Keeping warm in a tent in winter is one thing, it’s another thing to stay safe while maintaining warm temperatures in a closed tent.
With stoves, warmers and fume emitting appliances for keeping warm an option, maintaining safe carbon monoxide level inside, are some challenges of camping out in winter.
What better way to maintain carbon monoxide to a safe level than CO detectors.
This article will be about the best carbon monoxide detector for tent camping, do read on.
Carbon monoxide is colorless and an odorless gas, it is a residue or bi-product of burning coal, wood, gas and oil, inhaling this poisonous gas can usually result in dizziness, shortness of breathe, headache and can further result in loss of lives when campers are exposed to it.
Having proper ventilation inside a tent is crucial, also having a carbon monoxide detector could save lives, with that said, this article, we will be reviewing the best detectors for tents, features to have and also some of the challenges faced when using a carbon monoxide detector.
Lunarlipes Handheld Carbon Monoxide Meter, Portable Carbon Monoxide Detector, Professional-Grade CO Sensor Tester with LCD Backlit Display
The Lunarlipes handheld carbon monoxide meter can be set to sound the alarm at a certain pre-set threshold, this carbon monoxide detector is portable and can be easily carried around.
This device has a professional look to it and can be taken camping or wherever you may want to go, quite useful for closed tents. CO: 0~1000PPM (accuracy 1PPM) is what the device can detect.
Any amount of carbon monoxide can be set, for which the alarm triggers, if not set, the alarm goes off at 24ppm. 3 years is the minimum time with a 1 year guarantee, this product should last (sensor life), at the price that it is (really low priced, 3 years is not bad).
Pros
- Easy to use
- Portable
Cons
- Short battery life ( regular battery change is needed)
- Poorly written manual
Google Nest Protect – Smoke Alarm – Smoke Detector and Carbon Monoxide Detector – Battery Operated , White – S3000BWES
Google Nest being Google’s product, is a reputable product in the Carbon monoxide products niche (obviously). This CO is a photoelectric detector and it uses an artificial voice to warn users of excess poisonous gas inside of a tent or home.
This detector has a 10 year guarantee on it’s sensor, so it will last up to 10 years . Google Nest CO detector has wifi and bluetooth connectivity, can be paired with phone so that CO and temperature levels comes directly to your phones.
It requires six AA batteries and has lights to indicate the status and detection of the device, ring turns green when everything is ok, yellow when there’s a little smoke and red when there’s dangerous levels of CO in the tent.
Pros
- Works well
- Easy to use
Cons
- Works with 2.4GHZ band wifi (might not work with 5ghz wifi).
First Alert CO710 Carbon Monoxide Detector with 10-Year Battery and Digital Temperature Display , White
This CO detector, kind of looks like a portable wifi device, it has a 10 year guarantee battery, it is battery powered and comes with temperature display.
Easy to read digital display, but when installing the screw holes have to be adjusted as they mis-align, the one unique feature about this sensor however, is that, it displays the last peak in carbon monoxide detected.
One battery is enough to last the life of the device which is a very convenient if you ask.
Pros
- Battery lasts a long time
Cons
- No noticeable drawback
Kidde Carbon Monoxide Detector, AA Battery Powered CO Alarm with LEDs, Test-Reset Button, Low Battery Indicator, Portable
The Kidde carbon monoxide detector runs on 3 x AA batteries and uses electrochemical technology equipped with a 85 decibels alarm to warn users of excessive poisonous gas in the air, which works great in tents.
This detector kind of looks like it is for walls, it can also be used for tents.
It has a digital display which is easy to read and also, the rise in carbon monoxide is easy to see so that actions can be taken.
Pros
- Affordable
Cons
- No noticeable drawback
Mini CO2 Detector, Aiment 3-in-1 Lightweight Portable Carbon Dioxide Detector Air Quality Monitor Temperature Humidity Air Analyzer Digital CO2 Meter for tents
The Aiment Carbon monoxide detector, detects CO2 in realtime, with a CO2 detection range of 400-5000PPM, it has a charge time of 2.5 hours and a standby time of 30 hours.
With the design and equipped with a color screen display, displaying battery life and CO2 reading, this device is simple to use and easy to take around.
Comes with light indicators to indicate the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. (400-800PPM displays green, 801-1200 is yellow, 1201-1500PPM makes orange, 1501-5000ppm red), this makes it easy to
Pros
- Easy to carry around
Cons
- Basic in features
Ecoey Carbon Monoxide Detector, Replaceable Battery-Operated CO Detector with Human Alarm Sounds and Test Button, Carbon Monoxide Alarm for House and Bedroom, FJ127, 1 Pack
The Ecoey CO detector, kinda looks like a portable wifi device, it is a battery powered electrochemical detector that runs on 2 x 1.5 V AA batteries ( 1 year battery life) and has a 7 year guarantee sensor life.
Ecoey CO detectors can also run on a power supply, but since it will be used in a tent, battery is also an option as said above.
Part of why this product is easy to read, is it’s led that lights that indicates if something is wrong, with it being green if everything is ok, red if excessive CO is detected and yellow if there is a fault in the detector.
Pros
- Easy to install and read.
Cons
- Battery door is hard to close.
How to choose a carbon monoxide detector
Here are a few tips to look for when looking for the best carbon monoxide detectors and also some facts about them.
As hot tents are popular nowadays, how do tent users ensure that their tents are well ventilated, free from harmful gases that are emitted by gas emitting appliances such as stoves, diesel heaters, furnaces and dry vents.
Carbon monoxide is a colorless gas and odorless gas that cannot be seen with the naked eye, carbon monoxide detectors are needed to sense this gas as there are many sources that could emit this toxic gas.
Mitigation of these risks is the key to using CO emitting appliances during camping.
Opening for breeze to come in and also a well ventilated tent should be enough to keep carbon monoxide to a minimum.
Exposure to carbon monoxide results in dizziness, vomitting, upset stomach, chest pain. Further loss of precious lives could be resulted from being exposed to such gases, therefore, it is important to keep tents free from such harmful gases.
Get a CO monitor
Having a Carbon monoxide monitor is crucial to early detection of this harmful has, get one for your tent as it saves lives.
Do not hang your CO monitor, leave it on the ground
As carbon monoxide is heavier than air, it is best to leave the carbon dioxide detector on the ground inorder for it to be exposed to the gas and be triggered (obviously). Hanging the device high up, could result, in it detecting insufficient amount inorder to trigger, or detecting nothing at all.
Battery operated
Battery operation is supposed to be a key feature of the carbon monoxide that works well for camping since there are no external power sources out in the bushes, most Carbon monoxide detectors on the market have external battery sources, one even has a 10 year battery life guarantee.