How to heat your tent this winter 

Pinned comment to address Buddy heater safety and Propex fittings comments/questions: Buddy heater safety: I've had quite a few people incorrectly commenting on here that Buddy heaters are catalytic heaters, so don't/can't produce CO. That is false for two reasons. The first is that Buddy heaters are NOT catalytic heaters. The second reason is that catalytic heaters can still produce CO. It's an incredibly common misconception that catalytic heaters can't/don't produce CO, but the catalyst doesn't actually change the chemical reaction at all. You have all of the same byproducts. The difference a catalyst makes is that it makes the reaction a lot more efficient. There is less propane used, therefore less oxygen used, and a much lower chance of CO being produced. That being said, the chances of CO problems with either are incredibly slim with adequate ventilation. The fire risk is more likely to cause issues! Propex fittings: The Propex comes with a male 1/4" BSP fitting, which doesn't play well with the American NPT propane fittings. I went to my local plumbing supply store and they found what I needed. I had xB4R7x suggest the following fitting from McMaster Carr (a great store that I've ordered from multiple times) and adapter for a 3/8" regulator hose: BSP adapter: www.mcmaster.com/1786N204/ 3/8 flare adapter: amzn.to/2LAnmxD

I just have my wife remind me of all the mistakes I've made for the year, that fills the space with hot air AND puts me to sleep.

Quick piece of advice; if you're worried about something tipping over in a tent that's hot set it on a welders blanket. You can get them in multiple sizes and it won't transfer heat from a falling stove/heater. A baking sheet isn't going to actually provide much protection, they're just too thin and the materials, though fireproof perhaps, are not heat resistant.

That last heater sounded like a great option for me until you said $800 and I thought, “Think I’ll just buy more blankets and sleeping bags.” 🤣💀

Because I am a deaf Overlander and your follower, do you mind to turn the captions on this video? I love gathering your informations about your overlanding experiences. Thanks.

I’ve been using the buddy heater in tents and campers since they first came out. Proper ventilation is key. I’ve never had one issue, ever. I’ve used them in below zero weather at 10,000 feet on elk hunts. We set the heater across the sink of our rv, run the hose through the screen of the kitchen window to a big propane bottle outside. We crack windows on the front and rear of the rv and sleep cozy.

Used a Mr.Buddy in a shiftpod whilst visiting Yosemite, created a rainforest inside tent. No bueno.

Best policy in my 40 years camping/ white-water experiences: count on your own body heat overnight in a good sleeping bag. I've been wet and cold (did I mention "wet" in overnight torrential downpours in a pup-tent?) and ya gotta be warm. Propane is GREAT for breakfast later, but not for staying warm overnight.

I've used a Buddy heater in my tent for years and never had an issue. Will continue to use it, but great information!

Dude, stumbled on your channel yesterday, watched a ton of your vids and ordered my own heater today. Your editing skills and video layout in very easy watching! Keep it up!

Skip to 5:33 if you want to pass on all the sleeping bag talk.....

I’m thinking a low voltage queen electric blanket with Jackery 1000 is gonna be my go-to.

You forgot to mention to bring in the dogs, which will help. f it gets so cold you bring in the goats and sheep, --Well you must go from that place.

Honestly the best way to stay warm is with a hot water bottle in your sleeping bag. I wrap mine in tinfoil then put the soft cover over the top. It gives out heat for about 6 or 7 hours that way and is usually still warm by morning. Just boil some water before bed.

I didn't mean to sound too hateful and negative - I just wanted to give you all the pros and cons of each! Hopefully this helps! Links to everything in the description.

Diesel is the way to go. I have a lithium battery pack in my home built all in one diesel heater. It sits outside my tent and it’s the best tent heater I’ve ever used

Real men wear shorts and sleep in a hammock! 🤣🤣🤣 I about spit out my herbal tea when I heard that. Currently we haven't been brave enough to try camping in the winter, but possibly as winter transitions to spring will give it a try. Leaning towards blankets at first, some have timers so they don't run all night, multiple heat settings, and use a 5521 barrel plug so I can plug 2 of them into my Bluetti AC50S which is 500W. Great video 👍

Use a stove fan with the buddy heater and you'll see a major improvement you can easily set them up to be safe, always have a CO detector and keep it away from your bedding... What went wrong with your buddies is that the tent was waaay too small. That thing can put out up to 9,000 BTU which can get up to 700+ degrees Fahrenheit no wonder it caught on fire.

