How To Heat A Tent With A Candle
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One of the most important aspects of this is going to be safety. It’s really important that if you have flames inside your tent you take the most care possible. Most tents are not flame proof and you can cause some damage.
Having a candle inside your tent can be wonderful though. And the UCO Candle lantern (click to see on Amazon) has made having a candle in your tent convenient and safe. We will talk more about that below.
Personally, I like to use candles in my tent even when it’s not for heat. There is something about the light that candles produce that no LED or other light sources can really emulate. When I’m camping I love that warm feeling of being in my tent with my candle light. The fact that it produces heat is just the cherry on top.
With all that being said, today I’ll be going over the safest and most effective ways to heat a tent with a candle. Keep in mind that tents were not made to retain heat. You may need to take some extra steps to retain the heat that is put out by the candle. At the end of this article I will talk about some ways to insulate your tent and help you retain the heat and stay warm.
Heat A Tent With A Candle Lantern
Perhaps both the safest and easiest way to heat your tent with a candle, is using a candle lantern. These lanterns are conveniently sized and specifically fit to ensure your safety inside the tent.
I have a full in depth review of the UCO Candle lantern including heating a tent. Click on the link below to see our in depth review we heat up water, heat up a tent and use it at night.
UCO Candlelier Deluxe Candle Lantern
While many lanterns exclusively provide light, the UCO Candlelier Deluxe Candle Lantern is the best option designed especially for heating purposes. Holding three candles, it provides a generous amount of warmth, dries wet clothes, and can even heat small amounts of food and water. Its handle and lightweight build makes it easy to carry by hand or in a backpack.
It comes in four different colors and you can get different candle types to burn. You can get bees wax, normal and even citronella. The way the UCO Candlelier is designed you can actually put all 3 different candle types in at once. It gives you great flexibility to help keep the bugs away and use slower burning candles.
The only thing I don’t like is that you do need special candles that fit into the UCO Candlelier. You can check out the Beeswax click here or the Citronella click here. They do last for 9 hours each however and I’ve not found myself needing to buy these frequently. It’s completely worth it in my opinion for the warmth provided and the ability to help keep the bugs away!
UCO Anodized Original Candle Lantern
Although this lantern does not offer as much heat as the deluxe, it stands at a smaller stature, and can be carried around much easier. The candles made specifically for this lantern can burn for up to nine hours at a time, perfect for a good night’s rest. These lanterns work splendidly for smaller tents, providing ample heat and light. It is equipped with a hanging hook and a twist base for easy carrying.
If you are going on a backpacking trip or need something more small and compact this might be the better option. You won’t get quite the same amount of heat but the trade off is its small and fold-able design. It makes it very easy to carry around or attach to your backpack.
You have the option of getting it with or without the neoprene case, I strongly suggest for an additional $5 that you go the option with the case. You can check it out below on Amazon, see price, user reviews and more photos!
Making Your Own Candle Heater
To create your own candle heater you will need the following:
- 4 – 6 tea light candles
- A fireproof container to hold the tea light candles
- Small clay flower pot (without a hole in the bottom)
- Larger pot to fit over the small one (with a hole)
First place each of the tea light candles inside of the fireproof container. These long lasting tea light candles are a good choice for overnight use.
Set the small flower pot on top of the container with the candles inside, and done! The hole on the larger pot will allow the heat to escape and warm your tent. The heat gathers in the small pot, and escapes out the sides of the rim. It’s then transferred into the large pot, and out into your tent.
The clay the pots are composed of conducts the heat and releases it in a continuous flow out of the hole in the large pot. Although this method is simple to execute and proves to be effective, the candles should not be left burning all night. To ensure your safety, only leave the candles burning for a few hours at a time.
Using Tea Light Candles To Heat Your Tent
Although it may seem like an unlikely solution, tea light candles can prove to be a great heat source. However, this method will have the most success when used in a smaller tent.
Use an end table that stands well under the height of your tent. Place it in the corner of the tent, and set the tea light candles on top in a tray. By lighting the candles for a few hours, the humidity inside the tent will be increased significantly.
This method can be successful, but there are necessary safety measures to be taken. Make sure that your candles aren’t near the top or the side of your tent, and that there is nothing able to catch fire nearby the candles.
Keeping Your Tent Warm Without Electricity
In addition heating a tent with a candle, there are also alternate methods involving no electricity. One of the most important parts of keeping your tent warm; is insulating it.
Insulating Your Tent
When it comes to insulating your tent, there are a number of things you can do. You can insulate your tent from the inside and the outside, using blankets, tarps, and even carpets.
Use a Tarp
Utilizing a tarp to insulate your tent, can be very effective. You can use one to both trap heat inside, or keep the cold out from under you.
Begin by flattening the ground beneath your tent to the best of your ability. This will prevent the tarp from ripping. Placing your tent on an uneven surface, can also make it even colder inside! Heat is less likely to escape when the ground is completely flat. Place the tarp under your tent, this way you’re not sleeping directly on the ground, making it a lot less chilly at night.
In addition to a tarp under you tent, you can simply drape a tarp over the top. Heat also rises; a tarp on top of the tent makes it harder for it to escape. A tarp on top of the tent can also protect against weather. If it rains or snows during the night, you won’t wake up to a wet tent.
Use Carpets or Rugs
Instead of placing something outside of your tent, you can also use carpets and rugs on the inside.
Lining the inside of your tent with rugs can make it a lot more cozy. Just arrange them all around the floor of your tent to keep yourself significantly warmer at night. Like the tarp, covering the floor makes it harder for heat to escape, and it makes the ground a lot softer.
Use Blankets
This one might sound obvious, but you may not have thought to try it out. While windows on tents can be quite useful, they can also guarantee a cold sleeping space.
If you have extra blankets that you’re not sleeping with, use them to cover up the entrances and windows on your tent. Although your tent might not have windows, it certainly has a door. Hang a blanket over the door to prevent the cold coming in from the outside. Use fabric clips to attach the blanket to the roof of your tent.
It’s also important to cover the windows on your tent if it has any. The windows and door of your tent tend to be thinner than the general material, this means that it’s easier for the cold to make its way in. Covering them will guarantee a warmer tent for sleeping.
Final Thoughts
Although all of the above methods are effective, some are safer and easier than others. My personal favorite, and the method that I would choose, is the candle lanterns. They’re easily the safest option and are very simple to use.
While other methods such as the DIY candle heater and tea lights will also work, they aren’t as safe as the candle lanters, and also require some setup. If you’re looking for the easiest way on how to heat a tent with a candle, I would recommend using a candle lantern.
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