heaters....

“so it's heavy...but it's small...and good for winter camping..., thought it was kinda cute...

If it keeps me warm at 0 degrees why not?”

“I'd be afraid it would melt my tent, but I have a really small tent.”

“How heavy is it????”

“how much does it weigh?”

“and....aren't ya afraid of fire??”

“I asked first!!!”

“Dry weight 27.25 oz...13 hours on a 7. cartridge my Pocket Rocket and my lantern uses.....$26.99 from Coleman.com”

“it's Catalytic so no open flame....”

“Dub used a Coleman catalytic heater this past weekend at Morgan-Monroe. His ran off the larger propane canisters, though.”

“define that....”

“The exhaust is run over a catalyst (a material that is not part of the reaction, but affects it) to make sure that all of the CO is converted to CO₂. Similar to the way a catalytic converter in a car works.
last edited: 12/15/04 3:11:50 PM”

“the same type of heater that cobblerguy used at the "Current" river...LOL”

“What is Catalytic Heat?

Efficient and environmentally friendly. Catalytic heat produces fewer carbon monoxide (CO) emissions. In the catalytic process, propane is brought into contact with oxygen in the air and a catalyst to cause a chemical reaction. The result creates heat.

This advanced platinum catalytic combustion system converts propane to heat energy at 800-900 degrees F, which is below the ignition point of most flammable materials.

All of our catalytic heaters have a built-in pressure regulator to produce constant heat regardless of altitude or air temperature.

Comfortable and efficient, catalytic heat provides a soft, consistent radiant heat and is whisper quiet. The catalytic process converts nearly all of the propane to heat energy.”

“Bunch of pansies!”

“Thanks :)”

“alone, I'm a tough guy...but if my lady friend is more likely to get nekkid if'n it's WARM...I'm liable to heat with charcoal...LMAO”

“...I'll bet you could use this baby with a windscreen pot stand to simmer, maybe even cook on...hmmmmmmm.......(Just use larger vent holes in the bottom edge to prevent the canister from overheating.......)”

“AHHHH! Enough said!”

“Some advice: use it to warm the tent up before you turn in, then crawl into sleeping bags and shut it off. Even CO-2 will kill you.

I had the honors of writing the story about a pair of Boy Scout leaders who killed themselves with a catalytic heater on a camping trip to Shenandoah in the early 80s. It was a nice example for the kids of what not to do.

I have a propane heater I have used on a car camping trip under the tarp shelter, but I turn it off before crawling into the tent. There is enough air flow under the tarp to keep it ventilated. But inside the tent it would not get enough ventilation.”

“Also, all the catalytic heaters I have ever seen caution not to use them close to tents. The heat can melt the nylon. I would not chance believing the manufacturer's claims.

But if you ignore my advice and come back to tell about it, let me know. I'll rush out and buy one.”

“...I know, Geo....The same precautions I use when heating my tent with my propane BP Lantern...it emits light AND heat...I just like to talk about new stuff...and this little heater is new to me...LOL
last edited: 12/15/04 3:35:23 PM”

“I've used the Sport Cat in a tent with no ill effects. Last January, the outside temps hit 3*F but inside, it was a comfy 42 degrees.

The tent I was using at the time was not one of the smaller backpacking tents, though. I has a ceiling height of 49" and is 7x7' square, and was pretty well ventilated.

I don't think I'm going to leave the heater on all night in my new EMS NorthStar - this one's smaller on the inside, so I don't want to end up like those Boy Scout leaders in Shenandoah!”

“I have one of the coleman catalytic heaters that I use for car camping in my 3 room dome tent. Mine uses the 16 oz propane fuel canisters. Between Christmas and New Years, my neighbor and I may go up to Roan High Shelter and spend the night. I just love hiking in the snow, just hope that its not too deep. We will probably leave the heater on all night and leave a window slightly open. Not too far to carry one for a night or two.”

“I would be among the scoffers here but having seen Dub's in action (I wasn't going to say who had it but sense TMac already outed him! LOL!), I'm not only impressed I'm buying one! It wasn't something I'd carry in my pack but I could see some real uses for it. He ran it all night and the next morning. When we came back some 6 hours we found it was still going (it was on the picnic table) and had about 1/4 tank of gas left.”

“I have used it all night before. At deer camp when it got down in the teens with 20 mph winds! I didn't worry too much about co2 build-up because of the ventilation. The howling wind kept me awake most of the night anyway. When the propane ran out just before I got up, I knocked the heater over and burned a slit in the tent floor, OOPS! A little Alabama chrome (duct tape) and it was good as new!”

“the only problem with carrying the heater is that you need to carry one of those 5 lb. fire extinguishers to have handy for the enevitable.

I don't think I could use one.
Why not just turn the stove on in the tent or better yet carry one of those NewWick candles and light all four wicks.”

“Dub said the thing needs only 3" of ventilation. You'd have to just about have to seal yourself up in there on purpose to sufficate yourself. As for burning, I think it's best left in the vestibule.”

“I have seen tents with extra 'openings' caused by catalitic heaters.”

