Heating your flip over style portable

[The Yeti]

Are the Buddy Heater brand enough to heat a 2 man flip over?

[Dan Thiem]

Most of the time my Buddy heater does fine. Unless it's real cold and windy. Then I'll run my Mr. Heater/cooker. But I don't like the way it melts the ice and make it slippery in the hut. There's always the chance of burning the tent with the heater/cooker too. The Buddy heater is the way to go for us. The Big Buddy would be better but we aint got one.

[Big D 1]

The buddy does fine in mine, but with the lack of snow to pack around the skirt, it gets a bit breezy in my Triplex. I think when I get that solved, I will have the heat under control with the buddy, if not, I take out the heater/cooker.

[H20fowlr]

I have the Big Buddy. The flexibility to have radiant low,med and high along with a fan, gives you a heater than can be used during those warmer days, and heat my Otter Cabin well below Zero. Most of the time at zero I use med and the fan. The other thing I do is run a 12 ft line to a 11lb tank. This gives me a smaller tank in my sled, but still cheaper than the 1lb disposable. I also get less fumes in my house than with my heater/cooker.

[azzclwn]

I've got a Frabil XLTwin, on cold days the buddy isn't enough heat IMO.

I use a regular size Mr heater sunflower, does the job in even the coldest weather.

The big buddy has significantly more BTU, so I'd guess you'd probably be OK with that one.

[J Smith]

I did'nt know the Big Buddy has a fan.

I'll have to look into one of those.

J.

[H20fowlr]

You can run it off of 4 D cells or it has a 6volt plug in. I am in the process of getting a 12v to 6 volt plug from Radio Shack, so I can use it off of one of my extra Flasher Batteries.

I also like the fact that the housing reduces the chance of burning my canvas. Oh and one other benefit that my fishing partner experienced first hand was that when the wind kicked up on Lake Sarah and took his portable for a quick ride, the Sensor shut it down when it got knocked over. This can make it sensitive when first lighting it, but just making sure it's flat cures that quickly.

[Iceboy]

I have a regular buddy for my Fishtrap II, and it works well as long as you keep it BEHIND you in the sled. When I had it out on the ice it didn't do too well. I have the hose and keep the propane bottle outside the shack. I've often thought it would be nice to have two of them daisy-chained back there, but one is enough for me on days above 15 degrees or so.

dan

[Jeremy airjer W]

The big buddy has been the ticket for myself. It heats the otter lodge toasty warm. The built it fan really helps on the cold days and it puts out more BTU's than the sunflower or heater cooker.

[federline]

The regular Buddy without any house mods on a 2-man will heat well down to +15 F or so, but then, you will start losing too much heat through the canvas, especially the roof. I use a regular Buddy in my Eskimo Quickflip II, and I pull out the sunflower for below 15 degrees.

From +15 F and down, you have some options, in my opinion:

1) get a Big Buddy. It puts out twice the BTU on high, and more than a sunflower. It weighs twice as much as the Buddy, and it is bigger.

2) I read here that some people insulated the roof of their portable with "reflective bubble wrap" or emergency space blankets, putting them above the support poles. One person also added a small tent fan, like a coleman tent fan, magnet mount. The report said that by circulating the heat down from the roof, and insulating the roof to prevent heat dissipation, they were able to use a regular buddy down to zero or so. (everyone's definition of cold is different, tho. I say it's cold if I can't see through water the vapor steam to tie a lure on)

3) use a sunflower heater. I hate doing this, 'cause I tend to break stuff out on the ice by accident, and I am paranoid of burning a hole in my portable canvas or in my carhartts. But, heat makes the sport so much more enjoyable, so I do it anyway.

[Tripleplay]

I've got a FT Guide so one of the smaller two mans. My Buddy does great and I usually fish with just my bibs on. One thing I do is keep the buddy in the sled behind the seats which puts the heat on anyone fishing. I honestly very seldom even have it on high, but I'm not sure I've used it on any super cold days which would put it to the test.

I usually just run it with disposables so that I don't have to mess with the tank but I've got an 11 lb tank and hose and it works fine as well.

I also plan to try the magnet attached fan from Coleman this year as well since I already have one.

I do want a Big Buddy for the future and may prefer that, but that is to cover my deer stand (4 x 8') where the Buddy just couldn't put out enough to stay super warm but that is a much bigger area.

