Here’s an image of a Nemo Hornet, which represents latest/greatest in ground tent design.
That big scoop in the fly is an easy way to visualize what I’m talking about. Users are instructed to face that windward, and it then provides constant ventilation.
I once slept in that tent (albeit a yellow one) in a wet meadow, under a 500 foot water fall, in the French Alps. While there was a little condensation inside, it was way, way less than you’d have expected given the conditions.
So you agree with a lot of us, the gfc tent sides need a revision…
It’s efficient enough that, combined with the fancy battery packs a lot of us are using now, you don’t need to turn it off.
At 50% it’s still warm to the touch, and drawing 22 watts. Figure an 8 hour night and you’d be using 176 WH. That’s about an hour of daylight from 200 watts of solar.
If you’re already using a battery pack to run a fridge, lights, etc, you can probably just plug one of these in and forget about its power needs.
Many different ways to skin a cat. I like my diesel heater cause its a nice warmup to go to bed, wake up and make coffee. Dry off and have a beer after a ski day while traffic is terrible. To each their own and that is the beauty of DIY chill camper like the GFC, Project M, etc.
With that said, I come from a camping/backpacking/climbing background. Ventilation in anything is key. I’ve slept in a Big Agnes for 2 years driving from Colorado to Argentina. I’ve used a Nemo Hornet on the Colorado BDR. I’ve slept in a 4 season winter tent at the base of Mt. Baker in humid Washington.
Point is everything has its Pros/Cons and there is ways to improve on all types of gear. We live in a world where consumer gear at our finger tips is amazing.
Well, sorta. I think teaching people how to camp would be the most effective solution to common complaints. But the reality is you can do that while also meeting consumers where they are.
Man, this is what people are talking about. It’s a massive amount of arrogance bleeding through your posts. We get it. You’re right, everyone else is wrong. You write for a magazine whose target audience is the same as GQ and Esquire, I’m not sure those same people are the majority of this forum or even this type of activity. It’s basically the inner city hipster coffee shop of the outdoor world. There’s a ton of people on here who like to tinker/design/mod instead of just buying a product because someone wrote about it. They’re more resourceful and utilitarian than the average Joe who lives inside a REI and is loaded down with as much gear as he can possibly carry to spend 2 days outside, within eyesight of civilization. This isn’t an attack, but this is how your posts read. They’re pretty patronizing with a touch of “holier than thou”. Your typical audience, I think, is a bit different than this audience.
A major part of camping is self reliance, something that’s been all but hanged with the consumerism push from social media and “journalists” outlets. It’s a giant circle jerk hype game of “look at this flashy new thing you NEED”. It’s exhausting, and even more so with constant promotion and marketing. Again, this isn’t an attack, I’m just trying to provide you with a look of how it all looks from the opposite side of you.
So a $1400 diesel heater wrapped up in a tactical Pelican case and featuring Bluetooth connectivity is the simple, everyman alternative to a $150 mattress topper? Maybe it’s my designer shirt getting in the way, but I fail to follow that logic.
You’ve completely missed the point, my dude. Everyone sees it, except you.
I thought the point was staying warm when it’s cold out?
The point is not every solution is right for everyone. Just because you write reviews, does not make you the arbiter of what is, and what isn’t. You can build out a diesel heater setup for well under $1400, and a lot of people have chosen that route while also supporting a member in this forum who has a small business. People will go every which way, and it’s cool they have the option to. One of the raddest parts of this forum is collective knowledge and people offering ideas and solutions. I rarely ever see self proclaimed SME type posts/replies, except yours. It’s gotten to be a bit of a meme honestly. I’m sure you’re a nice dude, and I hope if we ever run into each other we can have some good talks. But this is just what it sounds like on the other side of the screen.
I’d like to point out that I’m just trying to share a solution that’s worked well for me. The personal insults and suggestions that diesel heaters are GOSPEL WHICH MUST NOT BE QUESTIONED, have all come from SexyChick69420.
The heated bed cover looks like a great solution for my family! Thanks for sharing. I’m not interested in a diesel or propane heater so I designed our solar + battery system (200W/200Ah) to power a fridge and electric blanket. The electric blankets and mattress covers I’ve found are either 120V or travel size with short timers. We use this blanket under a heavy down comforter and were so very toasty warm. So I suppose we are the target customers and usecase. Thanks for sharing about tent ventilation - I’ll keep all the above information in mind as we get more nights in.
staying in a DC system means no EMF, noise or energy loss from an inverter!
a disclaimer that you wrote the article and were given this product would have been nice.
Damn, that was some good hair.
What a shitty way to talk to anyone.
………Am I the only one thinking about selling their Diesel Heater to heat their GFC with this Heated Forum Discussion?
200 for a diesel heater and a used battery. Let’s relax.
Camped out last night. Temps were ~34 degrees, it dumped rain, then got super foggy. Basically perfect conditions for tent condensation…
Ran the pad on max heat till I climbed into bed, then knocked it down to 60. Aside from a pee break, got a solid 8 hours of sleep.
Cracked my vents about 3 inches, had no rain inside, and woke up to a bone dry camper. Coulda pressed a piece of paper to the ceiling and it would have come away entirely free of moisture blots. Guess it turns out heat, pressure, and ventilation are real. Who knew?!
Pictured is my ventilation setting. I can’t believe moving a zipper 3 inches is such a controversial topic.
Thanks for the heated mattress pad info…but let’s get to the important stuff…are we not gonna talk about your net setup?
I have a tailgate net downstairs set up similarly……pics later…….#netroversy
Heyyyy late to the party but I’m here.
No damp fabric or “sweating” aluminum extrusion? No wet wet on or between the screen door and cover?
