Tents shelter you from the wind and rain, but can’t safeguard you from the cold. If you are camping out in the winter, you’ll want to follow the following steps to keep yourself warm.
Eight Steps
- Go to bed already wearing warm nightclothes. Once your body gets cold, it’s tough to warm it up again.
- Get your temperature up before you go to bed. Expanding on the above point, you mustn’t go to bed cold. One of the best and common ways to achieve this is to spend some time around an open fire. If that’s not available, you can always make a hot drink or fill up a hot water bottle.
- Buy a sleeping bag liner to give your sleeping bag an extra layer of heat. To save money, some people take a thick blanket and lay it over their sleeping bag.
- Insulate your tent. You can battle the extreme cold by layering the tent with rugs and blankets. These might be difficult to pack, but if you are travelling with others, you can spread the weight.
- Buy something to lie on that absorbs the heat such as a down sleeping pad, which contains feathers. During freezing weather, it’s best to avoid inflatable air pads as they tend to absorb the cold. Your aim should be for warmth and not comfort.
- If you have transport, take a foldable bed that rises off the cold floor.
- Buy a tent with restrictive space. The bigger the tent, the colder it will get inside. Ideally, you will want to fit precisely the amount of people you need it for. It may even be best to buy a single person tent for each person.
- Take an appropriate sleeping bag. If you are sleeping out in cold weather, you should spare no expense on a sleeping bag. It should be made of thick, waterproof material that retains heat and fits snugly around the body. The top of the sleeping bag should have a place at the top where you can pull it tight around your head.
Tips
- Try to avoid using a portable heater inside the tent, particularly when you are sleeping. A tent does not have enough ventilation or space.
- Don’t go to bed in the clothes you’ve been wearing all day. It can be tempting if it’s freezing, but they’ll probably be wet, if not from the weather then your sweat. Any moisture on your body can quickly turn to cold.
- Take a thick pillow and a hat. Your head will be the first thing that gets cold.
- Fleece pyjamas will keep you the warmest.
