Buddy Heater malfunctioned at 5000 ft.

[Fish Butcher]

Took a trip and my Buddy would not fire-up. Got home at 1380 ft. and Buddy worked fine. Any thoughts?

[oleike]

get a wood stove...hehe

[SLAYERFISH]

Buddy's have a history of doing that.

[rbobby]

On one pounders or a 20 pounder?

[boilermaker]

I live at 8000 and i have to hold the pilot light down at least a minute to get it to fire up,  but I know people have trouble with them at eleavtaiom

[EatenByLimestone]

What was the temperature? 

[thomasthepikehunter]

My big buddy is ok now that I have a hose and run it off a 20# tank, but they are touchy. With 1 pound tanks they are just flat out unusable. Plenty on here will say otherwise, but this is my second big buddy, and both are unreliable. Any bump, any breeze, anything and they won't light. I got mine pretty much for free, so I'll live with it, but I would never trust it for a real trip. I can only imagine fishing that high up with the thin oxygen, the pilot would never stay lit.

[caldwellite]

Small propane bottles and high country can be a problem. We use a mix called Mapp  gas but I don't know if it would work in a Buddy heater. I believe it is a butane propane mix.

[FG Steve]

Have used portable buddy and big buddy multiple times at 6472' elevation with zero problems.  Always off a bulk tank (4# or 11#).  Takes some time to get enough gas into the line to light the pilot, but always works.

[Fish Butcher]

Thank you for your replies (except the 1st one). I used a 1lb. bottle with little patience, I guess. In my minds eye the larger tanks are the way to go at that altitude. Problem solved. Thanks again.

[EatenByLimestone]

It's not so much that a larger tank is needed, but a larger surface area to evaporate gas off the liquid propane in the tank.  This larger surface area is found in... larger tanks.  But if they made a 1lb tank like a pancake you'd be fine.

[Royalwapiti]

I take my portable buddy with me every other year to Arizona, Flagstaff area 7000 feet, no issues.  I feed it from 1 lb cans and 20lb cylinder.  I live at 900 feet and use it all winter as well here.

Never had a problem with any 1lb cans at any altitude, have been up to 10,000ft camping.  No issues with heater, lanterns, stoves.

[SpitzoMT]

I've never had a problem with mine either.....No matter the elevation or what size tank is feeding it !!

[Ice Scratcher]

I know for a fact temperature can play a big role...

The colder it is, the less evaporation happens in the LP tanks...

When it's too cold, not enough liquid LP can evaporate in a 1 pound tank to supply the heater...

If you are in a shanty, and can keep your 1lb tanks warmer, you might have no issues.. But starting off with tanks that are already cold is when the issue occur. The tanks just get colder when used too..

I have a couple 5lb, and a 10lb, I absolutely love...

<°)))>{

[Ice Scratcher]

It's not so much that a larger tank is needed, but a larger surface area to evaporate gas off the liquid propane in the tank.  This larger surface area is found in... larger tanks.  But if they made a 1lb tank like a pancake you'd be fine.

That is good theory ^ I'm pretty sure anyway.. Evaporation is key..

I have a heater cooker model that has never froze up, but the bottle is at an angle whether in heater or cooking mode..

<°)))>{

[ice dawg]

It's not so much that a larger tank is needed, but a larger surface area to evaporate gas off the liquid propane in the tank.  This larger surface area is found in... larger tanks.  But if they made a 1lb tank like a pancake you'd be fine.

This is the reason I like my 11 lb pancake tank, same surface area as a twenty pounder.

[Fish Butcher]

I've never had a problem with mine either.....No matter the elevation or what size tank is feeding it !!

I take my portable buddy with me every other year to Arizona, Flagstaff area 7000 feet, no issues.  I feed it from 1 lb cans and 20lb cylinder.  I live at 900 feet and use it all winter as well here.

Never had a problem with any 1lb cans at any altitude, have been up to 10,000ft camping.  No issues with heater, lanterns, stoves.

These two answers explain everything!