Heating when you can't afford a Mr. Buddy

[blmkid]

I use my Coleman single burner propane stove as my sole heat source, I've been doing it for 10 years. At mild temperatures or a well insulated van, turn it down to the lowest burn and it's plenty of heat.

My stove is $38 on Amazon, but you have to have a stove and the heater then becomes free.

I look at what I'm taking on the trip to RTR every 4 or 5 days, and I ask myself " Self, do you really need to take this item?". When I saw Bob's post, I checked my Coleman Model 5038 Catalytic Heater, the BTU's. It's 3,000 btu's?  https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-BlackCat-PerfecTemp-Catalytic-Heater/dp/B0009PUR9U[/SIZE]
WTF? 
I've had a Coleman single burner stove. Googled it and, WTF? It's 10,000 btu's!

So, the Coleman single burner stove will make my morning coffee, breakfast and be my heating source, all at the same time. The Coleman catalytic heater will find a new home in Arizona come January 2018, for someone in much need of it. 

 

[jimindenver]

For 20 years of boondocking our only heat sources in the van/canned ham/tents were the stove making coffee and breakfast in the morning and the Colman lantern at night before bed. Both would heat a smaller space with no problems. Unfortunately they don't heat a 25 ft trailer much but using the oven for baked goods all day sure does even with the stove vent permanently opened. The oven also gives me free hot water just by setting the pots on the oven vent.

 

[Ralph Furley]

More ideas to stay warm for cheap or free.
*Change your sleeping schedule and sleep inside your vehicle during the day?
*If you smoke, quite!  Your body will be able to stay warmer as the blood vesicles will be able to dilate much more.

 

[GrayWhale]

This is a strange internet phenomenon, where people seems to want to purposefully trick others into doing this tea candle + flower pot setup, for fun or as a silly prank, or something. And then many would believe that it works but never tried it, but will reiterate this method as having worked for them (w/no ill intent). Causing a chain of effect throughout the internet for many years now.

Well I was one of the suckers and spent like $5 at the dollar store and it wasn't much heat at all. For one thing, those tea candles don't last very long. It's been a while so I can't remember how long, but it was less than an hour. They are pretty cheap at Dollar Tree, but if you light 5-8 of them at once (to get a what dismal amount of heat), then they're not very cheap.

What really last a long time were those Jesus Candles in the cylindrical glass jar. At least 10 hours as I recall. But then there's the risk of them exploding and sending hot wax + flames towards the wall to clean up; or worse, the curtains and burn the van down. This has happened to Sharon Ozbourne, wife of Ozzy Ozbourne (her story on internet).

 

[highdesertranger]

the better tea lite candles last 5-6 hours. I am not saying they will work for heating as there is not enough BTU's in them. another note a flower pot is not going to raise the BTU output. it might spread the meager output over a longer time period but it will not raise the BTU output. highdesertranger

 

[jimindenver]

A good hurricane lamp with the wide wick puts off some heat. The chimney will burn you if you touch it.

 

[John TF]

1st rule of heating / or cooling , insulate = contain the energy you are about to use .
Takes a big fire to keep you warm outside in the winter ves. some container with R80+++ of insulation - this is where the candle could work
In a less ideal , or more common , then looking at efficiency of the heating device typically requires some mass , your best space heaters are the oil-filled radiators .
And the best in a building is in-floor radiated with some concrete , but you can duplicate to some extent in a RV , but may be a major rework , remove all in side to sub-floor or framing , use a reflective insulate of some type , use PEX tubing , then put the sub-floor back in , use RV water heater & circulating pump .
But for the original poster not wanting to spend $70 [ then fuel cost ] about you only option is a good sleeping bag .
I've winter camped in tent backpacking at -35 F

 

[ChetLazar]

A 20 pound heater cat might be enough if your outside temperature isn't too horribly cold.

 

[lenny flank]

This is a strange internet phenomenon, where people seems to want to purposefully trick others into doing this tea candle + flower pot setup, for fun or as a silly prank, or something. And then many would believe that it works but never tried it, but will reiterate this method as having worked for them (w/no ill intent). Causing a chain of effect throughout the internet for many years now.

A candle puts out about 250 BTU, roughly the same as human body heat. It may give some folks a psychological effect, but in the real world of physics it just ain't enough to make any difference inside a vehicle.

 

[ChetLazar]

They probably have stopped but they used to stiffen candle wicks with a bit of wire. Lead wire was popular. The flame burned away the wire. That put a bit of lead vapor in the air.

Kerosene burning hurricane lamps give more heat and light than a candle

 

[skyl4rk]

The best way to stay warm in cold weather is to get under the covers with another human.

 

[John61CT]

For those without that option, a dog will do.

Or a good sleeping bag and hot water bottle for that matter, and for a lot less trouble.

