Questions About Wind Generators

[RedX]

I was looking at some options for heaters to use while camping during the winter months, I am pretty sure my sleeping bags will do the job in most all situations, however there are a few times where I am finding myself pushing the low limits of my bag, so I thought I might look at some heaters I could use for those nights. Normally a Little Buddy heater would work fine, but there are many times I sleep in my car/SUV and the idea of having something that produces toxins in my enclosed vehicle sounds like a bad idea.
Yeah, so, I was looking at this thing here: https://www.amazon.com/PowerHunt-Volt-Hellfire-Quartz-Heater/dp/B00A6CFAFC but as anyone would understand, using an electric heater works great when there is electricity available, but what happens when the power runs out i.e. dead batteries?
Being that I will be using such things at night, solar will not work so well since the fact that the sun will not be out, one other option I have seen out there are wind generators.
I am not very familiar with wind power, and I understand they are not as efficient as solar, but I am hoping that they can produce enough energy to keep my battery charged overnight while using the heater.
If anyone has any input on the matter I would be really happy to hear it. Anything that can help me understand this better will be of great help.
Thanks

 

[dwh]

That heater is 500 watts. That is an immense load to run all night from any portable power system.

Any except a generator. A Honda eu2000 says in the spec sheet it'll run 9 hours on 1.1 gallons of gas with a 400w load.

To get 500w continuous out of a small wind generator, you'll need at least six to eight feet of "swept area" (rotor diameter), and probably a minimum of 15 to 20 mph continuous wind speed.

And a few grand for everything you need to do it.


The catalytic heaters aren't making toxins. They are sucking the oxygen out of the space. So is a breathing human. If you sleep in a car without leaving a window cracked open to let air in, you could end up killing yourself.

If you do leave a window cracked open, then the cat heater is a non-issue.

 

[workerdrone]

And the cracked window should also help with all that pesky condensation, especially below freezing when it's such a PITA in the morning if you're sleeping in a car...

You can do the old tried & true low tech solutions too - with a good mummy bag you can stick it inside another big rectangular Walmart bag or something for plenty of extra insulation, wear a balaclava or neck gaiter as well as a hat, bring a heated bottle of water to bed with you, have a thermos of hot drink nearby...

 

[rayra]

Don't think an electrical heater is a reasonable thing, unless in an RV with a large battery bank and solar capacity.
Neither is counting on wind power. Maybe as a passive non-critical supplement to your power generation / needs. But I wouldn't rely on the wind blowing.

Already mentioned, proper gear and camping methods will solve your temperature issues. You can buy a couple decent cold weather sleeping bags, for the price of a wind generator setup.


here, $35 for a milsurp -10F cold weather sleeping bag
http://www.unclesamsretailoutlet.com/Tennier-Industries-Intermediate-ColdWeather-Sleep-p/7000.htm

 

[ThomasWinfrey]

Hi Rayra, Thanks for the link.

____________
sumacfab.ca

 

[ILIAN]

Another option is installing a gasoline or diesel space heater like Webasto or Espar. These will cost over $1000 but they are high quality and efficient.

 

[RedX]

I am thinking now due to the feedback and cost of it, it is more worth while to just buy a new bag for wintertime travel. My wife and I were talking about it and she brought up the fact that I already have storage boxes packed and ready to go for different types of activities we go and do, why not just add one more for winter camping rather than try to extend the fall/spring box.
I don't know why I hadn't thought of that before but it makes sense, a couple extra bags would be well under the cost of a windmill anyway. Just have to find the right ones.
Thank you all for the input though, I thought windmills might be a good option for overnight but I think keeping the solar for day time and watching consumption over night is the best way to go.


“I believe that there is a subtle magnetism in Nature, which, if we unconsciously yield to it, will direct us aright.” –Henry David Thoreau
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[rossvtaylor]

Ah... Wind power is my second career, for the past 12 years. And, guess what? I have solar on our ambo conversion.

There's nothing wrong with wind turbines, if well designed and well-built, but the issue is that on an RV their normal operational noise will transmit a lot of sound right into your camper. I've seen, and a prior employer even designed, a mount that goes underneath the tire so that you detach the mast from the RV shell. But that's all very cumbersome...

The one small turbine I can recommend highly, (and which I am not affiliated with, any longer, so no conflict) is the AIR series from Primus Wind, a Colorado company.

 

[dwh]

The specs on the AIR40 say it has a 4' rotor and will produce an average of 40kwh/mo with an average wind speed of 13mph.

Unless I've dropped a decimal point somewhere (still working on my first cup of coffee)...

40,000 watt*hours / 30 days = 1,333 wh per day or an average of 56 watts per hour.

So the OP would need 10 of them, and enough continuous wind that he'd have to buy ChapStick by the pound, to run that 500w heater.

 

[HenryJ]

I was looking at some options for heaters to use while camping during the winter months...

Not solving the power source issue, but how about using the 12v Heated Mattress Pad by Electrowarmth
I have no experience with the 12v version, but we have had the 120v model on our bed at home for quite a few years now. We run ours a little before bed time to warm things up. Then on lowest setting over night if needed at all. Wife loves it and so do I Took a couple years to give in to our son, but now he has one too.
Our camper has forced air furnace, so no need for one in there. I have considered one for the Avalanche though. Might be a nice option for stealth camping it in a cold climate.
Food for thought.

 

[Haf-E]

I set up some friends with a pair of those 12V mattress heaters for their van - we used one across the bottom (feet) and one across the top (body area) since they are only 60 inches long and 36 inches wide. This also allowed keeping the feet area warmer and the upper area turned down. They are great for preheating the bed and drying it out of moisture. They aren't fitted so they need to be either hand sewn together (what we did) or pinned to a mattress cover.

 

[JIMBO]

:sombrero: Get a "O" degree double sleeping bag and sleep with your wife---

I never get cold--

Can'tbeatit-

:costumed-smiley-007:wings: JIMBO