I think this has been bounced around but I'll try again.
My Coleman Sportcat just doesn't cut it at 1000 BTUs. What do you use/recommend for 4-9000 BTUs that don't cut out up at Strawberry, Huntington or Fish Lake? I don't want to shiver in my hut this winter.
By the way, someone had a Kerosun heater for sale on KSL.com and said it would be "perfect for ice fishing". Isn't that a false statement - you shouldn't use kerosene in an enclosed space, right? Wrong?
Thanks!
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[black][size 3]Any heater that requires oxygen to operate is a pretty dicey thing to use in any enclosed area.[/size][/black]
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I have a similar Kerosun heater that I use occasionally in the winter time in my family room. Those heaters are designed to be used inside and do put out some good heat. Those things would be a pain to drag for ice fishing. In response to your question, Cabelas have a Mr. Heater Portable Big Buddy cat heater (4k/9k/18k Btus/hr) which would be ideal for your needs.
My Mr. Heater if iffy above 7000'. My son has the larger unit that holds 2 propane bottles and has a fan. It works a lot better at higher elevations.
If I keep the propane bottle warm, it helps.
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Olympian Wave Catalytic heaters are suppose to work upto 12,000 ft. It does consume oxygen so you do need to make sure you have adequate ventilation.
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the procat top of the line coleman heater at 3000 btu's and a blower fan is a huge step up . . totally safe in a tent
[url "http://www.coleman.com/coleman/colemancom/detail.asp?product_id=5053A751&categoryid=3000"]http://www.coleman.com/coleman/colemancom/detail.asp?product_id=5053A751&categoryid=3000[/url]
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I have a Mr. Heater (single bottle) and use it all winter and it works great. On those cold mornings it takes a minute or two to get the propane to the burner - other than that, I really like mine.
Once while fishing Fontenelle it was minus 28 degrees. We had to have two heaters going and it was still a little cold[unsure].
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[cool]Do you own one of those? I'm just curious as to how well they work icefishing or at higher elevations. So, it takes two D batteries and coleman fuel. Interesting. Can you adust the speeds of the fan? The coleman website didn't seem to be very specific.
Strange thing is, I've seen a thread like this before in the past, and I remember some folks on here saying that their little buddy heater never fails them even at Huntington (10,000 ft) but then somepeople saying that theirs gives them problems above 7k ft. Interesting. I want to get a heater down the road, and don't know which one to get yet either. I know little buddy heaters go for about $80, but how much do the big buddy ones (that apparently work better at higher elevations) cost? Just curious...
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my buddy has a Mr. Heater and we was useing it up at fishlake this spring with no problems other than the wid would blow it out when the boat turned the wrong way. [unsure]
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i used the middle size heater at 10,000 feet, no problems . . . yes we own the procat, i love it
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I have used my Mr. Heater single burner for ice fishing at Strawberry for 3 years now. The only problem I have had is if it is windy it blows out occasionally. I used to have to situate my chair so that my back was to the wind and have the heater under my chair between my legs. Not so anymore, now I have an ice shack!
Last year (12/29-30 2006) my cousin and I did an all nighter at the Berry ice fishing at the Ladders. It was by far the coldest weather I have EVER been it. -25 according to reports. It was so cold that when you went outside to take a whiz, it froze as it hit the ice. I'm not kidding. When we went to go home in the morning, my poor old Jeep would barely even crank it was so cold!
Anyway, we had my Mr. Heater in our ice shack. According to our thermometer, it was a toasty 65 degrees in there! And that was with the vents open. Without the Mr. Heater, we would have died. Well, no we wouldn't have...I wouldn't have gone.
Like others have said, beware of CO poisoning. Make sure you have ventilation.
Anyway, the Mr. Heater works great. Do not rely on the electronic piazzo ignition. Take matches.
Randy
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I must of gotten a crappy mr heater single bottle model as mine seems to go out often. i've used it at huntington and strawberry, but i have to frequently relight it. maybe it needs work, but it's only about two years old.
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Not sure if you are still in the market; however, I thought I would mention that I have a friend that uses a heater like the Cabela's "Quiet Blind Heater/Cooker" about $55 - $60. With this heater he is able to turn it horizontal and use it as a cooker. Often times he is cooking chili or soup for lunch while I am eating sandwiches. I know he uses this heater at the same elevations that I use my Mr. Heater and he has had no problems. Something else to think about.
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I have a Mr. Heater big buddy (two bottles) and it works great. I have used it up to 9000 ft with out any problems. The owner manual states it has an oxygen sensor that shuts the unit off when the O2 levels drop too low as a safety. So the higher you go, the more vent and open air the unit needs. I have been on Strawberry at -25 and colder and have never turned it above med. My wife likes it on high but then I'm only wearing a tee-shirt.
That's my 2 cents.
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My single bottle mr heater works great [
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Thanks, folks.
I've narrowed it down to the popular two choices = Mr. Heater Buddy (the smaller one) or a ProCat. One last question - OK, 2 last questions --- Which one cools off quicker for transport? How do you transport the things? I imagine snow around the element would take away some of the impact of the heater and would increase the time taken to light it up.
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I have the procat and it only takes about 10 minutes to cool down ,,doesnt take very long.
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Mr. Heater Buddy at Riverdale Sportsman's Warehouse for $69.99, regularly $79.99. WalMart's price was $86. Got some boot sole spikes for $3.49, too.
End of questions; deal done.[
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