Tent heaters

[trailblaze]

any one use a coleman tent heater... the propane type?

does it work and keep the tent warmer? does it choke you up from the fumes?

[tjblair]

Yes they work good, but you definitly have to vent the tent. Or you will wake up with a he'll of a headake, or not wake up at all.

[Muzikman]

I have one, but not a Coleman. It's works great, however, if you try and run it all night, the tank runs out.

For the life of me I can't remember the brand or model, but I got it at HomeDepot.

I have no 4 season multi-person tents, so I have never used it in a totally sealed tent. The rest of my tents are 3 season with the majority of the tent is mesh, so it vents well and never had a problem.

[trailblaze]

yeah the roof of mine is mesh like all the time... i doubt it would "seal" the CO2 inside.

just trying to find a solution to the freezing involved in spring/ fall camping. it was 36 degrees at night last memorial day when we camped and it's a bit earlier in the season this yr.

[TimMichaels]

I have a small Coleman one a friend gave me as a birthday gift. Think she got it for 35 bucks or so; it's the smallest, cheapest one they had. I don't use it often but when I do it's great, and I put it through worse conditions than 30 degrees (read: in the snow.) Makes a huge difference in my 1.5 man tent and has a decent effect on my four-man tent. Ventillation is not much of a problem, even in my mostly-sealed smaller tent. I think the propane runs out on the larger ones, but with the reduced output of the smaller one one of those small green bottles can last me about 10 hours or so. They're not overly bulky but probably still too heavy for backpacking; I mostly use it when I camp from the Jeep or canoe.

36 degrees ain't bad at all though! Get yourself a good mummy bag and you will sleep comfortably every time. Spooning with a girl also helps during winter camping. But in lieu of those, I'll definitely recommend the Coleman heaters.

[Muzikman]

I do agree, 36º would not be an issue if you use a sleeping bag designed for it.

Also, if you use an air mattress, don't. It's a lot harder to warm up the air in the mattress and you end up being cold all night. Get a closed cell foam pad or a self inflating pad like a Therm-a-rest.

[TimMichaels]

I do agree, 36º would not be an issue if you use a sleeping bag designed for it.

Also, if you use an air mattress, don't. It's a lot harder to warm up the air in the mattress and you end up being cold all night. Get a closed cell foam pad or a self inflating pad like a Therm-a-rest.

x2. Even if you don't have one of those, lining the base of the tent with a thick movers blanket or two then laying the sleeping bags on top will help to insulate you from the ground.

[Harley25]

Get an electric blanket and a camp site with an electrical hookup. Just ask Bill about this.

[Muzikman]

Nothing like being electrocuted when it rains though.

[dan58]

I use this one, made by Coleman:


I typically don't run it all night. It heats the tent nicely, then I crawl into my sleeping bag. In the morning, I fire it up to get it nice and toasty. That said, I have a semi-mummy bag for those cold nights. I've been in it down into the low 20s, and I never have an issue (other than having to crawl out of a warm sleeping bag to recycle some beer in the middle of the night).

[Bill]

Get an electric blanket and a camp site with an electrical hookup. Just ask Bill about this.

I have never done this...






































Though I have considered it. Hell, the last camping trip to Erie we went on I should have done this. My tent warmer (READ: Michelle) was failing me.

[trailblaze]

see if i had all the right stuff i would have been ok.

what i used was a 5 man tent with an air mattress in it. i had one sleeping bag (for 2 of us) that we folded open, then we brought along 2 comforters and another blanket. it wasn't too bad when we were asleep. but if we turned over or moved a bit the area around us under the comforters was cold, and the air in the tent was super cold on the face. i don't think i shivered while sleeping, just when i got out to piss then back in. don't have much money to spend (50 $ gift card to gander mtn) so i'm trying to get the most bang for my buck.

not using the air bed would be ok with me... but the other person would make my life more miserable not using it.. the ground is hard you guys! however, if we put a blanket down on the tent first, maybe that will help.

so for around 50 bucks i might be able to pick up a heater. or two cheaper bags. or one better one for myself!!

[wozz]

I have no experience with them because I really wouldn't feel safe with something in my tent like that using oxygen. How ever to stay warm while camping at rausch a few weeks ago I used a therma care back rap. It was amazing.

[EddyB]

My buddies dad used one for a while. Luckily he had a hat, glasses, and a full beard when it blew up. The tent doubled in size, then shrunk in half. Nobody knows for sure what went wrong, but I'll just stick to an extra sleeping bag and a wool blanket.

[Grammar Nazi]

I have never done this...Though I have considered it. Hell, the last camping trip to Erie we went on I should have done this. My tent warmer (READ: Michelle) was failing me.

It was just too damn cold and not enough warm sleeping bags or enough sweatpants and socks to keep me warm!!

[rokhound21]

This past fall while at RC it was 26 deg Fri nite, Sat nite, & then Sun morn it was 24 when we got up!! That was extremely COLD I woulda risked the co2 in the tent that nite for sure !!!!!

[DeathBlade556]

Heat up a giant rock near the blazing inferno(camp fire) then haul it into the tent(put something underneath it so it doesn't burn a hole though the tent) . On just stay up all night tending to the camp fire(blazing inferno) I've done that last one more times than I can count.

[LaurelHighTim]

You guys sound like a bunch of girls!

25-40 degrees is perfect sleeping weather.

You just need to make sure that you have the right kind of sleeping bag (western mountaineering, feather frends, marmot, mountain hardware) rated for the proper temperature, and with the proper clothing on underneath. Another important thing that no one mentioned here is to wear a skull cap and a pair of light weight gloves, and wool socks. You lose a ton of heat through your head, hands, and feet. Do not wear cotton T-Shirts, or cotton sweat pants or sweat shirts as these will hold moisture, and you will feel all warm wet a cozy at first, then after you wet out, the cold will start to chill down that moisture and make it ten times worse. I know all you guys got Under Armor to wear hunting bambi, try that, and if not, Mr. Walton is selling Starter Brand UA at his giant retail stores now adays for around $8 per item.

[Leady]

I'm hesitant about buying a nice cold weather rated sleeping bag because I'll never use it in the summertime when I do the majority of my camping.

[Muzikman]

Buy a 40º+ bag, then buy a silk liner and a bag cover, that will give you another 15º or so. A 40º bag in the spring and fall is nice, then you can use just the liner in the summer.

[Muzikman]

Oh, and I think Big Agnes has become my favorite bag company. I just bought a King Solomon, but have not used it yet. All their bags have a pad sleeve so you can not roll off your pad. The bag is very well built and a really good price. We just need to see how it works in the real world.

[BAD_GNR]

If you plan on doing more cold weather camping, get a better bag, or an air mattress, getting yourself up off the ground makes a world of difference.

Or, eat a lot of beans for dinner. That always seams to heat up the tent. There's a reason stufatta is the Italian word for space heater (literally translated, it's fart).

[OverkillZJ]

You guys sound like a bunch of girls!

I was thinking the same thing, haha. I've n ever been cold in the tent in ANY crazy weather, it's getting OUT of the tent that's the problem.

[trailblaze]

well some of us camp with girls and mine bitches about the cold...

i am usually passed out drunk and i dont wake unless i have to pee until morning.

i think we will get better bags and more booze.

[OverkillZJ]

You should be warming her up (from the inside out) DUH!