Best way to heat a tent in 40* /20mph wind weather?

Allium · Apr 7, 2017

An old army mountain bag with a canvas cover and a poncho liner has had me camping year round including snow storms. First - sleep in as minimal clothes as you can - if you sleep fully clothed you still need to compensate for the bag when you get out and you sweat. Wet = cold. Wear a wool hat - most heath loss is from head. Wool socks help. Put tomorrows clothes in a clth bag and use as a pillow - they get warm that way. Unroll the bag just before you get in - less surface space to get cold. Good foam pad on top of a plastic tarp creates a barrier - the ground will sap the heat. And this is when a smaller tent is better - breathing warms the tent. OH and a bedpan -- them late night emergency latrine runs are a bear for women.

slybarman · Apr 7, 2017

Allium said:
Wear a wool hat - most heath loss is from head.

This notion was disproved and arose from a flawed army study years ago.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/26/h...most-of-your-body-heat-through-your-head.html

Having said that, I agree 100% with your underlying point - sleeping with one's head covered will for sure keep you warmer than uncovered, which I why I love mummy bags. I love pulling the drawstrings tight on my MSS keeping my head covered and just my eyes, nose and mouth exposed. Toasty.

Neot · Apr 7, 2017

Feed everyone beans. Warm, but stinky gusts will occur.

newmuzzleloader · Apr 7, 2017

I have family camped in 20* weather with wife and kids and can tell you what works for us.
Indoor/outdoor carpet cut to fit inside floor, inflatable sleeping pad( not air mattress), "Hot-Hands"- they make a larger 10 hr. warmer pop it and put inside at the foot of your bag an hour befor you plan on crawling in. A good sleeping bag rated for temps. A 50* bag is not good in 20*weather. a base layer( under armor type) with wool socks and a knit cap to cover your head: this is key if you want to stay warm.If possible set the tent up out of the wind, at the very least have the door opening away from the wind.
This has worked for us over the yrs when cold weather camping.

Biggfoot44 · Apr 7, 2017

A good quality sleeping bag would be lighter and less bulky, but two zero rated cheap sleeing bags , one inside the other will be plenty warm . The problem will be excessive sweating.

As above noted, polypropylene base layer, hat , foam pad.

***************

But seriously, with an actual tent , and just one zero rated sleeping bag, low 40's is NOT cold by any objective standards.Two possibilities :

1. She has undiagnosed serious circulatory or metabolism issues .

2. It's her way of saying she'd really rather stay in a hotel instead of camping.

Derwood · Apr 7, 2017

I camp in all weather. My keys to being comfortable in the tent at night:

Keep a completely separate set of long underwear, wool socks and wool hat for sleeping. This is the most important factor and you will be cold if you don't do it. It sucks for 30 seconds when you change into the cold long underwear, but you're warm for the rest of the night.

Then comes having a quality sleeping bag and ground pad.

fightinbluhen51 · Apr 7, 2017

Shit...I've used a 40* LL Bean bag in 40~30* temps. I sleep in shorts year round (I know, not the best for camping) but that bag, combined w/ a REI inflatable sleeping pad, and one blanket, I was slightly chilly first thing in the morning.

1) Get her dressed right: A decent moisture wicking layer, fleece pants, a quality shirt, maybe even a beenie hat
2) Get her off the ground
3) Have her be well hydrated
4) Ensure she has a decent meal before turning in (a power bar, cliff bar, hell even a snickers)

jtb81100 · Apr 7, 2017

Send the kids on a hike and warm her up the old fashioned way

outrider58 · Apr 7, 2017

Neot said:
Feed everyone beans. Warm, but stinky gusts will occur.

+2

JBinDC · Apr 7, 2017

Thanks for all the suggestions y'all!

We are on a queen Coleman air mattress, and I do like the idea of another layer of covering under our rain fly. We have a waterproof painters tarp we usually use as a secondary floor, that maybe we'll use between the rain fly and the tent top. That may help. Forecast calls for winds to die down to under double digits after 8PM tonight, so hopefully before we put the fire out...

