Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Canvas Wall Tent heat options

Last year our hunting party stayed in a 14x16 Davis wall tent.We have the big wood burning stove from Davis.
We had to get up 3 or 4 times every night to add wood to the stove.
This year we would like to try another source of heat for the tent. Considering a Blue Flame 30.000 BTU ventless heater


Any feedback on this type of heater or other recommendations would be appreciated

That is what I have.However, I also use a small wood stove.
If I get cold in the night, I reach over and turn the Blue Flaem n. In the AM, I like the Blue Flame as I don't have to worry about the wood stove fire being out before leaving to hunt.
I don't leave the Blue Flame burning all night. I usually take about 4 each 20lb Propane tanks with me ,and have never used more than two.If you are going to use it all night, I'd suggest getting a 100 lb tank.
I use mine in my 20 ft metal stock trailer and it will run you out on high. You can probably get by with a smaller one for that size tent.
Be sure to use a CO and CO2 detector with it's use.

Vince, I've read several reviews on these and they seem like it would be worth a try. One of the things they mention though is they are not designed to work at elevations above 5000 ft.Ever had any problems with yours?

A few years back I came across a tent stove that would burn wood pellets and had a self feed system that I was told could be loaded up to feed it for 24 hours.

Has a anyone tried one of these?

I have used a Catalytic RV type heater many times and it is by far the safest and more recently, the Big Buddy heater.They both work great in tents but the Catalytic is the safest by far for overnight heating..RV'ers use them all the time safely as there only heat source in more air tight RV's.

There easy on the fuel also.

Jayco

I am at 7600 ft here at home and I use it in my shop ,I also campa at about 8000 ft at Sweetwater lake in the SW corner of the Flat Tops and it worked. Last year I camped at the Morapos Creek Trail head in Unit 12 and I think it was about 8500 ft. It worked.
My guess is that the higher one goes,the less effciient they burn.

If your stove has a coal grate and you have access to coal...it save's a lot of trouble monkeying around with propane tanks, co2 alarms, etc.

Cheap way to hold a fire at night...about $5/100 pounds.

Spend the money on a good bag and absolutely ignore the world until the alarm goes off.

NUWAY has a gas hook up for their small woodstove.

http://www.nuwaystove.com/model2000.php


www.wyominglostandfound.com

I've used big chunks of coal before in a regular wood/camp stove and it works great. Put one in right at bedtime.

This man knows what he is talking about. It is very impractical to heat a tent all night. Just sleep in a good bag on a good foam pad, and wear a balaclava so your ears don't freeze. I've done that at -30 and was comfortable - and I slept all night, no need to stuff a stove. Draw straws for the one who gets up first and lights the stove, no need for everyone to be nipped by the cold in the morning.

Although a good bag is a paramount,many times there is only one in camp and that person has to get up every AM to start the fire or ?.As age creeps up on us, old bones get harder to start in the AM. Getting out of a warm bag at below zero into a below zero tent is not an ideal fun situation.Reaching one arm out and turning a knob is no where near as bad.

As for coal, it will sure do the job, but I grew up years ago when everyone heated with coal and that nasty sulfuric acidic smoke smell drifting about is not one I want to put up with when I get out inthe hills to enjoy fresh air.

Coal or pellets isnt an option(but thanks for the suggestions) as we already take to much gear. We use propane on our cooktop and shower so propane bottles are already included in our gear

I have one of these and they work great.
www.pioneerspaceheaters.com/trekker

I use it in northern Mn. for most of the month of Nov. in a 12x15 wall tent.

Part of the beauty of a wall tent is how they circulate/distribute the heat of a wood stove. I am not sure anything will improve on it.

Good firewood is the first steep. Dry, seasoned standing dead or dead-leaning Douglas Fir is as good as Colorado Rockys have to offer.

A few shovels full of gravel or soil will add years to your stove-bottom, and hold in some heat.

Pulling the hot coals forward speeds up your burn, pushing the hot coals back gives you more time. Just as a good buildup of ashes helps.

Last years hunt was totally propane heated, never again. it was a wet year and things never did get totally dried out.

Yep, burning propane does emit some moisture. Probably not the best choice during a wet season There are pros and cons to each fuel I guess.

I have a 14 X 16 canvas tent. 3 years back I used a Dearborn stove with propane and it heated the tent comfortably. The weather was dry and we did not burn it while sleeping.

All other years we have used a wood stove. It is a military surplus stove designed to burn wood or coal. It is barrel shaped and stands vertical. We cut standing dead aspen. For kindling we find a ponderosa pine standing which has usually been killed by lightning. Only a couple of small sticks and it will have your fire roaring in five minutes.

I place wool blankets on my cot and let them drape down to the floor which prevents air from circulating beneath. Then padding then my sleeping bag. Makes a big differance. If it gets really cold I place a couple of big rocks on the wood stove when we first come in. Then at bedtime I put them under my cot. Keeps me toasty warm all night. Watch out for camp mice though, they will eat your blanket full of holes.

While we've never used a new wall tent..... its still begging for its first use....

I've done this in other smaller tents.... wood stove as you come in the evening.... and burn it down towards bed time, load it hard, and if you had a source of coal( I haven't used any since the late 70s or so) add to for more length...

Sleep snug in a BIG bag and don't let cold air under you....(numerous ways there.....)

Then have some propane type of stove to reach over in the AM and flip on.... have done it that way in AK too....

The dual use does wonders... you don't burn much propane so no need for lots of that.... because wood works in the evening. Yet you get quicker heat in the AM to get up, and get rolling and don'w have to worry the morning fire....

A good wood stove or diesel heater. I have both now...our group got a diesel heater 2 years ago for our new tent (16x20x5w) we bought 3 years ago. My old wood stove was built by us and puts out/holds the heat...but in the new tent a couple gus were too close to the stove and it was like rotating a stuck pig...lol.

The diesel heater keeps the tent a good constant heat. We turn it right down when we leave for the day.

All depends on access to your camp....we use to be able to drive right into our camp with the trucks and trailers hauling the supplies but for past 5 years we have had to tub-trailer in with the quads and rhinos...but is only a couple miles in from the trucks now.

We used our tent (Davis 14x18x5) for the first time last year. Second season, flat tops. Lots of snow and wind blowing over 40. Needless to say, we spent a bit of time in the tent. It would warm up enough 4 of were stripping down to minimal layers and laying on top of the sleeping bags. The biggest problem (that plagues us all), is the night time. If someone didn't get up to stoke the fire, it'd get mighty chilly in there. I think this year we're going to try coal over night and wood when we're awake.

Picked up another tent this spring for a mess/social hall. This one's 15x20, I believe. My question is... those of you that have two tents in camp, do you heat the other tent all night if no one is sleeping in it?

- Randy