The Best Tent Heater for Camping: A Complete Guide

If you want a highly portable propane heater for camping, take a look at Mr Heater’s Little Buddy. It’s ideal for heating a tent with up to 95 square feet of inside space.

This one also has double auto shut offs for safety in the event of it tipping over or low oxygen levels. A key selling point of this one is how light and easy to carry it is.

This Honeywell surround heat tent heater uses fan forced technology to provide energy efficient space heating. For safety, it has an auto-off timer option, tip over switch, double overheat protection and a cool touch handle.

This also makes it highly portable. If you have mains power access when camping, then this Honeywell heater is ideal. 

Like some other electric tent heaters for camping, this Minetom space heater puts ceramic technology to good use.

This very affordable option is also energy efficient, so it’s great if you can access mains power or have your own source. It also has a carry handle, plus that all important tip over shut off and overheat protection. 

Our first pick in the general category is this small propane tent heater that doubles as a cooking stove.

It’s designed to heat your tent space during chilly periods – and to help you prepare a hot meal.

With dual safety controls and an adjustable cooking flame, it is designed to keep you warm even in the coldest weather conditions. 

If you have a large tent space to heat, then this larger Honeywell heater will do the job.

It offers a 1500 watt output and 2 heat settings. It even has a built-in dust filter and is energy efficient.

For safety there is also overheat and tip-over protection plus a programmable thermostat and auto-off option. The oscillating heat should ensure every corner of the tent stays cozy. 

This is the most compact heater we feature here.

You will need to use it conjunction with a camping stove. If you already have one of those – or are buying one anyway – then this is ideal for generating heat both indoors and out.

This durable little heater has a handle, and even a carry bag to store and transport it in.   

The portability of this model makes it one of the best propane tent heaters for camping. It is also highly rated and very versatile.

The burner is fully adjustable and it has a strong, sturdy and stable paddle foot base. If the flame goes out, this propane heater will shut off automatically.

This product is great for use when camping both indoors and out.  

The top propane camping heater is this highly rated, heavy duty Mr Heater product.

This safe propane tent heater is approved for indoor and outdoor use, so it’s ideal for use during chilly evenings outside too. A clean burning heater, it gives out radiant heat for tents with up to 225 square feet of interior space.

There is also a handle plus tip-over and overheat protection. 

Our choice for best electric camping heater is the robust and portable Stanley space heater.

Using electricity, it’s suitable for those who have a power source of their own or access to mains. It heats up very quickly and offers a choice of two heat settings.

Like other heaters we feature, safety is assured by the auto-off switch that operates if it is knocked over.  

This No. 32 portable diesel air heater attracts great reviews and is suitable for on-the-go use.

It has low fuel consumption but is capable of heating a space rapidly. A powerful source of heat, this includes a muffler to reduce noise.

It can be permanently installed inside an RV, van, motorhome or boat, or used as a portable heat source inside a tent or room.  

Want a kerosene heater in your tent? Our top pick in this category is this World Marketing of America compact kerosene wick heater.

This offers another alternative to propane tent heaters, where mains power is not available. The fuel tank can hold over a gallon and it provides radiant heat for up to 450 square feet of tent space.

Its compact size makes it ideal for taking away on camping trips.  

A portable wood stove tent heater provides another alternative to mains or propane power. This Stanbroil wood burning stove is very versatile, and can be used for backyard cooking as well as camping.

As it’s simple to transport and to assemble it can easily be used both at home and when away.

You can save money as the large fuel chamber can make use of foraged branches, twigs or even pine cones, and the fume output is low.   

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James Ian is a national park, camping and hiking expert.

He has dedicated his life to travel, visiting more than 80 countries, all 7 continents and most of the national parks in the United States. With over 35 years experience in the travel industry, James has worked on cruise ships, at resorts and hotels, and as a travel planner who’s helped hundreds of people plan successful trips to US national parks. 

Based on his experience visiting our national parks multiple times, in-depth research and expertise as a travel planner, James has published detailed itineraries for most of the major national parks in the US. These itineraries, as well as in-depth park guides, comprehensive camping and hiking gear reviews and buying guides, and helpful packing lists and gift guides will help you have your own incredible trip to US national parks without stress and hassle.

As a national park expert, James has contributed to many publications, including USA Today, Time Business News, Savoteur, Best Trip, and Wired.

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