Ice Fishing Heaters?

[jr8fish]

I am trying to decide what heater to get to use in my Eskimo Quickfish 3, fishing mostly at Strawberry? Just wondering what heater you use inside your ice fishing shelter? I have looked into the Mr Heater little buddy and big buddy and I have read that sometimes they can be hard to keep lit at higher elevations. I mostly ice fish at strawberry and at that elevation (7500 ft) it exceeds the recommendations. Have any of you used the little buddy with good success in a shelter at strawberry? I was also looking at the mr heater simple single burner design that screws onto a tank but this unit does not have the o2 safe sensor. The simple burner may be over kill in a small 3 man shelter too. What is your experience... Thanks.
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[redfrog]

I use the Mr, Heater Buddy, works great in my 3 man tent and I use it as Strawberry all the time. It has a built in O2 sensor that will shut the unit off if the O2 is low.
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[jr8fish]

Hey redfrog,

do you use the little buddy, the one that screws onto a 1 pound propane canister and has the o2 sensor or do you use the big buddy (it is more square shaped)? and you have had no issues trying to keep it lit at strawberry or with dependability?
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[Zfish]

I have a big buddy that I use at strawberry all the time. It works great. My buddies have little buddy heaters that They have problems with them lighting. Thankfully I haven't had any problems with mine. The big buddy is awesome Cause you can hook up two one pound bottles or you can buy the hose with a quick connect to hook up bigger tanks. I bought the quick connect hose But haven't used it yet. That darn hose was 40 bucks online. I also bought a adapter to refill those one pound bottles. Just make sure you always weigh the bottles before and after so you don't overfill them. All in all the big buddy is a better bet in my opinion. For a 3 man hut low is plenty to keep it warm.
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[kbfan]

I use 2 different types of heaters one of which is the buddy. Pros: good heat. Adjustable knob high low temp is nice and The co sensor is really nice. Cons : goes out every time i move it. Can only use it in the tent cuz the slightest breeze blows it out. Can't cook on it.
My other heater will burn even in the strongest winds and can lay it down and purk a pot of coffee for me or hot chocolate for the kids. ++
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[Zfish]

Ha ha. You have one of those sunflower cooker/heaters? I love that thing til I gave myself too many headaches from the fumes. I still love taking to places that I can't use a sled to haul my other heater. It's definitely nice to have Cause it is lightweight and dual purpose. I know it would never let me down.
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[DKStroutfitter]

We have both the Buddy and Big Buddy. At Strawberry, the Buddy doesn't work very well. The Big Buddy works a lot better.
At Rockport the Buddy is fine.
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[redfrog]

Mines the square shaped one, the only problem I have had was if I block the tent in by packing snow around it and I keep the winds sealed up tight. I have had to air the tent out to get it to light again but that a good thing. I also had a few issues with refilling my 1 lb lp canisters. Aside from that it has worked great. I've used it at fish lake, deer creek, scofield, rockport, utah lake, pineview, echo, strawberry, and many other places without issues.
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[sundancekid]

i have a buddy heater and have used it at strawberry twice inside my 6 x12 cabelas tent and it keeps the wife and grand kids warm, ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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[OCF]

I have used the Little and Big Buddy heaters at 8000 feet. They can sometimes be difficult to light; however, once lit they work fine. Somedays you need a little patience. I would recommend either one.
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[JustJim]

If you use one of the sunflower heaters without the sensor, you need to vent the tent. If you pack snow up around the bottom of the tent, kick a channel under the upwind and downwind sides the width of your boot so air can pass. Co2 is heavier than air and will pass out of the vent. I used to fish with a guy that used a double sunflower and he always had it cranked up. With a channel under the wall on either end, we never had a headache or a problem.
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[jr8fish]

Thanks for your posts. It sounds like there is a mixed opinion about the Mr heater little buddy working at higher elevations. SOunds like opinions are slightly better about the big buddy (square shaped one). People are saying the little buddy is difficult to light... is it not as simple as turning the gas on and getting a lighter or match next to the fuel nozzle/exit? I have no experience with these.. Any other brands any of you all would recommend?