Challenge on layering her up is to be quite frank, ahem size. Couple that with her aversion to buy quality layering like i do, and that's where we have issues. Hence why the attempted workaround of heating the tent. I have another offline suggestion given I thought I'd share - someone suggested hot water bottles - wrapped incase of leakage - and stuffed in the sleeping bags at the feet, or wherever necessary.

I'm hopeful that with the winds dying down tonight, it'll be better on her this time in general. Thankfully myself and the kids are well layered up in wicking and wool duds.

Thanks again for all the suggestions! Wish us luck!!! --JB

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

-Z/28- · Apr 7, 2017

I'd go with hand warmers over the water bottle idea. The bottles won't stay warm all night, and will feel more like cold packs in the morning. But otherwise, sounds like you have a plan now.

outrider58 · Apr 7, 2017

Spooning(though I'm sure it's already been said).

Trekker · Apr 7, 2017

Derwood said:
It sucks for 30 seconds when you change into the cold long underwear, but you're warm for the rest of the night.

Well, you could always go for the 2-3 minutes of inside the sleeping bag gymnastics of taking off your sleeping wear, dragging your daytime long underwear into the sleeping bag, then putting them on once they have warmed. It is tricky but still possible with a mummy bag.

-Z/28- said:
I'd go with hand warmers over the water bottle idea. The bottles won't stay warm all night, and will feel more like cold packs in the morning. But otherwise, sounds like you have a plan now.

I do the water bottle thing mostly to keep my water from freezing on winter backpacking trips. It is nice for the first couple hours as you get to sleep, but is lukewarm by morning. I will admit that it does give me a bit of anxiety imagining if I somehow unscrew them in the sleeping bag.

rseymorejr · Apr 7, 2017

I had an idea for you until you said the kids were going along too!
:innocent0

Huckleberry · Apr 7, 2017

Buy Mama some electric hunting socks for the cold feet. Don't forget to bring extra batteries. Much more warmer than the Hot Hand packs. Get her a polypropylene sleeping cap. Wool or Ragwool is nice but it can make your head sweat and soak your hair.

Wear minimum clothing. Sleep with your long underwear and clothes in the fart sack to keep them warm and toasty for the morning. Learn to get dressed in your fart sack.

The emergency space blankets make a great sleeping bag liner that can help to retain more body heat than a wool or polar fleece blanket and their easier to pack. Not too durable but they're pretty cheap to buy. Sometimes, FEMA or state EMAs will give them away at emergency prep shows and public displays.

cantstop · Apr 7, 2017

outrider58 · Apr 7, 2017

Huckleberry said:
Buy Mama some electric hunting socks for the cold feet. Don't forget to bring extra batteries. Much more warmer than the Hot Hand packs. Get her a polypropylene sleeping cap. Wool or Ragwool is nice but it can make your head sweat and soak your hair.

Wear minimum clothing. Sleep with your long underwear and clothes in the fart sack to keep them warm and toasty for the morning. Learn to get dressed in your fart sack.

The emergency space blankets make a great sleeping bag liner that can help to retain more body heat than a wool or polar fleece blanket and their easier to pack. Not too durable but they're pretty cheap to buy. Sometimes, FEMA or state EMAs will give them away at emergency prep shows and public displays.

Good advice all around. I have even found using heavy duty commercial plastic trash bags as an outer bag hold heat in really well.

Sundazes · Apr 7, 2017

cantstop said:

BAMA's Back!!!!!!!!

buellsfurn · Apr 7, 2017

outrider58 said:
Spooning(though I'm sure it's already been said).

this , I guess the children could make it awkward

J Beard · Apr 7, 2017

An important step often overlooked.
If you are using a modern light weight sleeping bag, fluff the bag before getting in to loft the fill.
This will even out the insulating material preventing cold spots and add air space between the insulating material fibers and will keep you warmer.

If using a cot put an insulating pad on top of it or air passing under it will rob heat from you. If sleeping on the ground an insulating pad will keep the ground from doing the same.
A sleeping pad (even the inflatable ones) will keep you warmer than an air mattress.

A light fleece blanket over top of your bag will add a few degrees to its rating, if it goes over more than one bag you will share each others heat.

Dry clothes, socks, hat and a snack before getting in the bag.

Good luck and have fun!

Best way to heat a tent in 40* /20mph wind weather?

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