Is it safe cooking in your tent?

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How dangerous is it cooking in your tent?

Here's the basics: a stove can make carbon monoxide and carbon monoxide at a very low level can kill you. So on the face of it yes it is dangerous.

But wait… I've got to make this article last a little bit longer, and I don't want to put you off camping for good, so let's go into more detail and ask another question. How comes hikers have been sitting around in their porches cooking away for decades and have not died?

Okay, there have been a few deaths but let's not get too hysterical.

When hysteria is close it's always good to quote from a comprehensive report. So let's look at 'Non Fire Carbon Monoxide deaths associated with the use of consumer products'. You see, even the title is enough to calm you down. In the USA between 1999 and 2002 there were an average of 141 deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning per year, only 2% of these were caused by camping stoves or lanterns. I've dusted off the old calculator and computed that that's about three people per year. That is obviously sad, but you're not really going to see asphyxiated heads lolling out of flysheets that often.

If you're still a little frantic, here's another report entitled 'Carbon monoxide deaths associated with camping.' It details cases of deaths in tents. One incident involved a man, three children and a dog. They were found dead inside a 10 foot by 14 foot tent. A propane gas stove was still burning when they were found. The stove had been brought inside for warmth and the tent was zipped up.

Another man and boy were found dead in a zipped up tent with a charcoal grill. Other deaths occurred in snow at altitude where there is less oxygen and the snow was covering the tent preventing any ventilation whatsoever.

Fresh Air

Without going through any more incidents, the general findings from these tragedies are that when you're cooking try and get at least a little fresh air flowing near the stove.

Coleman have a warning on their stoves which sums up the situation perfectly:

'This camp stove consumes air. To ensure its safe and proper operation and avoid health hazards, provide a fresh air opening of at least 10 square inches.'

Wise words indeed from Coleman and here's why:

Flaming Chemistry

I was never interested in chemistry at school because our teacher used to wear a wig and watching it move around on his head broke my otherwise superhuman concentration. But here is something interesting about flames. I could say something like 'read on, it could save your life' but I won't because that's a bit cheesy. So read on, it probably won't save your life.

Getting technical… Hydrocarbons

As you know the picture above is not a caterpillar it's a hydrocarbon molecule. The red balls are hydrogen atoms and the green ones are carbon. I know you think I've just included this picture just because it's a bit scientificy looking and there's some bright colours, but that's where you're wrong. The picture is actually butane. If there were only three carbons it would have been propane. Here's what happens when hydrocarbons are heated. The carbon atoms break away from the hydrogen atoms and they all fly around with their arses on fire. At the same time oxygen in the air also breaks into individual molecules and joins the bum burning party. In the heat, the oxygen atoms and the carbon atoms get it together to form carbon monoxide. But the relationship is short lived because remember they are still burning. As the newly formed carbon monoxide molecule burns and moves towards the top of the flame another oxygen molecule tries to but in. If the flame is still hot enough near the top, then carbon dioxide is created. This is how it should be, a nice flame producing carbon dioxide and a bit of water vapour. Great, no asphyxiation.

Nasty carbon monoxide

But the carbon monoxide molecule doesn't want the extra oxygen molecule gatecrashing the party at the top of the flame. This second reaction is more difficult and needs the edge of the flame to remain very hot. It also needs lots of gooseberry oxygen molecules milling around on the fringes to react with.

If these two conditions aren't met then the second reaction doesn't occur and carbon monoxide is produced.

Unfortunately, a cold pot close to the flame reduces the temperature at the top of the flame. If there is not enough clearance between the pot and stove, the flame can not run it's course and gets cooled down before the second reaction takes place. That's when nasty carbon monoxide appears.

But if there is enough clearance between the pot and the flame then the combustion process will complete before the flame hits the pot. Then we get friendly carbon dioxide.

Quick Check

There is a way to check whether carbon monoxide is being produced. While carbon atoms are in the flame they are blue, as they cool down they turn red. This gives an orange tip to the flame. If there is an orange tip, this means the carbon atoms have not met up with enough oxygen atoms. When this happens or if you see soot appear on the bottom of the pan there is a potential for carbon monoxide.

For a detailed analysis of all the different types of stoves see the article by Roger Caffin at www.backpackinglight.com (your need to subscribe though)

Summary

Carbon monoxide is dangerous and can be emitted by a stove under the right conditions. Some stove designs may be worse than others if the pot is place too close to the burner.

Long yellow flames may indicate carbon monoxide

In all cases ventilation is crucial, so don't cook in a zipped up tent.

Let's not forget that hikers have been cooking in their porches for decades and it is only under the severest unventilated conditions that deaths occur. In all cases a little bit of fresh air will keep you safe.