Coleman 5053A751 ProCat Perfectemp Catalytic Propane Heater with Instastart Technology Review

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(More customer reviews)I purchased this catalytic propane heater to heat my tent for winter camping with my son for his Cub Scout winter camps. I tried the heater out on a three night camp out the last week of October, 2006 at 7,000 feet in the San Bernardino Mountains. Those nights dipped in the high 20's. The heater worked very well with only a few concerns, which were easily overcome. I placed the lit heater in my tent well in advance of retiring for the evening and 6 hours later replaced the emptied propane cylinder right away and re-started the heater for the remainder of the morning. My son and I were nice and warm when we went to bed and stayed warm all the night through. Sure is nice to be able to stand up and dress in a warm tent in the morning. Next we will be trying the heater out at a snow camp in February with temps expected to be in the low teens.
Reading the directions dismissed any apprehensions of opertion. And yes, as another reviewer commented... the unit does throw out a small fire ball when first lit. YIKES! However, should you read the instructions BEFORE USE... you are forewarned about this and the reader is instructed NOT to light the heater facing anyone/pets/tent or indoors because of this issue. Instructions are not placed with the item for looks you know, you have to read them! OK, it spits out a small fire ball at first. Big deal... nothing too intense that an average human can not adapt to.
As for the "hot oil smell," noted by another reviewer... yes, there is a "smell," that emits from the operating unit. How one describes that smell will vary. Each individual person's sensitivity to that smell will also vary. To me the "smell" was simply like sightly hot metal, as with any other heater, and faint enough that it did not bother me at all. However, should one be rather sensitive to the "smell" it may prove uncomfortable.
The battery operated fan that blows the heated air away from the unit is awesome. The fan does not blow the volume of air like a fan on your desk or counter top might. The fan is much smaller, yet it does greatly aid in the ciculation of the heat. Without the fan on, the heat is simply radiated out and the heat is not evenly distributed throughout the tent. One huge issue with the fan... it eats batteries like a child eats candy. Two "D" batteries will run the fan for one full night. That's it, no more. Recharable batteries are strongly recommended to keep the battery budget in check, because the fan really needs to be used.
Some advise... 1.) Light the heater OUTSIDE of your tent (remember there will be small fire ball emiting from the heater when it is lit). 2.) Start the unit and place in your tent at least one full hour before going to bed. That way your tent will be nice and warm when you go to bed. 3.) Keep a replacement propane cylinder close by for replacement in the early morning hours. Should you allow the tent to cool before replacing the propane cylinder and re-igniting the heater it will take a very, very long time to warm the tent up. Remeber... nights are coldest the hours just before dawn (usally) which is much colder than when you started to warm your tent up the previous evening. Also, the larger the tent (or area being heated) the longer it will take to bring up and maintain the temp. I am going to buy a second heater for my large three room tent. This way I can start one heater well before going to bed to heat the tent, and then 6 hours before I plan to wake up I can start the second heater. With two heaters operating at the same time in my large tent the heat will be easily maintained (hopfully even with winds) but also the first heater will will run out of fuel and shut off in the night and the second heater will continue heating maintaining the temp without me getting up to change out the propane cylinder. 4.) Place the heater in an area of your tent in which nothing will come in contact with it. The heater grid gets very hot and will burn you or any other item that contacts it.
All in all, this ProCat Catalytic Propane Heater is a great heater. It is larger than others on the market (the heating head is larger in diameter), including other Coleman brand heaters. It appears to be the only one with a fan to assist in heat distribution. It puts out a good amount of heart. The only serious failing on this ProCat heater is that the output can not be regulated. The heater is either on full blast or completly off.
Please note though, the more ventilated your tent the less effective any heater will be in heating such a tent, let alone this particular heater. Thus, should you have a "summer family camping tent" that is very well ventilated either consider purchasing two heaters to heat your tent, or in addition to this heater purchase a tent that is designed for cold weather (which is less vented than summer family tents).

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Heater, ProCat E.I. Catalytic 3,000 BTU

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Coleman BlackCat PerfecTemp Catalytic Heater with InstaStart Technology Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)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.

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The Coleman 5038-850 BlackCat Perfectemp Catalytic Propane Heater with InstaStart Technology provides you with comfortable warmth indoors or in a tent. This catalytic heater has an electronic ignition which is not only quicker and easier that using a match, but is much more reliable in cold, windy weather.
This Coleman BlackCat heater is incredibly portable for its heat output, with an easy-to-grip handle that makes it easy to carry, and compact legs that integrate into its collar for easy storage. The BlackCat's 3,000 BTU output will operate for up to seven hours on one 16.4 ounce cylinder of propane (not included).
Manufacturer Warranty Limited lifetime warranty

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