Mr. Heater Recommendation -- "Portable Buddy" or "Big Buddy" ?

[Racer X]

I am looking to buy one of these two Mr. Heater models for tent camping. I have a 6-man Cabela's Alaskan Guide tent. I will be camping in weather as low as the low 20's. I sleep on a cot with a foam mattress in a sleeping bag rated to 20 degrees.

I used the "Big Buddy" model once in these condidtions and I was warm. Has anyone used the smaller "Portable Buddy" model in similar conditions and if so, does it keep you warm? Or, do you wish you had bought the "Big Buddy" model instead?

[Siskiyou]

There are a lot of safety issues when it comes to using tent heaters.  I could not find the link but about a year ago there was a safety bulletin from the BLM or FS who almost lost people due to a tent heater.  I have included another link on the subject.

http://www.stuttgart.army.mil/Documents/SafetyAlerts/SANCO.ppt

I was given a new tent heater many years ago, and did not use it because I was scared of it.  I finally sent it to the dump.  It was not soon after that I was seeing a manufactures safety warning about one that looked similar in outdoor magazines. 

My current tent heating method is a 15,000 BTU Coleman radiate heater on top of a 5-gallon propane tank.  I secure the tank on a metal fence post about ten feet from my tent door.  While some heat is wasted I am warm enough to dress  in comfort, and it lights the tent with a red gloss.  By moving it outside I have removed a lot of risk that come with an in-the-tent type heater.  When needed I can move the heater over to my cooking area. 

If you use a heater in a tent I believe a alarm would be a smart investment.

[dla]

I use the Portable Buddy (4K or 9K BTU) in my 10'x10' Outback Lodge. I've only used it to the high 30's. The Portable was plenty, I think. But understand that I sleep on a cot with an old bag under me and a down bag over me. All I want is to not have to wear a hat and gloves to bed. If you are looking to be able to sleep on top of your bag then I suspect the Portable Buddy isn't enough heater.

I use the Portable with a bulk tank otherwise it won't run through the night.

[GRIMJIM]

I have a couple of friends that use the big buddy, I also bought one for last year. I use a bulk tank and as long as you have good ventilation( I open a ceiling flap) it shouldn't be a problem. It also has a low oxygen sensor so if the air starts getting too thin it shuts off, or if it tips over it shuts off. One of the guys I go hunting with has been using propane heaters for years and he keeps about a 1 foot by 1 foot flap open on the door of the tent and he has never had a problem. Just make sure you get the extension hose so you can keep the tank outside of the tent.

[Siskiyou]

Found the safety alert, and it involved a Buddy heater.

SAFETY ALERT!

Fire Safety in Camps

Last Wednesday (08/09), at around 3 AM, a Weatherport-type tent at a remote
BLM camp caught fire and burned down. A detailed report is not yet
available, but initial reports are that a propane-fueled radiant heater
ignited a sleeping bag, forcing the occupant to evacuate the tent in the
middle of the night. While he was fortunately not injured, this was
obviously a very serious close call. Suffering severe burns several (or
many) hours away from medical assistance would have been a truly horrible
experience.

Most portable propane heaters are not rated for indoor use (including
tents) because of carbon monoxide issues. However, there are a handful of
radiant propane heaters on the market that are approved for indoor use
because they have a built-in control that shuts the heater off when
inadequate levels of oxygen are detected. These are now being used by BLM
personnel around the state. There are two very important things to remember
about using these heaters:

Very close attention must be paid to maintaining adequate distances from
combustible materials. The Buddy Heater, for example, requires only 6"
of clearance for combustibles from the sides of the heater, but requires
a full 30" clearance above the top and 24" from the front. These areas
must be kept clear of all combustible materials at all times when the
heater is in operation.

"Rated" doesn't necessarily mean "failure proof." In fact, these radiant
style heaters are not approved for indoor use in Canada, because the
Canadian government simply isn't convinced that a sleeping person should
bet their lives on an inexpensive device to detect oxygen deficiencies.
Personally, I'm inclined to agree with the Canadian government, because
detecting oxygen deficiencies is a pretty rough substitute for
monitoring CO levels.

Bottom Line: Use only heaters rated for indoor use, scrupulously maintain
clearances around the heater, and make sure your tent has an opening near
the heater for fresh air to enter.

Remember- Safety is a habit you can live with.

[dla]

Found the safety alert, and it involved a Buddy heater.

SAFETY ALERT!

Fire Safety in Camps

Last Wednesday (08/09), at around 3 AM, a Weatherport-type tent at a remote
BLM camp caught fire and burned down. A detailed report is not yet
available, but initial reports are that a propane-fueled radiant heater
ignited a sleeping bag, forcing the occupant to evacuate the tent in the
middle of the night. While he was fortunately not injured, this was
obviously a very serious close call. Suffering severe burns several (or
many) hours away from medical assistance would have been a truly horrible
experience.

