January 28, 2001


Is it safe to use a butane/propane lantern inside a tent?

Is it safe, assuming one is being careful, to use a butane/propane lantern (like CampingGaz's Lumostar) inside a tent—say, hanging by its chain?

— John Chicago, Illinois

Oh, dear. You're putting me on the spot —- sort of like asking if it's okay to draft behind a tractor-trailer rig while riding a bicycle (confession: I've done that —- reached 40 miles per hour on a flat road).

In this case, the risk is just as serious. Lanterns and stoves put out carbon monoxide, an odorless, colorless gas that can kill you. Climbing lore is full of stories of mountaineers found dead in their tents, an empty stove, turned to "on," sitting next to them. You won't know of CO is starting to get you —- you simply fall asleep.

Got you scared yet? I hope so. Still, if you take reasonable precautions -— ensuring for instance that a door AND a window or mesh panel in the canopy are open so you get some air flowing through —- you can safely do this. And in fact, several stove companies make stoves that are designed for use inside a tent, hanging from a loft loop or other attachment point.

Nonetheless, I still have a question: Why do you want to do this? Carbon monoxide aside, there's always the chance the thing burns a hole in the tent, a sleeping bag or your $450 Gore-Tex parka. Headlamps are of course perfectly safe, and burning batteries carries no more weight penalty than burning fuel. Or, pack a candle lantern. They put out a remarkable amount of light and warmth, yet are quite safe with minimal tent venting.

Anyway, those are my thoughts. Use your best judgment, and whatever you decide should turn out okay.