What portable heater for a 10x10 Kodiak Canvas

[MuleyFever]

I use a big buddy heater in our Kodiak canvas. Works pretty good. Propane heat isn’t the same as wood heat. But it’s clean. I keep a bottle outside the tent and run a hose to it.

As far as CO concerns. I’ve never had or heard of an issue with the big buddy heaters. They are used by thousands of ice fishing people and construction people. Im
Sure you would hear about an issue with one if someone had an issue

When I lived in WI I spent a lot of time ice fishing with a Buddy heater and a lantern going. We sealed up the shacks as well as we could to keep the heat in and never had any issues with CO that I know of. Never had a meter but never got headaches or anything.

 

[FLATHEAD]

Just got a 10x10 Flexbow.
Looks like I need a Buddy Heater as well.

 

[browning2480]

I remember we tried using a budddy heater one year at like 9500 ft and the low oxygen warning kept shutting it off. This was probably 20 years or so ago though. Probably not an issue now

 

[ORJoe]

My buddy has a CO monitor with a digital output, I have never seen it read above 0.0 with a Buddy Heater in a double wall tent.

Have you ever tested the meter with a barbecue or something that should set it off?

 

[Tbuckus]

Chinese diesel heater here. Cheap, efficient, and like having a forced air furnace for your tent. We've been using them for a couple years now and so far, zero issues.

Can you provide more info on the heater?
I’ve seen a few around but not much info

 

[shtrbc]

I will see if I can dig up some pics of our exact setups but basically the heater is put in a enclosure of some sort. You can either attach the fuel tank directly or use a separate boat tank. Runs on diesel fuel or kerosene. 12V battery or power cell provides the juice to light the glow plug and power the forced air fan. In a nutshell, its a small jet engine that acts like a heat exchanger. Air is blown across the heat exchanger, heated, then blown wherever you direct a 3" flexible hose. There are a number of different style controls for them also. Can be as simple as setting a number 1-9 heat settings, thermostatically controlled to a specific temp, or can be controlled Bluetooth/WiFi via a aftermarket controller called "Afterburner" thats make in Australia. They use very little fuel, are relatively quiet, and provide a nice dry type heat that honestly is just like a house furnace. Go to Youtube and search "Chinese diesel heater". You will find a variety of vids. They are used in a variety of applications from semi trucks, campers, RV's, boats, and more recently fitted to a enclosure that is portable for hot tenting etc..

 

[rayporter]

how long will the battery run it? and how do you recharge the battery?

 

[william schmaltz]

We use the Mr. Buddy 9,000. Used it for a couple nights last January where temps were -10 to 0. Ran it on low all night and the temp was consistently about 50 degrees in the tent. It was an Arctic Oven and not a Kodiak, not sure if it matters. We had two CO detectors going and nothing ever read. If temperature is above the teens, like others said, I just run it for an hour or so in the evening and then again in the morning to shake the frost and let my sleeping bag do the work.

I do know of a guy a few years ago that had his running in his ice house and they found him deceased from CO poisoning. So it does happen. Need to have at least a little ventilation.

 

[shtrbc]

Running the heater for a little bit in the morning and a couple hours at night, with the current deep cycle battery I have, will run 5-7 days, no problem. Added a solar panel last year but honestly can't quantify how much longer it lasts. Our trips are usually 3-5 days. Also have longer leads made up that we can hook up to vehicle or ATV battery if needed in an emergency.

 

[meatseeker]

I've run the Mr. Buddy and a woodstove. Personally I'll take the wood stove any day. I find the Mr. Buddy style propane heaters cause massive condensation issues inside the tent. It sucks waking up to ran showers inside your tent...lol. The woodstove provides nice dry heat and allows you to dry out wet clothes.

That said the woodstove has the draw back of needing to deal with a wood supply and needing to be stoked every 3 to 4 hours.

