Breathing stove gas.

[Stumpalump]

Are any gasses for cooking in a tent or van any safer than another? Sometimes I leave the propane stove on in the morning to knock off the chill but could use the isobutane/propane mix if it's a little safer. I don't need to drag out the catalytic converter heater so it's only run until I can boil water and get dressed. What cooking gas is best and worst for your health?

 

[Martyn]

Complex question as you really have to define what safe is.

If it's the carbon monoxide you are worried about then I would imagine it is a low risk from a cooking stove as combustion is close to complete as the air flow is so high to the burner. Catalytic converters on the other hand are documented to produce CO and running them is contingent on having a good air supply from the outside while they are on.

In both cases you are breathing in combusted air that contains byproduct of the combustion process, if you look into it you will probably find that the gases cause cancer in rats, but evidently everything causes cancer in rats.

 

[tarditi]

Don't cook in a tent, please.

 

[Christophe Noel]

Every year people die in tents with even a tiny stove in the vestibule. Every year. Every year someone asks if it's okay to cook in a tent. Rinse and repeat.

As a mountaineering guide years ago we almost lost two dumbazz clients who thought they'd be okay cooking with an isobutane/propane stove in their vestibule. To this day I doubt they realize how close they came to the pearly gates. The stove ran out of gas while they were, "asleep." They were laughing about it the next day when they told us about how tired they were and "left the stove on and fell asleep." They thought they were lucky to not set the tent on fire. Even after telling them why they passed out, they still asserted it was fatigue from a day of climbing. Mmmkay. They're probably dead now by other means. Radio in the bath would be my guess.

 

[JackW]

Plus if you are in bear country cooking in a tent brings a whole new set of problems...

 

[tlin]

Hard to believe someone legitimately ask something that stupid...

The OP hopefully now has an understanding of the dangers here he wouldn't have arrived at had he NOT asked the community for some feedback.....

 

[Stumpalump]

Every year people die in tents with even a tiny stove in the vestibule. Every year. Every year someone asks if it's okay to cook in a tent. Rinse and repeat.

As a mountaineering guide years ago we almost lost two dumbazz clients who thought they'd be okay cooking with an isobutane/propane stove in their vestibule. To this day I doubt they realize how close they came to the pearly gates. The stove ran out of gas while they were, "asleep." They were laughing about it the next day when they told us about how tired they were and "left the stove on and fell asleep." They thought they were lucky to not set the tent on fire. Even after telling them why they passed out, they still asserted it was fatigue from a day of climbing. Mmmkay. They're probably dead now by other means. Radio in the bath would be my guess.

People die in RV's and campers every year as well. They have built in stoves and heaters and water heaters. I'm in an extended E350 with a raised roof but that's still not much air so I thought I'd ask. I'm looking for the safest gas to breath for the 10 minutes I'm heating water and getting dressed in the morning. At night I can run the catalytic until I'm ready to sleep then it's off. The stove has the risk at night of falling asleep. Alcohol burns clear and spills easy causing fires so no liquid fuel is safe in my opinion but it may be better to breath. I don't like to breath any of it but since I have to cook or boil water I was wondering if there is a best gas if you have to breath some.

 

[Hilldweller]

As long as the combustion is complete the byproducts from butane are just CO2 and water. Add a little carbon to that if the combustion is incomplete.
You'd have to look at the MSD on Coleman Fuel or other proprietary fuels to see what's in their witch's brew to figure out what would be left over.

Let us know if you get sleepy or catch fire. My friend caught fire while we were camping in high school; it smelled really bad....

 

[Kerensky97]

I've been in a pouring rain and cooked from the vestibule before but it was halfway rolled up so that the stove was just outside. But I could tell from the occasional wave of heat the wind was blowing the combustion back at me.
It's no big problem, but make sure you have tons of ventilation. You won't be have a warm sealed up tent while you cook in it, but you can stay mostly in the tent out of the weather while you cook.

 

[PlacidWaters]

A related question:

A few years ago during an extended winter power outage I posted a question online asking if it was safe to use a propane camping stove in the house. The consensus was: "Yes, but you should open a window."

True or not true?

 

[DaveInDenver]

A related question:

A few years ago during an extended winter power outage I posted a question online asking if it was safe to use a propane camping stove in the house. The consensus was: "Yes, but you should open a window."

True or not true?

Good question. As a decided non-expert I don't personally see how using a propane camp stove would be any different than a regular household LP or natural gas stove in theory if you follow the same precautions.

 

[Martyn]

The real issue at hand seems to be completely combustion vs. incomplete combustion. Two things to think about, incomplete combustion due to faulty equipment, and incomplete combustion due to lack of air, such as in an enclosed space. Both are dangerous, but we need a dash of common sense here.

1). When using a heater or stove in a confined space like a camper or van open a vent of window.
2). Install a propane and CO detector. Change the batteries at least once a year.
3). Don't mess with this stuff, death is final.

 

[dcg141]

The biggest reason to carry some kind of awning or tarp beyond shade is to have a place to cook if it rains. My tent heater is electric that I run off a 2000W gen. I just don't trust any combustible in a closed in space.

 

[Stumpalump]

The biggest reason to carry some kind of awning or tarp beyond shade is to have a place to cook if it rains. My tent heater is electric that I run off a 2000W gen. I just don't trust any combustible in a closed in space.

Hmmm. I also carry a Honda 2000 for the AC and a space heater. I'll try to locate a tiny electric cooktop. That's got to better than breathing this or the Partner stove everyday. The SOTO stove is my go to stove. It burps less gas when I connect it and burns perfect.

 

[dcg141]

Hmmm. I also carry a Honda 2000 for the AC and a space heater. I'll try to locate a tiny electric cooktop. That's got to better than breathing this or the Partner stove everyday. The SOTO stove is my go to stove. It burps less gas when I connect it and burns perfect.

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All of my cooking is gas but I do it under a tarp. I have a 10x10 popup and one of these. https://www.aquaquestwaterproof.com/product/guide-sil-tarp-large/ I carry the Aquaquest everywhere because its so portable and versatile. I carry the popup when I have the room to do so.