Mr. Heater/run and gun?

I’m switching up to no-shelter this year from an Icerunner Explorer to a simple Otter Sport sled with a harness…planning to “wear my hub” via warm gear so I can move around more effectively without worrying about the weight/hassle of a shelter.

I’ve got a standard-size (portable) Mr. Heater Buddy that keeps my shelter toasty even on the coldest days, so I’m wondering if anybody ever uses them outside of a hub as a supplemental heat source on below zero days?

Guessing that between wind/temp they would be pretty useless outside of a shelter, and that on extra cold days the effort of dragging my explorer along (i do love the thing) will be worth it, but curious if others ever use heaters outside to any useful effect.

Bring your shack.

In my experience, it is difficult at best and generally impossible to keep my Buddy heater running “out in the open elements”.
Inside a shelter or inside a hunting boat blind, works well.

The pilot flame can be put out pretty easy with a slight breeze, at least on my Big Buddy heater which is probably 10 years old now.

You’re best bet will be a sunflower style heater outdoors. They aren’t completely windproof but better than a heater with a pilot light.

Have you looked into ice fishing windbreaks? They can weigh as little as 7 pounds.

Or the Eskimo quick fish 2? They are only about 20 pounds.

That said, if you’re layered and dressed well (with good pac boots), you don’t need any shelter or heat at all other than a couple hand warmers in your pockets on really cold days.

I’ve seen guys use charcoal in a metal coffee can before. Place it near the hole and the melted snow and ice trickles into the hole and keeps it open.

You’re not running and gunning if you are dragging a heater along with you.

I would look up rigging up a wind break attached to the sled that would be collapsed until you’re stopped and can pull it up. Then sit with it to your back. That would also allow you to have a heater at least on your back that would stay on even with the wind.

Jake Thelen wrote:

I’ve seen guys use charcoal in a metal coffee can before. Place it near the hole and the melted snow and ice trickles into the hole and keeps it open.

Matt Moen wrote:

You’re not running and gunning if you are dragging a heater along with you.

I’m old enough to have actually used the charcoal can and no, it’s also not easily transported once lit.

We do not use a house or heater if temps are above 20F and wind is under 10.

My brother and I did the charcoal in a can some 40 years ago when ice fishing in ND (no house) and temps in the single digits or lower. It was about the only way to keep the holes from freezing over.

If you need heat then I would suggest you get the smallest flip shelter and load with ONLY what is needed on that specific trip. Smitty sled ?

Why not pull a lightweight flipover like a Clam Kenai. Flip and fish. Use the shelter to carry what you would in a sled.

A windbreak would be the minimum i would have with the heater.If you are using nothing but a seat leave the heater home to cut more weight.Lots of disposable handwarmers-lighter than the heater.

Thanks for the replies — I was mainly curious if the buddy heater would be effective outside of a shelter in extreme conditions, sounds like “no” (which is what i figured)

Regardless, I went out on my first real no-shelter journey today and it was AWESOME. I attached a Clam harness to some eye bolts in a small Otter sled, and was able to trek the full perimeter of a 300 acre lake (~3 miles) following contour lines and ridges with relative ease. Often I stayed clipped into the harness and kept my drill/sonar right on top of the sled so I could check spots on the fly and even sit on my bucket/drop-a-line while still hooked up to my sled.

Of course it was +30 degrees today, but I’m thinking the trekking part of this will keep me warm enough without a heater. Thinking I’ll add a down quilt in a compression sack along with a small nylon tarp I could use to wrap myself in for those times I need to shelter in place.

Onward.

p.s. the Clam Kenai is an intriguing little shelter — i love my icerunner explorer which is equally light-weight and much more spacious, but not at all easy to move once it is setup.

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I just bought a Clam Kenai XT thermal for running and gunning. will make a smitty sled for hauling it to fishing spot. Plan to us a small sunflower heater with Flame King 1 # tanks if it’s cold enough.

Netguy wrote:

I just bought a Clam Kenai XT thermal for running and gunning. will make a smitty sled for hauling it to fishing spot. Plan to us a small sunflower heater with Flame King 1 # tanks if it’s cold enough.

Nice, once you get to know it i’d love a kenai review, and let us know how that sunflower goes once we actually get some cold weather!

I have flipped up my otter sled as a wind break and sat on the side of it and used my regular buddy heater outside many times while not wanting to set up the shack and it for sure kept me warmer.

Now mostly going after walleye I find setting up the otter enables me to fish much more effectively than I would outside. It is nice fishing outside right now but you might want to look at getting that Clam Kenai. It is not really just to cold factor I am talking about because you can stay warm in -20 with the suits now. But fishing outside in -20 is much more difficult than in a shack. A lot of stuff is not made for that kind of cold and will just break while fishing outside. Once you get to February you could be very limited to the days you can go out and fish without a shack JMO.

broeker wrote:

let us know how that sunflower goes once we actually get some cold weather!

The higher door is what sold me. Sat in one at Cabelas and it should work nice for running and gunning and a day house if I’m by myself. The sunflower I have is a small one purchased in 1995. I think it puts out 2K, 3K or 4k. I have the adapter to run off larger propane tanks also. It should be fine for that size house that’s insulated.