Buddy Heaters have to be placed in the middle of the tent where it's the highest, the smallest Buddy Heater needs at least a 6 foot clearance to the closest flammable object ABOVE the heater. The heater's flame produces heat upward, not forward, making it unsafe to use in a corner of a tent where the walls might only be 1 foot away from the open flame. Your friend didn't read the instructions and didn't use common sense.

I've actually used a buddy heater to heat the entire space in a 300 Sq ft room. It came in handy this past February here in Texas when we lost power during that arctic blast.

Great information. FYI, I saw another video with a guy that attached a wood stove fan to his Buddy heater. These fans use no electricity and are great for blowing the rising heat from a wood stove (or in this case a Buddy heater) to the rest of the room. All the vertically rising heat that goes to waste with a Buddy heater is now blown around the room and is much more effective at keeping the room warm. I was so impressed with the video that I ordered one of these fans from Amazon as soon as the video was over.

I used a Little Buddy heater inside my tent for years without an issue. Mainly use it in the evenings and mornings to take the damp chill out. I camp solo in a 14 person tent so I have lot's of inside space. I use a heat activated wood stove fan mounted on the top of the Little Buddy to disperse and circulate the heat. I also mount the Little Buddy heater to a base plate so that it cannot be tipped over. I also keep two carbon monoxide senors and smoke alarms in my tent. I generally get about 4 hours, sometimes a little more out of a one pound propane tank with my heater set on medium.

Just another excuse to spend your hard earned money doing something that you’ll probably only do once and then set in your garage

I'd rather use all electric. Much safer and you can always turn the vehicle on to recharge it fast if you need to. Let it use solar to charge up during the day while you are not using it. Simple, easy, light weight. I find that if you bring too much comfort it's not really camping and I might as well just stay home. lol

Deisel is buy far the cheapest eay to heat. But i stumbled across somthing cool the other day. You drill a hole in the top of an old copper penny. Run a wire through it to suspend it in a metal can. Pour in acetone about an inch deep. Suspend the penny abouve the acetone. Make it so you can heat the penny up with a torch to get it red hot and suspend the hot penny over the acetone buy around 1/4 inch. And it will produce heat untill the acetone is gone. It last a while. Its pretty coop science. Penny acting as a catylist to the acetone. The penny just stays glowing red hot and radiates heat. Can we make a bigger version????

Mr Heater does *not* cause carbon monoxide production due to a bevy of built in safeguards (including oxygen monitoring). These have been tested again and again with *zero carbon monoxide production.* However, their instructions clearly state for them to be used to heat the space, and then to be turned off while sleeping.

I would rather get 2 of the chinese one packed up) units vs a webasto. To your point Webasto isn't 100% reliable. I've read many reviews of them failing after repeated high altitude use (even with the altitude conpenstor). Having 2 is still a fraction of the price of 1 webasto. And it can be swapped in if the original one fails to prevent cutting trips short. The diesel unit can be easily hooked up or disconnected if you put an inline valve on the fuel line.

I want to try a hot tent with wood heat. But yea, propane heater would be the way to go for heating a trailer/ truck camper/van

My wife is my tent heater. I swear her body temp goes up 10 degrees when she sleeps.

Josh here, great video! SHAWИEE Hills Workshop sent me over here after he watched my "2 Minute Tuesday" version of this video. Glad he recommended ya! This is a much more in depth overview than what I touched on, and gives me some ideas for a future update video on the topic. Always learning! Subbing ya now! :)

so to heat your tent you got to be close to your vehicle . ? .. just sleep in your vehicle .id love to see you use that on a real camp . . a stove for a tent weighs 1 kg . runs on wood

By the way just for those wondering, a 1lb propane bottle will go for around 7 hours on low on the buddy heaters. Fair other points though, definitely have to be very careful. I almost knocked one over last night and can confirm the tilt setting works 🤣 It did work pretty well though camping at 10k feet. Also, the other issue that can cause issues is that the buddy heaters do have a fair amount of vertical heat that rises above the heater and around it which can be an issue in small sensitive environments, like a rooftop tent. I suspect that may have been the issue where it was able to heat part of the tent to a combustion level.

thanks for a good honest review with useful information just gained a subscriber. Looking forward to more videos and checking out the rest of the ones you have already posted.

