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I store my airplane outside on the line at the FBO (since hangars are $300 a month around here and they aren't heated, either). I have a '67 T337B.
I've looked at a lot of options, and finally, due to cost, complexity, and convenience, I bought two of those $30 ceramic heaters at Wal-Mart, a little bit of clothesline cord to tie them in place with, a bunch of old blankets at the surplus store, a multi-tap and one 20' extension cord with one 75' extension cord.
If it gets to 10 degrees C then I know I'll have trouble starting the engines; above that I just prime, crank, warm up, and go. I know that bothers some owners, but I consider it a fact of operational life. I know there is some wear and tear on engines to start them cold but as long as they will start, I'll buy the wear and tear compared to all the other expenses - my decision.
What I do with the heaters is: FIrst of all if I can get into a hangar overnight for a warm up I do that since it not only warms up the plane and engines, but gets the snow and ice off as well (that always has to be done one way or another). So when I can do that I don't even use the heaters.
When I do use them, I put them into the opening right alongside the props, tying them in place with the little cords (otherwise they fall and shut off when they're not horizontal). Then I stuff the blankets around the opening to make them snug. I also put a blanket into the scoop on the rear engine. After about an hour or two I can usually start the engines without any problem.
I can keep the heaters, cords, and blankets in two canvas cases I carry with me in wintertime.
I also have a common garden sprayer pump full of ehylene glycol (which you can refill from the deice trucks, usually with no charge - I find the guys just dump a little in from their deice truck and smile and wave). I carry it with me in winter also, because sometimes that's the only way you can get ice off the wings when you're at podunk and there is no hangar, no deicing.
Works for me so far....
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