This is a problem with a lot of YouTube videos. They tend to only show the “happy path” of things working and make it look effortless to do very difficult things.
It’s very easy to go watch someone very experienced and practiced do something and think “looks pretty easy. I could do that…”
This is a good point. I watch those videos for fun, but they do need to come with a warning (from youtube, just like the state-sponsored media warning or the covid health info warning). I actually feel stronger that this kind of stuff have warnings compared to media or covid health info, but can see the point of these warnings. A lot of people believe what they see on tv/internet way too easily.
In less time than it takes to boil water, a gas camping stoves can produce enough CO to fill a large tent...I know from experience. My CO meter saved me from more than a headache.
A headache because I thought the CO meter was malfunctioning until I started feeling the headache. Live and learn.
But I had a CO meter because of Youtube. And because of Walmart.
CO has the same molecular weight as N2 and so it doesn't dissipate without air exchange (N2 is most of the atmosphere). So the only way to get away from it is to go outside.
But it's night because it's winter. The temperature is -6C. The wind is 50km/hr. There's snow on the ground. You're malnourished. And now you have a headache.
Thinking "I will feel better once I am warm," is not unreasonable.
I suspect my use case is different than you are picturing. For example, mine includes CO meters and Walmarts and “tent” is an analog for the back of my van which for practical purposes is a metal tent when I road trip.
To put it another way, I have a CO alarm in my van because I cook in my van because I live in my van for a few weeks at a time while traveling the US.
One June morning last year, I fired up my propane stove to make my oatmeal because my butane stove was low on fuel and because I was on “The Loneliest Road in America” [1] and it would be a couple of days before I hit Reno.
Keep in mind, the CO alarm went off because I have a CO alarm. The stupid act was assuming it was malfunctioning before I felt the headache.
I could be that stupid at home if the alarm in my home goes off.
It’s very easy to go watch someone very experienced and practiced do something and think “looks pretty easy. I could do that…”