# Shanty heaters



## leadcorebean (Jul 17, 2006)

Am I the only one who gets a ridiculous headache from the buddy heater ? I leave my vents open but after a few hours it kills! Be nice if someone would invent a good heater without propane .


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## FlyFishRich (Feb 3, 2016)

Find a old Coleman white gas heater....


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## FlyFishRich (Feb 3, 2016)




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## threeten (Feb 5, 2014)

Staring at my vex has been giving me a headache the last two times out.


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## FlyFishRich (Feb 3, 2016)

Or maybe try one of these, runs off fuel..


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## jaybird71 (May 31, 2017)

leadcorebean said:


> Am I the only one who gets a ridiculous headache from the buddy heater ? I leave my vents open but after a few hours it kills! Be nice if someone would invent a good heater without propane .


Happens to me every year on the ice even with windows door open. Lil CO2 poisoning I guess.


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## set-the-drag (Jan 13, 2013)

If that's the caes something is wrong with your heater. If burning properly they create little to no co its when you have bad burn you get co and especially with vents open you shouldn't have that much. Get a co detector and take it in with you and see. Should have one in the house anyway dont want to not wake up one night! Im a HVAC tech hear of it happening enough to make you worry. CO is oderless and always gets people when sleeping


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## 9Left (Jun 23, 2012)

set-the-drag said:


> If that's the caes something is wrong with your heater. If burning properly they create little to no co its when you have bad burn you get co and especially with vents open you shouldn't have that much. Get a co detector and take it in with you and see. Should have one in the house anyway dont want to not wake up one night! Im a HVAC tech hear of it happening enough to make you worry. CO is oderless and always gets people when sleeping


I completely disagree with that one… I've owned several buddy heaters… And everyone of them produces CO... especially in a small area like an ice shanty… You can open up those little windows but it's not enough… Plain and simple they just produce CO and it gives you a killer headache...What I try and do is just turn on the buddy heater when I am getting uncomfortably cold, I will just turn it on for a few minutes and warm up and then shut it back off


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## 1MoreKast (Mar 15, 2008)

9Left said:


> What I try and do is just turn on the buddy heater when I am getting uncomfortably cold, I will just turn it on for a few minutes and warm up and then shut it back off


Exactly this. In the morning before the sun comes up I'll crank my heater to get the ambient temp up. Proper insulation also goes a long way too. I have a pop up hub style. I like having a little snow on the ice to pack around the edges and flaps of the hub to keep cool air from blowing in. Having a mat on the ground to keep your feet off ice is another. I think most of these hubs and shanties have a black top to absorb the sunlight and keep it warm. It's well worth it to spend a little extra time making yourself comfortable. More time on the water/ice = more opportunities for success.


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## Lil' Rob (Apr 11, 2004)

I've got a flip-over and usually keep the front door partially open while running the heater. I don't run it for very long periods of time, and have not experienced the headaches. I do tend to keep the front door un-zipped a bit, along with the two vent flaps open, to keep fresh air inside, even when not running the heater. I've noticed that I can feel air being drawn out the front door like this, especially when there's a bit of wind flowing over top of the shanty. It seems like maybe any CO gets sucked out the front door as a result of the openings???


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## johnboy111711 (Apr 7, 2004)

take a small wood burning stove, they work well


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## RStock521 (Jul 17, 2008)

I've never had any issue and I like to keep my shanty toasty. Make sure you have a little ventillation to bring in fresh air, otherwise you'll burn up all the oxygen inside.


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## threeten (Feb 5, 2014)

A sterno in a metal coffee/bean/paint can is what I used before I got a buddy heater many years ago. 
coleman lantern will put off good heat too but all put off CO


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## set-the-drag (Jan 13, 2013)




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## set-the-drag (Jan 13, 2013)

Like i said if burning properly they shouldn't be producing co granted they are cheap little heaters and most probably produce some but it should be low levels not enough to give headaches but like i said it very well could be because it isn't burning properly


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## Pooch (Jun 16, 2014)

LCB, been waiting to see some of those iced walleye pics from mosquito, you used to post some nice ones.


