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australia:heaters

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heaters for camping

see also:

Introduction

  • camping is generally associated with cool to cold nights and in winter, these nights will be long and much colder
  • the traditional method of staying warm at night outside the tent is with the wood fire, but these impact the environment in many ways, risk bushfires and are banned in many camp areas such as most commercial camp grounds and National Parks
  • this page discusses various options, see also gas fittings for camping and keeping warm when camping or hiking
  • do NOT use fuel burning devices (including gas) inside your tent unless it is appropriately flued as there is a major risk of lethal carbon monoxide poisoning, let alone the tent rapidly catching of fire!

Personal wear heaters

chemical type "pocket warmers"

  • single use air activated iron and salt-based oxidising pocket warmers take 15-30minutes to start
    • Coghlans Disposable Hand Warmer last 6hrs, $AU1.50 each
    • Flexeze 10hr hand warmers $AU2 per pair
    • Hot Hands Hand Warmers (Chemist Warehouse) last 10hrs $AU2 for 2 pack
  • re-usable super-saturated solution crystallisation pocket warmers

USB rechargeable heat pad pocket warmers

  • multiple devices available with lithium batteries
  • eg. Thermacell Heat Pack
    • $AU63 200g; Lasts up to 6-hours of constant heat per charge and can recharge in approximately 4 hours

USB heat pads within clothing or scarves

  • just connect to a USB power bank
  • many options including DIY

Electrical heaters which can be used in tents with care

USB powered heat pads

  • these can be powered by a small USB power bank or via your auxiliary 12V battery
  • given the power output limitations of USB (around 5-10W), these are generally limited to smallish pads up to around 30cm square and average around 8W
  • great for pets to sleep on!

USB rechargeable glove and boot dryers and sanitisers

  • wet gloves and boots will not be great when you have another cold day ahead
  • these devices insert into the gloves or boots and dries them out overnight by heating them plus uses UV to sanitise
  • Sidas Drywarmer Pro USB
    • pair packs to 19L x 10W x 7H cm; 200g; 10W USB power input required; 4hr timer; $AU43;

12V cigarette lighter socket devices

  • most cigarette sockets in cars are limited to 12V 10A 120W but you can get a 15A rated socket and connect it to an Anderson plug if you need more power output of up to 180W
  • 12V heat pads such as car seat heaters
    • these are often rated at 48W (4A) but this maximum output often is limited to around 2 minutes and then there is no output for some 5-6 minutes meaning the averaged heat output is around 24W (2A)
    • one to two such heat pads (~2A per hour) plus a person in a full fabric 2-man tent will raise the air temp from 9degC to 15degC within 1hr and keep it at around 6deg higher than outside if there is minimal airflow from the outside
  • 12V heating pads / "electric blankets" to lie on
    • these tend to have max output of 48-65W and often have a timed automatic off as a safety measure
  • 12V fanned air heaters
    • these are usually sold as car window demisters and often are rated output of 150-160W
    • most only have one heat setting and one fan setting (without heat)
    • provide rapid heating of a small tent (temp from 13 to 19deg in 10 minutes) but does use a lot of power so may be best used with a thermostat or just intermittently as needed
    • not useful for larger tents

air conditioner units - heating and cooling

  • these are heavy, big, expensive and use a LOT of electricity!
  • EcoFlow Wave 2
    • 14.5kg; included battery only runs a fan, needs external power from AC (820W max), DC (200W max), solar (400W max) or an expensive EcoFlow battery (max 700W) for heating or cooling
    • cooling mode runs at about 540-600W although is rated at 1500W and will need a drain tube connected if humidity is > 70%
    • heating mode runs at about 540-600W although is rated at 1800W heat output and will need a drain tube connected
    • $AU1799 plus you need a massive, heavy, expensive battery eg. EcoFlow 1800W Delta 2 at $AU1999

Heat output and fuel usage

  • 1000W output = 3500 BTU = 3.7MJ/hr and requires 74g gas/hr or approx. 100mL/hr of diesel or kerosene
  • each 1MJ/hr requires 20g gas per hour

