How To Stay Warm When Camping – Things You Should Try

Last Updated on January 1, 2023 by Mosabbir

Why would someone ask about how to stay warm when camping? Let us cover!

Going into the mountains or out backcountry to spend a night under the stars is one of the most enjoyable blessings you can have.

But having camped out for countless nights, we also know that there is nothing worse than shivering inside your tent. Because of this, we wanted to offer the best tips we could on staying warm when camping and in a tent.

We have plenty of tips on how to stay warm in a tent, from making your own hot water bottles to picking the correct equipment.

We no longer frequently encounter nighttime cold, which makes camping a much more fun experience. This camping advice can help you comprehend how to stay warm when camping.

Camping Advice For Cold Weather

We advise against taking a larger tent than you need when camping in chilly weather. Your tent’s ambient area will be reduced, which reduces the amount of excess space that cold air can occupy.

The warm air in your tent will be insulated and trapped if the bottom and sides are filled with sleeping bags. The temperature inside the tent will rise due to body heat, keeping it comfortable.

However, keep in mind that extra space or a vestibule portion of your tent may be required if you’re camping in the winter because winter gear takes up more room.

To minimize the amount of heat loss and to help prevent the wind or snow from entering your tent, add a rain fly or wind cover.

Depending on the circumstances, a conventional 3-season tent can be used for winter camping if you’re below the tree line and don’t anticipate any winter storms.

A 4-season tent is advised for strong winds or winter storms because they include more durable poles, grooved wind-resistant tent anchors, and stronger fabrics to endure the adverse weather.

If you don’t have stakes made for use in snow, another option for winter camping is to bury stuff in sacks packed with snow.

Camping Attire That Will Keep You Warm

Your body will be better protected from the cold if you dress in layers.

A thin base layer of sweat-nicking thermal long underwear.
Wool, polyester, or a combination of the two as an insulating thin mid-layer.
A fleece garment or a thick, down, zippered, hooded jacket, depending on the season.
Waterproof clothing, such as a shell or jacket, with taped seams. Make it big enough to cover everything else in case of rain or snow.
You will generate body heat if you engage in activities throughout the day. Be mindful of sweating as you go since it can make you cold when it dries.
In order to stay comfortable during cold weather camping or activities, managing your body heat by putting on or taking off garments helps minimize sweating.

How To Stay Warm When Camping- Sleeping Equipment

Staying warm requires having the proper temperature-rated sleeping bag for the anticipated nighttime temperatures.

The majority of sleeping bag temperature ratings are determined by how warm the bag must be for you to remain functional, not necessarily comfortable.

You can always add a liner to your sleeping bag to make it warmer if it doesn’t already reach the required nighttime temperature. This increases the versatility of your equipment for use in both the summer and the winter.

If you plan to go camping in the winter, seek sleeping bags with draft tubes hidden behind the zippers, collars placed high on the shoulders, and hoods to help trap heat inside.

Create a Campfire

Never undervalue the comfort a bonfire may provide in the evening or early in the morning. Additionally, moving about while gathering sticks and wood for a fire helps keep you warm.

Warming beverages or water for a hot water bottle can be done over a bonfire to keep warm at night.

Lots Of Food And Drink:

Because your body has to expend calories to stay warm, frequent nibbling keeps it running. Foods high in fat and protein keep you fueled (and warmer) longer at night since they burn more slowly than meals high in carbohydrates.

Another important aspect of how effectively your body works in the cold is hydration. You will struggle to stay warm if you let yourself become dehydrated. Water consumption helps to fight weariness. If having to go in the middle of the night due to all that water, then do so.

The walk outside is worthwhile because your body expends energy to heat the liquid in your bladder. If you’re really obstinate (or just impatient), you can turn an old wide-mouth water bottle into a pee bottle that you can use inside rather than outside.

And even though it may seem disgusting, sleeping with the said urine bottle (with a cap that is quite tight-fitting!) is an excellent approach to recycling that heat. Perhaps reserve that helpful advice for a crisis.

Cover Your Head:

It makes sense to keep your head covered when it’s chilly outside because you lose a lot of heat through your head. Wearing a toque might be the simplest method to accomplish this, but if you move about a lot when you sleep, it might fall off.

If you have a hood, you can wear it as well. You should also always utilize the hood on your sleeping bag. Put it on your head and tighten the drawstring to minimize the size of the hole at the top.

Ensure Your Tent’s Bottom Is Insulated:

This works much better for car camping since if you have to pack everything in, you might not want to bring extra insulation with you into the backcountry.

One of the best ways to make a tent warmer is to insulate the floor to prevent heat loss to the chilly ground underneath you. If you’re unsure of how to insulate a tent, you can do it by placing blankets and rugs on the floor of your tent.

In addition to providing an additional layer of insulation between your body and the ground while you sleep, it also makes the ground considerably more comfortable to walk on if you need to get up in the middle of the night or in the morning.

It’s not fun to put your feet on cold, hard ground, therefore this is a fantastic solution. You can also opt for a better-quality insulated tent to keep warm.

Air Out Your Tent:

Although it may seem paradoxical, some ventilation will really aid to keep you warm and is sometimes disregarded when thinking about how to stay warm while camping.

The reason for this is that while you breathe as you sleep, moisture is released into the air and accumulates on the tent walls.

This moisture can freeze in exceptionally cold weather, turning your tent into a massive freezer, which makes it unbearably cold to sleep in.

We once experienced this, and it was quite terrible. Ventilation of any kind will aid in the moisture’s evaporation and keep your tent dry and warm.

Conclusion:

We rarely experience overnight tent cold, which inspires you to go camping more frequently and at all seasons of the year. Because we are aware of how terrible it may make your journey, we decided to put together this information on how to remain warm in a tent.

This article will aid you in understanding how to stay warm when camping. The amazing thing is that if you follow the above instructions, you can start enjoying a warm and comfortable night’s sleep right away.