I camp where there is electricity so I just run an extension cord into the tent and use a space heater

Heh In my experience, if you are with partner you are still good with only one blanket .. and depending on your age, you probably don't even need to plug it in. (the blanket) Joking aside, 50+ kg dog sleeping on your blanket back-to-back can keep you reasonably warm in sub-zero (Celsius) tent. Bonus if trained for almost-silent alert instead of usual bark or attack.

Thanks for this informative video. Always helps to show examples too, so great job. I am making the transition from backpacking to overlanding and I appreciate your experiences

THE BEST way to stay warm during the winter while camping, is to not go camping during the winter.

7$ hot water bottle . Enough said 😂 and if thats not enough buy 2 . 14 $

The mr buddy heaters are completely safe in most scenarios, they’ve been tested by fire departments and as far as co2, and oxygen and are good. The best option is to use it to warm your tent before you sleep and then when you wake up, paired with a good bag you’ll be comfy all night.

Thank you for an excellent overview. Saved me hours of research and risk. I was leaning towards the diesel in a box, but it looks like that is not wise storing it inside my subaru for the drive. Propex at $900 is getting too pricey. Wish there were a $300-400 middle ground given the occasional use for me.

Ill rather spend 400 dollars for a small hot tent and a collapsible wood stove and save my self the $800 for heater the $500 dollar bed rack and $1300 for the rooftop tent. Don't get me wrong I wanted a rooftop tent for a while and they look super nice but honestly it's pretty expensive and not my cup of tea.

Good evening, Thanks a lot for this detailed video. I did some overlanding this summer in my Subaru this summer. I was looking at option to heat the vehicule to extend my camping season or go camping in the winter. It gets really cold here in Winnipeg Canada and this would allow me to extend my adventure season. Again thank you for the very detailed and honest video. Keep on the good work I watch all your adventures when posted. Cheers Eric

Great video! I’m just finishing up a Propex HS2000 heater install in my JKU and I love it! I chose it for all the reasons you outlined and especially because I live and travel at high altitudes where the liquid fuel heaters have constant problems with sooting up etc.

If you mount the Propex Propane Heater or the Suburban Propane Heater (Like Motorhomes use) remember that the intake and exhause vents are open to the outside and MudDobbers build thier nests inside those heaters! The come in through the Intake or Exaust tubes. The RV industry has made a screen that you can attach to the openings to help prevent the MudDobber problem. Just make sure you have those checked out before you use them!

I use a Buddy heater but with 10lb propane tank. These are more reliable in the real cold than the 1lb tanks, which I had problems freezing up before. I keep the tank in my tent but on a long hose away from the heater. Once the tent heats up a little, the propane tanks stays warm. Wouldn’t worry about it unless you have an airtight tent. Have it on a fireproof mat as long as you have an air intake on your tent open, VERY small chance of anything happening unless you’re careless.I see that propane heater you have is over $1K!! I'll stick to my Buddy.

Hey, I use the Propex Heater and am more than HAPPY! 24 degrees now outside and I'm sitting in a 69-degree cargo trailer which is 6' by 14' in size. Everything about this heater is great, with no smells, low fuel usage, warmth with no moisture. I would use it for tent/overland exploring with friends. Great review!

So, when it comes to having the right sleeping bag, Buy the gear for the seasons. I camp all seasons. I have currently two bags, a zero down on the limit at zero, and a -35 for cool to cold. This pretty much covers the seasons. On cooler night's with the down, I will just wear long johns for the added comfort . As for a heater, I don't have one . I have a hot tent and stove. I may be in the market though. I have recently been experimenting with using the vehicle to sleep in, storing some gear in a tent. I am still not convinced a heater in that scenario is a good idea. The heater would, for me to be satisfied with the safety factor, that it is Safe For Indoor Use. I'm sure you pay alot more for those. Electric setups can also be very costly. If I were going the path of electric, I would buy a small generator and small heater. It's safer.

Availability of propane might be a challenge now.

I have not tried it yet, but with radiant heaters like the portable Buddy, use a small battery fan to assist with mixing the hot air coming off the heater into the surrounding area. The big buddy used to have a built in fan...

