heating a tent in winter

[zimmerstutzen]

I have always used a small wood stove. But it takes up quite a bit of space inside the tent. A fellow I know from NJ, uses a kerosene lantern converted to burn denatured alcohol. It generates a terrific amount of heat, BUT, i am leery of alcohol burners of all types and what would happen if it got knocked over. It can be freezing outside and yet be 75 degrees in his 12 x 12 wall tent.

At the Eastern up at the reservoir above Mansfield, PA it was frosty out and my little Jotyl woodstove had it up to 80 degrees inside.

What do some of you use?

 

[Sperit de bois]

Might just have to get some 1/4"sheet steel and build one,then you can build it to what you need/want.It isnt anything to difficult,it's a box that holds fire,I have a small one out of my ice shack,,you poke the lumber to it ,your going outside.Build it up got let it burn down and bank it for the night...
sometimes it's easier to make what you want.

 

[JohnTulle]

This subject got me thinking. Maybe I'll try that small single burner Coleman stove sitting in the garage. It would probably make a difference this Fall when it dips below freezing. How much I don't know. It would be better than a candle!

It's one of those round green stoves from the 70's that is basically a Coleman lantern with a burner instead of a mantle. I've heard they run on several types of fuel, but don't know exactly which ones. I use Coleman fuel, but have also used white gas. Wow! That really dates me! :shocked2: In case you're too young to know, white gas is just unleaded gas. Just what we put in cars nowadays. (Somebody help me out if I'm wrong on that.)

Yeah, I know it isn't PC, but neither is any other type of tent heater in a 1765 era camp.
Or could I be wrong? :idunno:

Just putting out an idea, for what it's worth.

John

 

[flyfisher76544]

A brazier with some coals?

 

[Sperit de bois]

If you burn wood you can get it/pick it up on site,buy it local,if is combustable and fits in the stove,,,your warm,including the camp furniture,if you burn other fuels you carry in /carry out,store it,if you run out ,,your out.
Wood,,the alternative fuel.
If you bring it from home as a left over from the Honey Do List,,,it's free

 

[necchi]

I use Coleman fuel, but have also used white gas.,,
In case you're too young to know, white gas is just unleaded gas.,,,
(Somebody help me out if I'm wrong on that.)

What's called "White Gas" in our neck of the woods is Kerosene. :idunno:

Yeah, I know it isn't PC, but neither is any other type of tent heater in a 1765 era camp.

And that's the point, we aren't like our forefathers in that aspect. Many of us live and work year round in a finely tuned climate controlled environment.
Folks that work outside all the time are of course better conditioned, but still aren't acclimated like someone from 150-200 years ago. And of course, people died and still do from large temp swings.

I'm in Minn, it's nothing to have freezing temp's at Spring or Fall events.
I used to have a small wood stove,,
One October a few years back the steady temps where 60-70,, on the way to camp a Nor-Wester blew in with 30-40mph winds and snow, temp dropped to 20 with a steady North wind at 25mph, by Sunday it was 60 again and the 2"s of Snow was melted.
I "Slept like a Baby" that Friday night,,
"Woke up Crying every Hour"!!,, tossin another couple sticks in that stove.

I went over to the local Cabelas a few miles away the next day and got a Buddy Heater and propane tank and never looked back.
An 11# tank can keep me happy 2 days an 3 nights if kept on low.
A canvas cover over the tank behind the tent keeps PC eyes from crying.
The events I go to are not Juried, and allot of folks around here discretely use Propane for inside heat.
The big deal with heat in a tent is Carbon Monoxide and/or Oxygen deprivation and just plain steady heat.
I'd rather have a steady 50 all night than the flucuation of a small wood stove.

Yes, I know about banking a fire and proper wood stove use (usta burn about 4 cord a year) but you never know what kind of wood is available and a small stove isn't 200# of brick an steel like the Ashley ya have in the house.

 

[Mr.Brooks]

I have a small wood stove. It heats the tent, boils water, even cooked breakfast on a piece of tinfoil on top of the stove. To reiterate what's been said there is usually tons of wood around the campsite that can be used for fuel.
Don't know about a brazier with coals. At my previous workplace, before retirement, several forestworkers died from CO poisoning as a result of bringing the grill into a sealed camper. I assume it was to keep warm. I admit I don't know how a tent would compare to a camper for airtightness

 

[jdw276]

Please no on the brazier with Charcoal. Several years at a first time scout camp with a father and son, had been told not to, but because his son got cold on his first campout, put one in their tent. They never woke up. Carbon monoxide. PLEASE be careful with this.

It was their first campout ever and still to this day, 10 years later it is still discussed as a safety percaution at every campout at a BSA event in Georgia. PLEASE be careful with this.

 

[JohnTulle]

Thanks all for the replies.

Yes, I thought of a braizer but I'm not sure of the Carbon Monoxide question. Is it heavier than air and pool at the bottom of the tent? Although there is good air exchange near the top of my tent, I sleep one foot off the ground or so.

I have a 8x10 marque without a hole in the wall or roof for a stovepipe. They didn't have them back then and I want to stay PC.

