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Right, that settles it! I'm not having gas inside my tent (any more . .). The fire and carbon monoxide risks I was prepared to face using care and common sense but the possibility of an explosion is something else altogether and pretty scary!

I had been looking into getting some sort of heater (not EHU as it won't be much use on a remote beach in the Western Isles) but now I've gone right off the idea. I'll go and look at the price of thermals!

Incidentally, a lot of advice for keeping warm mentions sleeping bags, mats, insulation, etc. for during the night. I think I've got that covered but I'm more concerned with how to keep warm in a tent during the day or evening if the atmosphere is chilly and damp and that's where a heater would be useful. Or I could do what we did last year and sit in the car to keep warm.

managed to find a link to the very item I was quoting. yes its not from the UK but nether the less it confirms what I have stated how these cooker and heater things can go wrong.  just view the http; links and then decide if its fine to use them inside a zipped tent of closed van.  or as some think anywhere. I use them for Wok cooking only but am allways expecting it to go wrong and as such cautious..

Mark replied:

Not sure about the Ubeaut units but there have been a spate of accidents with the single burner $20 job's. Mainly when people use large fry pans and barbi plates on top that cover the gas cannister and transfer heat to it.

I saw this on another forum;
This is what happens when one of these things explodes whilst you are cooking on it …

(the following image is not suitable for weak stomach or whilst eating)

http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/ffd244acc6.jpg

I had burns like this to arms and back. My mate had burns like this to face.

It happened first night of a camping trip to Moreton Island.

I highly recommend avoiding these things at all costs; if you are going to use one, do not let it overheat. We had been using a fry pan on it to cook sausages for about 20 minutes; The frying pan was larger than cooking surface and we can only guess the heat radiated back and made the thing way too hot.

Also check http://www.exploroz.com/Forum/Topic/54235/Exploding_Portable_Stoves.aspx
The burns doctors at hospital reckon they get 3 of these per week over the xmas holidays. Pay extra and get yourself a gas cylinder that is separate to the cooking area.

They admit to using a frying pan that was too big for the stove for god sake !!

So if I was to overload my roof box with heavy solid items and I then had to suddenly slam the brakes on during a journey, which caused the roof box to come open or even brake away from the roof bars, would that justify everyone to start posting that roof boxes are dangerous ? No it was my fault for overloading the thing in the first place.

Most things in life need to be treated with a degree of common sense and caution, even walking up or down a flight of stairs but the majority of us manage to do this every day of our lives. Now some people may trip and injure themselves or even kill themselves at the worst but we don't stay away from stairs.

What I am saying is yes your caution is rightly justified but I think your degree of scaremongering is way off the scale. Thousands of these stoves get sold every year, if they had a safety issue they would not be still making them let alone selling the things to people in the USA with their attitude towards suing.

My Dear Sunny Pitch

please read and understand post before adding contra advice these cookers as you point out have a 10" pan capacity and that is at the limit as at that point it starts to reflect heat to the gas canister area. I know as I have measured it on two diff models. a pan up to 10" will cook very little food and many use by need or desire a 12" pan. just measure a much used fry pan or pot and see what size it is. even camp kettles are quite near that limit in base size.

I unlike your good self have had them go off and no I was not playing around or over loading or cramped into a tent. but standing cooking with a wok, 8" base and within hot plate capacity.  scaremongering is something my day is too full for. experience one and then assure folk its 100% and ok to use in a tent or closed unit. (the original point of posts)

and if you had taken the time to read the article you would see its Australia not USA. and their controls on food, equiptment, and safety. are far greater than the UKs. heaters are not mentioned in their case as they have almost no sales in the heaters but they are constructed exactly the same as the cookers. 

and whilst we are one it here is another link just received just to confirm my point http://www.tune-in-tokyo.com/2009/04/portable-gas-cookers/

Quote: Originally posted by D Mansworth on 17/3/2011

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My Dear Sunny Pitch

please read and understand post before adding contra advice these cookers as you point out have a 10" pan capacity and that is at the limit as at that point it starts to reflect heat to the gas canister area.

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Quote: Originally posted by Road_Hog on 18/3/2011

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Quote: Originally posted by D Mansworth on 17/3/2011

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My Dear Sunny Pitch

please read and understand post before adding contra advice these cookers as you point out have a 10" pan capacity and that is at the limit as at that point it starts to reflect heat to the gas canister area.

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My dear Mansworth, please read and understand the thread title. This is about gas heaters, not gas cookers, they are completely different.



Please notice the ceramic heater, not gas flame.



Or you can go for a slightly more expensive model with tilt and over pressure cut out as well as an intergrated gas leak prevention safety control.




Just remember, the OP asked about heaters, your posts have been about cookers, which have naked flames, no grill to cover them and usuaully something like a hot frying pan on them, perhaps spiting fat out.

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Quote: Originally posted by pitchNpuff on 18/3/2011

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Best heater when there is no EHU?

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Quote: Originally posted by pitchNpuff on 18/3/2011

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Best heater when there is no EHU?

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I'm not suggesting that we're artic explorers but the fact is, if they can stay warm in -40 deg temps then I'm sure it's possible in our mild climate without the assistance of cheap little condensation producers, aka the gas heater!

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