Good report on tent heaters. My son made a pellet stove that is about the size of a sheepherder's stove and requires a stove jack. It operates about like a wood stove, it does not need electricity and it heats for about 12 hours before having to reload more wood pellets. We used it during the hunting season and it worked perfectly...

Wow, I'm surprised you're not more popular on youtube, I'm subbed to much larger similar channels that never mentioned the info and tips you've laid out in this vid! 👍

Man I'm all for safety and being warm but at over $1000-$1700 for those couple heaters is killer. I got a USB powered blanket and a bunch of hand warmers on clearance after winter to use with the buddy heater and we are all good to go. Love the video and ALL the options

Excellent info and vid btw, anyways....

If you have to have a battery out in the cold, build a battery hut. Either build a soft version out of cloth and foil insulation with a 12v pet heater inside or a hard version out of a good picnic cooler with a small heating element inside. The energy lost from using the heater is more than made up for by not losing a ton of potential from a cold battery. Got this tip from a friend who spends more than half his winter weekends camping in the woods and uses a Li-Ion battery to power some lights and cameras. He has his battery hut permanently mounted onto the sled he pulls out into the woods, and all he has to do is put the charged battery into the box, plug it in, and he is guaranteed to have power for the entire weekend no matter the weather. If you run a diesel heater that needs power to run and keep you warm, it might be a good idea to ensure the battery powering it doesn't freeze on you. It might be possible to just run the hot air hose a couple of laps around the battery, but a better solution is to ensure the battery just never freezes even when the heater isn't running and just build a battery box.

Wow, Winter camping has come a long way since I use to make snow graves in the snow with branches over the opening For the smoke to escape from the fire. A ground sheet on top of ceder branches. I guess that's now called Survival Camping That Propex, would be my fav. Some 40 Years ago, One of the best Videos . Thanks

electric matress pads 12 v are what ive used, under you then blankets on top so you dont lose the heat thats rising, much more efficient than elec blankets IMHO

Is that a slight ozzy accent I hear?

Dont use a heater buddy in a nylon tent. I use mine in a canvas tent and works fine .

Great video! I'm using an electric blanket. I have a couple big Li-Ion battery packs that I built for my RC airplanes. I sleep inside my Forester. It is much warmer than a tent.

I've used a big buddy heater for years inside my hunting tent!! 2 years ago we were in single digits during elk season and I ran the heater for an hour each night to get comfy in my sleeping bag then turned it off. The key is get a good damn sleeping bag and only turn it on when you get cold.

Thanks for sharing as I’ve been looking to do some winter camping. Great info and well delivered.

Here in Canada, I find that shivering during the night keeps me warm enough. None of these store-bought goodies for me.🤪

This is extremely helpful, thank you.

Thank you for this review! It was what I was looking for!

Great video. But Here in Tucson it's the opposite. We need tent cooling. lol

There are lots of videos of people testing carbon monoxide poisoning risks using heater buddies. They NEVER have caused dangerous levels of carbon monoxide.

The propane-fired externally-located heat exchanger seems the way to go for me, but it is ridiculously priced. Going to their website, it’s listed at around $1300, and by the time you’re done buying accessories it’s $1500+. Totally not worth it IMO. I would not mind buying a knockoff at all. There’s non-Chinese companies that could do a great job engineering something for half or a third that price, where it starts to become affordable for me.

Great info. And thanks for not putting any music over it - much better!

I use a standard fire hiking hot tent tipi and Guide gear wood stove and one log burns all night long

Best video on tent heaters I’ve watched to date; thank you for the great information. Like you, I enjoy camping year round. Though a good tent and sleeping bag can make it more enticing, a warm and dry tent, and lighter sleeping bag, really make year round camping even more appealing.

Please people use a CO detector when uding a diesel heater. Risk of CO poisoning EXISTS when using a diesel heater.

Came across solar charge heated blanket 8 hrs of heat per charge. Can accomadate 2 people. Haven’t tried it yet. But sounds too good to be true. Michigan

Just for hahaha’s I put my buddy heater in my closet with a co2 detector….. no issues. I also get 6 hours per tank on low with it……Love my buddy heater!

Thank you so much for all this knowledge!! I'm building out a 28' enclosed trailer this summer and was convinced I would be using the Webasto, after this video I'm 100% going with the Pro- Pex!! Keep bringing the great content!!

