Tent camping is a fun activity for family, friends, or just by yourself. Sleeping in a tent for the first time is an amazing new world for kids, and brings out the kid in cantankerous adults. When you head out for your adventure, you’ll want to make sure that your time in the outdoors is safe and fun for everyone.
While it’s possible to get carbon monoxide poisoning in a tent, taking simple, commonsense precautions will keep everyone happy and healthy. Make sure any source of combustion, such as flame or combustion engines, is kept outside the tent and a safe distance from the door of the tent.
Camping gear is a marvel of engineering, outdoor comfort, and entertainment. Gas powered lanterns light the night with a magical glow, the latest fire starters make anyone look like Paul Bunyan, and camping stoves can bring the pleasures of gourmet cooking to the woods. Some outdoor comfort items can carry the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, but simple precautions will keep you safe and comfortable.
Why Is Carbon Monoxide Dangerous?
Carbon Monoxide, or CO, is produced by anything that burns, from a candle to an automobile burning gas. It is known chemically as CO because it contains one part carbon and one part oxygen, and it is a byproduct of burning fossil fuels. The CDC calls carbon monoxide “the quiet killer” because it’s invisible and has no odor or taste.
Carbon monoxide poisoning kills over 400 Americans each year, with another 20,000 taken to the hospital with symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. That’s almost 55 people each day. Carbon monoxide poisoning could happen anywhere, but it is most common in enclosures such as garages, homes, or possibly even tents.
What Are the Signs of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning?
The first signs of carbon monoxide poisoning may be headaches, dizziness, or weakness. Unfortunately these symptoms are unnoticeable while sleeping and easily mistaken for other conditions while awake.
Carbon monoxide poisoning can affect any person, and even pets. Children, elderly persons, and people with respiratory diseases such as asthma are especially vulnerable. Be mindful of the hazards listed below in order to enjoy tent camping free from any risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Is There a Safe Way to Cook in a Tent?
There is no feeling quite like waking in a tent on a cold and rainy morning and proceeding to cook breakfast in the rain. Eggs are runny and stay that way, bacon is a challenge, and French toast is a lost cause.
It may be tempting to bring your cooking stove or coals into a tent as a clever means to overcome this challenge, but don’t do it. Cooking fuels produce enough carbon monoxide to cause carbon monoxide poisoning, and the same qualities of a tent that provide protection from the rain make it a trap for carbon monoxide.
Instead of cooking inside your tent, pitch a “dining fly” (tarp suspended between poles or trees) or use a canopy such as the EZ Up Sierra II which keeps you dry but allows ventilation from all sides.
Is Carbon Monoxide From Campfires Dangerous?
Campfires do produce carbon monoxide, but you can easily keep yourself safe. Carbon monoxide is contained in campfire smoke, along with sparks, and soot. Rising heat will generally carry these hazards up into the vastness of the great outdoors. But every camper knows the unpleasant feeling of having smoke blown in the face by a gust of wind.
Tent campers will be safe from carbon monoxide produced by a campfire as long as the tent is not so close to the campfire that the occupants are overwhelmed by smoke or the tent is threatened by sparks. If a tent is close enough to a campfire to keep the tent occupants warm, the tent is too close to the campfire, either from the risk of carbon monoxide or the risk of sparks catching the tent on fire.
Tents should be at least 10 feet from a campfire, and maybe farther if there are winds blowing. Also, A good, safe, campfire should have all firewood contained within the limits of a campfire ring.
Are Wood Burning Stoves Inside Large Tents Safe?
Large tents such as canvas wall tents or Cabela’s Ultimate Alaknak tent are designed with vent holes for the chimney of a wood burning stove. These setups are perfectly safe as long as the chimney is properly vented, carrying the toxic fumes outside the tent.
For safety and peace of mind use a battery powered carbon monoxide alarm like this one from Kidde. Be sure to place the alarm on the floor because carbon monoxide is heavier than air.
What About Running a Generator While Tent Camping?
In this age of electronic everything, unplugging is hard to do. When camping turns into “glamping” and you can’t live without powering electronic devices, the generator starts running. Generators are fine in campgrounds where they are allowed, but be mindful of prohibitions due to fire danger or noise, and take simple steps to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
If you are running a generator while camping, place the generator about 30 feet away and downwind from your tent. Be sure to bring a 30 foot extension cord. Better yet, consider the solar powered Luminaid PackLite 2 in 1 Phone Charger and Lantern and skip the generator. Luminaid’s charger and lantern folds flat, will light up a room, charge a phone or USB powered device, and recharges itself in 12-14 hours with solar power.
Can Outdoor Propane Heaters be Used Safely?
Outdoor propane heaters are wonderful. Just attach them to a propane tank, push the lighter button, and you have 15,000 BTUs of heat all night long. They have no chimney, and at a glance they do not appear to be a hazard, but they have no place in a tent. Even a big tent with open windows or a doorway is never appropriate for a propane heater. They produce significant amounts of invisible carbon monoxide, so leave these heaters outside.
Most tent campers take to the outdoors in the summertime when propane heat sources are unlikely to be needed. The risk rises during disasters, when people are displaced and seek expedient shelter. The combination of stress from displacement and unfamiliar equipment can compromise judgement and lead to dangerous decisions. Be sure to use a propane heater safely in all situations.
Watch out for Idling Vehicles
Idling vehicles more than five minutes is illegal in nine states. Not only is excess idling from carbon monoxide bad for the environment, it can be lethal for campers if a vehicle is idling near a tent.
Reasons for idling a vehicle seem innocent enough. It could be troubleshooting an engine, charging a battery, or someone sitting in a vehicle to cool off with the air conditioning.
Gasoline with rich octane ratings produces concentrations of carbon monoxide fifty percent higher than white gas used in camping stoves. Run vehicles when necessary, but always be mindful of the risk and choose a location where humans or pets will not be affected.
Just like idling vehicles is illegal in many cases and generally a bad idea, any hazard that could make a tent a carbon monoxide hazard is easily avoided by taking logical safety precautions. Tent camping is an easy and safe way to get back to nature in a high tech world. All campers should understand the basic science and risks associated with outdoor conveniences so they can setup a safe and comfortable campsite.