Most portable propane heaters are not rated for indoor use (including
tents) because of carbon monoxide issues. However, there are a handful of
radiant propane heaters on the market that are approved for indoor use
because they have a built-in control that shuts the heater off when
inadequate levels of oxygen are detected. These are now being used by BLM
personnel around the state. There are two very important things to remember
about using these heaters:

Very close attention must be paid to maintaining adequate distances from
combustible materials. The Buddy Heater, for example, requires only 6"
of clearance for combustibles from the sides of the heater, but requires
a full 30" clearance above the top and 24" from the front. These areas
must be kept clear of all combustible materials at all times when the
heater is in operation.

"Rated" doesn't necessarily mean "failure proof." In fact, these radiant
style heaters are not approved for indoor use in Canada, because the
Canadian government simply isn't convinced that a sleeping person should
bet their lives on an inexpensive device to detect oxygen deficiencies.
Personally, I'm inclined to agree with the Canadian government, because
detecting oxygen deficiencies is a pretty rough substitute for
monitoring CO levels.

Bottom Line: Use only heaters rated for indoor use, scrupulously maintain
clearances around the heater, and make sure your tent has an opening near
the heater for fresh air to enter.

Remember- Safety is a habit you can live with.

I guess I didn't see the Buddy heater in that alert....


But I own and use one. I've let my down bag get too close to the front. It didn't even melt the nylon. I'm not sure how that guy caught his bag on fire. Was he dumb enough to put it under his cot?

I've always kept at least the minimum recommended ventilation open - lack of oxygen is not a problem.

I'm sure there are ways to kill yourself with Mr.Buddy Heaters, but it doesn't look easy.

[dla]

I am looking to buy one of these two Mr. Heater models for tent camping. I have a 6-man Cabela's Alaskan Guide tent. I will be camping in weather as low as the low 20's. I sleep on a cot with a foam mattress in a sleeping bag rated to 20 degrees.

I used the "Big Buddy" model once in these condidtions and I was warm. Has anyone used the smaller "Portable Buddy" model in similar conditions and if so, does it keep you warm? Or, do you wish you had bought the "Big Buddy" model instead?

Well I just used the regular Mr.Buddy heater in my 10'x10' Cabelas Outback Lodge tent with temps in the mid-20's. Not quite enough heater. I could still see my breath while sleeping. I'm not saying that the heater wasn't appreciated, because it was sure a cold experience to go to the bathroom. But the heater couldn't warm the tent enough to feel cozy. I used an in-line filter and ran off of a 20lb tank. Heater was on "high". My guess is that the inside of the tent was in the high 40's.

So I guess I'm in the "I wish I bought a Big Buddy" category. But I don't camp in those temps that often and I'm happy enough with my setup to not bother buying a different heater.

[pastorp]

I used a portable buddy in my 28' bayliner classic in southeast Alaska in the fall and was happy. I don't use heat while sleeping prefering to just use a heavy enought bag. However it only took 30 min or so to be comfortable after getting up in the morning.

I've never used a heater in a tent. Regards, Byron

[tuc_gun_play]

i have the portable buddy heater and have used it alot more than i thought i would it is the only portable propane heater i have used in a small space and not made my eyes burn in a short time, i can't remember a time it has maybe my eyes burn, we have used in in a goose blind, the camper, a tent, the shed, under a trailer fixing light wires in the middle of the night, and in a back room of the house, really like it. the big buddy was not out when i bought mine or i had never hear of it, i wish i had the big one but the small one works well i am just greedy fro what i under stand the big one has every thing the Small one dose + fan and a higher setting and 2 tanks if you are using 1# bottle that gives you 2x as long before you have to go out in the cold and change it or more heat if you do need it.  i am thinking about a big buddy but all ready have the small one.
     i don't know what size of tent my friend has 10x12 maybe we had the buddy going full blast for a few hrs before it felt much warmer, but his tent has 2 6"x8" screen openings at the top that you can't close and the wind was really blowing, we turned it down and went to bed after we eat and talked a while. when we woke up we could see our breath so i turned it to high and it went out empty bottle the bottle may not have been full when we put it on and i have no idea how long it was on high or low i do know it got cold before i got dressed he took the center pole down and taped a trash bag over one of the vents and opened the door a little on the bottom to let in some air just so the wind would not blow right through the vents taking the heat out. my brother came in about noon and had a tank adapter with in so we hooked the heater to a 20# tank i stayed with my brother but my buddy said he was a lot warmer but he left it on high all night the trash bag fell off some time in the night i went in to wake him and see the next am it wasn't t shirt warm but much warmer than the night i stayed with him. i don't know the temps i do know it was close to noon before the ground would though enough to leave a foot print in mud and refreeze almost as soon as it was in the shade.