8 picks compared, with specs, filters and a calculator to find the right size.
Indoor-safe portable propane heaters for hunting blinds, ice shanties and tents, plus the hose, filter and carbon monoxide alarm that go with them. Every heater here has a low-oxygen shutoff and a tip-over shutoff. Our calculator turns each heater’s BTU setting into hours of heat on 1 lb cylinders or a tank.
| Product | Best for | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Mr. Heater Little Buddy (MH4B) 3,800 BTU/hr · Heats up to 95 sq ft | Small blinds, a two-person ice shanty or warming your hands and feet on a short sit. | Check price (paid link) | |
| Mr. Heater Portable Buddy (MH9BX) 4,000 / 9,000 BTU/hr · Heats up to 225 sq ft | Hunting blinds and ice shanties where you want the choice of 1 lb cylinders or a tank. | Check price (paid link) | |
| Mr. Heater Hunting Buddy (MH12HB) 6,000 / 12,000 BTU/hr · Heats up to 300 sq ft | Bigger box blinds and shanties that need more heat than a Buddy. | Check price (paid link) | |
| Mr. Heater Buddy FLEX (MH11BFLEX) 11,000 BTU/hr max · Heats up to 275 sq ft | Drafty blinds and pop-up shanties where wind can blow out a pilot. | Check price (paid link) | |
| Mr. Heater Big Buddy (MH18B) 4,000 / 9,000 / 18,000 BTU/hr · Heats up to 450 sq ft | Large ice houses, cabins and group blinds. | Check price (paid link) | |
| Mr. Heater Buddy Series Hose, 10 ft (F273704) 10 ft long · 1 lb cylinder thread to tank POL | Running a Buddy or Big Buddy off a 20 lb tank for long sits and multi-day trips. | Check price (paid link) | |
| Mr. Heater Fuel Filter (F273699) For Portable, Big and Tough Buddy · Used with a hose and bulk tank | Anyone running a Buddy heater off a tank with a standard hose. | Check price (paid link) | |
| Kidde CO Alarm with Digital Display (KN-COPP-B-LP) Runs on 3 AA batteries · Digital PPM display | Every blind, shanty or tent where a propane heater runs. | Check price (paid link) |
A small one-setting heater that screws straight onto a 1 lb cylinder. It has an automatic low-oxygen shutoff and a tip-over shutoff. It takes 1 lb cylinders only, so it can’t run off a bigger tank.
Best for: Small blinds, a two-person ice shanty or warming your hands and feet on a short sit. Check price on Amazon (paid link) Specs from mrheater.comThe classic Buddy, with low and high settings, a low-oxygen shutoff and a tip-over switch. It runs on one 1 lb cylinder, or off a 20 lb tank kept outside with a hose. The manual calls for 9 sq in of vent at the ceiling and at floor level.
Best for: Hunting blinds and ice shanties where you want the choice of 1 lb cylinders or a tank. Check price on Amazon (paid link) Specs from images.toolsid.comBuilt for the blind, with high and low settings and electronic ignition. It runs on a 1 lb cylinder or a 20 lb tank with an optional hose. Mr. Heater says a 1 lb cylinder lasts about 3.5 hours on low and 1.8 hours on high.
Best for: Bigger box blinds and shanties that need more heat than a Buddy. Check price on Amazon (paid link) Specs from tractorsupply.comA radiant heater with a wind barrier and pilot guard to help keep it lit in drafty spots, plus a quick-connect rail for accessories. It has a low-oxygen shutoff, a tip-over switch and a thermal shutdown. Hose and regulator are sold separately.
Best for: Drafty blinds and pop-up shanties where wind can blow out a pilot. Check price on Amazon (paid link) Specs from toolsid.comThree heat settings and room for two 1 lb cylinders at once, or a 20 lb tank with a hose. It has a low-oxygen shutoff and a tip-over shutoff. Some versions have a fan and some don’t, so check the listing. The manual calls for 18 sq in of vent at the ceiling and at floor level.
Best for: Large ice houses, cabins and group blinds. Check price on Amazon (paid link) Specs from xrefs3.plumbersstock.comConnects a Buddy heater to a 5 to 20 lb tank kept outside. It is made so you don’t need a separate fuel filter, which Mr. Heater says its other Buddy hoses do need.
Best for: Running a Buddy or Big Buddy off a 20 lb tank for long sits and multi-day trips. Check price on Amazon (paid link) Specs from academy.comCatches oily residue that can come through a hose from a bulk tank and foul the heater. Mr. Heater says to use it with its hoses other than the F273704, and to replace it every year.
Best for: Anyone running a Buddy heater off a tank with a standard hose. Check price on Amazon (paid link) Specs from acehardware.comA battery-powered carbon monoxide alarm that shows the CO level and updates every 15 seconds, and remembers the highest level since its last reset. Battery power means it doesn’t need an outlet, so it can go in a blind or shanty with you.
Best for: Every blind, shanty or tent where a propane heater runs. Check price on Amazon (paid link) Specs from firealarm.comNo products match those filters. Try clearing one.
Pictures are our own illustrations of each type of product, not photos of the actual products. Specs come from the manufacturer or retailer listing linked on each card and were checked in October 2026. Models and prices change, so confirm details on the listing before you buy. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.