Does anybody do the tent thing at their lease or ranch

Purely talking one or two nighter. Is there a temperature threshold where you wouldn't do it, lows in 20s/30s? Having to buy a tent for my soon to be boyscout son and the wife is thinking I could save some $$$ by staying at the ranch on overnighters instead of in town. Would probably be less than 5 nights total during season.

I wouldn't use that heater in a tent. I used one in my camper but I had good ventilation and a back up carbon monoxide detector. I would think 50 degrees would be ok with a tent and sleeping bag. Colder than that might start getting a little uncomfortable.

maybe I'm the odd man out but I have a 0 degree mummy bag and went to Colorado when temps would get down in the 20's at night and every night I froze my arse off.

first night slept in just underwear and froze. second night I wore PJ bottoms and froze, third nite I had a shirt and pj bottoms on, still froze.

finally I would sleep in pj bottoms, a short sleeve shirt and a hoodie and it became tolerable.

I would never use one of these in a tent unless it was a huge wall tent or something of similar size with good ventilation. Have people done it, sure, but that doesn't make it safe or right. Someone mentioned that the company states that "this is their intended purpose." I will disagree. As stated on the back of the heater they are intended for indoor/outdoor use where "appropriate ventilation" meets the guidelines set out in their manual (like you will find in a deer blind - huge windows open). People die all of the time from space heaters inside their own home and those aren't air tight either. I camp at my lease all of the time in a 2 person tent. As mentioned before, if you have a good appropriately rated sleeping bag you will never get cold with the exception of maybe your exposed face. I will sleep in my underoos and place my long johns and socks in the bottom of my sleeping bag to keep them toasty warm. Sometimes I'll even throw one of the 16 hour mega sized body/hand warmer packs in the bag as well for added warmth though my sleeping bag does just fine. I put the socks and long johns on while still in the bag and then go to my truck where my outer wear is and get dressed in there with the heater on. Just spend the money for an excellent sleeping bag and a good sleeping pad or cot. Air mattresses are not good insulators and perform poorly on the cold ground. Don't take the risk of going to bed warm and toasty with the heater on and never waking up.

Does anybody do the tent thing at their lease or ranch

Only in the mornings when I was younger.

Does anybody do the tent thing at their lease or ranch

Only in the mornings when I was younger.

A conversation about pitching a tent has not been had at our lease.

And can you safely use a Mr. Buddy heater in it and it be safe, comfortable? I currently sleep in motel but am considering saving some by sleeping in a tent. What say the forum?

Even though this is the front yard I sleep out here more than inside during the winter

Think biggest issue as others mentioned is getting off the ground or some form of insulation between you and the ground.

I have many times in below freezing temps. Just spend some money on a good sleeping bag and forget the heater.

yeah, but you have fresh deer tongue to keep you warm.

Throughout my life I have backpacked (all seasons - mostly northern geographies which means a real winter not this southern pseudo-winter) so tent camping is fine with me and that's what I do at my current lease. No Mr. Buddy in the tent though - not safe, not needed and no room.

I have many times in below freezing temps. Just spend some money on a good sleeping bag and forget the heater.

I have many times in below freezing temps. Just spend some money on a good sleeping bag and forget the heater.

what's a pseudo-winter it gots mo dan too leddas & me android goen

I have many times in below freezing temps. Just spend some money on a good sleeping bag and forget the heater.

Lol.

Winter to me is snow, a lot of it. And cold, really cold. Neither of which does most of Texas get. So though it's Winter, the *season*, it's not Winter weather like other parts of the country have.

Hope your Android is doing better.

Cheers to ya colt.45.

That sissy in the sleeping is nice and cozy because I have the extreme cold weather sleeping bag, and you have the heater on cause you have the intermeduate bag!

I keep the whiskey close enough that I don't need the extreme cold weather bag.

Been doing the tent thing for a long time. Started sleeping in the back of my truck and on the ground when I was in highschool, moved up to cheap 3 man dome tent in college, picked up a 10x12 canvas outfitter type tent last year from a member on here. This year stepped up and built a portable 12x20' hardsided shack with a canvas top that I set up and plan to leave at the lease until hunting season is over.

This is what I know.

Sleeping in 20 degrees is no problem, crawling out of bed in 20 degrees to go hunt at 05:00 can be. Get a good bag - I use the older military Intermediate cold weather bags. Supposedly good to 15 deg. I've slept out under the stars in the low to mid teens and I'd say that is about their limit. Make sure there is something between it and the ground for comfort and insulation. I use moving blankets for the kids. I sleep on a Cabelas 2" foam camp mattress and would say without a doubt it is some of the best money I have ever spent. Stay away from air mattresses. They are cold and always leak. Military style cots are nice. Make sure you use a pad if its cold for insulation and also drape a blanket over them to keep the air from circulating under you, otherwise you wake up in the middle of night with the cold azz. The cabelas mattress works great on a cot also.

I run a propane garage heater in my bigger tents. Usually not all night unless I've got some sissy *cough* LG *cough* at the lease. Then I will run it on low and keep it a little warmer. There is plenty of airflow where I sleep, I don't worry about oxygen levels. The heater is really more for warming up when I wake up.

Have a routine for waking up. Mine is this. Make sure coffee pot is loaded at night and ready to go on the stove. Make sure heater is ready and matches are close at hand. Sleep in longjohns. Depending on how cold it is jeans, socks and t-shirt in the bottom of the bag. Boots go right next to cot. Wake up, stay horizontal get clothes on in bag. Sit up and step into my boots. Once I get vertical I have 1-2 minutes tops to make it to the outhouse 50yds south of camp. Light the coffee, light the heater, duckfoot to the outhouse. By the time I'm done with business and back in the tent coffee is percolating and it is nice and warm - or maybe it just feels warm because its cold in the outhouse. Either way this is when I start waking whoever is along up and they have no complaints. If they do I just dump a finger or two of bourbon in their coffee cup.

I like propane appliances. Stoves, heaters, and lanterns. They light quick and are easy to use. However, I have accumulated a bunch of older coleman stuff I'd like to rebuild and try out. I also have a couple kerosene lanterns, one that belonged to my grand pa. I really like the light they put off and they are low maintenance and cheap also.


Putting up camp is fun. Camping in tents is fun. Taking down and packing up in cold wet weather can bring the suck. Minimize your equipment, keep stuff that can't get wet in the truck if you even think it might rain. Keep camp picked up and clean as you go during the weekend. Pack things to where they are ready to use when you unpack them next time.

Tent and chuckwagon I picked up from a fine gentleman on here



Not sure, think it was in the low 20's that night. Note the sissy in the sleeping bag, hence the heater is running....



Current hunting shack. I got tire of taking down and setting up the other tent every time I went out to the lease. Working out pretty good so far.

I love the modern day chuck wagon. WIth a much food as we end up taking to the ranch a whole trailer would be great.