Baby it’s Cold Outside

Winter has arrived here in Oregon and with it I have added a new item to my prepper collection. While living in a modern home in the City doesn’t allow for certain options like a wood burning fireplace or wood burning stove I thought about other options to keep my family warm in the event of a power grid down situation. After much research and time spent looking at reviews and watching Youtube videos I made the decision to purchase a Mr Heater Buddy.

One of the major reasons for making this decision was that it has a built in oxygen sensor to automatically shut off if for any reason oxygen is depleted in the area of use. Another reason is that it is ultra portable and makes an excellent addition to camping equipment or an alternative source of heat in an RV or Motorhome in the event there is need to bud out. I won’t get into to many details as the manufactures description tells the tale:

North America’s Most Popular Portable Propane Heater! This patented radiant 4,000-9,000 BTU Liquid Propane heater connects directly to a 1 lb. cylinder and is the perfect solution for heating enclosed spaces like large tents up to 225 sq. ft. The expertly engineered size to BTU ratio is augmented with a fold down handle to give this heater maximum output while retaining a minimalistic footprint. A swivel regulator gives you the ability to adapt usage from a disposable cylinder to a remote gas supply with the purchase of a hose and filter. To light the unit, simply rotate the knob to pilot and push. Then the integrated Piezo sparking mechanism will take care of the rest. With the Oxygen Depletion Sensor (ODS) and accidental tip-over safety shut-off you can be sure that you will enjoy years of comfortable indoor safe heat.
4,000 or 9,000 BTU per hour
For use with propane gas
Heats up to 225 sq. ft.
Single control start knob
Hi-Low heat settings
Swivel regulator
Fold down handle
Accidental tip-over safety shut-off
Includes Piezo igniter
Runs off a 1 lb. cylinder
Connects directly to a 20 lb. cylinder with optional hose and filter
THE USE OF UN-AUTHORIZED ACCESSORIES/ATTACHMENTS WITH THIS HEATER ARE EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED, MAY CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY, AND WILL VOID THE WARRANTY.

I gave my new product a spin in the garage which with the temperature outside being at 26 degrees made the garage cold enough to not want to spend too much time in it. I set it up exactly as the video suggested and turned it on. It took just a few minutes on high to reach a maximum glow and I felt the radiated heat immediately. As I sat in front of it I had the same feeling as sitting in front of a warm campfire on a cool night. It didn’t take long before I noticed a level of comfort in the garage although I didn’t exactly measure the temperature. There are however plenty of youtube videos where folks have tested both temperatures and oxygen levels in rooms they are using Mr Heater Buddy in.

There is on thing that I have to express that should go without saying, “Never leave a unit like this unattended, and always have a dry chemical fire extinguisher nearby when using this unit or any alternative sources of heat”.

When running the unit on high the average fuel use is a one pound can of propane for 3 hours. For extended periods of grid down I would suggest stocking up on those small propane canisters.

Of course this is not a long time solution to a major emergency but most emergencies during the winter here are centered around a tree falling into a power line and shutting power down for a while.