[Big D 1]

Quote:

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I've got a FT Guide so one of the smaller two mans. My Buddy does great and I usually fish with just my bibs on. One thing I do is keep the buddy in the sled behind the seats which puts the heat on anyone fishing. I honestly very seldom even have it on high, but I'm not sure I've used it on any super cold days which would put it to the test.

I usually just run it with disposables so that I don't have to mess with the tank but I've got an 11 lb tank and hose and it works fine as well.

I also plan to try the magnet attached fan from Coleman this year as well since I already have one.

I do want a Big Buddy for the future and may prefer that, but that is to cover my deer stand (4 x 8') where the Buddy just couldn't put out enough to stay super warm but that is a much bigger area.

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I am new to flipovers, is it safe to put my buddy on the sled behind me??? I would love to, but have been afraid of burning the sled, or the tarp if the strong wind caught it and pushed it against the buddy

D

[12lb8oz]

and last year I used the Mr. Heater/Cooker. It is enough even on very cold days (used it last year in -30 weather. But one thing that really helps is this. I always put the door towards the wind. The reason that helps is this, the draft automatically circulates the heat towards you. When I put my back to the wind all the heat stays on the other side of the house. I got a Big Buddy for Christmas and plan on using that this weekend. I have already tried it in the garage and from that I know it will put out more than enough heat. I usually like to fish without my coat on.

[Tripleplay]

Only the front of the buddy gets hot and there is no way that the tarp will push in that far so I haven't worried about that.

As far as the sled, I felt it a number of times and although it warmed up some it never felt hot enough to do any damage. I'm guessing since the buddy has a little angle upwards with the heating plates, the bottom just doesn't get that warm.

Fits right between the seats and I usually push it back against the edge of the sled. Someone else told me this would work as I was putting out front on the ice before.

[MNmikew]

I have a magnum lodge and put my buddy on a board between the seats so its at person level. Run tank outside via hose. I picked up a roll of the reflective bubble insulation at Menards to try this weekend. Who stocks the Coleman magnet fans?

[Borch]

Walmart had both the magnet fans and the lights about a month ago in thier camping section. I haven't checked since then.

[krats]

The Walmart up here in Baxter has a clip on version of a auto fan that oscillates back and forth that can be plugged into an AC adapter. I have not tried it yet but I think that I will be able to clip it to one of the poles in my Otter Lodge.

They are on clearance for $7 in the auto accessories section.

I am going to rewire the one I bought and put aligator clips on the ends and run it off of the same vexlar battery that I run my LED lights off of.

[Captain B.R.K]

"I am new to flipovers, is it safe to put my buddy on the sled behind me??? I would love to, but have been afraid of burning the sled, or the tarp if the strong wind caught it and pushed it against the buddy"

I always fish with my buddy heater behind me when I fish with my one man Fishtrap. I never put the buddy heater on the ice because of the possibilty that the flame blows out.

I have yet to deal with anything getting to hot.

The only real advice I have if you do decide to use it in the tub vs. setting it on the ice. When you go to close up your house for the day, make sure your tarp doesn't sit on the hot metal of your once burning heater. That will surely make you mad.

How do I remedy the problem?! I pull the heater out of the tub and as I'm taking down my house and getting ready to leave an area, I let the heater sit on the ice and allow the air cool of the metal.

Have yet to have any problems!

[Captain B.R.K]

"I am new to flipovers, is it safe to put my buddy on the sled behind me??? I would love to, but have been afraid of burning the sled, or the tarp if the strong wind caught it and pushed it against the buddy"

I always fish with my buddy heater behind me when I fish with my one man Fishtrap. I never put the buddy heater on the ice because of the possibilty that the flame blows out.

I have yet to deal with anything getting to hot.

The only real advice I have if you do decide to use it in the tub vs. setting it on the ice. When you go to close up your house for the day, make sure your tarp doesn't sit on the hot metal of your once burning heater. That will surely make you mad.

How do I remedy the problem?! I pull the heater out of the tub and as I'm taking down my house and getting ready to leave an area, I let the heater sit on the ice and allow the air cool of the metal.

Again, I have yet to have any problems!

[Big D 1]

Thanx for the advice, I will definitely try it....wanted to but was concerned about melting something