CO test with Sunflower and BB Heater By Clayton Schick

Really good video by Clayton on how quickly these heaters can get dangerous. If you’re thinking about doing some ice camping (like I am) this is a must watch.

Wow!
Great info.
Thanks for sharing

This is my biggest hang up with ice camping. Carry a portable CO detector and probably sleep with a door or window cracked for sure. I’ve even started bringing a portable CO detector for sleeper rentals.

The thing to remember though is this is done with absolutely zero venting, no apparent wind, and none of the usual getting up to go out and pee, chit-chat, stretch out, etc… I’ve camped several times in the 850 double hub, 2 big buddies on high, and both vents open only, not even doors or windows. I’ve yet to set off an alarm, or kick off a heater. During real world use there’s a LOT more air flow than what he’s getting here. It’s of course a great reminder of what COULD happen, but I wouldn’t let it put you off the idea of ice camping, because it’s really easy to make sure one’s staying safe.

Wow good to to know

Great video, be sure to do another one when you test out the Heat Hawg. Bottom line is a person has to be careful without anything but a direct vented heater. If you have a permanent house, put in a direct vent heater. If you have a portable or a hub your choices are limited but it’s a heck of a lot easier to restart the big buddy than it is to put up with those fumes and those headaches. Just be safe.

Excellent video! Back in the day in HS I had a Coleman focus 15 heater. I didn’t put 2 and 2 together but every time I fished I’d come home with headaches and vomiting. I later found out there was a class action lawsuit where multiple deaths were attributed to it. I couldn’t throw that thing away fast enough.

Good discussion, and look forward to checking out the video later. I’d add that it doesn’t even need to be overnight. I have a thermal Nanook, and a little buddy heater and got carbon monoxide poisoning a couple years in a few hours back on a calm morning after some fresh snow. I had the vents and eventually doors open, but believe due to the snow insulation there was no circulation at the ice level and the carbon monoxide sat in there until I was very sick, sweating profusely, nauseous and knelt in the snow at -5 for about a half hour before I felt good enough to pack up and head for dodge. Super scary situation.

lindyrig79 wrote:

This is my biggest hang up with ice camping. Carry a portable CO detector and probably sleep with a door or window cracked for sure. I’ve even started bringing a portable CO detector for sleeper rentals.

I bring a co detector for camping. Have never had it go off. I keep my vents open. Maybe crack a window

We had a couple found dead after an overnight stay on the red river north of Winnipeg last winter. Co2 poisoning. They didn’t have detectors.

Cam White wrote:

We had a couple found dead after an overnight stay on the red river north of Winnipeg last winter. Co2 poisoning. They didn’t have detectors.

Happens every year, sadly. It would be a cold day in hell before I tried camping with a sun flower. Those have killed lots of people

After the big buddy went out, he should have just put it on low to see if anything registered. I only run mine on low while I’m sleeping with all vents open and doors cracked about 1/4 open with a portable fan by one to help suck in some fresh air.

Cam White wrote:

We had a couple found dead after an overnight stay on the red river north of Winnipeg last winter. Co2 poisoning. They didn’t have detectors.

CO or carbon monoxide is what’s most likely to kill someone from a heater. CO2 or carbon dioxide is what we exhale. The heater does produce some CO2 also.

Wildlifeguy wrote:

The thing to remember though is this is done with absolutely zero venting, no apparent wind, and none of the usual getting up to go out and pee, chit-chat, stretch out, etc…

Definitely. MOST of us I think know to keep the vents open and maybe a window cracked. But I’m sure many still don’t. And this was not meant to deter anybody from ice camping either. I still plan to try it, but I was very curious about how quickly CO can build up and I thought this was a very good video showing it. You could tell when he just opened the door to his shack how quickly it dissipated, which is good.

Also does anyone know if the regular buddy heaters have that same O2 shut off sensor? I have an older one and I’m not sure if it does or doesn’t.

The biggest thing to remember is CO builds up in the blood and takes a long time to release from the body (days if not weeks). CO reacts with the hemoglobin and prevents the blood from transporting oxygen through the body. So even if the PPM in the house is technically low(30s), a full day in that environment is technically dangerous. There is no absolute safe number besides ZERO.

mahtofire14 wrote:

Also does anyone know if the regular buddy heaters have that same O2 shut off sensor? I have an older one and I’m not sure if it does or doesn’t.

