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<\/picture><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nAre heaters safe to use in a tent? Although never completely without risk, using a heater in a tent is safest when you choose an electric heater that has the right safety features, or a catalytic heater with the CSA 4.98 or the ANSI Z21.103 certification. Besides the right heater, it’s very important your heater placement is far enough away from the sides of the tent and from clothing or bedding. Lastly, only using the heater when awake is a wise safety precaution.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I have personally tested and used an industrial-grade gas detector <\/strong>on 7 gas heaters to find out if they were dangerous. You can find the best heaters for use in a tent <\/strong>in our article, here<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n I actually did extensive tests with an industrial gas detector if you’re interested in seeing in-action some of the tests as well as my recommendations, make sure and watch my video, here. <\/p>\n\n\n So, above I said that the safest gas heaters to use are catalytic or radiant heaters does this mean every catalytic or radiant heater is safe to use? <\/p>\n\n\n\n No! *insert dramatic bom bom bom music here*<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I said the safest type. It turns out there is more to the story here. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Several catalytic or radiant heaters are deadly<\/strong>. In fact, this study (source #1<\/a>) found that many radiant heaters will create enough carbon monoxide and deplete enough oxygen to fatal levels<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The key is the CSA 4.98<\/strong> or ANSI Z21.103 <\/strong>certification. Make sure that your catalytic or radiant heater abides by this certification, and that will clear up a lot of potential problems you may face. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A couple *must* features to look for in a catalytic heater are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another device you might consider is a battery-operated carbon monoxide detector. It may seem excessive, but you can get a sensor relatively inexpensively. This one from First Alert<\/a> on Amazon uses 9-volt batteries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Always, always, always, always, always make sure you have enough ventilation when using any gas heater. I’d argue that any ventilation options you have you should take them. Make sure you guy out the tent fly as much as possible to make sure that all windows are unobstructed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even though you may not get points for roughing it, having a simple electric space heater can make your tent really cozy. There are a few requirements, though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just like any heater, you have to make sure that you have enough space between the heater and everything else. <\/strong> Although 4 feet should be enough space, follow the guidelines in your space heater’s manual to make sure you have the space need. This really can’t be understated. It’s so easy for clothes and things to move around while you’re sleeping. If something covers the grill of the space heater, you could be putting yourself in danger. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Electricity and water shouldn’t mix.<\/strong> If it helps, just think of electricity like a cat, and you’ll be fine. If it’s raining outside, then water is going to be around, and since your cord will be running outside your tent, you are opening yourself up to some risks. If you plan to use an electric heater in humid locations you might consider a heater that is made for bathrooms and other humid locations. I’d personally not even try to use a heater when it’s raining, though–something about that situation makes me feel uncomfortable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Look for automatic shutoff tip detectors<\/strong>–it seems like my mission is to call this feature something different every time I talk about it in this article ;). It’s a small safety feature that could make a big difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Look for a space heater with a timer–<\/strong>many space heaters actually will shut off after an hour of use. I’d consider this an ideal feature because sleeping with an unsupervised heater has more risk<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Try a Lower Voltage Heater. <\/strong>If you want to use a Solar Power Generator (like these ones<\/a> on Amazon), you actually have a chance of using your power bank with your low voltage heater. (You can’t use a standard 1500w space heater with any power bank under $500 right now). I just bought the Lasko 200W space heater<\/a> (off of Amazon) and I am going to try and test it out. Otherwise, a low voltage heater you don’t have to worry about melting your extension cord. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Fan Blown Heaters: <\/strong>These heaters are the most recognizable space heaters–some metal has electricity passed through, creating a hot heating element. Air is then blown across the heating element towards the front of the space heater with a fan. The heating element can get very hot, and nearby objects are at risk of igniting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Halogen Heaters<\/strong>: These heaters will warm anything directly in front of them, but they do not warm the air (they are not fan blown), so their magic ends as soon as you turn them off. Although the sides will remain cool, the front of the heater can get very hot (as is true for many heaters), making them a safety hazard. You could mitigate some risk I suppose if you were able to suspend these in a way that was away from roof, walls, and floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Infrared Heaters: <\/strong>These heaters can work in a vacuum! They work by radiation. These heaters are generally safe to use, but be careful about looking at the light as our eyes can be sensitive to this type of radiation. Another benefit to infrared heaters is that they do not get as hot to the touch as other electric heaters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dyson Pure Hot Cool fans: <\/strong>Dyson space heaters have an advantage over many other types of heaters in that the heater itself doesn’t get dangerously hot, but instead the heat is generated internal to the unit. This is an awesome feature in a tent because a coat or a piece of the tent touching hot coils is always a risk in certain space heaters. You still need to keep combustible materials 3 feet away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even a heater with all the safety features can have tragic consequences. Here are a few reasons:<\/p>\n\n\n\n To combat some of these risks discussed above, remember the following<\/p>\n\n\n\n We are extremely vulnerable to carbon monoxide poisoning since our bodies don’t automatically respond with the tell-tale symptoms of suffocation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Remember, any kind of heater can be deadly. Besides unsafe use of a heater, several heaters have been recalled over the years because of safety issues (often for tragic reasons). <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are careful, you can be safe, but it takes vigilance and some research. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Any heater that burns a substance for heat is not suitable for use inside a small space unless you have a chimney. Some canvas tents have a flue for wood-burning stoves, and this works because the air is purposefully circulated out to prevent smoke build up inside the tent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Otherwise, if you are in a regular tent, never use any heater that uses any kind of flame for heating beyond a pilot light necessary for catalytic heaters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n No gas device made for lighting should be used for heating your tent. <\/strong>Indoor heaters are made with specific key safety features (see the above section about CSA 4.98 or ANSI Z21.103 certification)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before writing this article, I’d never even heard of an oil-filled heater. An oil-filled heater is an electric powered radiator that is filled with oil. The oil acts as a heat buffer and is not actually burned off. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Oil-filled heaters are great since they do not get hot externally, and under proper use, they don’t produce carbon monoxide. Oil-filled heaters heat the area with convection rather than with conduction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This may sound ideal! A heater that isn’t hot to the touch may seem like the best boon to a tent, but there are two problems with this approach<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That being said. If you have a huge tent and you can provide a level base for your oil filled radiator (such is possible with large canvas tents or huge nylon tents), then these might be a decent option.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Never use a vintage gas heater in a tent! <\/p>\n\n\n\n As I’ve been doing research, I’ve found that many heaters that have been recalled because of carbon monoxide or body design issues are still being sold at garage sales<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Furthermore, many safety standards didn’t exist before the 2000s (and the safety standards are updated every few years). The newer your gas heater, the more likely it will abide by the newer safety standards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Some radiant heaters actually can be used for cooking, such as the Mr. Heater F242300. These are specifically marked for outdoor use only because they do not have the same technology that shuts them off automatically in low oxygen situations. Beware of these as heaters in a tent!. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Besides news articles, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has done several investigations on heaters used in tents. <\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the CPSC, 47 people have died from a heater with the model # of TX900 and TX900A. The company actually set up a bounty with a $250 reward for turning in the dangerous heaters. Long after the recall was initiated, people would sell these heaters at garage sales. (source<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Two were killed when using a Coleman Powermate and a Coleman propane lantern in a tent. Although the Powermate has been discontinued, they are still being sold second-hand. The lawyer was emphatic that these types of heaters are risky and said that many have died from using them in similar situations. (source<\/a>) <\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Iowa State Daily, this tent<\/a> was consumed by flames started by a propane heater although the occupants were able to escape. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although the Dyson touts a safer design, several were recalled due to an electrical short. (source<\/a>) Thankfully, no injuries were reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) recorded 13 non-fire carbon monoxide deaths <\/a>related to portable propane heaters. There were only 9 recorded carbon monoxide deaths from in-house carbon monoxide poisoning from natural gas. Since many more people have natural gas in their home than people who use portable propane heaters, it’s clear there is risk with portable propane heaters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most of the incidents and issues that have happened due to using electric or gas heaters in a tent are due to misuse and unsafe practices. If you are safe and choose a heater that has all the safety features that you need (see here <\/a>in this article for more details), then you lower your risk, tremendously. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Probably the smartest thing you can do to lower your risk even further is to never leave a heater unattended (including sleeping). If it’s possible to just use the heater to warm up the tent to go to sleep and then when you wake up, then that is a less risky approach. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n So, I can’t say it’s safe per se, because bad things have happened to many people. However, I drive to work every day, which is definitely risky. It’s all about doing whatever you can to mitigate the risks that are there and being aware of your options. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There are also many other alternatives to heaters that can be explored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Portable heaters aren’t the only way to heat up your tent. There are lots of things you can do! Let’s dive into some options:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hand warmers are a small and easy way to warm yourself up in your tent. There are air-activated<\/strong> single-use hand warmers<\/a> (link on Amazon) that are very easy to use. There are also reusable hand warmers<\/a> (see link on Amazon) that you can boil in water whenever you want to heat them up. Additionally you can find electric or catalytic hand warmers that run on lighter fluid. The catalytic hand warmers present some of the risks as stated above, but are at such a small level the risk is low. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There are odd-shaped rubber bottles–which will likely remind you of your grandma–specifically used as hot water bottles to warm you up in bed. However, you may not want to take that camping with you. A reusable water bottle<\/strong> also gets the job done without you needing to bring any extra supplies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To use a water bottle as a \u201chot\u201d water bottle \u2013 you guessed it \u2013 you fill it with hot water.<\/strong> You want to heat water to almost boiling and then fill your water bottle. You don\u2019t want the water too hot or you risk warping your water bottle or leaching harmful chemicals from the water bottle into the water (depending on what type of plastic it’s made of). <\/p>\n\n\n\n By far, my favorite water bottle to use is Nalgene’s wide mouth water bottle. I’ve had this water bottle for years, and it’s been dropped from tremendous distances without any damage. These water bottles are tough<\/strong> and can sustain hot water temperatures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are using a metal or glass water bottle, then your only concern with the temperature of the water would be burning yourself if the bottle gets too hot<\/strong>. Wearing a glove while you do this process is a good way to circumvent that danger. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This process of filling a container with hot water would even work with a hydration reservoir if you use those instead of water bottles. Once your bottle is full of hot water, you can tuck it into the foot of your sleeping bag to warm it up before you head to bed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Once inside your sleeping bag you can move the water bottle around as needed to keep yourself warm. If you are worried about your bottle leaking<\/strong> (which you really don\u2019t want to happen \u2013 being cold is bad enough, being cold and wet is miserable!) put the bottle in a zip lock bag before slipping it into your sleeping bag.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A primitive option used way before air-activated hand warmers and electric heating pads is good ol\u2019 hot rocks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n While sitting around the campfire place a few rocks (about the size of your fist) in or around the fire to warm up. When they\u2019re moderately hot (not so hot you can’t put your hand near it), pull them out of the fire, wrap them in towels or some kind of tough cloth, and tuck them into your sleeping bag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A few warnings need to be given about using hot rocks in your tent<\/strong>. Be careful not to get the rocks too hot, you want them warm enough to warm you up, but not hot enough to burn through the cloths you wrap them in. My dad tried this on a camping trip once and ended up burning a hole in his sleeping bag. Also, take care to use the right kind of rock<\/strong>. See my article about which rocks explode here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are car camping and have a campsite with an electrical outlet, you could bring an electric heating pad or an electric blanket. That would really keep you warm! You would just need to bring an extension cord to make sure you can get power inside your tent without having to be right next to the outlet. If it’s raining, double check that your extension cords has no tears in the sheath, whatsoever. If it does, it is not usable in the rain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I didn’t know this was a thing! But many people have used rugs or thick mats as extra insulation to cover the bottom of their tent. It’s still important to use a sleeping pad and sleeping bag since sleeping pads are built to have decent insulation capabilities and a rug may not. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A more expensive, less comfortable, but highly effective option is the VBL. A vapor barrier liner for your sleeping bag does two things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n First<\/strong>, it stops moisture being transferred from your body to your sleeping bag. This increases the effectiveness of your sleeping bag. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Second<\/strong>, it contains the moisture being expelled from your body which create a slightly humid environment, which also keeps you warmer. These can run from $30 to $100, not a cheap option. This is something you might consider if you are going to be in very cold temperatures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A VPL makes your tent warmer by putting you in a tiny sweat bag. You will feel sweaty, but that heat energy won’t be escaping your body. <\/p>\n\n\n\nWhich Heaters Are Safe to Use in a Tent?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/picture>Electric Heaters in Your Tent<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Types of Electric Heaters<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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How the Safest Heater Can Be Deadly<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Easy Safety Tips to Safely Use a Heater in a Tent<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Which Heaters Are Deadly to Use in a Tent?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Any Heater<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Combustion Based Heaters<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Gas Powered Lanterns<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Oil-Filled Heater<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Used or Old Gas Heaters<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Radiant Heater\/Cookers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Examples of Tent Heater Incidents<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Bernzomatic Radiant Heater<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Coleman Powermate<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Propane Heater Fires<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Dyson Hot Recall<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
13 Deaths in 2014 From Carbon Monoxide Poisoning<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Is It Safe to Use a Portable Heater in a Tent?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What Are Alternatives to Heating in Your Tent?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Hand warmers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Water bottle in your sleeping bag<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nHot rocks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Electric Heating Pad or Blanket<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Tent Rugs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Vapor Barrier Liner (VPL)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Sources<\/h2>\n\n\n\n