Gas heaters (not for use inside hiking tents)

small gas canister heaters

larger heaters which use larger gas cartridges

  • there are a range of portable gas heaters which allow a gas cartridge to be attached, and often can also be used attached to a traditional LPG propane gas cylinder
  • these use 450g BOC gas cartridges or optional adapter for gas cylinders
  • examples:
    • Mr Heater Portable Buddy Heater
    • Companion Portable Propane Heater
      • 7300BTU; Gas Consumption: Low: 5.24MJ/hr - 104g/Hr. High: 7.71MJ/hr - 153g/Hr
      • 33 x 40 x 20cm;
      • 4.2kg $AU135

heaters which attach directly onto Companion gas cylinders

  • Companion gas cylinders have a vertical 3/8“ LH BSP adapter and thus allow devices to attach directly above the cylinder
  • examples:
    • Companion LPG Radiator Reflect Heater
      • 5500 BTU with 206mm wide reflector; Gas Consumption: 5.8Mj/Hr or 116g/Hr; manual lighting only, no piezo;
      • 27 x 21 x 12 cm; 0.76kg;
      • $AU49

heaters which only connect via hose to a gas cylinder

  • Companion Portable LPG Gas Heater
    • 10,800 BTU; Gas Consumption: 13MJ/hr-260g/hr; supplied with a POL gas hose and regulator
    • 41(L) x 19(D) x 33(H) cm;
    • 4.21kg; $AU140
  • Industrial high output air heaters for large areas:
    • DETROIT 20KW LPG Heater HLPG20
      • 9kg; 52 x 27 x 48cm;
      • 20kW – 70,000 BTU; 1.40kg/hr Gas consumption
      • 500m3/hr Air flow and should heat a 200m2 space with 2.5m ceilings
      • requires 80W 0.5A 240V input for fan
      • $AU269 include hose and regulator

Gas heaters designed to heat up tents

  • these are potentially the safest and least hassle heating options (not used inside tent and thus no added condensation, no fire risk, no CO risk, no smelly liquids to spill) HOWEVER they do still require a decent amount of battery power which limits the utility of the Companion and Gasmate models!
  • Companion AeroHeat Lithium Tent Heater
    • 800mm air outlet hose to run into your tent providing 60degC hot air while the unit itself must be only used in well-ventilated areas.
    • built-in gas regulator with BOM connection
    • can run directly off 468g propane cartridge (9hrs of heating) or via hose a LPG gas cylinder
      • gas consumption 2.2Mj/h | 43.7g/h
    • 4hr lithium battery to run the fan with 12V 5A DC in charging with 1-2m charging cord
    • Bluetooth remote control via smartphone
    • will not operate in ambient temperatures above 15degC!
    • 442L x 164W x 360H; 7kg;
    • $AU419 on special
  • Gasmate CH100 Ducted Camping Heater
    • uses propane cartridge or LPG
    • heats 15degC intake air to max. 58degC (cutoff)
    • internal rechargeable battery lasts 5hrs (seems can't charge while its in use and recharge takes 6hrs) and uses 55g/h gas giving 2.8 MJ/h
    • 8.6kg w/o gas cartridge
    • 43.3 x D 21 x H 39.3cm
    • must be professionally serviced every 12 months
    • $AU299
  • Propex HS2211
    • uses external 12V DC power (max. 1.7A; ~20Ah/night on full)
    • uses 37mbar – CAT I3p (37) propane or 30mbar – CAT I3B/P (30) Butane/Propane
    • may not be approved for use in Australia as per note for the HS2000 model here

