Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Mr Buddy Heater above 7,000 ft???

I will be camping about 9'500 for an elk hunt, and was wondering if i could use a My Buddy heater at that elevation. The website says not to use it above 7,000. Does anyone have any experience using this heater at altitude? I have used it up to 8,400 ft so far.

Thanks

Do you like the color blue?....

I use a Buddy heater in my tent trailer. They're finicky at altitude and I had trouble keeping mine lit. I put a vent in the bottom of the door and set the heater on the floor next to the vent. Works much better now.

bwortman, I have not heard that about the Buddy heater. I will also be taking one to CO for the fall hunt and may be at treeline. Where did you read that about the 7,000 feet limit.

GreatWaputi....I will have to guess the blue color is referring to the flame, which would indicate to me a lot of oxygen, causing the blue flame. I'm thinking the oxygen level is lower at treeline so I must ask what did you mean by the blue color? Sorry I am concerned and confused now..didn't think altitude would make a difference.

I have heard that some older carburetor engines will have complications at higher altitudes, but propane is under pressure??

The 7,000' reference is from the company. (Website, packaging, and indtruction manual) I have used it up to about 8,500' and it worked, although I did not run it all night. I will be taking it to 9,500 in 2 weekends for acamping trip, so I hope it workes, or it might be a little chilly.

The color blue was in reference to what color you'll wake up with an improperly used propane device.

Great advice.

We used Mr. Buddies at about 9000' or a little higher for years whilst elk hunting. Do yourself a favor and buy a Carbon Monoxide detector. It is worth the money. Flames on these things can and do go out.

We switched to a wood stove in a well ventilated canvas tent. Only time propane gets used is in the eating or cooking shack. Beats getting up cold in the morning and trying to light Mr. Buddy.

If it doesn't have enough O2, the fuel will burn incompletely. Could get nasty.

Exactly. With ours the Low Oxygen Shut off didn't work right. It let the flame die, but the gas kept going. Hated sleeping cold, but it was better than waking up dead. That ruins a hunting trip quick.

Wood heat has its advantages. Big lumps of coal on a hot bed of coals put heat out all night. Still got the Carbon Monoxide detector just in case. But we do sleep well now.

We use the burner that attaches via a hose and clamps on top of the 20 lbs propane bottle with a wingnut. Not fancy but it will last a whole week and keeps a GP hex tent very toasty.

A few years back down the road they found a hunter dead in his tent from a propane heater deal.He is still dead!
Not me!
I use one in the morning when we get up and shut it off once the fire gets going again in the woodstove.

I too have used mine at about 8200 more or less. I was warm, and am still here

Ignoring manufacturers instructions don't kill you every time or the first time.... but the odds can catch up with you.

I'd only use the propane when awake, and if you drink I certainly wouldn't use it after a nightcap as you could fall asleep...

I was in CO once when they had the same blue issue in a camp from the propane, around 8000 feet only IIRC.

I had a hard time keeping mine lit at 7,200 feet. Figured it was the sensor shutting it off. FWIW, Dutch.

I have two Mr Buddy's and take them if we are nylon tent camping. I find them awfully fussy and slow to light. Wood stoves are the answer when the tent design permits it.

I only use them in the evening when we are up. They go off at night. I use a "Heater Cooker" with a tea kettle on it to warm it up in the mornings or if it gets truly cold at night. Unzip your flaps and make sure there is aenough airflow.

The Mr Buddy, is a little finicky at higher altitudes,

MR BUDDY


But the Mr Heater I have used at all altitudes and not had much problem with.

Mr Heater


I have the one burner I use in my crapper tent and the two burner I use in the main tent if the wood stove runs out to take the chill off in the morning.

I would throw the Mr Buddy away and get a Mr Heater for the higher altitude (that is exactly what I ended up doing after fighting with my Mr Buddy(I won)) -LOL

I'll gamble with a little money, but not my life. No propane or liquid gas stoves active after lights out regardless of elevation. I don't look good in blue.

I have not had good luck with mine voer about 7600 gotta keep relighting it.That gets old REAL quick.

Its interesting to me, though I"ve never been hunting when its below zero in a tent, though I"ve been down to zero in AK a few times... I can understand the heat while up, but I love my good sleeping bag and just sleeping in the cold. Now warming it up is nice, and we did that even in the backpacking tent in AK...

I just don't know that I"d trust much of anything burning while I sleep, a wood stove much more so than gas one.. but at least with a CO2 detector minimum and never having done this before(new tent on the way and have NO clue what I'm going to buy for a stove....) I think I could burn wood, and then drop in a few pieces of coal and we have what we have for overnight... plus if too hot my zero or -20 bags won't work worth a flip...

Of course it could be me just thankful after having gone through 5 months of 100 degree temps to find cold weather.... each fall..

Oh yeah, but OT a tad... I remember my first higher hunt.. flatlander from 200 ASL Texas... went with a buddy to above timberline on sheep mountain across from Pikes Peak...

Anyway I had a tent, and candles for a bit of light.. but the dang candles would not stay lit or basically light at all.... I couldn't figure out why, till my buddy from Florissant told me how dumb I was... And I learned more that night, not being able to breathe.. stopped up etc.. and then the next morning I made it about 50 feet to a boulder to "glass" instead of bowhunting the bucks..... It not only whipped the candle but me too...