Tent Heater?

[midniteT4Rtrail]

I'm a newbie to campy as an adult and I'm looking to do some camping near Lone Pine late February or March sometime. Looks like it gets fairly cold in the evenings so I was interested in a heater. Most articles I've read recommend not using a heater in a tent. I'm interested in what everyone else is doing or using. I have a roof top CVT Mt. Shasta Summit Series tent.

Thanks!

 

[billum v2.0]

I'm a 3 season camper (Fall/Winter/Spring) with the Tepui version of your Mt. Shasta Summit Series. I've tried the Mr. Buddy propane heater in the tent, but it produced too much moisture while running, causing condensation on the tent walls and damp/wet bedding. In colder temps, we had thick layer of frost build up on the tent walls and aluminum supports, which turns to water when the sun rises.
Now, it's Smartwool or polypro long johns, Smartwool Expedition socks, heavy wool blankets, a wool neck gaiter and watch cap. Fill a pair of Nalgene water bottles with boiling water a half hour before bed (goes between mattress and blankets, one at my feet and one near my kidneys). Pull on a pair of loose wool mittens when I climb into bed and I'm good for the night unless more than a few hours below 15-20°. A cheap chemical heat pack in each sock/mitten will get me down t0 single digits, although not comfortably.

 

[mAd mOrdigan]

We got into the high 20's in Sequoia several weeks ago with a ton of blankets, crappy coleman sleeping bags, thermals under sweater and sweatpants and some wool socks, you would think this would have been horrible, but we had those chemical heat packs all over and felt toasty. I have some 20D sleeping bags on order, hopefully that will keep us comfortable with only a sweatshirt and sweatpants and wool socks so we can forego the chemical heat packs.

I'm trying to avoid using a Mr. Buddy as I fear I may wakeup dead if it decides to malfunction. I also now have a yeti400 so I might look into some of those ceramic element heaters.

 

[vidkun]

Mr. Buddy heater on a large cookie sheet or a folded up canvas sheet/tarp/whatever. Leave a window or two open a little bit to avoid the condensation buildup.

 

[LostInSocal]

I've been out there in the mid-20's. I don't have a Mr. Buddy but I do own one of the Coleman Catalytic heater (I assume they use very similar technologies). Typically, when it's that cold, I have the heater one for up to a few hours in the evening before bed, but it's definitely off before I tuck myself in. In the morning, I turn it back on for about 15 minutes just so I can change and not freeze my ass off.

In terms of sleepwear, I have on a pair of thermal top and bottom, fleece-lined sweat pants, a synthetic long-sleeve top, then my light down jacket with the hood, beanie, and wool socks. If it's especially cold, I throw on another light sweater under the down jacket. Even if I don't think I'll need the down jacket, I'll bring it into the sleeping bag and lay on top of it, then if I do need it in the middle of the night, it's there and ready to go, and if I don't, it provides another layer of cushion and insulation. I just picked up one of those Rumpl down blankets at an REI sale. I need to figure out how to integrate it into my sleep system but once I do it's going to be super cozy when I get out there this winter.

 

[trailspinTV]

I've been using the Mr. Buddy running off of a 20lb propane tank this season (you can buy a hose and fuel filter and leave the tank outside of your tent) for over 80 hours of high-setting run time, and have been enjoying it. I'll echo @vidkun and say that it's best to have it sitting on something non-combustible like a cookie sheet in case it somehow gets knocked on its face when the grill cover is hot. Everything except for the grill is cool enough to touch, and it will shut off when O2 levels are low or its moved or knocked over. Keep in mind that the O2 sensor will also prevent it from working in elevations exceeding 7,000 ft.

