White (camping) Gas Heaters

[CB34]

Does anyone have any experience with or know where to find any portable white gas heaters? I know my white gas lantern gives off really good heat but have never seen any portable gas heaters on the market? Just curious if they would give off alot of smell or why they may not be used? I would like the option of just filling a tank up with a can of gas rather than going in to get a propane tank filled or filling the land fill with the small canisters.

[Todd_J]

My folks had a Coleman white gas catalytic heater for camping when I was a kid. It looked like a small R2-D2. I have used it as an adult, but not for ice fishing applications. It gives off some heat, but probably not enough to keep you warm on cold days/nights in the portable/house.

[wintertim]

I have looked high and low for a portable white gas heater and they don't seem to exist, at least not anymore. It's a propane world today. I love my lantern and use it as the only heater most days- you fill 'er up and she lasts all evening no problem- cheap to run and easy to pack with no tanks or hoses. But it's not quite enough heat on days like today so it would be nice to find something that's just as economical to run and easy to pack. I've even considered buying a second lantern in leiu of packing one of my Mr. Heaters, extra tanks, etc. I'm not sure why they can't make a catalytic heater like those nifty units that screw onto disposable propane tanks, only for white gas.

[Maverick]

I just looked on hsolist and there are some old ones for sale there and they look to be pretty cheap. Give it a try.

[stalkofta]

I used a white gas lantern to light/heat my portable a few times(back in the stone age). Mantles would break alot, would melt mono if it came close, and the fumes gave me mind splitting headaches. Now I use LED lights and propane to heat. I like the ease and economy of LED, but they give off a more harsh light than an old lantern. Propane burns clean and is easier to handle than white gas. - IMO

[McGurk]

I picked up an old Coleman Catalytic heater at a garage sale that ran off of white gas, and was not impressd at the heat it gave off. It's still sitting in the garage, so maybe I'll try it on the ice as a test, but I don't think it will heat any more than the little Coleman Procats do.

Hey, my 1,000th post! Hope at least some of them were good. And it only took a hair under 4 years to do it.

[wintertim]

Stone age, huh? Ouch. I guess I am a bit of a traditionlist when it comes to ice fishing. I've never been that sensitive to lantern fumes, unless the lantern is out of tune and/or burning poorly. And won't any good heat source wreak havoc on your fishing line if you're not careful? But you're right that propane is definitely cleaner and the heat more powerful. I'm just always looking for ways to pare down gear for portable ice fishing.

[CB34]

I have a big buddy heater and have tried all of the other portable propane heaters. I am not a hugh fan of any of them. The buddy is fine but it is more tempromental then my white gas lantern. Either it is too cold, the viberation of someone across the lake drilling a hole caused it to shut itself off or I talk in the direction of the heater and the wind from me speaking blows the pilot light out. I wish there were some different less bulky options.

[wintertim]

I've wondered about the Buddy heaters myself. I hate the idea of "throw away" propane bottles, just seems so wasteful, which is why I chimed in on this topic. But the Buddys did catch my eye as they seem more "packable" then other propane heaters. How do they compare to the Coleman catalytic heaters?

When I searched for white gas heaters, I came across an interesting heater that's a lot like I imagined a white gas heater might be... only problem is that it apparently would need to be imported from China and it burns kerosene. I can live with white gas fumes, but I doubt I could take the kerosene smell. Google "KSP-229" to see what I'm talking about.

[cold one sd]

I have an old Coleman white gas catalytic heater in my garage that I used for camping in Colorado. I think it puts out 5,000 BTUs max and has a bad smell that burns your eyes and nose. It was alright in a tent with some air movement.

[CB34]

Wintertim,

That is about exactly what I had imagined as well. I have never noticed the bad smell or burning eyes from burning my lantern anymore than a porpane heater.

[Sasquatch]

For many years I used a 2 burner Coleman stove to heat my portable fish house. Worked great!

[jdsmi]

Coleman used to make them but quit years ago. Don't know why. You can still find them at auctions, garage sales, etc. for $5-$10. I have 2 of them and used one in my deer stand for many years. Worked great and no, it didn't bother the deer at all. I still have them but have since switched to the Coleman Black Cat. They came in 2 sizes (can't remember the BTU). They can be tough to light depending on the condition of the wick but are plenty warm and would have no problem warming a smaller fish house. Also, they don't smell any worse than a lantern provided the gas is fresh and the dome is clean.

[Cliff Wagenbach]

Be very careful when using the old dome style white gas hearters in an enclosed house. They were not made for that purpose!

I almost bit the BIG ONE quite a few years ago when using one of them in a portable on a very cold day! I did not keep a window open and almost died from carbon monoxide! Ironically, the fact that I was a smoker at that time saved my life. I had lighted at least 5 matches trying to get a cig lit and they kept going out before I got them to the cig. It finally dawned on me that there was not enough oxygen left in the portable to burn a match!!

I opened the door and passed out when the fresh air hit my lungs!

I have never used one of those type heaters again.

Cliff

[OldBear]

I use to have a good size one for tent camping. Wasn't worth a hoot for warmth and carrying the gas along was smelly in the car. With Mr. Buddy I feel much safer.

[DrKen]

If I remember correctly, almost all the white gas type heaters were recalled becuz of the carbon monoxide problem. The makers were offering like 80 bucks for them and you occassionally could find them for 10 bucks at garage sales and pawnshops. Know a few guys who looked for them and made pretty good money on sending them back.

[wintertim]

There is no doubt that one must be very careful when using any heater inside an enclosed space, especially if your shelter is pretty tight. All fuel heaters use oxygen and emit CO and obviously the higher the output of the heater, the faster it uses oxygen. Be very careful!!