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## Rooster (Apr 8, 2004)

9Left said:


> What I try and do is just turn on the buddy heater when I am getting uncomfortably cold, I will just turn it on for a few minutes and warm up and then shut it back off


X3 on this.

I like to be warm enough to fish without gloves in the shack, but never run the heater more than a few minutes. I will blast it on high for a few minutes until I get uncomfortably warm, and then turn it off. With a small insulated shack, it will be warm for a long time. When it does start getting chilly again, I just give it another short blast of heat.

If I’m cooking on the heater, I always open the front door. Neglected to open it once, and my flip has smelled like pizza for over two years now. Well........ beer, fish, and pizza.


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## bountyhunter (Apr 28, 2004)

good info. theres lot of rver,s who use buddy heaters with no problem. could be yours is not working right.


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## Evinrude58 (Apr 13, 2011)

I can get a headache from watching the flasher for hours at a time. Have camped running a buddy heater 24/7 in the camper and never got a headache. If you think it is your heater get a new one to be safe.


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## leadcorebean (Jul 17, 2006)

I'm trying to suggest to the wife its just my vex is outdated and I need a new one see how that works first haha. Maybe I'll take it apart tonight and give it a cleaning its also about 12 years old or just get a new one and save it for parts . Just for you pooch


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## Pooch (Jun 16, 2014)

NICE!!!
See, that gives me hope, haha.


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## Trouthunter (Jan 22, 2018)

Watched a clever hack on adapting a thermal driven fan, such is used on wood burning stoves to the top of a buddy heater on YouTube. The fan uses the heat from the heater to make it turn giving a little more heat movement and it doesn’t use any electricity. Have not tried it, but sounds like a good idea. He said the fan ran around $50 and to make sure you get one that would activate at a lower temperature. The one he used started spinning after about 90 seconds of the heater being turned on. Might be useful in a large hub shelter.


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## johnboy111711 (Apr 7, 2004)

Might try the magnifying glass adapter for the vex as well. I run a constant low burn on my buddy without headaches. I have a clam, uninsulated flip so it can get chilly. I will also burn a lantern at a low burn because that light is easier on my eyes. if you want to know if it is your vex, try fishing a day without it and see how you feel.


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## Bvil (Sep 28, 2019)

I used to use a 15,000 Mr. Heater sunflower on a 20lb. tank in my 2 man uninsulated Shappell suitcase shelter and had to leave both doors partially unzipped. A major headache was guaranteed every time.
I've only had the new 949i out one time on a sunny 10° day but the difference in having insulation is much more than I expected, even without having a floor like the suitcase. I'm now second guessing the need for the Big Buddy heater that was delivered yesterday. Maybe should have gone with the regular Buddy heater to save some space and weight. Either way, I'm hoping the more efficient burn and less need for heat will go a long way in headache prevention.


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## 1MoreKast (Mar 15, 2008)

Bvil said:


> I've only had the new 949i out one time on a sunny 10° day but the difference in having insulation is much more than I expected, even without having a floor like the suitcase. I'm now second guessing the need for the Big Buddy heater that was delivered yesterday. Maybe should have gone with the regular Buddy heater to save some space and weight. Either way, I'm hoping the more efficient burn and less need for heat will go a long way in headache prevention.


I have the 949i w/ Big Buddy heater. I run it on REALLY cold days, but mostly just the morning before the sun comes up. Once the sun is high enough to hit the top of those hubs it gets pretty comfortable in there without the heater on. I pull a smaller jet sled with a big Rubbermaid tote. In the tote I carry the heater, flasher, propane, gear, etc. The tote is great if you're worried about space. The shanty is rolled up in the bag and balanced on top of the tote secured with bungee chords to the whole sled. The whole rig works pretty well for my fishing adventures.


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## steelhead1 (May 14, 2004)

I use my Coleman North star propane lantern. Plenty of heat when needed in my one man flip and charges the glow jigs.