 

[Kathleen]

Lots of good suggestions for folks in this thread who can't afford a Buddy heater. In addition to the initial cost of prepping for van dwelling in winter, I have another consideration: the small interior of a minivan. With a 32 inch wide bed frame I don't have the enough clearance for a Buddy or a Wave.

I'm going to see if my Gas One Duel Fuel stove used at night, warm sleeping bags, thrift store merino wool pj's, and a hot water bottle will do the trick.

I've been wondering about the silver sided blankets that reflect heat. I carry a small one when hiking at 7k ft or above in NM where summers days turn to chilly nights. I've got several of the larger heavy ones for tent trips.

When a group of us camped in a remote area at 8k ft in August in CO it got very cold and damp along the river at night. Lots of moisture in the air with a thick conifer forest around us. I put the heat reflecting tarp on the floor of my tent but our guide said it would be more effective if I could find a way to hang it overhead, reflecting body heat back down onto me.

Would that work well in a van? Has anyone tried using those tarps on top or for side and rear windows?

Lots of talk re condensation problems in van dwelling. If the tarps keep the interior warmer would they create too much moisture??? If they work, it's one more item that might be found used and cheap.

 

[GypsySpirit]

Nothing beats a wool blanket. I don't use my heater at night, but that's my paranoia. I preheat before I get into bed, and turn it on again in the morning to take the chill out of the air.

 

[BinDerSmokDat]

The tealight under a flower pot has been debunked for actually raising temps to any substantial amount.
The simple fact is X amount of paraffin burning generates X amount of heat.
Whether you light a taper in a candlestick or you light a tealight and stick it under a flower pot, it's the same amount of BTUs being introduced to the environment.
The reason people believe the "tealight" method is so effective is it creates more radiant heat than a candle alone.
So if you are close to it you might feel slightly more heat than a candle alone.
But all things equal, burning X amount of paraffin is going to impact interior temperatures equally whether the candle is covered or not.

If you want to use candles for heat and light, go to Goodwill and look for those "lantern" style candle holders they sell at Target or Pier 1.
They are usually wire or sheet metal framed with some glass sides and a little door.Some even can be found with a nice pillar candle in them already.
Pillars burn forever and can be found cheap at Target or thrift stores, especially if you don't care which scent they have.
I buy cheap Xmas scented candles after the holidays to help handle cigar odors.
The lantern will help provide some protection from the flame, allow you to hang it and the glass creates some radiant heat for the flower pot effect.

 

[lenny flank]

foam insulation, I have the whole rear of my van covered in foam insulation. And I use 2 sleeping bags on the coldest of nights.

Alas, insulation is pretty much useless without a heater of some sort.

 

[frater secessus]

When I saw Bob's post, I checked my Coleman Model 5038 Catalytic Heater, the BTU's. It's 3,000 btu's?  https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-BlackCat-PerfecTemp-Catalytic-Heater/dp/B0009PUR9U[/SIZE]
WTF? 
I've had a Coleman single burner stove. Googled it and, WTF? It's 10,000 btu's!

An important difference:  the catalytic heaters catalyze rather than burn fuel, so they don't produce CO under normal conditions.  They do consume oxygen.

Having said that, coleman used to make heating drums that would fit over sportster (single burner) stoves.  The intended use was in well-ventilated hunting blinds.

I've gone one of the 502 sportsters, which is what the drum is mounted on.  Quite lovely, but the fonts get hotter than I'd like.

 

[John61CT]

It's literally the thread title.

Proper insulation **sure does** make a huge difference without another heat source.

Remember each human is radiating as much heat as an old-fashioned 100W bulb!

Those metal infrared covers are the same principle as the flowerpot over a smaller flame, greater total radiant energy, converted to longer wavelengths (lower frequencies).

Yes you need high R-values and tightly controlled air infiltration, once past 4" in a small space, yes even a single candle does make a real perceptible difference. Most of which may be "psychologocal", but no less real.

 

[tx2sturgis]

The best way to stay warm in cold weather is to get under the covers with another human.

That's WAY more expensive than a Buddy Heater!

 

[skyl4rk]

I'm going to see if my Gas One Duel Fuel stove used at night, warm sleeping bags, thrift store merino wool pj's, and a hot water bottle will do the trick.

I've been wondering about the silver sided blankets that reflect heat.
...
I put the heat reflecting tarp on the floor of my tent but our guide said it would be more effective if I could find a way to hang it overhead, reflecting body heat back down onto me.

I am pretty brave when playing with fire, but I would not use a liquid fuel stove inside a van, especially not a gasoline stove.

Putting a tent over your bed is a good way of warming up the air around you.  Canopy beds were popular before central heating.  A breathable fabric would probably be better than a tarp.