If you’re one of the diehards who enjoy taking a float trip in early spring and late fall, you know what a challenge it is to stay warm in a tent. While there’s nothing like the smell of a campfire and waking up to a silence that is only experienced when the crowds have all gone, nights can be dog gone frigid. The following tips can help to keep you stay warmer on those chilly nights.
Chemical hand warmers are ideal for keeping your fingers and toes limber but when it comes to sleeping outside, it’s better to use a larger one, positioning it around your kidneys. Keeping your core warm also keeps your fingers and toes warm as well. And don’t assume that all toe and hand warmers are the same. Toe and hand warmers vary as they have different air-to-chemical mixtures geared for gloves (an air-rich environment) or for boots (an air-starved area). Use a boot warmer in a glove and it will be too hot and fizzle out too quickly. A hand warmer in a boot won’t heat well at all.
Another strategy for staying warm is diet. Eating foods that are high in protein and fat will keep your metabolism running high which will generate heat. Be sure to eat a high calorie die and stay well hydrated. These two things help to keep you warm. And contrary to popular belief, alcohol consumption does not keep you warm, at least for very long. While drinking alcohol may keep you warm in the short-term, with your blood rushing to the skin, you won’t stay warm very long. In fact, consuming alcohol is actually counterproductive when it comes to staying warm in your tent.
Another way to stay warm on a chilly night is with an insulated tent. With an insulated tent like Arctic Oven, the inside of your tent stays warm with just body heat. You can warm up your insulated tent even more with the help of a lantern or stove. Insulated tents are warmer than traditional wall tents and light and easy to set up. Insulated tents are available in several sizes and styles.
In addition to wearing stocking caps and long johns and using insulated pads, there’s another trick that experienced campers and hunters use to stay warm in their tents on chilly nights. Consider pouring a boiling pot of water into a one-liter Nalgene bottle, capping it off and throwing it into the bottom of your sleeping bag. Doing this on a chilly night will keep your sleeping bag toasty. By filling the bottle to the brim and removing all the air the bottle will stay warm all night. This is a technique (rubber hot water bottles) many households used years ago. If you’re really savvy, you’ll fill the bottle with boiling coffee. In the morning you’ll be able to enjoy coffee in bed that’s just the right drinking temperature.
When it comes to taking a float trip in early spring and late fall, you need to be prepared for chilly nights. Larger sized chemical and toe warmers, eating foods high in protein and fat, using an insulated tent and pouring boiling water into a one-liter Nalgene bottle and throwing it into the bottom of your sleeping bag are some of the best strategies for staying warm. Sleep tight and don’t let the bed bugs bite.
You shouldn’t tell people they can heat their tent with a stove! They could die from carbon monoxide poisoning.
I take a wool blanket to insulate my sleeping bag, an air mattress to keep off the cold ground and long cashmere socks, gloves and hat, and hot water bottle. Everyone was freezing all night, I wondered what the fuss was about!
I just bought my heated sleeping bag from Active Arctic Wear and im good to go even if it drops below -35. They even have heated floor mats and wifi tents. Yes camping has come a long ways since camping with mom and dad.