Buddy heaters?

[NDGuy]

With buddy heaters are you even worried about CO2? Wouldn't it just be low oxygen?

 

[Shanny]

Love my buddy heaters. I have a Big Buddy and Little Buddy. They are used mostly for ice fishing in portable shacks, but they will heat up the 3 stall garage if I am working out there during the winter.

 

[Pacific_Fork]

Alright guys, I need your help!!

I run the buddy heater in my Jumping Jack tent trailer. When it works it works great, problem seems to be altitude camping. Anytime I am above 7,000 ft (which is often) it peters out and has all kinds of issues. Makes hissing and gurgling noises. I've done some research, I run a 12 ft hose off the 20 gallon tank and sometimes run a tree off the tank into this hose. Am I shit out of luck at high altitude with any type of safe propane heater for my tent? Any suggestions?

 

[nvdroptine]

Alright guys, I need your help!!

I run the buddy heater in my Jumping Jack tent trailer. When it works it works great, problem seems to be altitude camping. Anytime I am above 7,000 ft (which is often) it peters out and has all kinds of issues. Makes hissing and gurgling noises. I've done some research, I run a 12 ft hose off the 20 gallon tank and sometimes run a tree off the tank into this hose. Am I shit out of luck at high altitude with any type of safe propane heater for my tent? Any suggestions?

Did you ever get any info on this? I run a Jumping Jack and put a Riley pellet stove in it; 1 bag a day. I just don’t do propane in a tent.

 

[Bubblehide]

Since the tent has a stove jack, I'd go with a Nu Way propane heater.

 

[Ope]

When functioning properly a propane heater doesn't give off carbon monoxide (CO) it gives off water vapor and carbon dioxide (co2). It can only produce carbon monoxide by improper combustion which is solved by the oxygen sensor. If it's not enough oxygen in the mixture to burn it shuts down preventing the improper burn that could potentially produce carbon monoxide (co). I've been running propane for 20+ years in all types of appliances and heat 100% with propane and I've never seen a problem with carbon monoxide and I've ran some pretty sketchy heaters once or twice. I'm no expert but some verification research should show you the same thing from people smarter than I. Hope this helps.

 

[Pacific_Fork]

Did you ever get any info on this? I run a Jumping Jack and put a Riley pellet stove in it; 1 bag a day. I just don’t do propane in a tent.

I ended up buying a new buddy heater because mine stopped working. Haven’t tested it out yet. Just make sure to keep a window cracked, I think mine also had the censor shutting it down with not enough oxygen in the tent and high altitude. I’ve read all those hoses you get online are junk too or eventually all leak.

 

[*zap*]

Best to run a filter for large propane tanks because the oil/water in them settles in the bends on the buddy heaters and cuts off the propane...I refill my one pound canisters from a 40# tanks but use the filter when I do.....you can take the buddy lines apart and blow them out with air and that will solve the majority of the problems with them.

 

[Bullets&Bourbon]

What is a good buddy heater? I'll be most like in a 12x14 without a stove.

I was looking at the Big Buddy or Flex. Would 1 or 2 of these work? How long they last on 20lb bottle?

Also, they got a 360 tank top heater. Do these have oxygen sensors?

Where you hunting ?

 

[*zap*]

The big buddy uses 2 1# bottles every 9 hours on low and probably 3-4 hours on high.

 

[BRTreedogs]

I've typed out lengthy replies in this a few times in here.
Use a blue flame heater. You have to get a hose made to go to a tank. Look for a fireplace shop in your area.
Then slap a piece of foil tape over the temp prob so it will actually hold the heat in.
Then you can have a temp regulated system.

https://www.amazon.com/Mr-Heater-Corporation-F299730-White/dp/B01DPZ59U2/ref=asc_df_B01DPZ59U2/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=198075783498&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1516721731563050482&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9030255&hvtargid=pla-320763043655&psc=1

 

[strongarm]

Big Buddy all the way. Remember to vent your tent well! Not doing so 1) will cause issues at high elevation (probably what the problem was noted in earlier post) 2) for safety.

Bonus is the Big Buddy has a battery powered fan to promote airflow vs. just radiant like the smaller Buddies.

A 20# tank lasts a awhile, and two 1# tanks run on low all night. It’s almost too much for a 12x16 4 season double wall nylon tent. Warms part of a 12x27 single wall nylon tent. Works great in a 16x16 military Aerofab tent.

I built a “warming shelf” from a toaster oven rack on mine to hear breakfast through while readying in the morning. Great for foil-wrapped precooked breakfast sandwiches when at truck base camp.

 

[Catahoula]

I used a Big Buddy for the first time last year. Used in a 14x16 tent at approximately 10,500ft using (2) 1lb bottles. Worked without a hitch. I had bought the filter(s) last year to use with larger 20lb/30lb cylinders but never connected at that elevation. Plan is to use the larger cylinders (with filter(s) ) that is if I have to leave the wood stove behind with possible fire restrictions.

 

[strongarm]

We had that situation a couple years ago—fire restrictions. While technically we could have used our woodstove, we elected not to just in case to be safe and not risk a fire. That’s when we realized the propane solution is a good one. It eliminates worry about sparks escaping the arrestor, and honestly takes a ton of work out of prepping base camp for the week cutting, hauling, and splitting firewood. Bonus…no need to feed the stove overnight. We have two different stoves and even the larger barrel-style stove gets 3-4 hours at best with western softwoods. The propane heater on low is totally fine when it’s cold.

Note here this is in a true double wall tent, meaning fly goes all the way to the ground over the outer tent, vented well. Condensation was non-existent in the living space even with well below freezing temperatures, including two nights at -6 and -10 Fahrenheit. Pretty significant condensation and frost build up in the vestibule, which is only the outer fly layer. We experienced the similar condensation issues in a single wall 12x27. Ventilation helps, but propane does exaggerate condensation, particularly in single wall tents when it’s cold outside.

Hard to beat wood heat for drying out gear, but propane buys a lot of time back. We probably gained 1/2 to 3/4 of a day back from setting up base camp which we put into additional scouting.