Official Test Results: Five Ways to Heat a Tent

[OregonLC]

Has anyone ever considered radiant heating with water? Just wondering if you couldn't hookup a instant propane water heater to a closed loop of PEX around the perimeter of the tent. Or a small radiator with a fan. Would need a pump, expansion tank, and probably a bunch of logistics that you wouldn't figure out until after using it in the wild. And there may be duty cycle limitations with a tankless heater. But it would come with the added bonus of having a hot water source. And no condensation. Doubt it would work, just throwing out the idea.

Probably work best for a trailer mounted RTT.

Thinking something like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07T97DD3W/ref=twister_B07Z342CBB?_encoding=UTF8&th=1

 

[realsystem]

Has anyone ever considered radiant heating with water? Just wondering if you couldn't hookup a instant propane water heater to a closed loop of PEX around the perimeter of the tent. Or a small radiator with a fan. Would need a pump, expansion tank, and probably a bunch of logistics that you wouldn't figure out until after using it in the wild. And there may be duty cycle limitations with a tankless heater. But it would come with the added bonus of having a hot water source. And no condensation. Doubt it would work, just throwing out the idea.

Probably work best for a trailer mounted RTT.

Thinking something like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07T97DD3W/ref=twister_B07Z342CBB?_encoding=UTF8&th=1

Looks like overkill idea for tent.
from comments: "
Propane consumption worse case is a 12.5 hr run time for a 20lb tank. One gallon of propane contains 91500 BTU/Gal. 20 lb tank holds 4.7 Gal and the burn rate of the hot water heater is 34,000 on high.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AFRT4Y76IWUVNUDM5OKFKTWPE7TA/ref=ask_aa_af_pp_hza
"

 

[realsystem]

I have more sophisticated but smaller system in mind: PTC air heater(say 100W 12V) and appropriate fan sitting on the PWM controller. It's core part. Now imagine this brick inside pipe with air heat exchanger(smaller copy of home systems). I think it would work when connected to the standard RTT vent via 3D printed custom coupler(which can be mounted on the fabric wall permanently). Now on the camp all we need to do is to mount all system directly to the coupler. It will heat up air from outside and also we need second fan in the system that can remove exhausted air from inside(this old air is warm and can be used to help PTC heater to heat the exchanger). This second fan should be installed in the same pipe but air flows(outside/inside) should be separated.

 

[TwinStick]

We have a Patton electric space heater that we have been using for years in our 18' camper. It works fantastic. We use it on the low setting (700 watts) & after an hour, have to turn it down. I know a tent is different but if you do have electricity or can find a 100 watt 12v heater, that would probably work great. Just make sure you got the batteries for it. Our heater has tip over safety, overheating safety switches & they are very sensitive. We use it to conserve propane, when electricity is available. It will run almost all night on 1 gal of gas in our Honda eu2000i.

 

[Cascade Wanderer]

MattJ - thanks for the invite to this thread - I must have overlooked it. Have been snow camping, winter-backpacking, etc for a long time now.

The photo you saw of my Jeep, trailer & tent was taken, November of 2017 - there was no snow on the ground when I went to bed the night before!

Another, earlier trip to the same area, sans trailer, and with my old tent.

I've long since decided on the low-budget, low-tech candle lantern solution. Works fine. Trouble-shooting is pretty easy, put in another candle.

First used candles to heat a snow-shelter back in 1973 or 1974. I was pretty dubious about the idea of a small candle heating my snow trench, but it worked great. Decided I'd found a solution that I could use in snow shelters or tents. Haven't felt the need for anything else.

A real wood-burning stove in a canvas tent - now that's SWEET - I've enjoyed that in a large canvas tent several times for hunting trips, but I don't have such a thing. Maybe someday when I grow up?

Regards, Guy

 

[Deleted member 9101]

Since I live in Florida...most of the tent camping I do is during the winter. I mostly camp at State Parks, so I have easy access to 120v. For the last 20 or so years I have used a heated mattress pad and then a small electric space heater when I wake up and crawl out of bed.

 

[Grassland]

Since I live in Florida...most of the tent camping I do is during the winter. I mostly camp at State Parks, so I have easy access to 120v. For the last 20 or so years I have used a heated mattress pad and then a small electric space heater when I wake up and crawl out of bed.

