Heating a tent

[Mike313]

Hi All,
I've read a few of the posts re. heating a tent with candles etc. and the arguments about the dangers or otherwise of naked flames. I was wondering if anyone had tried the following. When I was a kid we (me + brothers) used to camp sometimes in a field beside the house. This was generally in summer but the evenings could get nippy. We used to light a camp-fire surrounded by stones and cook sausages for dinner. Then when we wanted to retreat to the tent, we'd take some of the stones from the camp-fire and pile them up in a biscuit tin which we put inside the tent. Our tent didn't have a groundsheet so there was no danger of melting plastic. It was a long time ago but my recollection is that it worked well enough to make a difference when the night was a bit chilly. Given all the concern about CO poisoning, am I right in assuming that hot stones don't give off any significant amounts of dangerous gases? I was thinking that in a tent with a groundsheet you could make a small bed of green wood and lay a single large flat stone (flat, so it's less likely to roll off) which you had heated at your fire for the purpose of heating your tent later on. Of course you need a tent with sufficient space. Likewise if you have a water bottle/flask that can take hot water and use it in your sleeping bag like a hot water bottle. If it's very hot, shove it inside your socks (having removed your feet first!) to protect you from burns and also to ensure dry, toasty socks in the morning...
Mike.

 

[tim_n]

I don't think there are any easily obtainable rocks that emit CO. Some river rocks explode though when heated... (or so I've heard, never seen it myself, just cracked stones)

 

[General Strike]

I don't think there are any easily obtainable rocks that emit CO. Some river rocks explode though when heated... (or so I've heard, never seen it myself, just cracked stones)

What about Limestone? Calcination to make quicklime involves driving off a CO2 molecule from limestone to produce one CAO and one CO2 molecule. If limestone is heated at sub-kiln temperatures (CO seems to usually be the product of incomplete combustion) is it possible to drive off a CO molecule instead? (Disclosure - I'm not a chemist so I don't know whether this is possible).

Also worth pointing out that filling a space with CO2 will kill the occupants quite adequately as well (although the sensation of 'gasping for air' is driven by excessive CO2 in the bloodstream, not a lack of O2), so hopefully the individuals in question will notice! However the temperatures required for lime-burning are so high that I suspect there would be little risk in this regard!

 

[Bowlander]

Try a dog, even a small one is worth a few watts!

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Xparent Green Tapatalk 2

 

[cbr6fs]

Try a dog, even a small one is worth a few watts!

+1

My little Jack Russell makes a great hot water bottle


I can understand these sort of "fixes" years ago when decent sleeping bags were heavy and expensive.
But these days you can find reasonably priced, great performing and light weight sleeping bags that will keep you warm in all but the most severe conditions, so why not just buy a sleeping bag that's appropriate for the conditions rather than messing about with rocks and/or candles?

 

[tim_n]

I'm building a stove to warm the tent. It has several benefits. I can play cards in the winter (warmer fingers without gloves), it drives out the damp and most importantly of all, I've got somewhere to put on a cuppa. I wouldn't fry on it in a tent though.

 

[tim_n]

What about Limestone? Calcination to make quicklime involves driving off a CO2 molecule from limestone to produce one CAO and one CO2 molecule. If limestone is heated at sub-kiln temperatures (CO seems to usually be the product of incomplete combustion) is it possible to drive off a CO molecule instead? (Disclosure - I'm not a chemist so I don't know whether this is possible).

Also worth pointing out that filling a space with CO2 will kill the occupants quite adequately as well (although the sensation of 'gasping for air' is driven by excessive CO2 in the bloodstream, not a lack of O2), so hopefully the individuals in question will notice! However the temperatures required for lime-burning are so high that I suspect there would be little risk in this regard!

Generally when you're using a fire in a tent, you leave a couple of vents open to allow throughflow of air to get rid of CO/CO2 anyway.

Not sure limestone is that much of a danger. Someone'll be along I'm sure who knows more about these sort of things.

 

[Tracker NTS-054]

What about Limestone? Calcination to make quicklime involves driving off a CO2 molecule from limestone to produce one CAO and one CO2 molecule. If limestone is heated at sub-kiln temperatures (CO seems to usually be the product of incomplete combustion) is it possible to drive off a CO molecule instead? (Disclosure - I'm not a chemist so I don't know whether this is possible).

Carbon Monoxide cannot be formed as the carbonate itself doesn't combust, it undergoes thermal decomposition. If limestone is heated at sub kiln temperatures at standard pressure (101 kPa) it just decomposes to form CaO + CO2 at a slower rate..