It’s basically the small flame at the bottom. If there is not enough oxygen it won’t stay lit, cutting off the thermocouple and shutting off the gas.

munchy wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>mahtofire14 wrote:</div>
Also does anyone know if the regular buddy heaters have that same O2 shut off sensor? I have an older one and I’m not sure if it does or doesn’t.

It’s basically the small flame at the bottom. If there is not enough oxygen it won’t stay lit, cutting off the thermocouple and shutting off the gas.

Ok, that’s what I was thinking. Thanks.

Is a “quiet” generator outside powering a portable electric heater a better option for overnight camping?

I’ve read a lot about ice camping and there is some information out there which states that normal CO detectors used in houses are not good indicators for fish houses. Those are meant for larger sized spaces and don’t sound an alarm until levels are unfit for a house. This year I purchased a CO detector meant for smaller spaces.

This article talks about it. Is it true? Idk but I figured better safe than sorry so I got one of the detectors meant for smaller spaces

https://www.forensicsdetectors.com/blogs/articles/carbon-monoxide-ice-fishing

trophy19 wrote:

Is a “quiet” generator outside powering a portable electric heater a better option for overnight camping?

A heater is gonna run 1000-1500 watts most the time and that many watts is gonna make any generator ramp up and be loud. Plus you will then have to bring cords, gas cans

Coletrain27 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>trophy19 wrote:</div>
Is a “quiet” generator outside powering a portable electric heater a better option for overnight camping?

A heater is gonna run 1000-1500 watts most the time and that many watts is gonna make any generator ramp up and be loud. Plus you will then have to bring cords, gas cans

The smaller ceramic heaters have a low setting of 750W. If a fella had a good sleeping bag I think that would keep the the tent sufficiently warm

Coletrain27 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>trophy19 wrote:</div>
Is a “quiet” generator outside powering a portable electric heater a better option for overnight camping?

A heater is gonna run 1000-1500 watts most the time and that many watts is gonna make any generator ramp up and be loud. Plus you will then have to bring cords, gas cans

X2 not really feasible

Coletrain27 wrote:

Plus you will then have to bring cords, gas cans

No different than having to bring propane, a hose, and whatever else needed for propane heaters. An extension cord is a minimal item to have to bring.

More generators screaming on the lake all night is the last thing this world needs

Like camping in Alaska with all the rental RVs. They all have to fire up their generators all hours of the day and night.

Or fishing next to wheelhouses that run generators all day/night……

No different than having to bring propane, a hose, and whatever else needed for propane heaters. An extension cord is a minimal item to have to bring.

that is true but The noise would bother me the most all night. I run my generator about 2 hours in the morning and the same just before bed and dont want to listen to it all night/day with my wheelhouse

crappie55369 wrote:

If a fella had a good sleeping bag I think that would keep the the tent sufficiently warm

With a “good” or properly rated bag for the low temp, you won’t need a heater.

-J.

Bearcat89 wrote:

More generators screaming on the lake all night is the last thing this world needs

True that. You can hear them loud ass things running all night from a mile away especially the big non inverter generators. Those people must drink way more beer than me to be able to sleep all night

crappie55369 wrote:

The smaller ceramic heaters have a low setting of 750W. If a fella had a good sleeping bag I think that would keep the the tent sufficiently warm

All depends on the size of the shack and outdoor temp and what you consider comfortable for sleeping I guess

That’s a great video!

As far as the thoughts on electric…

750 watts isn’t going to do crap…1500 watts still isn’t much (about the same as a normal Buddy heater on low), and your generator would be screaming and guzzling enough gas that you would have to refill it overnight, and not get any sleep from it running at almost full throttle (most guys use suitcase styles for ice fishing which would go about 5 hours running 1,500 watts)

Buddy heaters are just fine for sleeping. A little Carbon Monoxide isn’t going to kill you or even make you sick. Have you ever cooked on a gas range in your house? Ever had the oven on all day?

Without Googling, do any of you know the PEL (permissable exposure limit) of CO that OHSA allows in your workplace? (Hint, it’s A LOT more than most people would expect)

Bring a CO detector, open your vents, use a good sleeping bag, and have your Buddy heater on as low of a setting as you can tolerate.

Sleep on FOAM, NOT DIRECTLY ON AN AIR MATTRESSES.

You’re far better off sleeping on a 1/2″ foam mat than a 12″ air mattress. Some air mattresses are insulated, but they’re typically higher end technical gear and still have a tough time beating the r-value of foam.

I’m not an expert, but have a fair amount of winter camping experience over the years. The kids and I just slept in their snow fort Friday night when it was -7 with a -25 wind chill. No heater at all and we were comfy as could be

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