if they only made a good heater for a portable

[mrmillelacs]

ive tried most of them. my problem is that i love to fish hard water but dont like to be cold. my current heater is a coleman double head sunflower type heater which puts out a lot of heat but is noisy and you have to keep a flap open for air quality purposes. A couple people i know have tried the "indoor safe" type small portable heaters but they dont put out anywhere near enough heat. The company that makes these would make a killing if they jacked these up to about 3 times as much heat, say 30000 btus. But they dont. In my permanent house on mille lacs i have a direct vent heater, but i found out that you need a lot more btus in a direct vent heater than in a vent free heater for the same comfort level. Ive searched the internet to no avail. Is there an indoor safe heater available anywhere that could be hooked up to a 20 pound tank and still crank out 20000 btus or more? Ive been thinking about buying a 20000 btu wall mount heater and fashioning a stand and handle for it and lug that around. ideas? thanks

[joshb]

you have got to be kidding me........those indoor safe heaters are absolute junk. biggest waste of eighty dollars ever. if you want a good portable heater get the mr.heater heater/cooker combo the one that sits on the floor and runs of a one pound bottle, but get an adapter cord for a twenty pounder. ive been on the lake all day in very cold temps and wind and not been cold......the problem with the sunflower heaters that mount to the top of a tank is that they only heat the top half of your house, no heat down low.

[tomfromblaine]

I agree wit josh Ive had the mr heater/combo for 4 years 3000 to 9000 btu's keeps my shack warm most of the time ive got it set between low and off plus you can point it turn it flip it where ever you want and itmakes soup/coffee ,i still have the big black cat heater for a backup but it has to get rrreally cold before i get um both goin

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Icedog1

[koochiching]

I've used vented propane heaters in 8' x 10' custom portables, with all the holes on one side, so a double decked cot can be set up on the other side. The propane tank stays outside, and the heavy burner is wedged and screwed to the floor so it can't be bumped around.

I've always used 4" stovepipes, with a metal stovepipe support bolted onto the roof canvas directly above the screwed down burner unit. You also should have a 24" wide piece of insulation that runs from the wood floor right up to the stovepipe support in the roof. You can position this piece of insulation so it is between the stovepipe and the nearest tent wall.

I've use this setup on LOTW and further north in Canada, and it works fine if you're portable is really sturdy, so the walls don't flap too much in a gale wind.

I always shut off the propane heater, if I'm going to sleep in the unit.

[irvingdog]

In my Guide, a HeatBuddy usually does the job. If not, I set a Black Cat in the sled behind me, and I'm good.

To many guys want to shed their cloths. "If you ain't movin', you ain't fishin'". I don't have time to take off the coat, kick back, open a beer, deal cards, etc.
If I do, I rent a sleeper on LOW.

[Steve Foss]

I use a Fish Trap II (older version of irvingdog's Guide), and an 8,000 btu Dynaglo (like the Mr. Heater Buddy but $15 less on sale).

It keeps the Trap II plenty warm even when it's below zero. Often, I have to set it on the low setting to even stay in the Trap, and I can get by without a coat a lot of the time.

I used to use a Black Cat from Coleman, but the 4,000 btus weren't enough when it got below 10 degrees.

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"Worry less, fish more."
Steve Foss
[email protected]

[Mykal]

mrmillacs, I agree with you. i use a Mr Heater. It works great in my guide, but have to worry about bumping it and burning a whole in my clothes. Plus you need venting. I've probably burned a few brain cells running that thing over the years. If someone made a buddy type heater with even a couple thousand more BTU's I bet it would go over big.

[willowcat]

I've used the Mr.heater-cooker for about 8 years now. It's great heater,puts out a lot of heat,but I know someone that bought one of the newer ones and the valve that you turn on and off the heater melted and started on fire.He took it back and got another one and the same thing happened again.He said he never buy another one. The one I got has a metal valve and I've never had a problem with mine. I also got a heater buddy and though it doesn't put out as much heat, It works well in a small portable or camper.

[Crappie Killer]

Mr Mille lacs, are you looking for a portable heater, or a wall mount? Strikemaster makes a vented heater, I use one in my deer stand. I'm happy with it. It's on their website.

I use an omni 105 kerosene heater in my fishouse. Only smells like kerosene when you light it and turn it off, both of which I do outside. Once it's burning good, it's whisper quiet and odorless. It's the vertical cylinder style with the tank on the bottom. Ebay, 80 bucks. 24,000btu

I get headaches from unvented propane heat. It's noisy and creates too much condensation inside.

[This message has been edited by Crappie Killer (edited 11-30-2003).]

[DCON]

We use Mr Heater single burner sunflower style heaters with 20# tanks put in a milk crate so they dont tip over. I leave mine in my otter sled. During prime time when im stationary i always leave the door partially open for fresh air. But during the day im gunning around and i never shut it down all day, I like to stay warm so i leave it on high, I like not having to fire it up every time i relocate, and its more than enough heat for my lodge. When im gunning around looking for midday perch and walleyes i dont bother with putting up the poles in the house and the flaps do stay loose on the ice, so venting is not necessary. They work great for us.

Remember to: "CROSS THEIR EYES"