my opinion but we are substituting propane for its ease and safety during a high fire danger time of year.

  Just to be clear, you're monitoring CO or CO2?  CO is what will kill you and is produced by burning propane.

nope i know what i mean, we're  monitoring the bubbles in our drinks  .  Yes we're monitoring the stuff that could kill you thanks for that    Never had a monitor  chirp once and we run 2 to be safe.

[deerhunter_98520]

Good idea on the monitors  Ill pick one of those up too

[JimmyHoffa]

moisture was the biggie from what I remember.  When using propane the air didn't dry out so there was lots of condensation and clothes were tougher to dry.  For the woodstove, it would dry so well that people would leave a pot of water to keep from getting to dry inside (except when hanging clothes).

[ghosthunter]

I am using both. Used just the Big Buddy for years. If you are out for a week at a time and its raining the propane doesn't cut it.  Your clothes will feel clammy. The wood stove is the best option.

One thing you should not do with either is seal your tent up tight. Leave a window unzipped a ways and have a little cross breeze all the time.

We never run the Buddy all night. If you have a good bag you don't need too. Just in the am and bedtime.

You can sleep comfortable all night long in a good bag regardless of the temps we get in this state with one little trick.

A $12.00 hot water bottle from any pharmacy. Before bed boil up a pan of water ,dump in the bottle, Wrap the bottle in  clothing or pillow case and put it in the bottom of your bag before bed.

Stays warm all night.

reuse the same water each night. 

[deerhunter_98520]

That's a great tip ghost  thanks

[Hunting7mm]

The Mister Buddy heaters work very well, we had to limit it to only one of the two burners because it got too warm.

 
 Hunted Idaho in 7 degree weather and it kept our tent nice and warm.

[bearpaw]

kerosene space heater and a good ventilation, inexpensive, easy to haul in fuel, and capable of knocking back any winter temp.

I've got a whole shelf of old kerosene heaters I quit using. The wicks are a pain to maintain and kerosene is a pain to fill every night. I like wood stoves or propane heaters better, personal preference I guess.

We usually go with a big buddy heater for early deer season and a wood stove for late and elk camp.  Our tent is a 12x14 and the big buddy works just fine, we run ours from the time we come back for the night to the next morning.  We use one of those battery powered co2 monitors just to be safe also.  To give u an idea for consumption rate we usually change out a 20# tank every 4-5 days depending.

Yes there is some associated moisture with propane but it isn't that bad.  Everything is relative between wood/propane yes wood is a better kind of heat in my opinion but we are substituting propane for its ease and safety during a high fire danger time of year.

  Just to be clear, you're monitoring CO or CO2?  CO is what will kill you and is produced by burning propane.

I won't say for certain but it seems propane fumes escape canvas better and aren't so much an issue as in a closed space. I've heard of numerous campers dieing from CO in a camper with closed windows. I would also be more cautious in a nylon tent that doesn't breath as well. Definitely a good idea to have a monitor. I think I remember reading that the propane heaters with the newer infrared burners are cleaner burning than the older style heaters without the infrared burners or the space heaters. I always recommend that you do not sleep with propane heaters burning, run them while you are awake and shut them off till you get up in the morning. 

[Buzz2401]

We use a kwik camp stove in our 16x24 and it burns all night just fine.  I use a little buddy in my smaller tent but I really don't like the heat or the condensation that comes with its use and I also never sleep as well cause I am always paranoid of the CO gases.  I have a hard time trusting my wife and I's lives to a $30 chinese made CO monitor.

[jeepster]

Don't know if somebody has mentioned this, but the by product of burning propane is moisture. Running a Mr buddy or similar unit, can potentially make your tent similar to a steam room. I own an Alaknak 12x12 and I run a cylinder stove. I wish mine was bigger, as I can't stoke it and have it run till morning. The alaknaks are very vulnerable to condensation as they aren't canvas, the they have alot of vents and don't hold heat as well, but with my experience with propane, whether camping or on boats or rvs I think it's the worst heat source. Even building boats, we would use a bunch of catalytic heaters hooked to a BBQ bottle and the walls would drip. Personally, I would get a big cylinder stove, you can stoke it, and if you add a stack robber or chimney oven and inmprove the dampner system, you can have a very efficient stove that will run hot all night. Another option is a cylinder stove modified to run on pellets.

Honestly, a good heavy stove, a thermoelectric fan, and a wool blanket makes for the best nights sleep in the world, at least for me.

However, you could make a flue for a marine propane furnace like the Dickenson Newport, and make it externally vented so you wouldn't run into condensation issues would still need a chimney, but you would have dry heat

[Larry S.]

The byproducts of burning propane are carbon dioxide and water vapor. I have and use a propane heater when there's a fire danger in the area and don't want to take a chance on a spark arrestor not catching all of the sparks from my wood stove - which produces a dry heat. The downside of a propane heater is that, in a cold environment, your tent walls will quickly become cold too and, when the water vapor comes in contact with those walls, it will condense and the walls will get damp. I usually have to use a towel to dry my Alaknak Tent walls after using the propane heater overnight.

One way or another, though, it's always better to be warm. Propane heaters are convenient, but I prefer a wood stove for its dry heat...even if it means feeding the beast at night.

Larry S.

[deerhunter_98520]

I've been looking at the gravity fed pellet stoves latey and I'm contemplating trying to build one myself and try it out...I like the idea of the pellets and one bag burining all night...anyone else try this? Or any suggestions to build one?

[3dvapor]

I built this one.   It works awesome here but have had to make some changes when hunting out of state in high altitude areas.  8000ft.  This picture is without the hopper.

[Jaques Bonet]

I like to use coal when I can get it , last longer than wood. Also have a big buddy with large tank that I put out in a dome ten. If you have ever hunted in below zero temp coal is awesome , also load it up before going out to hunt and damper down you will come back to a warm tent. I have hunted eastern Montana over 20 times and have never had a problem. Happy Hunting, Jaques Bonet

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Growing up we had an old 8' truck camper which did not have a heater. The Old Man would start one stove top burner. Propane. And place a small to medium clay pot over the burner. It acted as a heat exchanger and I don't remember any condensation issues? Don't see why you couldn't do this with the Mr. Heater in a wall tent?

[bobcat]

But isn't a propane stove in a camper vented to the outside?