Are there any hotplates that could run on a portable power source like this?
http://secure.yisi.net/sunlionsolar/...d=319&catid=15

What alternative heat sources are there when you wanna do chemistry away from home? I hear some people hook the hotplate up to their car battery. In that case could I just bring a car battery with me?

Link is broke nigga.

http://shopping.discovery.com/Power-...r-Source.shtml

I was looking for chargable battery operated hot plates but I couldn't find them. Things like these come up when you search portable hotplate but you still need a power source.
http://www.breville.com.au/products_detail.asp?prod=196

Thats because you need 800watts min. which you can get a inverter but then change watts to amps and see what the battery amp hours are and figure how many batteries to bring

I'd almost go with an open flame system.

Using a propante burner to heat a hot oil or boiling water resevoir and cirulate that liquid with a submerible pump though a bath system. Have a hose handy to allow you to take in air upwind of any flamable vapors.(if there is no wind, then at least uphill since most flamable vapors hug the ground.

I didnt think of that. A steam bath with a coleman stove would probably do the trick. I doubt id need to exceed 100 degrees anyway.

for the win

...if you use oil you could take your operating temperature higher - dependant on what type of oil is used - there are many different types and they all have differing properties (I think brake fluid can be used also...)

Cooking oils 170-180 max. Mineral oils can be used up to 325 degC. Silica based oils, up to 400 degC

Sunflower oil (one of the most common oils used) has a smoke point of 246c
Other oils and their smoke points can be found here, also:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooking_oil

...I only know this as chips (fries) cook at 180c without showing any signs of smoking. In the 'Flamewar' between Eleusis and Fester, Eleusis insisted that cooking oil was shite for any sort of heating

http://www.designer-drug.com/pte/12.....html#Eleusis1

Chapter 3
Eleusis> Most of the preps for Phenylacetone (Phenyl-2-Propanone) are correct, but U.F. is full of it for saying cooking oil is great for heating baths. Yeah, it's great if you like a lot of *smoke*.

Get a heating mantle if you want to go higher than 100C

Fester> Cooking oil doesn't smoke until it goes over 150C, and not badly until it goes over 180C.

Eleusis> Oh really? I emphatically disagree.