[Ansteorra] GW camping in cold/hot weather tips

Bree Flowers evethejust at gmail.com
Thu Feb 4 01:13:37 PST 2010


> Have used tent heaters in period tents, psuedo-period tents, modern tents for over 20 yrs now-0 problems. Be smarter than your equipment. Latest version propane furnace,a bit more costly but shielded in such a way that you can set the back of them by your tent wall with the bottle outside. I have left them running in tents around the clock to create a warm retreat during the day to thaw. Saying they are "dangerous" I really dont think is the message to send, rather "be aware of the issues-plan accordingly".
>
> Robert

I don't know, I kind of think "dangerous" is the right word in this
situation. When something has the ability to kill or hurt you in the
course of normal operation then there is a risk to using it. There's
risks to using everything from our cars to our bathtubs. The trick is
to figure out what level of risk is acceptable and to consider if
there are other, less risky ways of accomplishing the same goal.
Personally, given the choice between dressing for the weather and
snuggling with a friend or using something that costs money, takes up
space and might set my tent on fire or use up all my oxygen I'm going
with the socks, hat and buddy.

I use strong words when discussing the dangers of tent heaters because
it's an unnecessary risk. However slim the chance may be that your
heater sets your tent on fire or gives you CO poisoning, that risk is
greater than suffering a similar fate from warm clothing. And if
someone like me (small, moved here to escape winter, didn't consider
this summer too hot even though I was pregnant) can camp in snow
without a heater it is certainly possible for anyone to do GW,
Pennnsic and Estrella without one.

I have used another form of "tent heater" though; hound dogs generate
a whole lot of heat. However they do sometimes overwhelm you with
stink, come to bed wet, pee on your floor or chew through your guy
lines, so they're not without their own level of risk as well.

~Eve



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