I have seen people use hot rocks brought inside the tent. It works. I have also heard of digging a small hole inside the tent and bringing in hot coals and covering them with a wash basin or tub. Edges were sealed with the dirt from the hole. It might work well. Possible zinc fumes though. An 18x18" piece of plain steel sheet metal might be better. Or...

Maybe only a stove is a stove. :idunno:

Necchi, I'm in MN also -TC area- and have been to some of those "cool" camp outs.

Hey, maybe I'll get a CO detector and put that discretely by the bed. Wadda ya think?

Of course I could just not go camping when it is forecast for below freezing.

There's still some time to figure this thing out before Fall.

John

 

[jethro224]

You might take a look at this.
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/263876/

 

[necchi]

I'm up in Cloudy town,,
The storied camp was Owatonna about five years ago, Cabelas was right close.
Yes, Carbon Monoxide is heavier than Oxygen.
The Buddy Heater has a low Oxygen sensor and a tip-over sensor, either one will shut the unit off.

Of course I could just not go camping when it is forecast for below freezing

:haha: It's Minnesota man! Do you know of a Weather man you can trust for more than 12hrs?

I think we're about the only state that can go from 105 too -60 in one year,, year after year.

 

[longbow-hunter]

I just talked to a guy at Dixons on Friday and he uses 3 or 4 dutch ovens with hot coals stacked on top of each other. Keep in mind that it is a 10 x 14 foot wall tent so it is not near the side walls.

 

[flyfisher76544]

Please no on the brazier with Charcoal.

I didn't mean charcoal bud. I was talking about coals(wood) from the fire. We had a similar issue at NTC in California around 2002. 2 soldiers had a propane heater in thier tent and died from Carbon monoxide poisoning. This was before they came out with the extra safety features. We just either fill the brazier with coals(wood) from the cook fire or burn some wood down outside in the brazier before moving it in the tent. But, thanks for the safety tip.....I am sure some folks here needed it! :thumbsup:

 

[zimmerstutzen]

Jeager 62 There is no need to cut a hole in anything with your Marquis if it has the panels that hang done for sides. I have seen either a home made panel with a hole for the stove pipe or even a ply wood panel with a 2 ft x 2ft metal panel in it to serve as a place for the stove pipe to go through.

At the eastern many years ago, I saw a wall tent in which the folks just made a panel to fill in between the rear tent flaps. They pulled the flaps back and had the opening filled in with a 3ft x 5 ft sheet metal panel painted the same color as the tent. The metal panel had the stove pipe hole. It may not have been period correct, but there was also 2 inches of snow on the ground. I was going through some serious "oh manure, why didn't I think of that" because I had just cut a hole in my wall tent flap for a fiberglass stove pipe liner. When I got the marquis, I simply made the extra wall panel.

 

[Mr.Brooks]

Charcoal or coals from a fire, the risk is still there. Any slow burning fire like briquets or embers from a fire will start producing CO rather than CO2 if its in a confined space, or even a semi confined space.

 

[Problem Child]

This subject got me thinking. Maybe I'll try that small single burner Coleman stove sitting in the garage. It would probably make a difference this Fall when it dips below freezing. How much I don't know. It would be better than a candle!

It's one of those round green stoves from the 70's that is basically a Coleman lantern with a burner instead of a mantle. I've heard they run on several types of fuel, but don't know exactly which ones. I use Coleman fuel, but have also used white gas. Wow! That really dates me! :shocked2: In case you're too young to know, white gas is just unleaded gas. Just what we put in cars nowadays. (Somebody help me out if I'm wrong on that.)

Yeah, I know it isn't PC, but neither is any other type of tent heater in a 1765 era camp.
Or could I be wrong? :idunno:

Just putting out an idea, for what it's worth.

John

Do you have your will made out ??

 

[ohio ramrod]

We had a man from our area die from carbon monoxide several years back.I believe it was at an Eastern. The mind isn't as good as it used to be. But the important thing is any tent with combustion in it must be vented!. Stove pipes are best. I often would take a brasier into a tent to warm it up, but always removed it before going to bed. A warm tent to start with and a wool blanket will keep you warm all night ! :idunno:

 

[flyfisher76544]

Think I will just continue to eat chili before bed to keep me warm. Hasn't killed me yet, but the ole lady about passed out a time or two. :blah:

 

[JohnTulle]

Thanks all for the replies. I didn't know so many read what I wrote!

OK, the open flame Coleman stove is out.

The replaceable panel idea sounds good. My walls are 4 separate pieces that overlap at the corners about 14". The door is just one of the corners left loose. Roof is separate. One panel could easily be taken back and another piece put in. Painter's tarp cut to size with a stovepipe insert would work.

The buried stovepipe underneath the tent wall sounds good, too.

I don't have a small stove, but Cabella's isn't too far. I'll check out the options.


John

 

[catackett]

I have got a Buddy heater it will shut off if tipped over or if the CO level gets to high.
I use it in both my one man and my 12x16 wall tent.
I run it to warm up the tent then turn it to just the pilt light for the night and cover the lp tank with canvus outside the tent. I put a 14 foot long line to my 5lb LP tank. Just never remove the ;ine from the heater after you put it on. LP leaking and open flames bad go boom.

I have some friends that have made heaters from used wall heaters out of all homes also they really crank out the heat but CO could be a problem. I would get a detector if I were to go to the point.