Overnight on the ice questions
 

I was hoping to spend 1 night on the ice this season and I was wondering where is the best placement for a CO detector.All the videos i have watched they hang them in the mesh on the top of the tent.I was curious to hear from people on the forum what they do or best locations to mount them.I understand to keep the upper vents open and place the heater close to a door opening and I appreciate all feedback to make the stay safer.I was always a bit nervous about running the heater for so long while sleeping but so many people do this and i really want to catch the evening and morning primetime bites.

I run mine at head level,but any internet search says to hang it 5’ or higher.

Always have mine head level within arms reach. I'm a deep sleeper so I want to make sure I hear it when I am sleeping. Having said that, besides testing, I've never had it go off.

So long as one take sensible precautions and ensure that the heater is burning cleanly and efficiently there is very little carbon monoxide produce. I have a commercial carbon monoxide tester that I bring with me on occasion. Just out of interest I'll check for CO level constantly at different times and never seen the CO reach a level that would be a concern.

They're cheap (like $35 at Costco right now) and you only get one life. So I run two. One sits on a table about 18" up off the floor...at the level of the bottom bunk. The second is up in the mesh in the roof...at the level of the top bunk more or less. Make sure the sensor port is uncovered and you're good to go.

I've never had one go off. I have been woken up by the heater shutting off though. Which brings up another useful tip...don't rely on your heater. Make sure your bag is rated to the outside temp as if you weren't going to have the heater on. This is especially sage advise if the truck isn't parked outside the door of your tent. Good luck, take your time preparing, and you will have an awesome time out on the ice. :happy0034:

Thanks everyone for the great info. This is what I enjoy about the forum. Good people helping out and not bashing you on stuff you don’t know about.

Make sure that you have some air coming in to your tent. If you get a condensation and frost combination it will seal the tent and if your heater has oxygen sensor, it will shut it off.
Vic

I see many overnight videos where they have the carbon monoxide detector above their head. In my opinion I want it roughly where my head is going to be at. Having some fresh air flowing in never hurts.

the high mounting option just seems different to me, since the detectors in my house are plugged into the wall outlets which are just off the floor is there a reason to mount them higher?

Sleep in your truck if you are afraid of dying. If you are that paranoid about dying from lack of oxygen you probably won't sleep worth a dang anyways. Get the tent nice and warm and crawl into the bag and when you get cold you will wake up. Use a generator and electric heat or something.... It's barely freezing at nite guys, you're not gonna die. Drink lots of cheap whiskey and get a box of hot wings from the gas station. You won't need a detector.

Great idea. Never thought of that. There’s always one.

.....Half.... is closer

By far, the single most important choice you make for safety is what heater you are using - using a basic sunflower can kill you.

Using something like a safer and more efficient burning unit like a Big Biddy (that has a co detector already on it) is FAR FAR safer. If the buddy senses low O2 it shuts off.

You can still add a secondary Co2 detector for added insurance (that's what I do).

Mr. Heater products do not have a CO detector.

I'm curious everyones experience on how cold is too cold in these set ups? Have done one night so far but only went to -5 and nice and warm in the tent.

Is there a point it is not comfortable due to cold?

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I've been out in -30*C. You'll want two heaters to really keep it toasty, or a big buddy on full bore to take the edge off but the tent is still cool. Make sure you bring a real sleeping bag on that trip. ;)

I like to run 2 CO detectors, incase one fails. I keep mine as close to head level as possible and within a few feet of my head. The other one I like to run closer to the heater at as close to head level as possible too. I just prop them up on a chair or upside down bucket. If I am sleeping on a cot. One thing that is important to me is to keep them at above 0. The brand I use anyhow, says to operate them in no colder than 0 celcius.

That's correct - they have a low O2 sensor that shuts the unit off when it detects low O2 levels.

That's why you should take the added precaution of using a CO2 detector.

^Typo.
Just in case someone follows this verbatim... What you want is CO detector.

-ChillyPete

For those who care to check, CO (carbon monoxide) is slightly lighter than air, about the same density as a gas as nitrogen, which is 78% of the air we breathe. Carbon Dioxide is much heavier than air.

Last weekend we were out. Both of us in the Tent got a headache. Check the co detector and sure enough the big buddy was creating carbon monoxide. Not enough to set the detector off but it was there. Scary.

That experience obviously has me less excited about the big buddy heater or any other open heater.

Has anyone got a system for a propane stove jack in a pop up tent? I've got the 650 xd and want to try a Nu Way stove or something similar that vents external.


Thanks!

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I've easily spent 20 nights in my 650xd with a big buddy and 2 Co detectors never an issue. We bring our toddler on overnight trips. You have a mechanical issue with your heater. A clean burn propane heater produces less than 1% CO....it does however displace oxygen. You need air circulation....we run 2 fans and always have the roof vents open.

I ordered a Nu Way 4000 stove this winter. Other than the ordering part (which had poor communication and lengthy delivery), have been overall pretty happy with it. Using it to heat an Otter Vortex 75 sq ft tent and it keeps things pleasant @ 1/3 power and is toasty warm @ 2/3 power. Doesn't much more space (other than the stove pipe) than a Buddy heater, nice dry heat and don't worry about CO anymore (still keep an alarm in the tent just in case). Have overnighted in it with 2 people around -12 to -15C and used about 1/2 of a 20lb tank.

Currently vent it out one of the upper side windows through a home made stove jack that velcros to the window space. Not the prettiest, but it works and saves me from making a hole through the roof and seems sturdy and safe enough. Adding some radiant fins and a damper to the stove pipe made a significant difference in efficiency & heat output.

Sounds like a great set up. Using the velcro in the window would work well. Not concerned about pretty :). Any reason you went with the 4000 vs one of the smaller ones?

mlee, agree I probably have a mechanical issue. Debating if buy another buddy or try something different.

Appreciate the input.

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For the minor price and weight difference, went with the bigger stove - better to be able to turn it down than not having enough heat was my thinking.

I’m with mlee. I’ve never had an issue with my Buddy other than having it go off on me in the middle of the night at Cold Lake back in January. I’ve never seen a reading on my monitors either. But if you’re not comfortable using them, definitely go a different route for some peace of mind. Just Google “converting an ice fishing tent to a hot tent” or even just “hot tent”. You will find all the info you need. Good luck. ;)

I stick my co2 detector stuck in between the tent and a pole on the inside roof. I actually drilled a hole inside with my propane auger and the detector went off right away..LOL. i knew it worked.