Um? Time to break my public silence as this issue is like most safety issues assumes the absence of common-sense and I got rather burnt on this issue some-time back.
First have deaths occurred due to carbon mono-oxide poisoning in tents? Yes sadly with this link to just two events that cost six lives
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm4832a1.htm. This means a proven risk exists. Interesting to note in both these tragic events it was the use of cooking equipment as heating and the victims had then gone to sleep. This means much greater exposure in time to the carbon monoxide than simply cooking a meal but no doubt such events get included as cooking in tent death statistics.
Not too sure that I would consider safe just about any likely part per million level generated from a stove if the exposure was long enough. Sure lower the level the longer the time before carbon monoxide locks up enough capacity to kill but even at low PPM this process is happening so while death may not result some ill effects might be felt. Please note this comment is at levels likely generated by stoves not some open air reading as carbon monoxide forms part of the atmosphere and our bodies obviously have enough capacity to deal with it.
Also any test assumes that all stoves are in identical condition to the test samples and operated exactly the same way. People modify stoves, do not maintain them, they get damaged, etc. I for one would not zip myself up in a tent with any stove using it as a heater regardless of "tested" PPM of carbon monoxide. I assume that the "safety mechanism" is carbon dioxide builds up quicker than the dangerous carbon monoxide thus registering on the person and resulting in a rapid exit of the tent due to shortness of breath. Carbon monoxide does not register so is insidious as it creeps up on people. In fact breath recycled air through a filter that removes carbon dioxide and you will happily breath away until you die. More than a few deaths happen in hospitals when someone manges to
force a nitrogen cylinder onto a oxygen cylinder fitting. In fact attending a hospital as a patient is one of the most risky things that you can do.
I and most people I walk with are more than happy to cook in a tent vestibule. We much prefer to cook outside and often a group member will take a tarp to make a sheltered kitchen area but on those all too familiar wet days we cook in the vestibule. As also most people are happy to close all the doors and windows on Pelion Hut and have twenty stoves roaring away. People have also died from carbon monoxide poisoning in houses due to flue failures, etc. So how long before Parks will ban cooking in huts or should we start campaigning for the ban now? With the fire rules it looks like cold food for a sizeable part of the year
The reality is with a vestibule that has a bottom and top vent (and open of course) and the person is awake for me the risk is low. In fact I look for tents with that design.
For the Top Gear fans check out the episode of driving to the North Pole. You might recognise the tent used by the James and Jeremy
Interesting to note that they were happily using a fuel stove positioned in the centre of the tent. So sudden death is not inevitable even if doing something rather stupid.
As for bushwalking risk. We walk tracks and paths that do not comply with the building code. Does that mean that we should not do walks unless the track complies with building codes? Risk is unavoidable and human beings are notoriously poor at ranking it. But risk is controllable. Decent tent vestibule design helps as does the use of fire retardant (note not proof) materials and sensible care in risk moderation. Remember it is your personal choice.
As for personal perception of risk I still can not reconcile people's concern with their actions and resulting indignation. Using a standard two axis table with likeliness of the event happening on one axis and likely injury on the other my staff were ask to rate various office risks. The number 36 is the highest and which means jumping out of a plane without a parachute. Base jumping would likely be a 34-35 rating. The staff rated the risk of having a coffee at their desk and being electrocuted if spilled at 33. In the open plan office I looked up and saw every desk with a drink on it. It is clear what they now claimed was an extreme risk did not even raise and eyebrow beforehand. I can not imagine them strapping on a parachute and jumping out of the plane without a care in the world and then afterwards in a risk evaluation meeting giving this a 33. The biggest chuckle I had was when everyone agreed that it would be most likely to spill the drink on the keyboard and some of the keyboards were battery powered wireless ones. Ok, under OH&S a decree was issued that no open liquid containers were to be in the work spaces. A few years later I re-visted the old office crew and sure enough coffee mugs had crept back along with the now much more common glass of water
Yes I do cook in a tent vestibule but only if the design allows for adequate ventilation and the stove that I am using is stable. This means that I have a few stoves and one tent that I would not cook in the vestibule. Also I have read up on what to watch for with carbon monoxide levels. Actually the biggest risk is not knowing something is risky. Sadly nowadays it is much easier to say
no than explain the risks and leave it up to people's common-sense to work out if and when some action is acceptable for risk.
Cheers
Posted: Tue 16 Aug, 2011 3:15 pm
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Loving the seam sealing job you did on it.