Diesel heaters

  • DON'T BUY a “8kW model”, these are just hypertuned “5kW models” and may have less safety 2)
  • they need 10-15A 12V (180W) on start up for 1st 10 minutes so cannot be run off a standard 10A cig lighter socket, after that they usually only need ~1A or 12W
    • need between 12.5v & 13.5v to ignite the glow plug - this can be an issue if using a lead acid battery and the wires are thin and so not able to generate enough voltage at the glow plug
    • a 5kW unit generally uses ~200-400ml/hr of diesel
  • they will make a ticking sound due to the pulsing fuel pump plus fan noise - your nearby neighbours may not be happy!
  • they need to be primed before starting - read the manual
  • diesel exhaust smells and it will smoke initially - your nearby neighbours may not be happy!
  • diesel fuel itself smells - use gloves and don't spill it in your tent or in your car!
    • the fuel caps have an air intake which unfortunately also tend to allow fumes out - consider drilling these out and replacing with a Pit Bike Breather 3)
    • if fuel sloshes against the cap, you will still tend to get fumes escaping from the cap - avoid over-filling the tank
    • some cheap models have a leaky fuel cap! see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwE2XrBYrbk
  • some cheap air ducts can provide plastic/chemical smell
    • this may be due to:
      • cheap rubber gasket (which is also flammable) instead of silicone at the base of the unit around the exhaust outlet 4)
      • cheap rubber anti-vibration pads instead of silicone inside the unit 5)
      • plastic duct connectors which tend to off-gas with initial usage
  • the exhaust duct is likely to become red hot near the exhaust outlet so keep it away from flammable materials like a tent floor
    • this is particularly likely if there is excessive soot build up
  • can be problematic 6):
    • carbon can build up needing cleaning, especially if ran at low heat for prolonged periods or you use poor quality fuel, or used at altitude without changing altitude setting (too much fuel not enough oxygen)
      • can also be minimised by running a lean burn mixture (eg. set as per 15000 feet altitude even at sea level for a 5kW unit) but this will reduce max heat output 7)
    • shuts off when overheats
    • can flood itself when re-starting
    • diesel can drip out of the intake
    • wiring is often too thin for 15A, so you should consider upgrading the wiring 8)
    • infamous green fuel lines may need replacing and reinforcing 9)
    • some models have poorly sized exhaust ducts which easily slip off even with clamping 10)
    • supplied fuel filter may leak - consider upgrading it 11)
    • you may need to replace the fuel pump and re-design how it is mounted to reduce noise 12)
    • control panels are not waterproof, yet you don't want the unit inside your living space due to potential exhaust leaks and potential for fires at the exhaust outlet
    • can catch on fire and shoot flames out the exhaust if fuel-air mix is set too lean
    • if you run it by setting a temperature, the controller will run at max output until temp reached then shut down creating swings in output, the alternative is to set the pump frequency which will give a more steady output level
    • in a mounted unit, if the exhaust duct has a low point, water can pool and corrode it, and also the muffler has a weep hole - this should be facing down to allow water out
    • the remote should have a slide cover so you don't accidentally press buttons when it is in your pocket
  • these are thermostatically controlled units which run on diesel, 12/24V DC inputs and have exhaust pipes and tend to be noisy hence many have silencers to reduce noise
  • see https://aussieoutbackstore.com.au/pages/faq-diesel-heaters
  • if you have been running unit on Low, need to be run on high for 1-2 minutes at the end to burn off soot which can otherwise cause problems with the diesel unit
  • a 2kW unit would be fine for most small-medium sized tents - and you should select an all in one unit which houses the fuel tank and the heater
    • diesel motors don't like being ran on low for long periods so you're much better off with a smaller unit working a bit harder than a larger unit running on low which will then lead to clogging up and causing issues down the track.
  • 5kW units are generally used for caravans
  • designed to be outside a tent with duct into tent:
    • Generic Chinese 2kW all in one small units with silencer:
      • 2kW; 12V DC; 2.5L fuel tank; fuel consumption: 0.16~0.48L/h; uses ~40W power to run the fan; remote controller - on/off, heat level; motor intake duct and exhaust duct exit underneath and pass to bottom rear of unit; rear DC input terminals; front control panel;
      • 32.5×26.5×13.5cm; ~$AU130;
      • there are 5kW and 8KW versions for similar price but these are larger and presumably noisier;
    • Vevor
    • MaxPeedingRods Adjustable All-In-One 2kW heater:
    • Gasmate Diesel heater designed to be outside a tent:
      • 2kW; 12V DC;
      • 4.25 Litre fuel tank which allows up to 7 days of typical usage (based on 4hrs use per day, on power level 2-3)
      • 23 W x 40 L x 30 H; 9kg (plus fuel)
      • $AU549 on special
  • caravan heaters
    • maXpeedingrods 12V 5KW Air Diesel caravan Heater
      • 49 x 49 x 21 cm; 9.78 Kilograms
      • $A149
    • 1 INCHHOME 2KW/5KW/8KW Air Diesel caravan heater 12V
      • $AU149-199
    • Autoterm Diesel Air Heater 100-02502 12V KW Kit with Rotary Controller
      • “Silent pump”; computer controlled stepless fan speed; air intake silencer included;
      • fuel Consumption: 0.1-0.24 L/h; Hot Air Flow: 34-75 m3/h; Power Consumption: min 10W to max 29W;
      • 6.5kg excluding 100-02510 fuel tank which is not included in price, and fuel;
      • $AU1385 on special
    • Autoterm Diesel Air Heater 100-02504 12V KW Kit with Digital Controller
      • “Silent pump”; computer controlled stepless fan speed; air intake silencer included; needs PU-27 Digital Controller;
      • fuel Consumption: 0.1-0.24 L/h; Hot Air Flow: 34-75 m3/h; Power Consumption: min 10W to max 29W;
      • 6.5kg excluding 100-02510 fuel tank which is not included in price, and fuel;
      • $AU1449 on special
    • AUFocus diesel heaters
  • industrial heaters for large areas:
    • DETROIT 20KW Radiant Diesel Heater
      • uses 1.9 l/hr (10.5L Steel fuel tank) to give 20Kw output radiant heat; no fan; no electricity needed;
      • 61 x 58 x 38cm;
      • $AU799
    • DETROIT 20KW Diesel Indirect Fired Air Heater
      • uses 1.94 l/hr (38L Steel fuel tank - 12hr Max Run Time) to give 20Kw output heat
      • Air Output 750m3/hr
      • 83x53x36cm wheel trolley mounted;
      • $AU799

