Best Tent Heater For Camping – Reviews and Guide 2020

Benefits

Having a tent warmer can be extremely useful for you on your camping trips during those cold winter times.

• Camping tent heaters provide you with that extra comfort that you need on your trip to keep yourself warm during the shivering night in your frigid camp.
• These tent heating units will allow you to extend your camping season significantly because you won’t have to run away from freezing temperatures and can do camping all year round.
• You won’t have to pay for any camping reservations either. Most of the camping spots are closed from fall to early spring and there is not much crowd either.
• Several camping grounds will be peaceful, empty, and quiet because there are not many people around like during the summer days. Most people don’t consider camping in wintertime.
• You won’t have to buy any of those expensive insulated camping wear because your camp warmer will keep you warm in the cold temperature.

Types of heaters for tent

There are three different types of camp warmers. And these are,

Electric. Electric tent warmers run on electricity and you won’t have to deal with any toxic emissions when these are running. It also means that you won’t have to worry about any suffocation issues. Service hookups in your campground will allow you to run these warmers.

Propane vs. Butane heaters. These warmers run on butane or propane gas and they are far more commonly available than their electric counterparts. These fuels burn cleaner than other gasses like kerosene or white gas. And these heaters also don’t have any complications when running in confined spaces.

Here is a little bit of comparison for understanding the difference between propane vs. butane heaters. The heaters and their working don’t differ in both cases. It’s just the matter of the difference between both the fuel types.

Propane has a lower boiling point as compared to butane. Therefore, propane will continue to convert into its liquid state and then into gas state even if the conditions are cold up to -45C as compared to the butane’s boiling point of -2C.

Propane also exerts more pressure than butane when you store it in a container. On the other hand, butane is cheaper than propane and is frequently used by users of portable heaters. Butane is slightly safer to use indoors as compared to propane. They both however, have an identical heat output and can deliver similar BTUs. therefore, neither of the flames are hotter than the other.

Solar. It is the simplest option available for you to consider. These heaters come with a solar panel that powers them and you don’t have to carry any fuel supplies with you. These warmers are very portable in design but during winter most of the days in the mountains you might not see the sun so charging these warmers can be an issue.

Safety Tips When Using a Tent Warmer

The best heater for tent camping comes with some safety features as well. Therefore, there are some safety tips that you must keep in mind when using these warmers inside your camps to keep yourselves warm.

• Choose the right tent warmer BTUs according to your camp size. A 2-person camp will not take much time to heat up but a 10-person canvas tent will.
• Go for a warmer that comes with tip-over switches if kids or pets will join you on your trip.
• A warmer with overheating protection features is a suitable choice to shut the heating element off before it reaches any dangerous temperatures.
• Some of them also come with low-oxygen sensors to prevent any exhaust gas buildup in your camp. These sensors will shut the fuel source if the air quality is not right.

What to Look for When Buying a Tent Heater?

There are some important features that you need to consider when buying a tent warmer. These are as follows,

• Heater type. Make sure that you pick the right warmer type according to your requirements and camp size. If your campground sees a lot of sun in the winters then you can go for a solar tent warmer. If service hookups are available then electric warmers will prove to be very useful. Otherwise, butane or propane gas warmers are suitable for most scenarios.
• Noise. Most of the modern warmers that you find on the market today are almost noiseless. But, if noise is your primary concern then choose electric warmers because they are the most silent ones along with the solar units. Propane or butane heaters don’t make much noise either but you will notice their presence.
• Size/Weight. Most warmers are designed for portability and they are lightweight in nature. They are not backpacking light but most of them are under 20lbs. When it comes to size and weight electric units are the best and you will find a number of lightweight options in this category. Gas heaters are light too but you will have to carry the fuel supplies as well which adds to the overall weight.
• Safe to Use. Of course, you are going to use your camp warmer within your tent so it needs to be safe to use, make sure that the inside tent heater you are considering comes with some important safety features like tip-over switches and oxygen-level and overheating sensors. Your unit will automatically switch itself off if someone bumps into it and tips it over if there is a case of overheating or exhaust gas levels in your camp have increased.
• Fuel-Efficient. A tent warmer is not going to do anything well if it consumes all the fuel or battery on day 1. Efficient heaters conserve energy and you don’t need much fuel or battery to run it. Most of the latest models of camp warmers are fuel-efficient but if you want to get the best out of your heart then you can consider buying some insulated camping gear as well.
• Portability & durability. When it comes to gas heaters there are different types of units available and they all vary in durability and portability. You can choose one according to your needs. Electric units are also pretty much the same and they come in all shapes and sizes. As they are tent warmers, they are designed for outdoors and they are pretty rugged as well.
• Ventilate. Whether you are using gas or electric warmers, you need to make sure that your camp is properly ventilated to use it inside. If your tent is not properly ventilated then make sure that the heater comes with special sensors or gauges to measure the air quality inside your camp to automatically shut off if there is too much exhaust gas inside your camp.

Tent Heater Alternatives

Ten warmers are not your only options available on the market. You can also try out some of the alternatives as well. These are,

• Candle Lantern. Candle lanterns are often portable and they are a good source of lighting. But if you have a small camp then you can also use it for heating the space. The only problem with using a candle lantern is that you will need a lot of candles to burn and it will still take a while to heat up a large camp.
• Camping Wood Stove. Camping wood stoves are great because you can use them for cooking your food as well and of course they are a good option to keep you warm as well. Another positive aspect of using a campaign wood stove is that you can arrange wood from the nearby bush as well.
• Chemical Heat Packs. Chemical heat packs release heat energy due to exothermic reactions. These packs have supersaturated sodium acetate solution which in a layman’s language is the sodium salt of vinegar. This solution can release heat and you can use it as an insulation device to keep yourself warm.

Conclusion

If you are looking for the best heaters for tent camping then there are a number of options available. You just need to think about what your priorities are. Do you want a warmer with a small footprint or do you prefer a noiseless unit! Do you have a large tent or a small one! Are you going to have any sunny days on your trip or not or does the campground have a hookup service or not! 

These are the things that you need to keep in mind when choosing the right tent heater for you. If you are looking for fuel-efficiency then you can also go for some insulated camping wear as well. You also need to consider some safety features if kids and pets are going to accompany you on your trip.

Q&A