“THIS one is a smaller version of the SportCat, and fits on a Pocket Rocket Canister...13 hours on a seven ounce fuel canister...designed for backpacking, it comes with a wider base for the canister, and a nifty little zippered case. This is NOT the SportCat...so use would be optimized in the smaller BPing tents....For shelter use, I'd use the larger models...

Many of us cut weight in our packs where we can, but are not ultralighters...the tent I use is basicly a two man four season tent, five by seven, with two doors and two to the ground vestibules that are huge...there is plenty of room in the tent for this heater, without much chance of tippng it over....and a little opening of the zipper at the door, and opening the Spin Drift vents at the top of the tent to get flow thru ventilation and I'd be cooking...on really cold winter trips of two or three days, this would be a little insurance even if I never fired it up....”

“i might invest in one of these one day... but for now i'm good.”

“F&S magazine had a neat little tip the other month. Its basically a coffee can, unscented TP w/o the cardboard core and some rubbing alcohol. Heat for 18 to 24 hrs of intermittent use off of one bottle. Once the paper starts to brown/burn, extinguish flame and refill.”

“I just bought one for the old man at GlobalMart.com for $24.09!

http://www.globalmart.com/page/5/5034_700.htm”

“Maybe I should post this on some home improvement board but tough..cause I'm posting it here.

My heat downstairs will not come on when I turn it to heat. (yes the thermostat is pushed up) Anybody got any ideas as to why? If I turn the fan switch to "on" it blows but its cold air...if I turn it to Auto is does nothing...wahhhhhhhh help!”

“Gas? Electric? Could be a billion different causes. Bad thermostate being one of them.”

“natural gas. would bad thermostat be the most logical guess..and how hard are they to replace. IE: can I just pop the old on off and stick a new one in?”

“Power doesn't appear to be a problem since control voltage and main voltage is obviously present. Forced air system, what is the fuel source?”

“They're easy to replace. Does your furnace make any noises like it's trying to start up? Also is it electronic ignition or does it have a pilot light?
last edited: 12/02/05 7:02:50 PM”

“nope..I don't hear a thing. Then again I haven't been outside to listen either. I hear the thermostat click like its suppose to but then nothing.

I hadn't even thought of the pilot light...crap I don't even know where to look to see that thing.
last edited: 12/02/05 7:05:11 PM”

“Is it an electronic thermostat or an older mechanical sort? How about the age of the furnace?”

“ok I went outside..y'all bear with me. This is one thing I know nothing about.

With the thermostat turned to auto like it usually is outside the unit is running and blowing air out of this little chimmney looking thing...but inside nothing is coming out of the vents.

the thermostat is the older type with the little mercury looking glass thing inside. As to the age of the furnace...ummm I don't know. I'd have to pull out my info from when I bought the house. I know its newer than the house...”

“So there is a draft-inducing fan which is going but there is no flame?”

“draft inducing fan? if I turn the fan setting to 'on' yes it blows. I really don't know where to look outside to see if the pilot light is burning.”

“No not the fan that blows air inside the house, the one that's blowing air out the chimney thing. It sounds like the furnace was replaced at one point but the thermostat wasn't. It seems to me based on what you've said that the furnace has electronic ignition which has failed, or it's not getting any gas supply. Electronic ignitors come in two sorts, the kind that makes a spark (goes tick tick) and the kind that has a glow plug (makes a bright reddish glow). If the ignitor is trying to do something then maybe it's a main valve failure.”

“you got any ideas where I can look on it outside to see if theres a reddish glow?

For the tick tick kind I'm gonna have to find someone tomorrow to stand outside while I turn it on. NOt a one of my neighbors is home tonight.”

“You should see the glow through vent slats on the front of the furnace.”

“ok...heres what I've got. I don't see any glow in the slats.

In addition its a freakin Trane XL 1100..you know, nothing runs like a trane. Well I guess they're right...cause mine is runnin it just ain't heatin.”

“...Check to make sure that the gas valve to the furnace in "ON"...(Basics first)....find the copper line that feeds the furnace and make sure the valve is 180 to the line; (Not turned 90 degrees).

Then check to see if the chimmney thing is passing hot air out the top (Put your hand over it...Warm?) no? Smel the chimmney...Smell Gas? (Let's hope not!)

DOWNSTAIRS: What heats the upstairs...same furnace or another? Check the next simple thing...check to make sure the ductwork is still connected under the house...(Simple: open the door to the crawl space and look under the house for loose hanging ductwork: also check for heat underneath the house...(Sure sign the ductwork is loose and air is being funneled under the house instead of the vents.)”

“I was about to say... you should hear the tick tick tick or see a glow on an electric ignition. If you hear the thermostat "click" on the old mercury type it should be turing on. You should replace the thermostate with a programmable one anyways... they are cheap and easy to do.”

“the air coming out of the little chimney thing is cold.

no gas smell coming out of the chimney..thank GOD! As for the duct work if it were loose or off would I be feeling air coming out of the vents in the house when the thermostat is turned to 'on'?

Upstairs is heat pump.

I bought an programmable thermostat once but took it back. I was intimidated by the instructions. Generally I can do anything but I'm entitled to be a girl sometimes..

I'll have to crawl under the house tommorrow and will check the ducts anyway. I dread that enough in daylight let alone at night.
last edited: 12/02/05 7:45:29 PM”