Winter in Florida ahahahahhaah.

Does that reach freezing even?

 

[MANUCHAO]

This is why I'm going to try to permanently install the Propex on my roof rack for this season. Hopefully it will become reliable once I stop moving it around and connecting/disconnecting everything constantly. When it works, it rocks. When it doesn't, there is a lot of cursing involved.

I have decided to install my propex permanently inside the rig...
Yes that means drilling holes for the air intake, exhaust and propane...
I have also installed a 10-Gal propane tank under the rig, and just about finish the plumbing for the propane going into the cargo area... the thinking is to eventually fit a pop up on the rig....

I was never a fan of running all them 60mm ducts outside the rig....
Not efficient as too many BTUs get lost in the process, and makes the propex run/ work too hard

 

[Deleted member 9101]

Winter in Florida ahahahahhaah.

Does that reach freezing even?

Depends where you are at in the state...lol. In Miami...nope... In Tallahassee... absolutely. Where I live...maybe...haha.

 

[Grassland]

Depends where you are at in the state...lol. In Miami...nope... In Tallahassee... absolutely. Where I live...maybe...haha.

Come visit me in central Canada. I'll supply you with bourbon, or various national whiskies to heat you. It will keep you less water per volume so you don't freeze solid.

Worse we will camp is -20 to 23 ° celsius. Our "design" temperature aka what we do heating load calculations for buildings at is -33° celsius. I try to minimize being outside at that temp.

We are planning a March trip to Florida. I didn't think I needed to pack pants.

 

[Deleted member 9101]

Come visit me in central Canada. I'll supply you with bourbon, or various national whiskies to heat you. It will keep you less water per volume so you don't freeze solid.

Worse we will camp is -20 to 23 ° celsius. Our "design" temperature aka what we do heating load calculations for buildings at is -33° celsius. I try to minimize being outside at that temp.

We are planning a March trip to Florida. I didn't think I needed to pack pants.

Holy hell that's cold!

We design our buildings around the two H's... Heat and Hurricanes...haha.

As for Florida in March...bring sunscreen and plenty of Deet...hahaha.

 

[Grassland]

Yeah it's rough, our summer design temperature is 28° Celsius. Nothing like a 61° variance in temperature throughout the year.

 

[dbhost]

FIrst off, thank you so much for looking into this for folks to enjoy. There were some methods that were missed however. Unless you are made from buckets of money and countless time, I can't see you being able to test everything. Here are some other options to consider though.

#1. Coleman fuel (liquid fuel) catalytic heaters. Lots of different models with output ranges from 1.5K BTU to 9K BTU.
#2. Hot water bottles with water heated on the stove or camp fire.
#3. Tent wood stove.

My method is to use a Coleman 3K BTU 518B liquid fuel heater. Pre heat it outside obviously, bring it into the tent for the evening / get ready for bed. Snuff it before going to sleep, start it up in the morning before the wife gets up... I CAN and have run it overnight, just make sure there is nothing combustible near it, and allow plenty of fresh air and you are good to go... Not super efficient, but not bad. Much cheaper to run than a buddy heater on low... It'll heat up a 10x20 tent in Texas winters so well it gets almost tropical inside even with plenty of make up air...

I have in the past heated up water and put hot water in several hot water bottles in the tent, that would drive the chill off, maybe not keep the tent warm, but definately keep the knees from chattering as you get ready for bed...

 

[MattJ]

Worse we will camp is -20 to 23 ° celsius. Our "design" temperature aka what we do heating load calculations for buildings at is -33° celsius. I try to minimize being outside at that temp.

Here's one of my favorite photos from a cold-weather camping trip with my kids:

 

[MattJ]

#1. Coleman fuel (liquid fuel) catalytic heaters. Lots of different models with output ranges from 1.5K BTU to 9K BTU.
#2. Hot water bottles with water heated on the stove or camp fire.
#3. Tent wood stove.

I've lost track whether I already posted about this experiment earlier in this thread. Spent weeks trying to figure out how to burn anthracite coal in my tipi tent wood stove . . . AND used a catalytic heater with a mounted 12v circulation fan as backup!