I recently came across this the Nuway Stove. It is a propane stove but is vented with a stove pipe. This would eliminate the condensation whiles still allowing the easy continuous heat from a propane source.

Model 2000 - Nu-Way Stove

Includes (1) Low Pressure Regulator and (1) 60" (5 feet) Hose with Fittings. If the Standard, 5 foot hose is not long enough, we have longer lengths of hose at an extra $3/foot. Base Price (with Standard hose $239.90) + $3/ft of extra hose.

nuwaystove.com

I haven't ever used one... but my curiosity is peaked!

 

[kwackkillncrew]

I've run the Mr. Buddy and a woodstove. Personally I'll take the wood stove any day. I find the Mr. Buddy style propane heaters cause massive condensation issues inside the tent. It sucks waking up to ran showers inside your tent...lol. The woodstove provides nice dry heat and allows you to dry out wet clothes.

That said the woodstove has the draw back of needing to deal with a wood supply and needing to be stoked every 3 to 4 hours.

I recently came across this the Nuway Stove. It is a propane stove but is vented with a stove pipe. This would eliminate the condensation whiles still allowing the easy continuous heat from a propane source.

Model 2000 - Nu-Way Stove

Includes (1) Low Pressure Regulator and (1) 60" (5 feet) Hose with Fittings. If the Standard, 5 foot hose is not long enough, we have longer lengths of hose at an extra $3/foot. Base Price (with Standard hose $239.90) + $3/ft of extra hose.

nuwaystove.com

I haven't ever used one... but my curiosity is peaked!

They rip through propane. Way faster then buddy heaters.

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

 

[Brendan]

Install a stove jack, externally vented Nuway. No condensation, much better for drying things out, much less risk of CO.

Search, including my old threads/posts, and you'll find examples.

Mine did not rip through propane and was an absolute game changer for me in my 10x14 Kodiak.

 

[Odell]

We use a big buddy in a 10x14 flex bow with a big tank outside. I do put up a CO sensor just for piece of mind. It heats well, we usually just use it to go to sleep and turn it off all night. Warms the tent up quick in the am

 

[TxxAgg]

We used a tank top unit in my Kodiak 10x10. We had two CO2 monitors and left two window cracks for cross ventilation. It got warm enough for short sleeves in the tent while it was single digits outside. We cut it off at night and only used it in the mornings and evenings.

 

[BRTreedogs]

I use a mr heater blue flame propane heater mine is a 30k btu that i git for cheap id do a 20k if I was buying new, make sure it has the feet kit, usually have to got to a fireplace/bbq store to get a custom hose made. Far as I know if does not have a low oxygen shut off, highest I've ever used it was 8500 ish and no problems.

The thermostat is on the bottom so I covered it with a piece of foil tape otherwise it stays on to long and runs you out of the tent.

Nice thing is you have a true variable thermostat with the blue flame. I run it on half a notch at night to keep it about 45-50 degrees never an issue with condisation in a canvas tent, I just crack the tops of the vents about 6" on both sides.
I sleep so I can reach the dial with my cot and crank it with when the alarm goes. Its easy 80 degrees in 90 seconds.
Do not get the ceramic plate version as the are like a buddy heater. Basically high and low. With is much harder to get the temp you want.

 

[BRTreedogs]

 

[Bendejo]

Does anyone have difinitve info on how to properly vent a tent for a buddy heater? Out the top, out the bottom, both for crossflow?

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[eddielasvegas]

Does anyone have difinitve info on how to properly vent a tent for a buddy heater? Out the top, out the bottom, both for crossflow?

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I have the 10x14 Kodiak and have never had a condensation problem in the 25+ nights I've used it over the past 3 hunting seasons. I do have a CO detector and I keep both vents open at the top of each side of the tent.

Good luck,

Eddie

 

[streetdoctor]

CO mixes pretty equally with air. If you're worried about good ventilation cold air comes in low, hot air escapes high.

 

[Jack321]

Anyone ever use kerosene heater?