Carbon monoxide and camping

By the Canvasdale team · Last checked 21 October 2026

Carbon monoxide is a gas you can't see, smell or taste. Stoves, BBQs, gas heaters and lanterns all give it off as they burn, and in the enclosed space of a tent, awning or porch it can build up quickly while you sleep. The rule is simple: anything that burns stays outside, in the open air, every time.

Why tents are risky

A tent is designed to keep wind and rain out, and on a cold or wet night everyone zips it up tight. That's exactly when people are tempted to cook in the porch or bring something warm inside. A camping stove or a BBQ that's still warm in a small closed space can produce enough carbon monoxide to kill.

Disposable and charcoal BBQs are a particular danger: they keep giving off carbon monoxide long after the food is cooked and the flames have died down. Never bring one into a tent, awning or porch to cool down or to warm the tent.

What never goes inside

• Camping stoves of any kind, including in the porch or awning
• BBQs, disposable or otherwise, even when they look finished
• Gas heaters and catalytic heaters
• Gas or liquid-fuel lanterns
• Fire pits and anything with hot coals

If you need light inside, use a battery lantern or head torch. If you need warmth, change your sleep system rather than adding heat: our guide to keeping a tent warm without a gas heater explains how.

Cooking outside in bad weather

• Cook in the open air, away from the tent, with the stove on a stable, level surface.
• Use a windshield made for your stove, not the tent wall.
• A cooking shelter is only for cooking under if it's fully open on the sides: follow its maker's instructions.
• If it's too wet or windy to cook outside, eat something cold or go to the campsite's facilities or a café.
• Keep a fire blanket handy.

The signs of carbon monoxide poisoning

Symptoms can feel like flu or a hangover, and they can come on while you're asleep. The NHS lists signs including:

• Headache
• Dizziness
• Feeling or being sick
• Tiredness and confusion
• Breathlessness

If several people in the tent feel unwell at once, or symptoms ease when you get outside, think carbon monoxide.

What to do

1. Get everyone out into fresh air straight away.
2. Turn off the stove or heater only if it's quick and easy to do so. Don't stay inside to do it.
3. Call 999 if anyone is unconscious, struggling to breathe or very unwell. Otherwise get medical advice quickly.
4. Don't go back into the tent until it has been fully aired and the source is outside and off.

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