Kerosene heaters

  • Charmate Portable Kerosene Heater
    • 9000 BTU; 0.25L/Hour;
    • 4.6L fuel tank capacity
    • Removable top with trivet for cooking
    • 4.2kg
    • $AU119

Wood stoves with a chimney for inside a tent or outside

  • need a fireproof stove jack in the tent ceiling or wall (or can run the chimney through a open section of the tent) and must keep at least one door or window open
  • an enclosed stove is safer than a fire pit for spark generation especially if the chimney has a spark arrester, but neither will be allowed on fire ban days or in some National Parks
    • most use around 1kg/hr of dry seasoned kindling and need stoking every 45min or so
    • can also get wood pellet fed stoves which use about 1kg/hr of wood pellets which last 4-8hrs depending upon size of the feeder hopper
    • see wood stoves for camping

Wood open fires for OUTSIDE the tent

  • unless you BYO wood, you will probably need a chain saw and an axe to split the wood - assuming you can find dry wood and you are not decimating the local wildlife's homes
  • a fire pit or stove reduces risk of fire burn scars on the ground but can kill grass nearby due to the heat

portable fire pits

  • these are usually around 6-15kg
  • Slot Me In The Wedge Fire Pit & Camp Cooker - Ultimate Combo Kit
    • flat pack 4mm thick Australian BlueScope Xlerplate® steel 14.2kg; $AU589
    • packs to 660mm L x 460mm W x 25mm H packed in the canvas storage bag
  • Kamoto Open Fire Pit Large
    • 9.6kg folding powder-coated steel and stainless steel cooking grid
    • W 550 x D 470 x H 380 mm
    • $AU419
  • Kamoto Open Fire Pit
    • 6.3kg folding powder-coated steel and stainless steel cooking grid
    • 53 x 39 x 6cm folded; 46 x 39 x 33 cm unfolded;
    • $AU379
  • Darche Stainless Steel BBQ 450 Firepit
    • stainless steel flat pack foldable design, packs to 56 x 56 x 8cm
    • 11.5kg $AU299
  • Winnerwell Large Flat Firepit
    • flat packed to 657(L) x 348(W) x 30(H) mm
    • 4.1kg $AU120
  • Supa Peg Frontier Portable Folding Fire Pit
    • 2.5mm Heavy Duty Steel; flat packs to 400mm x 310mm x 40mm
    • 6.8kg $AU180

battery powered fan "smokeless" fire pits

  • adjustable air flow can allow the fire to rapidly become relatively smoke free but you will need to charge it up and use more wood, plus there is a risk the fan system will fail leaving it as a not so good fire pit
  • BioLite FirePit+
    • incorporates a 12,800mAh lithium battery which lasts 30hrs of fire on low fan (7hrs on hire fan - fan output controllable by smartphone app via Bluetooth) and can be used as a USB power bank as well as being USB rechargeable
    • enamel coating with “Xray” mesh for high visibility fire;
    • fan can be noisy, mesh tends to rust rapidly and it is fairly bulky as it packs to 70L x 30D x 28H cm 9kg;
    • uses wood up to 40cm long and Heat Beads; smallish fire pit and if you put wood in above the air pipes it will smoke; needs constant feeding with small wood
    • can cook on it via the removable grill grate; opt. grill lid $AU89 and fire poker $AU33
    • $AU329
    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYySwCJBicA

wood fire tent air heater

  • using a wood log fire in the snow to heat a metal pipe which passes hot air into the tent without need for a pump - it just uses the temperature gradient to create air flow
  • see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeHGDr81XwM for some ideas just make sure the intake of the pipe does not entrain carbon monoxide!
1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqSMyXLIds0
2) , 3) , 4) , 5) , 7) , 8) , 9) , 10) , 11) , 12)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ootOoPQ8KEc
6)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gta9GnIwdtg
australia/heaters.txt · Last modified: 2024/10/04 22:43 by gary1
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