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## Smitty82 (Mar 13, 2011)

steelhead1 said:


> I use my Coleman North star propane lantern. Plenty of heat when needed in my one man flip and charges the glow jigs.


Those North Star Duel Fuels with peerless mantles are so bright they'll burn your retinas 🤣


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## Trouthunter (Jan 22, 2018)

steelhead1 said:


> I use my Coleman North star propane lantern. Plenty of heat when needed in my one man flip and charges the glow jigs.


To save a few bucks, I figured i’d use my propane lantern to heat my Clam hub shelter, but after sitting for so many years, the mantles fell apart. Walmart at the end of my street did not have any. Got to find somewhere that has them so I don’t have to what for them to shipped. May check Fin, Feather, Fur and a couple local businesses near Medina, or seek places near Salt Fork when the other half and I go to the lodge there. Don’t really want to make a 45 min drive back to Cabelas in Avon just for mantles.


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## Bvil (Sep 28, 2019)

Trouthunter said:


> To save a few bucks, I figured i’d use my propane lantern to heat my Clam hub shelter, but after sitting for so many years, the mantles fell apart. Walmart at the end of my street did not have any. Got to find somewhere that has them so I don’t have to what for them to shipped. May check Fin, Feather, Fur and a couple local businesses near Medina, or seek places near Salt Fork when the other half and I go to the lodge there. Don’t really want to make a 45 min drive back to Cabelas in Avon just for mantles.


Might want to check Ace Hardware.


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## CHOPIQ (Apr 6, 2004)

Not sure what’s going on with propane bottles. I went to 5 different stores yesterday looking for the one pound bottles and everyone was out of them. I finally found a 4 pack at a Walmart. While icefishing yesterday I talked to three other guys that said they were having problems finding them also.


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## 1MoreKast (Mar 15, 2008)

CHOPIQ said:


> Not sure what’s going on with propane bottles. I went to 5 different stores yesterday looking for the one pound bottles and everyone was out of them. I finally found a 4 pack at a Walmart. While icefishing yesterday I talked to three other guys that said they were having problems finding them also.


Very common these days. Fishing merchandise and the things that go with it have seen a hard hit. Since the pandemic, more and more people have taken a liking to it. We don't need to get heavy into this but the selfishness in me hates it, but for the overall impact it's supposedly good to get people outside and enjoy the outdoors. Plus the mom and pop bait/tackle stores should benefit.

Now here is my suggestion to fix the 1lb tank shortage....Amazon has a refill adapter for 1lb propane tanks that will fit your standard 20lb grill tank. For the whopping price of $6.94 you shouldn't need to ever go buy more 1lb tanks. Save your empties and refill. I always thought it was kind of ridiculous anyways you're supposed to just throw them away after use.


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## 9Left (Jun 23, 2012)

johnboy111711 said:


> take a small wood burning stove, they work well


Lol... sure they do… Until you want to move your set up to another location…
...Or need to move the stove
... or run out of wood
.... or find out you didn't haul enough wood on top of all the crap you already haul out onto the ice
... and on the days you don't need that kind of heat… You can set up your shanty that has a freaking hole in the top of it to accommodate for a woodstove…

...Quite possibly the lousiest idea I've ever heard for heating an ice shanty


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## Lil' Rob (Apr 11, 2004)

Trouthunter said:


> To save a few bucks, I figured i’d use my propane lantern to heat my Clam hub shelter, but after sitting for so many years, the mantles fell apart. Walmart at the end of my street did not have any. Got to find somewhere that has them so I don’t have to what for them to shipped. May check Fin, Feather, Fur and a couple local businesses near Medina, or seek places near Salt Fork when the other half and I go to the lodge there. Don’t really want to make a 45 min drive back to Cabelas in Avon just for mantles.


If you're near Medina...shoot me a pm and let me know what style mantle you need...I've got some extra Coleman Insta-Clip #95 mantles laying around.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk


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