I use a summer tent with a rain fly on it, where the screens are alway open, so the constant air flow prevents condensation. Since warm air rises, I have a lightweight USB-powered fan hanging from the center of the dome that pushes the warm air downwards and creates even more circulation - and the fan is powered by a large USB battery charging bank. The heater combined with a 20-degree sleeping bag, wool hat, thermals, and dry clothing (don't wear what you wore during the day as even the tiniest bit of moisture will make you cold) has created quite cozy sleeping conditions for me so far in temps as low as 20 degrees. I am soon buying a 3+ season tent (REI Basecamp 6) and will be trying this setup in there as well.

The safest method is obviously not using a heater at all, and just getting a bag or mummy that's rated for the temps you are camping in. I find the heater makes waking up and leaving your bag MUCH easier though.

 

[sailor96]

I use the mutt
He puts a good amount heat

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[Cort]

I’ll second the buddy heater with 20lb tank. Simply awesome. I’ll try the usb fan this winter, that idea sounds like a winner.

I keep windows partially open to help with condensation which happens without heaters too.

 

[billum v2.0]

The OP's Summit Series Mt. Shasta is similar to my Ruggedized version of Tepui RTT's, both tents have fabric approx. 40% heavier than the standard series fabric. I've found that the benefits of the added fabric bulk also comes with the downside of retarding the fabric's ability to breath and aids its ability to retain moisture.

We sleep with the side windows unzipped a couple inches as well as a 10" battery operated fan running throughout the night to aid air circulation. We had to leave both side windows fully opened in order to run the Mr. Buddy for as short as an hour or the moisture produced by the heater would overwhelm the tent fabric/bedding/mattress.

 

[vegasjeepguy]

I will run a heater for a few minutes before bed to take the chill out and warm up the tent and bedding. I rely on the bedding to keep warm throughout the night. I then fire up the heater in the morning to warm up the tent when it’s time to get up.

 

[Sparky]

I've considered a 12v electric blanket and a portable power supply. Would probably be a good write up if somebody wanted to do a current draw test so we can approximate how long we can power them off a given source.

I'm a big fan of up-rating sleeping bags. Just because the bag will keep you alive at a given temp doesn't mean you'll be comfortable. For the Sierra's I always always always bring my 0-degree down bag, even in summer and usually in combination with a fleece blanket. I never have to zip up into full-mummy and I'm always comfortable. I do like to sprawl out when I sleep I'll admit that. May be something to consider.

 

[socalmtbiker]

Like others I use a little buddie in a eeziawn rtt. I however turn it on prior to entering the tent then just leave the pilot light on while I sleep. Then turn it on intermittently in the night. I’m looking into a propex system but it’s pricey and my kids don’t really care for cold weather camping.
Otherwise a good sleeping bag goes a long way. Extra blankets.


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[Hella-Buggin']

I use a Mr. Buddy (larger one) but only to get things toasty for bet time and in the morning.

 

[Cort]

The OP's Summit Series Mt. Shasta is similar to my Ruggedized version of Tepui RTT's, both tents have fabric approx. 40% heavier than the standard series fabric. I've found that the benefits of the added fabric bulk also comes with the downside of retarding the fabric's ability to breath and aids its ability to retain moisture.

We sleep with the side windows unzipped a couple inches as well as a 10" battery operated fan running throughout the night to aid air circulation. We had to leave both side windows fully opened in order to run the Mr. Buddy for as short as an hour or the moisture produced by the heater would overwhelm the tent fabric/bedding/mattress.

All single wall tents have this issue, it’s the nature of the beast. It will happen year round with dew.

 

[Andrew A.]

I also use a Mr Heater (The medium size one) hooked up to a 20lb tank and a battery powered ceiling fan for down-drafting and air circulation.
It is a system designed by trial and error, and lots of after-camping-trip evaluations. My conclusion thus far, is that my tent is too big. It is a 12 person Coleman cabin style tent, and we are a family of 4; 2 adults and 2 kids. Lol

Though in all fairness to the Mr Heater, it actually worked TOO well previously when we had a smaller 4 person dome tent. Just having appropriately rated sleeping bags (mummy style) and good sleep clothing should be more than adequate for cold weather camping, but while the kids are still small, I just have to keep on trying with the heater method.

