heat pal 5100 ?

[happy camper]

hello
i'm looking for ways to heat my tapp varrie 5 during winter. I eventually want a small chimney stove for long term use without having to carry loads of fuel but i also quite like the look of the heat pal as it seems a safer option than an open fire.
First i was wondering if anyone has any experience with the heat pal?
Secondly, i can't really afford the £100 (ish) at the moment but i notice you can buy an extra tank for them at a fraction of the cost of the whole unit...
does anyone have any info. or pics. of how they are put together so that i can improvise the other bits? (it looks from the tiny pics. online that the other bits are just aluminium pots/bins with holes in, with the tank or burner just placed inside to protect it. Is it that simple or is there more to it?)
cheers, any help or advice would be much appreciated

 

[led]

Here are some pics

 

[MagiKelly]

I have one. As with everything there are pros and cons. First lets sort out the price thing. If you get these from Tentipi then they are around £160. That is a lot of money for what it is, however, if you go to a boat chandlers in the UK you should get it for £80. That is what I did. In stock, straight of the shelf.

It works great. The heat output is enough to keep my Tentipi Varrie 7 man tent toasty warm. I use it with Industrial Metholated Spirits (do a search to see my thread about how to get a license) which burns without any smell.

I have mixed emotions about mine. I have thought about selling it and getting a Coleman Blackcat heater (do a google search for more info). The advantage of the Heat Pal is that it is more "bushcrafty" and has a flame. Also if you pop the top off the heater it can be used as a stove and you can wake up in a warm tent and cook your breakfast. All from the comfort of your sleeping bag.

The drawback is that the meths fuel and the heat pal itself are fairly bulky to transport. Also there is no way to seal the unit so that fuel will not leak during transport. So you have to burn off any fuel you have put in it. Not a huge problem but one that does annoy me. I would not recomend it for backpacking but then I would not recommend a canvas Tipi in that situation but for car camping or when using an open canoe it can transform your tipi into a cosy home from home.

 

[happy camper]

hello
cheers for the pictures led, i can see from the third pic. that it's not as simple as just getting the extra tank, i'll have to see if i can get a more detailed look at the bit with the handles that fits on the top of the tank before i can try and cobble something together.
thanks again

 

[happy camper]

hello MagiKelly
thanks for your advice,lots of good points (both pro and con) Part of the reason i was considering the heatpal was your earlier post on i.m.s. , i haven't applied for the licence yet as i don't know when, or if, i'll get a heat pal (and i don't think they'll believe i need 20 litres for my trangia!)
i fancied the heat pal over the blackcat because, as you say, it can be used as a stove, and i'm already carrying meths on most trips anyway.
Shame you can't seal the burner for transport though ( i thought i had read that the tank was leakproof ) seems a waste of meths to have to burn off the excess. Bulk for portage is also an issue...i'm going to need a bigger canoe / car / hat / shiny thing etc. etc.
thanks again
( and i'll keep my eye on the classifieds in case you decide to sell yours)

 

[MagiKelly]

The bulk problem is not that great if you are using a canoe. The Heat Pal is not that heavy. As to sealing the unit something as simple as a wooden disk with a rubber covering could be held over the opening with a strap or the like. I am sure there is a fairly straight forward solution. I have just not spent that much time working on it.

I'll have a think about it and PM you if it is likely to end up in the classifieds.

Edit;
Forgot to add. What they mean by leak proof is that if inverted the meths should not spill out as it is soaked into the filling in the tank, however, if left uncovered the meths will evapourate.

 

[happy camper]

hi
cheers for that!