At 11:21 AM 12/7/99 -0600, you wrote:
>Has anyone ever sat around one of those "orchard heaters" in the winter.  My
>friends and I use to sit around one and chat for hours.  I love those
>things.  They can get cherry red and have a soft growl

I have used a number of different heat sources while camping:

1) Wife.  This was only used once when she decided that camping in a cold
van was for the birds.

2) Electric heater.  Great device. quiet, and safe.  I've camped in -10 deg
f with the top down and awoke warm and comfy.  for areas without electric
and on the great rare occasion where noise isn't a problem, I've hooked the
van into a 1800W generator.

3) no heat.  A good sleeping bag is needed, as well as a strong
constitution.  DO NOT drink heavily before bed.  There is no colder trip
than the one to the outhouse in sub-zero temps!

4) Toilet paper/Coffee can/Alcohol stove.  Scarry but it works great.
Insert one roll of t.p. in a 1 lb (ok.. 13oz.) cofee can and then get the
core out of the roll.  pour 1 pt. of denatured alcohol (marine stove fuel)
into can.  light and set away from flamables.  It will heat a westy as hot
as any electric heater, but it does produce a flame about 2 feet high.

I've tried parking really close to the camp-fire, but that only produced a
cold, smokey van that took weeks to clean.

Chris Smith
'82 Westy
'74 Thing
Stuff