Heater and a Tent

[Big Daddy Chia]

So, I am going camping this weekend and will have the baby and the wife totoing along. Supposed to be a little chill in the evenings, so I bought a coleman Catalyst propane powered heater. What would be the negative effects of running this thing inside a tent.

 

[IronSmiles]

So, I am going camping this weekend and will have the baby and the wife totoing along. Supposed to be a little chill in the evenings, so I bought a coleman Catalyst propane powered heater. What would be the negative effects of running this thing inside a tent.

I am wary of running anything powered by propane in and enclosed space.. that to me just sounds like it's asking for something to go wrong, even though coleman makes good stuff. God forbid the propane leaks somehow and through a prolonged period of time breathing it in could be really harmful if not fatal. :smilies27

 

[Ursidae69]

I've done that before, my biggest worry was accidentally throwing a blanket onto the heater. To take the chill off in the evening and morning would be fine I think. The coleman website says they are fine in tents, but I'd still keep a window zipper cracked just in case of leaks.

 

[tinker trek]

I've never posted on here before....First time.

But.. please be careful with these heaters & watch the little one around it
burns are no fun at any age.

Have fun on your trip & better to be a little cold than have a accident.

 

[IronSmiles]

I've never posted on here before....First time.

But.. please be careful with these heaters & watch the little one around it
burns are no fun at any age.

Have fun on your trip & better to be a little cold than have a accident.

That actually would be my biggest worry more than anything, even though I'm not a parent, lol.

 

[Bergger]

As far as carbon monoxide goes, I ran mine in a small closet for 45 minutes and the carbon monoxide detector never went above 0. Like mentioned above just be careful of bumping into them.

 

[Martyn]

Take a battery operate CO detector / alarm with you if you're going to do this. We all love you guys too much not to read your posts anymore.

 

[lowenbrau]

I am wary of running anything powered by propane in and enclosed space.. that to me just sounds like it's asking for something to go wrong, even though coleman makes good stuff. God forbid the propane leaks somehow and through a prolonged period of time breathing it in could be really harmful if not fatal. :smilies27

Propane is actually non-toxic. There is a risk of suffocation though because it displaces oxygen but the stench would wake you up long before that happens. I'd make sure you crack a window so there is enough air for you and the heater to both use and, as others have said, watch for fires and burn hazards.

I have a friend who sleeps with one of these in his insulated hunting blind in very cold weather. He goes in the night before and doesn't disturb the animals by creeping in before sun up.

 

[Big Daddy Chia]

Ok thanks guys. The tent that I have actually has an opentop. As for the little one getting bunred he is 5 months old and dosent crawl yet so he wont be going any where near it Thansk for all the advice

 

[Moody]

The instructions that came with my Coleman state that you must have at least 6" of open air for it to be safe...

I ran the "Mr. Buddy" in the vestibule of a tent, with the door open and it helped tremendously.

I bought the Coleman version a few years back impromptu because my traveling companions thought that Moab in February couldn't be colder than their 30 degree bags...we ran it all night in a large 6 man tent that had mesh in the ceiling. Easily brought the temps in the tent up 8-12 degrees...

 

[Martyn]

Propane is actually non-toxic. There is a risk of suffocation though because it displaces oxygen but the stench would wake you up long before that happens. I'd make sure you crack a window so there is enough air for you and the heater to both use and, as others have said, watch for fires and burn hazards.

I have a friend who sleeps with one of these in his insulated hunting blind in very cold weather. He goes in the night before and doesn't disturb the animals by creeping in before sun up.

I think your definition of "toxic" may mean it doesn't contaminate soil or water, but as far as humans goes;

How can propane affect my health?

Propane is an asphyxiant, which cuts off oxygen to the body. Exposure to very high concentrations of propane can cause death by suffocation from lack of oxygen.

Exposure to high levels of propane can cause cardiac arrest, incapacitation, unconsciousness, or seizures. Direct skin contact with liquid propane can cause frostbite.

Exposure to lower levels of propane can cause damage to the central nervous system, lung congestion, fluid in the lungs, fatigue, decreased night vision, tunnel vision, hallucinations, dizziness, lightheadedness, nausea, vomiting, headache, euphoria, numbness and tingling of arms and legs, hyperventilation, rapid heartbeat, poor judgment, confusion, memory loss, anorexia, nosebleeds, conjunctivitis, weight loss, and skin irritation and discoloration.

I'd have to say TOXIC.

 

[lowenbrau]

I think your definition of "toxic" may mean it doesn't contaminate soil or water, but as far as humans goes;

How can propane affect my health?

Propane is an asphyxiant, which cuts off oxygen to the body. Exposure to very high concentrations of propane can cause death by suffocation from lack of oxygen.

Exposure to high levels of propane can cause cardiac arrest, incapacitation, unconsciousness, or seizures. Direct skin contact with liquid propane can cause frostbite.

Exposure to lower levels of propane can cause damage to the central nervous system, lung congestion, fluid in the lungs, fatigue, decreased night vision, tunnel vision, hallucinations, dizziness, lightheadedness, nausea, vomiting, headache, euphoria, numbness and tingling of arms and legs, hyperventilation, rapid heartbeat, poor judgment, confusion, memory loss, anorexia, nosebleeds, conjunctivitis, weight loss, and skin irritation and discoloration.

I'd have to say TOXIC.

I'm guessing you cut an pasted that from somewhere, please provide the reference. I'm sure the Center for Disease control would like to change their opinion.
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/idlh/74986.html

Propane is non toxic to humans, but suffocation can cause the nasty as was said in my earlier post.

 

[IronSmiles]

Just curious, if propane is non-toxic, why on the little green coleman propane cans, on the warning label, does it say that it is fatal to ingest or breathe in? I just wanna know if the damn thing would kill me or not, haha.

 

[lowenbrau]

Just curious, if propane is non-toxic, why on the little green coleman propane cans, on the warning label, does it say that it is fatal to ingest or breathe in? I just wanna know if the damn thing would kill me or not, haha.

Knives and fists are also non toxic and they will both kill you. Propane can kill you just as easily as a plastic bag over your head or a tub full of water. It displaces oxygen and suffocates you if the smell doesn't wake you up.

 

[IronSmiles]

Knives and fists are also non toxic and they will both kill you. Propane can kill you just as easily as a plastic bag over your head or a tub full of water. It displaces oxygen and suffocates you if the smell doesn't wake you up.

Lol, good point. For some reason though I felt like I was thrust into a kung **** movie with the knives and fists thing.. I have a paranoid fear of ninjas. :yikes: