Q. We have prepared very thing well for this weekend camping trip but the weather seems won't be fine by then. We don want to change our plan so does anyone know how to keep warm in a camping tent?
Answer
Stay warm, dry, hydrated and well-fed.
Each human body puts out between 70 and 500 BTU/hr of heat (depending on activity level and available calories). A decent tent will trap some of this heat, to take some of the edge off the cold, but not enough to substitute for the insulation provided by clothing and/or a sleeping bag. The use of type of heater inside a tent is discouraged for safety reasons. So to stay warm, you need an appropriated-rated sleeping and clothing system.
(Note that each body also exhales about 8 ounces of water each day, and without adequate ventilation and tent design, this moisture will condense on cold tent surfaces and possibly run down walls to get sleeping bags and other gear wet.)
On the sleeping end, your first concern should be a sleeping bag rated appropriately for the lowest temperature expected, with an additional 20*F margin. I.e., if you expect 20*F, your sleeping bag should be rated for 0*F. There's a few reasons for this: 1.) most sleeping bag ratings are optimistic, and are seldom truly comfortable down at their minimum rating; 2.) it might get colder than predicted during your trip. If you don't have and can't afford a properly-rated bag, it is possible to improve a bag's cold weather performance by using a thermal sleeping bag liner, by doubling-up on sleeping bags (i.e., one inside the other), or by using additional blankets on top of the sleeping bag. In addition to the sleeping bag you will need a foam or insulating air/self-inflating mattress to protect you from the cold, hard ground.
As for clothing, use layers of clothing that you can remove or add according to the temperature and activities. It is important to stay warm, but crucial to stay dry. Wet clothing does not insulate as well as dry clothing, although wool, silk and many synthetic materials still provide insulation value when wet. Cotton should be avoided as it becomes a heat conductor (rather than insulator) when wet, and takes a long time to dry. The basic layers are:
1. On-Skin (underwear top & bottom)
2. Base Layer (long johns)
3. Outer Layer (thick to thin, depending on activity & conditions)
4. Wind/Rain shell
Don't forget essentials such as a hat and gloves. If the weather will be wet or you will be very active if would be worthwhile to bring an extra set of underwear, socks and base layer.
Aside from the insulation, there are some things you should do to keep warm:
1. Drink lots of fluids, particularly warm fluids. But avoid sweetened and/or caffeinated beverages. If your body gets dehydrated it will affect its ability to regulate temperature. Warm beverages help keep your body core temperature high without consuming calories.
2. Eat extra calories, particularly fats. Your body will need extra calories to generate heat. Fat provides the ideal fuel for your internal furnace. In particular it is beneficial to eat a hot, high fat meal close to bedtime.
3. Stay active. The more you move the more heat your body generates. Be cautious not to overheat and sweat.
Finally, if additional heat is needed you can fill water bottles with hot water, wrap in extra clothing and stuff them inside your sleeping bag. These will need to be refilled every 4 hours or so. You can also use chemical hand warmers that will last 8 to 12 hours.
Stay warm, dry, hydrated and well-fed.
Each human body puts out between 70 and 500 BTU/hr of heat (depending on activity level and available calories). A decent tent will trap some of this heat, to take some of the edge off the cold, but not enough to substitute for the insulation provided by clothing and/or a sleeping bag. The use of type of heater inside a tent is discouraged for safety reasons. So to stay warm, you need an appropriated-rated sleeping and clothing system.
(Note that each body also exhales about 8 ounces of water each day, and without adequate ventilation and tent design, this moisture will condense on cold tent surfaces and possibly run down walls to get sleeping bags and other gear wet.)
On the sleeping end, your first concern should be a sleeping bag rated appropriately for the lowest temperature expected, with an additional 20*F margin. I.e., if you expect 20*F, your sleeping bag should be rated for 0*F. There's a few reasons for this: 1.) most sleeping bag ratings are optimistic, and are seldom truly comfortable down at their minimum rating; 2.) it might get colder than predicted during your trip. If you don't have and can't afford a properly-rated bag, it is possible to improve a bag's cold weather performance by using a thermal sleeping bag liner, by doubling-up on sleeping bags (i.e., one inside the other), or by using additional blankets on top of the sleeping bag. In addition to the sleeping bag you will need a foam or insulating air/self-inflating mattress to protect you from the cold, hard ground.
As for clothing, use layers of clothing that you can remove or add according to the temperature and activities. It is important to stay warm, but crucial to stay dry. Wet clothing does not insulate as well as dry clothing, although wool, silk and many synthetic materials still provide insulation value when wet. Cotton should be avoided as it becomes a heat conductor (rather than insulator) when wet, and takes a long time to dry. The basic layers are:
1. On-Skin (underwear top & bottom)
2. Base Layer (long johns)
3. Outer Layer (thick to thin, depending on activity & conditions)
4. Wind/Rain shell
Don't forget essentials such as a hat and gloves. If the weather will be wet or you will be very active if would be worthwhile to bring an extra set of underwear, socks and base layer.
Aside from the insulation, there are some things you should do to keep warm:
1. Drink lots of fluids, particularly warm fluids. But avoid sweetened and/or caffeinated beverages. If your body gets dehydrated it will affect its ability to regulate temperature. Warm beverages help keep your body core temperature high without consuming calories.
2. Eat extra calories, particularly fats. Your body will need extra calories to generate heat. Fat provides the ideal fuel for your internal furnace. In particular it is beneficial to eat a hot, high fat meal close to bedtime.
3. Stay active. The more you move the more heat your body generates. Be cautious not to overheat and sweat.
Finally, if additional heat is needed you can fill water bottles with hot water, wrap in extra clothing and stuff them inside your sleeping bag. These will need to be refilled every 4 hours or so. You can also use chemical hand warmers that will last 8 to 12 hours.
cold weather tent camping. any helpful suggestions would be great?
my45tysond
the temp should get down below 40 degrees my concern is keeping warm. suggestions on sleeping bags & tents that retain heat there seems to be such a variance in price on this Equipment
Answer
Some good advice above on the peeing before you go to sleep.
I wouldn't call 40 degrees exactly "cold weather camping"-- in fact that's a not uncommon overnight temperature in the Spring and Fall. I've backpacked in temps as low as 20 below zero and used to teach winter mountaineering skills so I'll give you some tips.
The best all round sleeping system is to use multiple bags layered together. An excellent source to start with is the Campmor catalog (http://www.campmor.com) which has a huge variety of bags and pads and good charts for comparing weights, dimensions and features. They often have dicontinued models which are quite affordable. I recommend that people starting out get a 20 degree rated mummy bag. Get down-filled if you can afford it and/or will be carrying it backpacking or bicycle touring because it will pack lighter and smaller. If you are on a budget or will be using it for a lot of wet weather camping or canoe or kayak touring, get polyester fill. This bag, with the proper ground pad, will keep you comfortable down to between 30 or 40 degrees, depending on how susceptible you are to cold. Bear in mind that most temp ratings on bags are a little optimistic, like by at least 10 degrees. Second, buy a lightweight slightly larger bag, probably an oversized mummy or even a rectangular bag, single layer polyfill and rated around 35 to 45 degrees --a "summer" bag in other words. Once you have these two bags you are ready for anything. In mild Spring and Fall trips you can use the 20 degree mummy, on warm Summer trips take the single layer 40 degree bag and for cold trips take both and put the mummy inside the larger bag.
Another addition if you really tend to sleep cold is to get a very lightweight polartec fleece bag (you can find these for around $20 in most sporting goods stores or Campmor or even make one yourself by folding a cheap fleece blanket in half and sewing across the bottom and half way up the side.) This can be tucked inside the inner bag for more warmth and is also handy around camp as a blanket to wrap around you in the evening (do be careful around campfires as these tend to be flammable -- a very light wool blanket is safer around fire or stoves.)
The advantage of the multiple bags is you can tailor the temp to your needs. If you wake up too warm at night (and this actually even happens on cold nights) you can slip the mummy out of the overbag and cool down a bit. The two lighter weight bags are also easier to carry than one large heavy winter-rated bag. I switched to this system 25 years ago and it has served me well. Lighter bags are also easier to launder in a regular washing machine than a big winter bag.
Your ground pad is highly important too -- you should use thin closed cell foam on the bottom (one common brand is called ensolite but you can also use the thin closed-cell pads they sell for yoga mats). This will block cold and heat transfer. Then put a thicker more comfortable foam pad on top for comfort. DON'T use an air mattress -- they actually will make you colder since they allow air movement and heat transfer.
Wear longjohns to sleep in, NOT COTTON but rather merino wool or wicking synthetic -- lightweight fleece athletic pants and top or even fleece lounge pajamas can work, plus a cap (I prefer a soft polartech fleece one) and fleece socks. Don't try to sleep wearing heavy bulky clothes. They will restrict circulation and make you uncomfortable. Some people just roll up their pile jacket to make a pillow but I prefer to carry a small polyfill pillow with a fleece cover that rolls up into it's own stuffsack. Besides for comfort, the pillow also helps block heat loss out the top of the bag. Some people recommend the "hot water bottle" technique but I've seen too many people have leaks and wet bags -- bring some of those chemical heat packs and tuck one in a sock or mitten and put it down near your feet if you need a little more warmth.
Actually, a backpacking tent can be very warm and cozy during a cold night. Because it is a small space, your body heat builds up fairly rapidly. I've never felt like we needed any artificial heat source in the tent no matter how cold it was. The hardest thing is getting up in the morning out of your toasty sleeping bag. That's another benefit of the two bag system -- you can tuck your clothes between the bags for extra warmth and to keep them warm for dressing the next day.
Happy camping! The great thing about sub-freezing camping is no bugs and you can carry most any food you want without it spoiling.
Some good advice above on the peeing before you go to sleep.
I wouldn't call 40 degrees exactly "cold weather camping"-- in fact that's a not uncommon overnight temperature in the Spring and Fall. I've backpacked in temps as low as 20 below zero and used to teach winter mountaineering skills so I'll give you some tips.
The best all round sleeping system is to use multiple bags layered together. An excellent source to start with is the Campmor catalog (http://www.campmor.com) which has a huge variety of bags and pads and good charts for comparing weights, dimensions and features. They often have dicontinued models which are quite affordable. I recommend that people starting out get a 20 degree rated mummy bag. Get down-filled if you can afford it and/or will be carrying it backpacking or bicycle touring because it will pack lighter and smaller. If you are on a budget or will be using it for a lot of wet weather camping or canoe or kayak touring, get polyester fill. This bag, with the proper ground pad, will keep you comfortable down to between 30 or 40 degrees, depending on how susceptible you are to cold. Bear in mind that most temp ratings on bags are a little optimistic, like by at least 10 degrees. Second, buy a lightweight slightly larger bag, probably an oversized mummy or even a rectangular bag, single layer polyfill and rated around 35 to 45 degrees --a "summer" bag in other words. Once you have these two bags you are ready for anything. In mild Spring and Fall trips you can use the 20 degree mummy, on warm Summer trips take the single layer 40 degree bag and for cold trips take both and put the mummy inside the larger bag.
Another addition if you really tend to sleep cold is to get a very lightweight polartec fleece bag (you can find these for around $20 in most sporting goods stores or Campmor or even make one yourself by folding a cheap fleece blanket in half and sewing across the bottom and half way up the side.) This can be tucked inside the inner bag for more warmth and is also handy around camp as a blanket to wrap around you in the evening (do be careful around campfires as these tend to be flammable -- a very light wool blanket is safer around fire or stoves.)
The advantage of the multiple bags is you can tailor the temp to your needs. If you wake up too warm at night (and this actually even happens on cold nights) you can slip the mummy out of the overbag and cool down a bit. The two lighter weight bags are also easier to carry than one large heavy winter-rated bag. I switched to this system 25 years ago and it has served me well. Lighter bags are also easier to launder in a regular washing machine than a big winter bag.
Your ground pad is highly important too -- you should use thin closed cell foam on the bottom (one common brand is called ensolite but you can also use the thin closed-cell pads they sell for yoga mats). This will block cold and heat transfer. Then put a thicker more comfortable foam pad on top for comfort. DON'T use an air mattress -- they actually will make you colder since they allow air movement and heat transfer.
Wear longjohns to sleep in, NOT COTTON but rather merino wool or wicking synthetic -- lightweight fleece athletic pants and top or even fleece lounge pajamas can work, plus a cap (I prefer a soft polartech fleece one) and fleece socks. Don't try to sleep wearing heavy bulky clothes. They will restrict circulation and make you uncomfortable. Some people just roll up their pile jacket to make a pillow but I prefer to carry a small polyfill pillow with a fleece cover that rolls up into it's own stuffsack. Besides for comfort, the pillow also helps block heat loss out the top of the bag. Some people recommend the "hot water bottle" technique but I've seen too many people have leaks and wet bags -- bring some of those chemical heat packs and tuck one in a sock or mitten and put it down near your feet if you need a little more warmth.
Actually, a backpacking tent can be very warm and cozy during a cold night. Because it is a small space, your body heat builds up fairly rapidly. I've never felt like we needed any artificial heat source in the tent no matter how cold it was. The hardest thing is getting up in the morning out of your toasty sleeping bag. That's another benefit of the two bag system -- you can tuck your clothes between the bags for extra warmth and to keep them warm for dressing the next day.
Happy camping! The great thing about sub-freezing camping is no bugs and you can carry most any food you want without it spoiling.
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Title Post: Any tips on staying warm in a camping tent?
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