SGUK Outdoor Skills Challenge 39: Learn the Risks of Carbon Monoxide When Cooking in a Tent

Cooking outdoors is part of the enjoyment of camping, but using a stove in the wrong place can turn an ordinary meal into a life-threatening situation. Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas produced when fuels such as gas, petrol, charcoal, wood and other carbon-based materials burn without enough oxygen. It has no colour, smell or taste, so you cannot rely on your senses to detect it.

A tent might feel like a sheltered place to prepare food when the weather turns wet or windy. Unfortunately, even a partly enclosed space can allow carbon monoxide to build up. Opening a door or vent does not make cooking inside a tent safe.

This challenge is about understanding the danger, recognising the symptoms of poisoning and knowing how to make safer decisions around camping equipment. You won’t need to light a stove or produce carbon monoxide to complete it.

Your Challenge

Learn why cooking inside a tent can be dangerous, identify at least five important carbon monoxide safety facts and explain what you would do if you suspected carbon monoxide was present at a campsite.

You’ll also practise making a safer cooking plan for a camping trip. The aim is to recognise hazardous situations before they happen and know how to respond if someone becomes unwell.

Never deliberately use a stove, barbecue, lantern or other fuel-burning appliance inside a tent to test this challenge. Carbon monoxide can reach dangerous concentrations without any obvious warning.

What You’ll Need

• A notebook and pencil, or a phone for recording your answers.
• Access to reliable carbon monoxide safety guidance.
• A camping stove or appliance manual, if you have one.
• A photograph of a suitable outdoor cooking area, or a simple sketch of where you would position your cooking equipment.

You do not need to operate any equipment. This is a safety-awareness challenge, not a practical experiment.

Take the Challenge

1. Understand what carbon monoxide is

Carbon monoxide, often shortened to CO, forms when carbon-containing fuels do not burn completely. Camping equipment that burns gas, petrol, paraffin, charcoal or wood can produce it. The amount produced depends on the fuel, appliance and conditions, but no fuel-burning appliance should be assumed to be carbon-monoxide-free.

When you breathe carbon monoxide in, it enters your bloodstream and interferes with the blood’s ability to carry oxygen. This can prevent vital organs, including the brain and heart, from receiving the oxygen they need.

The danger is particularly serious in enclosed or poorly ventilated spaces. Tents are made to provide shelter, and their fabric, groundsheet and closed doors can restrict the movement of air. Carbon monoxide produced by a stove can therefore accumulate while you cook, even if the tent feels draughty or has a vent open.

You cannot see carbon monoxide gathering, and it doesn’t make the air smell unusual. Feeling comfortable, seeing a steady flame or noticing no smoke does not mean the air is safe.

2. Learn why cooking in a tent is dangerous

There are several reasons why using a camping stove inside a tent is unsafe.

The space is enclosed. A tent is not designed to function as a kitchen for fuel-burning appliances. Gas and other combustion products can collect inside, especially when doors and vents are closed against bad weather.

Ventilation is unpredictable. Wind direction, the tent’s shape and the position of openings all affect airflow. An open door or roof vent cannot guarantee that carbon monoxide will be carried away safely.

Stoves can malfunction or burn inefficiently. Damaged equipment, unsuitable fuel, poor maintenance or incomplete combustion can increase the danger. However, even equipment that appears to be working normally can produce carbon monoxide.

Cooking equipment can cause other hazards. A stove may tip over, ignite tent fabric or burn nearby equipment. Hot cookware and boiling liquids also create a risk of burns.

The danger can affect everyone inside. Carbon monoxide poisoning may make people confused, weak or sleepy. Someone who is becoming unwell may not realise what is happening or be able to get themselves to safety.

The safest rule is straightforward: never cook inside a tent or enclosed tent porch, and never use a fuel-burning stove or heater inside one for warmth. Cook outdoors, away from the tent and other enclosed spaces, following the appliance manufacturer’s instructions and local fire restrictions.

3. Recognise the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning

Carbon monoxide poisoning can be difficult to recognise because its early symptoms resemble other common illnesses.

Possible symptoms include:

• Headache.
• Dizziness or feeling light-headed.
• Nausea or vomiting.
• Weakness or unusual tiredness.
• Confusion or difficulty concentrating.
• Shortness of breath.
• Chest pain.

Severe poisoning can cause collapse, seizures or unconsciousness. Exposure can be fatal.

One important clue is when several people in the same place develop similar symptoms, particularly if they improve after going outside. Pets may also be affected. However, you should never wait for multiple people to become unwell before acting.

Don’t assume someone is simply tired after a long walk, has a mild stomach upset or is feeling the effects of cold weather. If carbon monoxide exposure is possible, treat the situation as an emergency.

4. Know what to do if you suspect carbon monoxide

If you suspect carbon monoxide is present, get everyone outside into fresh air immediately. Don’t stay inside to pack equipment, turn off a stove or investigate the source if doing so could delay your escape.

Once you are safely outside:

1. Call 999 if anyone has symptoms, collapses or may have been exposed to carbon monoxide.
2. Tell the emergency operator that carbon monoxide poisoning is suspected.
3. Do not re-enter the tent, vehicle or other enclosed area until it has been assessed and declared safe by the appropriate professionals.
4. Follow the emergency operator’s instructions and seek medical assessment for anyone who may have been exposed.

Do not go back inside to rescue equipment or attempt to fix the appliance yourself. A person who enters a contaminated space can also become a casualty.