You just answered so MANY questions. Thank you!

DO NOT USE PROPANE HEATERS in closed areas without good ventilation. I personally have handled a handful of accidental suicides because campers or hunters chose to use propane heaters inside closed areas like tents, campers, and small cabins. Yes, I am telling you the truth. I personally have dealt with ALL of those examples. I've seen enough that I would NEVER trust a carbon monoxide detector, and just plain never use a propane heater indoors like that. One of these examples was at a Boy Scout Klondike campout. One of the leaders died in his sleep of CO poisoning.

heater for a tent? what happened to a good sleeping bag? Not being a jerk but I really don't understand.

I'd say stay in a motel if this interests you.. heating your tent, must be a millennial thing... Lol

How about a hair dryer as a tent heater? You need a battery anyways right?

Mr Heater Buddy Heaters have their regulator integrated within the unit as it is a "low pressure" propane appliance. If it fails, propane escapes and the heat sourse nearby ignites and you have a flame up. I've seen this happen with two different heaters, luckily awake and able to extinguish the flames but will NEVER sleep with one left on again.

Always make sure that the Diesel heater intake is not downwind of the exhaust due to Carbon monoxide. So there is a risk but with a detector and checking of fittings. It is safer. Thanks for the video and links.

I would like to heat my small cargo van over night using my Battleborn 100ah house battery, by using a small 12V DC electric heater (with a thermostat control). I can't seem to find one...any suggestions? The space is small enough (Nissan NV200, well insulated) that I could use a travel hair dryer (I have an inverter from 12V DC to 110AC)...but of course it does not have a temp control to turn it off/on (and uses A/C from the inverter, not DC directly from the battery). Building a 12V DC heater DIY seems unlikely, for safety reasons... Any suggestions?

That pic of the tent @8:39 is scary. You were right to show that because people need to understand they need to be careful with these things. Nylon, plastics, etc don't have very high melting points. Its very possible for that to happen just by being near the heat vent of a mr. buddy heater or little buddy heater. Melting point of nylon; ~450+ degrees F. Melting point of Polyester; approximately 480F. Melting point of ABS plastic; 390 F. The catch is... an aged tent will already be coming apart, and would lower that significantly. I've had tents come undone just from being in the sun 6 to 8 months. Couple this with lowering those melting points... and that the little buddy heaters have the heat vent at approx... over 800 degrees. Just by being close to aging tent material, it could just start coming undone. And as its coming undone other material connected to the collapsing material would also start to hang lower and lower and come undone in a chain. They don't make tent nylon very sturdy. You can see this as you use them over time. (And this makes me want to use canvas even though canvas prices are painful.) This is probably what happened. It wouldn't have had to touch the material to come undone. Also the melting temperatures of tent materials I've seen quoted wrong. This is particularly true for AGING tents. Even if the tent is under a year old. Even 6 month old (constant use) tent material does this coming apart. We used to put blue plastic tarps on sheds in the yard for tools and agriculture supplies. They would literally start coming undone from sun alone as they aged. We'd have to replace them on 6 to 10 month windows consistently. You get all this together, and perfect storm. I hope this helps you. It may help to share this info with your friend so they don't feel so bad about it. They may have not done anything wrong.

Wood burning stove in a hot tent🤷🏼‍♂️ You don’t have to have a big wall tent anymore to run a stove. Companies like Kifaru, Seek Outside, and Lite Outdoors make some nice solo shelters that can run ultralight backpackable wood stoves.

I have a suggestion; watch this video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-35ctYizYvIY.html I've modified it by digging a "Dakota Fire Hole" (ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-RlPSEfcz718.html) with a Swedish Fire Torch in the fire hole (ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-4hrugyC8zI4.html) for a long burn. You'd need 3-5 ft of light galvanized 3-4" pipe over the fire hole, elevate the pipe with a rock (heated air in the pipe rises up) with the other end just inside the tent. As long as you have wood, you've got a heated tent. No danger of smoke or carbon monoxide.

the buddy heater works fine if you just use it on low setting and of course in place with lots of room. As we lost our home in fire in paradise and as long as you use it for just moments it is fine and also not too close to anything. We survived winter in motorhome with it but thereagain didn't run it all night. Just to heat place when you wake up in morning. Costs less then other units but you're right to keep eye on it and I wouldn't suggest falling asleep in tent with it on all night. Thanks on you video very insightful

I've recently discovered Hyke & Byke gear. I don't work for them, they don't pay me anything, we have no relationship with eachother aside from me being a customer. They make AMAZING gear for a lot less money than a lot of big name brands. I've found that I actually like their hammock bags better than their traditional mummy bags. It's a great option for folks looking for high quality, 650/800 fill power goose down (hydrophobic) bag.

