early spring camping and heat

[hugh]

I have booked 3 days off at the end of March for my little trailers first outing of 2011. There is still lots of snow here in Winnipeg and the temps can range from above zero to 20 below zero at night. So I started looking at options for warming it up if we decide to not sit around a fire due to wind, etc. Gas generators, propane powered generators were considered first. Now I really don,t like people using generators due to the noise even though the places I camp are almost always off the beaten track but sometimes buddies come and they stay in tents and I figure they don,t need to listen to a generator keeping them awake. And gas is once you convert it just a little over $5 a gallon here, a 3500 watt generator at half load will run around 10 hours so a 1500 watt heater should run for a bit more than that for a cost of around $20. A similar propane powered generator running off a 20 lb tank costs around $12 to $15 per night.
So I went to Cabellas and bought a Mr Buddy heater, that can run off 2 small green bottles which cost $3 to $4 here and will last a night on the lower of the 3 heat settings. And picked up the 20lb hose adapter which for $12 to $15 will run for between 50 and a couple hundred hours depending on what setting you use. The trailer has a battery powered carbon monoxide detector and for the weekend I will prob use the chain latch to keep the door open enough to allow the hose to enter. The door is about 4 1/2 feet high so that will give a fresh air opening of over 48 square inches which should be lots of ventilation. I will run a test sometime this weekend to see how well it works and I may wind up cutting a round hole through the wall,s to run the hose and provide oxygen. The best part is camping season is once again here.

[b.bodemer]

I used this heater in the back of my pick up truck. I had a cap covering the truck's bed and just made sure I opened the windows enough to vent it. Sometimes I used it to warm up the area at night and in the morning. On the coldest temps I ran it all night.

The propane hose going to a bigger bulk tank is a sweet set up. I've used both and been very satisfied, safe and warm!

I did mount it so it would not tip over.

..................just be as safe as possible.

[Miriam C.]

You can get some foam insulation, the kind used on window air conditioners, to keep the wind out. You will be amazing how much cold will come in a small opening when the wind is driving it.

If you can get your hands on a 12vdc mattress warmer, it will help too.

Have fun

[robertaw]

I always loved cozy camping on cold nights!

Stay safe with fresh batteries for your carbon monoxide detector.

Hope you have a great season-starter trip.

[hugh]

Oh yes, always fresh batteries in the detector. And slow, it,s usually a lot different having to work versus it being an overnight camping fun thing with friends. Most of us work at jobs in the city, one guy owns a sheet metal business, a couple of them work for the railway, I,m semi retired but have been working at other jobs for the past 4 years to supplement my income and pay for extras like trailers, gas etc. We all find a night or 2 out in the woods is a perfect way to de-stress. Plus we only go out if the temp at night does not drop lower than around 15 below zero celcius. Here,s a couple of pictures of a typical place we go to