I don't have a RTT, but I've actually thought about what I would do if I did (regarding heating). You'd probably have to try this for me and let me know if it works!
I would try using the propane heater with the annex walls attached, and place the heater on the ground inside the annex. The Mr Heater puts out some crazy BTU's on high throttle, but without a fan to push and mix the hot air around, this heat just goes straight up in a tight column. I'm thinking that this would actually work in a RTT's favor and the hot air would rise up the annex and fill your tent with beautiful warmth. Hook it up to a 20lb tank, and you can run it all night, every night, without worrying about someone's foot knocking it over in their sleep. Crack open a window on the opposite end of the tent, and you might even get some nice drafting like an offset smoker! I really want to get a RTT just to try this.


Regarding your concerns with safety, after many camping trips with the Mr Heater, I think that it is totally safe, as long as there is some space between it and anything flammable/meltable. Which is why the RTT with annex just might be the perfect thing for it.

 

[Anak]

I have tried a tent heater in a lousy tent, and I have tried no heater in a good tent. No heater in a good tent wins.

I have one of the little Buddy heaters. I have small children (Varmints). For safety purposes I have made a pair of brackets which allow me to attach the heater to the metal panel that makes up the top work surface of my mess kit. This takes care of tip over issues and helps keep the heater at a distance from sleeping bags. I have also added to the kit a battery powered CO detector (because I would feel really bad if I killed the whole family in an effort to keep us warm). I have found that a single 1lb propane canister is almost enough to run the heater on low for one night. We get condensation, but we also get a night's sleep. And we survive. It works.

However, I much prefer using a good tent, if possible. This worked really well:

That is a North Face USMC Arctic tent. I can't imagine liking it in the summer, but it is the right tool for the job in cold weather.

A good sleep system also helps. We don't have fancy sleeping bags, but I start with a tarp under the tent floor, then the tent, then a layer of space blanket pads (not the really thin mylar things, but rather the ones that are silver mylar on both sides with maybe 1/4" of padding in the middle), then Thermarests, then sleeping bags, and finally a layer of wool blankets over the top. Add fleece pajamas and knit caps and we are good to go for snow.

My only problem with that tent is that we are outgrowing it. Varmint #1 is pushing 6' (at 13) and the other two will be likewise in a few years. We are already pretty cramped in there. I need to find a 6 person version of the same tent.

With regard to the idea of running a tent heater in the annex of a RTT, I think that will work, but be prepared for this sort of thing:

That was one of the other folks on the same trip as the pic of the arctic tent. The heater kept them warm, but you can see what it made of the snow in the process. I don't think it posed any kind of real problem, but just something to anticipate in the right conditions.

A double wall tent looks like the right answer to me. Unfortunately, those are not exactly common. At least not in my part of the world.

 

[Andrew A.]

That is a North Face USMC Arctic tent. I can't imagine liking it in the summer, but it is the right tool for the job in cold weather.

Does your tent provide some sort of insulation, or is it just good at blocking off ventilation?
Our tent does not have any issues with condensation, even with the heater running all night, but it is drafty as hell. On windy nights, when it gusts, you can actually feel a breeze inside the tent.

 

[VentureOverlandCo]

We use a Mr. Buddy in the annex of our RTT. We also have a battery powered CO detector near us in the sleeping area. This is a good idea for any fuel based heater in an enclosed space.

 

[Andrew A.]

We use a Mr. Buddy in the annex of our RTT. We also have a battery powered CO detector near us in the sleeping area. This is a good idea for any fuel based heater in an enclosed space.

Do you feel that it works well enough to significantly warm up the sleeping area in cold weather?

 

[VentureOverlandCo]

Do you feel that it works well enough to significantly warm up the sleeping area in cold weather?

Yes, the idea isn't to get the tent to 70-80 degrees. If we can get the tent to 45-55 that is plenty. Your sleeping bag should be able to keep you warm from that point.