DeWalt heatgun.

On the propane heater. What would be the easiest way to use it truck camping in the bed without mounting or drilling huge holes in my truck bed.

Seems like you ought to purchase a trailer, not a tent if you are going to spend another $800 just to keep warm in a little cold weather. As a 68 yr/old Scoutmaster who camps in a tent every month of the year, I have found that I keep toasty warm with a good insulated pad underneath, a good season appropriate sleeping bag, and two Nalgene bottles filled with hot (boiling) water. One bottle for my feet and the other for my torso. I have not gotten cold in zero degree campouts. Nalgene hot water bottles inserted into an old sock (to keep from burning youself) produce heat for about 6 hours. Heating an uninsulated tent seems a little counter intuitive and unnecessary unless it is a long-term camping situation. HOWEVER, I watched this video with an open mind to find the latest and greatest solution to keeping warm while cold weather camping. I'll keep watching for any new and improved practical solutions. Until then, the best option seems to be a good sleep system (bag, pad, clothing, water bottles) over trying to heat the environment. For longer term camping, investment in hot tent seems practical.

After watching your informative vid, I returned my little buddy heater for a refund. I'm now beyond terrified of blowing up. I'm obviously NOT a real- man...im a girl. A freezing girl.

Installed a Propex 2000 in my camper for winter camping in Canada. It draws 2 amps @ 12volts when running, reliable, and (important) relatively quiet fan. But I turn it off when sleeping and snuggle into my down bag overnight and turn it on in the morning early. It is a waste to heat a tent overnight, a passive insulated down bag does a better job. I have a Mr Buddy Heater- catalytic heaters used to be called "Volkswagen Van Hippy Killers", there is still a story every year in the news of a silent death.

And of course, now the price for that propane heater jumped $200.00. And the price gouging begins. I'll stay away from that company now. Great video btw!

What about a portable power station (1000 or more capacity) powering a portable electric oil-filled radiator heater? They take up a lot of space, and take a while to heat up that space. But once they do, it's a really cozy, consistent warmth, no air blowing. I don't know about condensation, though (I would have to experiment with the set up). Seems like it would work well though. It's my favorite sort of home heating, even over central heating in some ways.

Almost died from carbon monoxide with a mr. buddy heater. Seated next to it in a van at 9,000 ft, moon roof cracked open above it as well as side windows cracked, also had a detector.

Good stuff here. I’ve been in conflict with myself since summer about buying a buddy heater and weighing the pros and cons. But this has absolutely convinced me away from the buddy heater.... $800 isn’t in the budget right now but it’s 100% in the future

For removing the Diesel Smell from your Vehicle...use Bicarbonate of Soda mixed in a warm water solution...the Smell will vanish once the Carpet is Dry.

Hmm a heater in my tent? Why didn't I think of that! While we're on the comfort topic, why not an A/C for summertime camping?? Or how about a small port-a-potty so I don't have to leave my cozy tent in the middle of the night? ROFL!

Great info thanks. If ya just take a good shot of Tabasco before bed it'll keep ya warm all night. :)

Diesel heater didn't get a fair shake. I have an esbar d2 built into a pelican case. I have two wires coming out. Power and thermostat. Very simple setup. Can stand right next to it and cannot smell anything. Burns really clean. I honestly don't think you can merge the Chinese heater with the Esbar and then use that as a comparison. Also, if you already have a Diesel powered truck then you likely have a rotopack of diesel on board so managing Diesel is not really an issue. Just top off the extra tank when you fill up. So I think in your application propane is best, but for a Diesel powered rig Diesel heaters have a lot of upside. Diesel is much more power dense than propane. Emissions are not much of an issue in BFE. Etc. I agree on the buddy heater though. They have their place, but I don't want one in my tent while I sleep...