 

[santaman2000]

Hi All,
I've read a few of the posts re. heating a tent with candles etc. and the arguments about the dangers or otherwise of naked flames. I was wondering if anyone had tried the following. When I was a kid we (me + brothers) used to camp sometimes in a field beside the house. This was generally in summer but the evenings could get nippy. We used to light a camp-fire surrounded by stones and cook sausages for dinner. Then when we wanted to retreat to the tent, we'd take some of the stones from the camp-fire and pile them up in a biscuit tin which we put inside the tent. Our tent didn't have a groundsheet so there was no danger of melting plastic. It was a long time ago but my recollection is that it worked well enough to make a difference when the night was a bit chilly. Given all the concern about CO poisoning, am I right in assuming that hot stones don't give off any significant amounts of dangerous gases? I was thinking that in a tent with a groundsheet you could make a small bed of green wood and lay a single large flat stone (flat, so it's less likely to roll off) which you had heated at your fire for the purpose of heating your tent later on. Of course you need a tent with sufficient space. Likewise if you have a water bottle/flask that can take hot water and use it in your sleeping bag like a hot water bottle. If it's very hot, shove it inside your socks (having removed your feet first!) to protect you from burns and also to ensure dry, toasty socks in the morning...
Mike.

My Dad and his siblings told us of using a similar technique growing up before and during the depression. They'd heat bricks at the fireplace and wrap them in towels to take to bed. my cousins and I tried it a couple of times on camping trips. Not to heat the tent (or bedroom) mind you, but in place of a hot water bottle to heat the bed or sleeping bag.

 

[santaman2000]

What about Limestone? Calcination to make quicklime involves driving off a CO2 molecule from limestone to produce one CAO and one CO2 molecule. If limestone is heated at sub-kiln temperatures (CO seems to usually be the product of incomplete combustion) is it possible to drive off a CO molecule instead? (Disclosure - I'm not a chemist so I don't know whether this is possible).....

I certainly hope not! Many fireplaces over here are built from limestone; particularly in the Texas Hill Country.

 

[bearbait]

I don't think there are any easily obtainable rocks that emit CO. Some river rocks explode though when heated... (or so I've heard, never seen it myself, just cracked stones)

Flint, at least some, will explode when heated - from experience!

 

[Triplestitch]

The 'river rocks exploding' thing is caused by water which has worked its way into tiny cracks in the rock expanding when heated, and forcing the rock apart. MOST of the time, it will just crack the rock. Because this happens as a result of the rock being heated, a rock that is going to explode will do so while it is in your fire and not after you have removed it and put it in your tent.

 

[abominable_scouse_monster]

Try a dog, even a small one is worth a few watts!

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Xparent Green Tapatalk 2

Yup and if they are anything like my old girl she farts so much the cold wont bother you

 

[Juv2112]

In the winter I put logs in the oven of our rayburn, to season them some more before putting them in the fire box, and if my lady mentions the cold I'll wrap one in a tea towel for her feet.
I do know some river rocks explode if used to ring a fire as I've been an eyewitness very nearly a one eyedwitness. Now only use granite rather than mudstone or shale.

 

[ateallthepies]

I had a Fuerhand lantern and a meths stove running several hours in my Fully closed Polish Lavvu and my Co detector never even registered any Co.

 

[bambodoggy]

(although the sensation of 'gasping for air' is driven by excessive CO2 in the bloodstream, not a lack of O2), so hopefully the individuals in question will notice

Very true, I remember this being drummed into us relative to the danger of "Shallow water black outs", when I did my BSAC Snorkle instructors course many moons ago. Useful bit of knowledge to have

 

[bambodoggy]

My Dad and his siblings told us of using a similar technique growing up before and during the depression. They'd heat bricks at the fireplace and wrap them in towels to take to bed. my cousins and I tried it a couple of times on camping trips. Not to heat the tent (or bedroom) mind you, but in place of a hot water bottle to heat the bed or sleeping bag.

My Mum told me she used to do this as a little girl growing up in post war Liverpool. She also said they had a baked potatoe in their pocket on the way to school which acted as pocket/hand warmer and lunch

 

[user24]

Another option for heating is to put just-boiled water into a canteen and use it as a hot water bottle. Wrapped in a towel it works pretty well.

 

[Squidders]

Am I the only one who puts just boiled water in a hot water bottle?

 

[cbr6fs]

Am I the only one who puts just boiled water in a hot water bottle?

I have done that in the past, never felt comfortable sleeping with a bottle of hot water though, it's usually just to get warm before i sleep.

These days with modern sleeping bags i just take a sleeping bag that's appropriate for the expected temperature.
There have been times where the temp was lower than expected, i just wore more clothing in those cases.