If someone is unconscious, do not put yourself at risk by entering the affected space. Call 999 and follow the operator’s instructions. If the casualty is outside and you can help safely, follow the emergency advice you are given.

For further information, read the NHS guidance on carbon monoxide poisoning.

5. Plan a safer cooking area

Before your next camping trip, decide where meals will be prepared. Choose a suitable outdoor location that is well away from tents, enclosed shelters and other places where combustion gases could collect.

Follow the stove manufacturer’s instructions for the appliance, fuel, clearances and weather conditions. Set the stove on a stable, level surface, keep it away from combustible materials and never leave it unattended while operating.

Don’t cook beneath a low tarp, inside a vehicle, in a tent porch or in another confined space. A shelter that is open on one side can still allow dangerous gases to collect, depending on its design and the conditions.

If the weather makes it unsafe to cook outside, use food that doesn’t require cooking or wait until conditions improve. A meal can be postponed; carbon monoxide exposure is not worth the risk.

Check your equipment before the trip and replace damaged or faulty items. Use only the fuel specified by the manufacturer, and never improvise a heating or cooking system.

6. Understand the limits of carbon monoxide alarms

A suitable carbon monoxide alarm can provide an additional warning in places where such alarms are designed and recommended for use. However, it is not permission to use a stove inside a tent.

Many camping tents and portable shelters are not designed or certified as living spaces for fuel-burning appliances, and ordinary household alarms may not be suitable for every outdoor environment. Follow the alarm manufacturer’s guidance about where it can be used, how it should be installed and how it should be maintained.

Never rely on an alarm instead of preventing exposure. The main control is to keep combustion appliances out of tents and enclosed spaces.

7. Test your knowledge with three scenarios

Read each situation and decide what you would do.

Scenario A: It’s raining heavily, and someone suggests moving the camping stove into the tent porch so you can cook without getting wet.

The safe response is to refuse. A porch is still part of the tented enclosure and may allow carbon monoxide to accumulate. Choose a genuinely safe outdoor cooking location if conditions allow, or have a no-cook meal.

Scenario B: Two campers develop headaches and feel sick after using a stove inside a tent. They think they might simply be tired.

Stop treating this as ordinary tiredness. Get everyone outside immediately, call 999 and explain the suspected exposure. Do not re-enter the tent.

Scenario C: Your stove appears to be burning normally, and the tent door is open. Someone says this means the setup is safe.

It does not. Carbon monoxide is invisible and odourless, and neither a normal-looking flame nor an open door guarantees safe air. The stove must be used outdoors in accordance with its instructions.

Write down your answers and explain why each decision matters. Being able to recognise a dangerous situation before someone becomes ill is the central skill in this challenge.

Check Your Results

You should now be able to explain what carbon monoxide is, why fuel-burning camping equipment can produce it and why a tent is not a safe place to cook.

Check that you can answer these questions without looking back:

• Why can’t you rely on smell or sight to detect carbon monoxide?
• Why doesn’t opening a tent door or vent make indoor stove use safe?
• What are at least five possible symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning?
• What should you do first if you suspect exposure?
• Where should a camping stove be used?
• Why is a carbon monoxide alarm not a substitute for safe stove use?

If any answer is uncertain, revisit the relevant section and check the NHS guidance. This is safety knowledge worth remembering before you need it.

Complete the Challenge

To complete Challenge 39, you must:

1. Explain how carbon monoxide is produced and why it can accumulate in a tent.
2. Identify at least five symptoms of possible carbon monoxide poisoning.
3. Describe the immediate actions to take if exposure is suspected.
4. Explain how to plan a safer outdoor cooking area.
5. Answer all three scenario questions.
6. Record your answers or make a short safety checklist as evidence.

You do not need to light a stove or practise a dangerous setup. Your evidence should demonstrate your understanding of the risks and the steps that prevent exposure.

How to Submit Your Challenge

Share your evidence

1. Go to your SGUK member profile.
2. Open Social Activity.
3. Upload a photograph of your completed notes or carbon monoxide safety checklist.
4. Add the hashtag #SGUKChallenge39.
5. Share it for verification.

You can include one sentence explaining the most important safety rule you have learned. Avoid demonstrating or photographing a stove burning inside a tent, even as an example of what not to do.

Once you’ve shared your evidence and it has been verified, the SGUK Outdoor Skills Challenge 39 is complete and the completed challenges figure will be updated on your profile.

Challenge 39 Checklist

Want to Push Yourself?

Make a one-page carbon monoxide safety briefing for your next camping trip. Include the symptoms, the rule against using fuel-burning appliances inside tents, the steps to take if exposure is suspected and the emergency number to call in the UK.

You could also check the instructions for your own camping stove and identify the manufacturer’s rules for safe operation, suitable fuel and maintenance. Make sure everyone who may use the equipment understands those instructions before the trip.

If you camp with a group, discuss the scenarios together. Ask what you would do if the weather turned bad, someone became unwell or a camper suggested using a stove for warmth. Agreeing on a safe response beforehand makes it easier to act quickly when conditions are difficult.

What’s Next?

Carbon monoxide safety is an essential part of planning a responsible campsite. Once you’ve completed this challenge, you could revisit SGUK Outdoor Skills Challenge 38: Build a Bough Bed and consider how to make a sleeping area more comfortable without using a fuel-burning stove or heater inside your shelter.

You can complete SGUK Outdoor Skills Challenges in any order, so choose whichever outdoor skill you’d like to practise next.

Learn. Practise. Master.

That’s what the SGUK Outdoor Skills Challenge is all about.