Customer Reviews

Coleman BlackCat PerfecTemp Catalytic Heater

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I bought this from a retail box store for a little more than it is going for here on Amazon for an early season camping trip just 2 weeks ago. It looks great and performs very well. Right out of the box, the two legs that hold it up kept collapsing. I had to tighten each of them up with a phillips screwdriver. It stayed up with no problem after that. It lights almost instantly with a match (more on that later) by holding it against the outside of the ring. For the first while, it was burning off the factory 'oils', etc, so I was a bit stinky. After that, it was fine. I recommend running it outside of your sleeping space for 5 to 10 minutes to get that initial stink out.
It will heat for around 7 hours on the high setting with one standard size bottle of propane. They do not recommend that this be connected to a full size propane tank.
Really the only problem that I had with the unit as a whole was that fact that there was no electronic ignition on it. You have to light it outside of the sleeping space with a match/lighter. I would have bought the one with the built in igniter, if the store had it in stock. Otherwise it works great.

I have owned this item for a couple of years now and I won't go winter or fall camping without it (unless I am packing in). I run it in the tent right before I hit the sack and then run it again when I wake in the morning. It requires one square foot of ventilation (don't forget that).

The only downside is that the handles can slide down if you don't set it up correctly. Due to this, I never leave it running when I am not awake.

I highly recommend this item.

Got one of these for warming up my pickup truck camper shell when camping - works great - no issues with smell as mentioned in other reviews but would have preferred the type with piezoelectric ignitor.

I used it this weekend for the first time after buying it online at Amazon.
FIrst, why is the auto ignite (InstaStart) version so much more expensive? For a $2 part, they dare charging double?
A 1lb propane bottle lasts one night without any problem in low setting. If in high setting, it may not last all night.
It is HOT. It makes my entire tent warm very quickly and about 20~25 degrees warmer than outside. (it was about 40 outside)
But be ware, you need to set up a safe perimeter so nothing touches this thing. It will either get burned up or catch on fire.
The support (two black legs) are very firm. The other reviews who said it is not safe either was too dumb to know how this works or just too lazy and didn't read the instruction.
It rotates about 280 degrees to form a very sturdy support.
The size is good for storage as well as camping.
highly recommend this item if you are going camping. (get a memory foam topper too (2" or 3") they will save your back.

Bought this for Memorial day weekend for a Mt Rainier trip. Every year the weather usually great but this year the forecast called for rain. I have a six year old girl so i got to keep her warm. This heater i lit at home to burn off the chemical smell and if you just hold a match a the bottom when its tipped at an angle it light every time no need to spend the extra money on the eletric one the match is perfect. We have a 15 foot tent so its big and i lit it at about ten and ran it on high and it was empty by 7. This heater saved the weekend it was cold and rainy but are tent was 75 and toasty warm i really am a sceptic i did buy this on clearence and for the money i figured i could return if i didnt like it. We wont be returning this heater we loved it my little dog slept with his sweat shirt on and was perfectly warm i slept in my mummy bag with the zipper open and was wearing long johns and actually got up to wipe off the sweat so this is a must for cold weather it does work very well and this is form a tough critic and mother nature she made it tough but the heater made it great at night.

For the price, I could not be more impressed with this heater. Following the instructions in the owner's manual, which are brief and simple, I had the thing fired up in no time. The manual recommended that it be left on initially for 30 minutes to remove any manufacturing residues. Odor was minimal and gone quickly. What sold me on this stove was its stability. I looked at other models and brands. This one stood out for its three point (no rocking) low to the ground configuration, vital when camping on uneven ground. Other reviewers have noted some problems with the fold out legs. Mine were rock solid, but pay attention to the direction of rotation, they needn't be forced. At the time I purchased this, I spotted a Coleman Soft Propane Lantern Carry Case that looked like it would be a good fit. Indeed, it fit this heater like a glove. Coleman makes a rectangular padded case for this heater, but somehow it doesn't look as functional and protective as the soft propane lantern carry case. Highly recommended! Note: I did use this for a little while in a spacious, two person tent, occupied by one. The manual states that it should be kept away from other objects by at least two feet. Respecting this distance, and set on the low temperature setting, the heater was safe to use with adequate ventilation. But because of its bulk and weight, this should not be considered for backpacking use.

I bought this heater to go with our camping trailer. We've used it one weekend so far and it worked well. The goal was to have little heat when we had no electricity. It took the chill off very well.

I only ran it for about an hour and a half to take out the new smell. Seemed to be enough time to get most of it gone.

There is a short time gap of a few seconds, from turning on the valve and being able to light it. Expect a small flame on lighting it. It does get hot and we made sure to keep it from things that burn. Also, we had some ventilation when we had it on.

I would buy it again.

We used the BlackCat while camping over the Labor Day Holiday (temps in the mid to low 50's along the Northern CA coast) and it kept 3 adults warm in a large tent. Ignites easily with a butane lighter, small amount of flame at moment of ignition. We "pre-seasoned" our unit by running it on High setting for 15 minutes; no vapors were detected in the (well ventilated) Eureka Tetragon tent. The unit operated silently all night on one tank at low setting. It is very stable when legs are fully rotated into parked position. Additional consideration: easily carried to camp showers! The BlackCat is a very nice little heater.

I was happy with this heater when I used it for a 3 days camping trip. It kept the chill out of the tent so we could sleep comfortable (it was 48 degrees out side the tent). We put it on top of small table and we did not have problems with the stand. We have a 10x14 tent and it keep the chill out. I guess if I want to get the tent toasty I can put two instead of one but one is enough for me. Don't forget to leave one window semi open for safety.

Used this for a 12 x 9' tent and kept the temperature approximately 10 degrees warmer inside, which makes a great difference. One 16.4 oz propane tank = 4.5 hours on high heat or 6 hours on low heat. Read the directions carefully and BE CAREFUL with the flimsy support legs -make sure to TIGHTEN the screws with a Phillips head screwdriver before each use!! The silver rim gets extremely hot and can burn a hole through the tent floor instantly. A suggestion: protect your tent floor with a light metal pan or heavy duty aluminum foil under the heater in case it falls over. The heater is a bit bulky, but it's worth the added heat. :)