Thanks
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[kentd71]

The one reason that the Buddy heaters Large and small are hard to light is if there is any moisture in burner part. A good cover will solve that. I have them both but like my buddy heater/cooker to cook lunch on and it is smaller and lighter than the others and cheeper. With the other heaters you are supose to use a fuel filter if using a bulk tank unless you have the quick disconect hose for the big buddy.
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[Blueboy22]

I have this one and Like it. I only use it to warm friends and Family memebers though, Ha Ha.

Coleman BlackCat Perfectemp Catalytic Propane Heater
Adjustable high-low temperature setting
Electronic ignition for quick and easy matchless lighting
Portable easy-to-grip handle makes heater easy to carry
Compact legs integrate into collar for easy storage
3,000 BTU output operates up to seven hours from one 16.4 ounce propane cylinder
The Coleman BlackCat Perfectemp Catalytic Propane Heater with InstaStart Technology provides you with comfortable warmth indoors or in a tent. This catalytic heater has an electronic ignition which is not only quicker and easier that using a match, but is much more reliable in cold, windy weather.
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[RonPaulFan]

I might be buying a CLAM Six Pack ice fishing shelter. I already have a 20 pound propane cylinder with a fryer burner which would be good for hot soups, fish fry and other cooking. I suppose instead if cooking on a heater, I can cook on this and use it as a heater, too. (Edit: I looked into this and they are "for outdoor use only," so ventilation should be so much that it is essentially outdoors.) It's heat output should be fine for the larger shelter and the extra heat means no need to skimp on plenty of ventilation to keep oxygen high and at healthy levels. This weekend might be the start of my first ice fishing season.
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[Fin-Addict]

Did the Burbot bash last year at Flaming Gorge with 3 other guys. Each of us had our own tent and we were all using the Little Buddy heater. We could not keep any of them lit. We ended up leaving after one night because of this issue. I've been looking for other options myself.
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[JustJim]

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[RockyRaab]

Just a word about the poison gas. It isn't carbon DIoxide (CO2) you are worrying about - although it is dangerous. The killer is carbon MONoxide, which makes your blood unable to carry oxygen. CO is lighter than air, so it rises to the top of a closed room - right where you head is.

Catalytic heaters and charcoal burners produce huge amounts of CO, many times more of it than CO2. Both gasses are colorless and odorless, so you can't detect their presence if you are breathing them.

The coroner can, though.
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[heavycod]

Home depot has a 360 degree propane heater that runs off of the big bottles that is around $100. We made a rack that sits above it so we can cook off of it. It's like 20,000 btu's. But always remember to have a window open in your tent they are killers so be careful.
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[Steelheadr]

I have had several propane heaters that I've used inside and outside ice fishing tents. Sunflower and converter cooker types outside and catalytic inside. Inside the tent, I currently use the Coleman catalytic heater pictured above in Blueboy22's posting. It only produces 3000 BTUs of heat, as opposed to 10,000 to 20,000 BTUs for the higher powered heaters, so it takes longer to heat the tent and doesn't keep it as warm. I bought the catalytic because it produces much less carbon monoxide than the other radiant types, but all require fresh air exchanges in the tent (as much as 1.5 to 5 complete air exchanges per hour in order to keep the oxygen levels up and the unburnt hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide down). I open both the door at the bottom and the upper air flaps at the top of my tent. I also use a AA battery powered carbon monoxide detector in the tent to make sure I'm safe (similar in appearance to a smoke detector - about $30 at HD) . Units with an oxygen depletion sensor such as the Mr Buddy types prevent carbon monoxide levels from getting too high by shutting off the unit when the oxygen levels get too low.

The Consumer Product Protection Agency has published 2 recent reports on both types of heaters - a little techy, but contain all the info you need to make a decision to buy and safely use such heaters. The radiant heater report covers the sunflower type, the converter cooker type, and the Mr Buddy type heaters while the catalytic report covers the heater in Blueboy22's posting. Neither the sunflower nor the converter cooker types meet their safety recommendations, even with significant air exchange - I would not use them in a tent. Look for the bottom line recommendations in the Conclusions section at the end of the reports.

The radiant types are at:

www.cpsc.gov/library/foia/foia05/os/co02.pdf

and the catalytic types are at:

www.cpsc.gov/library/foia/foia05/os/co03.pdf
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