Customer reviews for Coleman 2000004166
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Category: Sports
Brand: Coleman
Model: 2000004166
Availability: Available every day.
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Coleman 2000004166 Review by Telstar88
Coleman BlackCat PerfecTemp Catalytic Heater
I bought this heater for my 9x9x7(height)tent after reading many reviews and researching it's safety. The main purpose I wanted to use it for was heating my tent. As I am in Australia, Coleman for some reason state that this heater must not be used inside any sort of enclosed structure. Other parts of the world seem to have different regulations regarding this. I read a test regarding catalytic heaters and it seems as long as there is adequate ventilation, there shouldn't any major health risks. As my tent has a mesh ceiling that is exposed to the vestibule (which has a 10cm gap around the perimeter at the bottom) I wasn't too concerned with not having enough ventilation. I did also opened the bottom of the door at the back of the tent a few inches as I read propane is heavier than air and could pool in the bottom of an enclosed area.
The temperature during the night dropped to 37F and using the heater brought the temperature up to 72F. I seriously didn't think it was going to be very effective and was happy to be proven wrong. When I went to sleep I turned it to low and it maintained a temperature of around 57F. Obviously the colder it is outside the less effective it will be but it would still make a huge difference to most campers. The best part of having this heater was waking up and it being warm. I always hated getting out of a warm sleeping bag straight into the cold.
I wasn't too keen on buying the small canisters to power this heater as they were expensive and only lasted a a few hours. Coleman sell a hose for their water heaters to connect them to a bulk propane tank. These hoses also fit the Blackcat. I connected my heater with one of these hoses and kept the bottle outside the tent. Although Coleman state not to do this, I did and wasn't too concerned with any serious safety issues. Refilling the canisters seemed more of a safety concern to me that connecting it to a bulk tank. I did have to make a small stand out of a piece of poly pipe to fit where the canister usually fits but this was very easily done. Connecting to a bulk container makes the gas around 75% cheaper and it could also run the heater for around a hundred hours on high with a 20oz tank. I didn't want to have to get up in the night and change the small canister Coleman suggest using.
Before using the heater in my tent, I ran it for an hour as at home to remove any smells. I strongly recommend you do this. It's has a very strong smell when first lit. After wards I didn't notice any smell while using the heater. Using a match was quick and easy to light this heater so I wouldn't bother paying for the extra piezoelectric ignition which often fails anyway.
Make sure you keep a a reasonable perimeter around the heater as it will burn most things it comes into contact with.
Happy Camping!!
Coleman 2000004166 Review by A. Steckel (Washington, DC, USA)
I took this heater camping in Delaware on Columbus Day weekend (October). I used it in a well-ventilated 4-person (medium-sized) tent. The first 2 days were cold and rainy, and I was VERY glad to have brought it.
Now, this heater is not going to make your tent into a sauna on a very cold day, so don't expect to get in the tent and lounge in your skivies like you might do at home! But after burning for about 10-15 min, it should raise the temperature in your tent several precious degrees making it bareable; even comfortable. For instance, it did keep me from having to wear my heavy coat while inside the tent, which pleased me.
Since it would certainly heat a smaller, less-vented tent better than a larger, more-vented tent, your results may vary. As for me, the results were not dramatic, but certainly noticable, and well worth the money spent.
Note: This kind of catalytic heater requires those mini propane tanks. It works by a chemical reaction between a meshy platinum filter and the burning propane gas, so while there's no obvious propane smell and no open flame, there's still a very hot surface that could catch objects on fire if they are placed directly in front of it for too long. FYI, when you first light it, you may indeed see an igniting flame, but that is just upon start up. Once the starting flame vanishes, put your hand gently over the heater - if you feel it eminating warmth, you'll know you've started it successfully.
Warning: Just as the instructions warn you, I do NOT recommend leaving this heater on through the night when you and your family are asleep. It is both a breathing hazard, and an obvious fire hazard. But warning stated, I did just that and I didn't have a problem. I slept very comfortably on a couple cold nights and I didn't die in my sleep. Again, your results may vary.
However, I should note that my own tent is extreamly well ventilated, with the entire ceiling being mesh under the rain fly. In addition, the night was windy, and I could actually feel a breeze of air circulating in my tent. In truth, if I had brought a less-ventilated, cold-weather tent with me that weekend, the heater may not have been needed at night, but since I was stuck with a drafty tent, I took the calculated risk that this would also lessen the threat. In addition, I took every possible precaution to ensure that nothing was near the heater before going to sleep. Even so, it's a risk that I could not blame anyone for not wanting to take. Also, if you do this, expect the propane tank to be empty by morning.
All in all, other than the obvious handle-with-care factors, I could not find a downside to this product. In fact, I could not imagine cold-weather camping without it. P.S. They also sell a slightly cheaper version, which is the same in every way, except it does not have the self-starting switch, and you start it manually with a lit match.
Coleman 2000004166 Review by D. Sarason (Redcrest, CA)
I used this a lot last camping season. For the first several uses there was a strange toxic smell in my tent. I thought something was wrong with the heater. Now I realized I think it was the toxins coming out of the plastic of my tent! Now it doesn't make that smell anymore. It has low and high settings which are really great. I turn it off before I go to sleep. I like that it has an electric start. I was considering another model but reviews said that sparks came out upon lighting it! With this model, I've felt very safe each time I lit it. It's true as others say, the legs are kind of cheapy, but once they got loose and the thing collapsed, I realized I just needed to tighten the screws and it was fine. Now I just keep a screwdriver in my tent.
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Coleman 2000004166::Description
A great portable heater to take with you on a camping trip, to a sports outing or in your golf cart, the Coleman BlackCat InstaStart Heater features a 3000-BTU heater that will run for up to 7 hours on a single 16.4-ounce can of propane (sold separately). The BlackCat features PerfecTemp Catalytic technology, for safe, efficient, flameless heat, while Coleman's InstaStart battery ignition provides push-button, matchless lighting. A convenient switch offers both High and Low temperature settings for more control. The BlackCat Heater's legs fold up for easy storage, and an easy-grip handle provides comfortable, convenient carrying. Limited 5-year warranty.
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