It’s sort of a new concept: heating the inside of a tent, or being able to heat a small remote cabin with something other than a wood burner. But, imagine… You’ve been trekking through the wilderness during late autumn and as you setup your tent, you realize that a snowstorm is coming. Instead of worrying about freezing overnight or being stick, you fire up a propane heater inside of your tent and you make it through the night. How crazy is that? Not only would I have told you that you’re crazy, due to the risk of fire, but hauling all of that equipment, gas and a heavy heater along with you… No, thank you. But then, there’s Mr. Heater.
Mr. Heater created the Portable Buddy and BIG Buddy heaters that run on propane cylinders, which most campers will be used to for cooking purposes, and can be used indoor. They suggest these heaters to be used in workshops, porches, garages, tents and campers, RVs and hunting blinds, etcetera. The amazing part for me is that the Portable Buddy heater is safe to be used inside of a small, enclosed piece of cloth or canvas. To be honest, the thought of that sort of scared me at first. But after testing it out, it made my camping experience quite a bit more luxurious. If I am trekking deep into the woods, with only my pack on my back, I’m likely not going to take a bulky heater, even one as small as the Portable Buddy. But in most other situations, like dispersed camping, then I don’t see why not.
The Portable Buddy indoor safe propane heater is an 8 lbs. portable heater that is easy to haul and use when traveling abroad. Simply hookup a small cylinder of propane, found just about any grocery, hardware store, or superstore, and attach it to its swivel-out fuel connection. A singe cylinder can last you up to three hours on the high setting, and up to six hours on low heat. There are four positions to control and it has it’s own built-in piezo igniter. The main heating element is a ceramic burner tile mounted with shock absorbing insulation, which is perfect for folks like me who tend to rough it a bit. Additional safety features include tip-over safety shut-off and low-oxygen safety shut off, so if you truly do get covered in snow overnight, the heater won’t suffocate you.
The larger buddy is known as the BIG Buddy heater, which uses two propane cylinders, and can last you anywhere from three to twelve hours, depending on how intense your heat setting is set at. You can also hook up a large tank with a hose: one 20 lbs. cylinder can last from 25-110 hours, and two (since there are two hookups, one on each side) can last 50-220 hours. The difference in the BIG Buddy and the Portable Buddy is more than sheer size, though it sits at 16.9 lbs with a heating surface that is more than double. The BIG Buddy has a blower fan that operates on 4-D cell batteries or with an a/c adapter. This big boy heats up to 400 square feet efficiently, so it’s likely a little too big for most tent campers, but may be ideal for large RVs and indoor areas such as workshops, garages, barns, cabins, sporting events and livestock trailers.
I found the Portable Buddy to be the perfect little heater for my camping lifestyle, as it’s not too big or heavy, unless I’m strictly backpacking, and it’s super easy to use. Originally, beforehand, I was a little worried about a melting tent, or suffocating inside while leaving one running as I slept, but since testing it and learning more about it, I feel comfortable doing so. If you are into glamping (also known as glamorous camping), then this is the heater for you. I have a large 8x8 tent that I prefer using it with, rather than my small one-to-two person tents. The larger heater, the BIG Buddy, is a really cool blown up version of the Portable, but what sets it apart is how powerful it is for being on propane. I like both and use both, but would suggest the Portable for tenters and the larger for buildings and homes, rather than for camping.
If you would like to find out more about Mr. Heater’s Buddy heaters, click here.
Note: Use in all situations at your own risk. Heaters can cause fire, and I can not guarantee safety or survival. This is strictly an informational article and should not be used as actual advice.
(Main photo by livepine via Flickr)
Article written by Brandon Scott / Eye & Pen – Product images © Mr. Heater.
The Portable Buddy indoor safe propane heater is an 8 lbs. portable heater that is easy to haul and use when traveling abroad. Simply hookup a small cylinder of propane, found just about any grocery, hardware store, or superstore, and attach it to its swivel-out fuel connection. A singe cylinder can last you up to three hours on the high setting, and up to six hours on low heat. There are four positions to control and it has it’s own built-in piezo igniter. The main heating element is a ceramic burner tile mounted with shock absorbing insulation, which is perfect for folks like me who tend to rough it a bit. Additional safety features include tip-over safety shut-off and low-oxygen safety shut off, so if you truly do get covered in snow overnight, the heater won’t suffocate you.
The larger buddy is known as the BIG Buddy heater, which uses two propane cylinders, and can last you anywhere from three to twelve hours, depending on how intense your heat setting is set at. You can also hook up a large tank with a hose: one 20 lbs. cylinder can last from 25-110 hours, and two (since there are two hookups, one on each side) can last 50-220 hours. The difference in the BIG Buddy and the Portable Buddy is more than sheer size, though it sits at 16.9 lbs with a heating surface that is more than double. The BIG Buddy has a blower fan that operates on 4-D cell batteries or with an a/c adapter. This big boy heats up to 400 square feet efficiently, so it’s likely a little too big for most tent campers, but may be ideal for large RVs and indoor areas such as workshops, garages, barns, cabins, sporting events and livestock trailers.
I found the Portable Buddy to be the perfect little heater for my camping lifestyle, as it’s not too big or heavy, unless I’m strictly backpacking, and it’s super easy to use. Originally, beforehand, I was a little worried about a melting tent, or suffocating inside while leaving one running as I slept, but since testing it and learning more about it, I feel comfortable doing so. If you are into glamping (also known as glamorous camping), then this is the heater for you. I have a large 8x8 tent that I prefer using it with, rather than my small one-to-two person tents. The larger heater, the BIG Buddy, is a really cool blown up version of the Portable, but what sets it apart is how powerful it is for being on propane. I like both and use both, but would suggest the Portable for tenters and the larger for buildings and homes, rather than for camping.
If you would like to find out more about Mr. Heater’s Buddy heaters, click here.
Note: Use in all situations at your own risk. Heaters can cause fire, and I can not guarantee safety or survival. This is strictly an informational article and should not be used as actual advice.
(Main photo by livepine via Flickr)
Article written by Brandon Scott / Eye & Pen – Product images © Mr. Heater.
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