Question - Winter camping in tents

[LanceBombardEars]

Eat and drink something hot just before you crash out. if you are using a water bottle rather than a Camelbak type bladder, then fill it with hot water and take it into your bag with you. It also saves you having a solid bottle in the morning.
As mentioned before, unless things get dramatic, don't wear all your warm kit in your bag. It may help you get warm to begin with but by fcuk you'll be cold in the morning when you get out with nothing extra to put on.
Sounds obvious as well, but wear a hat in bed.
Survived at night at -12 in a Softy 9 with a meraklon liner, but wouldn't describe it as comfortable!

 

[Bollock-chops]

LBE, going to sleep in your sleeping bag with wet kit on is not good practice, that is what your drys are for, sleeping in and emergencys. Your wets get put back on in the morning and your drys stowed again for tomorrow night.

Spare socks can be dried on the hoof under rucksack shoulder straps inside your smock etc.

 

[ooooh_matron]

Eat and drink something hot just before you crash out. if you are using a water bottle rather than a Camelbak type bladder, then fill it with hot water and take it into your bag with you. It also saves you having a solid bottle in the morning.
As mentioned before, unless things get dramatic, don't wear all your warm kit in your bag. It may help you get warm to begin with but by fcuk you'll be cold in the morning when you get out with nothing extra to put on.
Sounds obvious as well, but wear a hat in bed.
Survived at night at -12 in a Softy 9 with a meraklon liner, but wouldn't describe it as comfortable!

Keep the water bottles upside down if you are really expecting bad weather.

 

[Bollock-chops]

Why keep bottles upside down?

 

[ooooh_matron]

Why keep bottles upside down?

[wah shield on]When it starts to freeze the ice will settle at the base of the bottle allowing you to still drink.
[wah shield off]

 

[tom_dkg]

You have some really good stuff above, your question answered, here is your only other alternative without spending hard earned dosh:

 

[LanceBombardEars]

Good advice Bollock Chops, but I'm not sure where in my post I said to wear wet kit in your doss bag.

 

[Bollock-chops]

LBE you didnt mention it, I read it that way. & oooh Matron excellent use of shield, keep it up.

 

[paralog]

As someone who has done quite bit of winter camping here in Canada (down to -40c, mostly in snowcaves as tents are much colder there a few key things.

You need a good tent. Two layer tents do offer a little insulation but mostly the prevent wind chill.

Leave the inflatable mats at home (if it leaks you are screwed and they do not insulate as well), use thick ensolite mats, you must have a good sleeping bag they are expensive you can also sleep in a clothes to supplement the bag.

Wear long johns and fleece to sleep in, make sure you keep as much snow out of the tent. If you a doing it in the UK I would suggest a synthetic bag not down (down bags can be made water resistant with dryloft covers or bivibags)
Eat and drink something just before going to bed. Have a pee bottle in the tent with you. Mark it somehow from your drink bottles (my pee bottle was square versus a round drinking bottle)

There are some very good books out there on the subject.

The total other way to do it is to use an outfitters tent which is huge and has a wood stove in it which is a nice comfortable way to go.

 

[pinepig]

like paralog said, and be careful about cooking in the vestibule or inside the tent. carbon monoxide poisoning is insidious, have dealt with enough patients/vicitms in the rockies over the last decade.

 

[sfub]

What they said, plus, your personal fitness plays a part, if you are bionic you will feel warm in a zipped up 5 season bag at -18.

I've now got most of my left foot missing, a metal knee joint, a plate in my skull, another one where my cheekbone used to be, and one in my jaw, so as someone who is more or less bionic, I can safely say with a level of confidence that you feel freezing at -18 in a 5 season bag

 

[Bollock-chops]

Isn't that why candle watch was invented?

 

[Gremlin]

What they said, plus, your personal fitness plays a part, if you are bionic you will feel warm in a zipped up 5 season bag at -18.

I've now got most of my left foot missing, a metal knee joint, a plate in my skull, another one where my cheekbone used to be, and one in my jaw, so as someone who is more or less bionic, I can safely say with a level of confidence that you feel freezing at -18 in a 5 season bag

Next time don't argue with the bloody Polar Bear over who gets supper first then!

 

[armadillo]

I learnt a trick years ago that works I have no clue why it just does. If you wash your feet prior to getting in with freezin cold water as soon as you are in it turns the bag extremely hot. I have no idea why it works it just does.

I also do this, black nasty a survival blanket onto a thermarest, place this inside the bivvi bag with you, this will prevent coming off it in the middle of the night and it just gets really toasty in there.

I have slept out in some crazy tempertures, I have even been know to carrying two tropical sleeping bags and putting them inside each other.

Siting and location are important, I have found that a poncho gives an extra feeling of comfort, keeps the elements of you.

As for the argument over fitness, muscle mass means more susceptiblity to hypothermia, where as fatties survive longer. However fit blokes in the cold do not suffer as much dehydration as a fatttie.

 

[cuckingfunt]

http://www.lippiselkbag.co.uk/



No, this is not a serious suggestion, but it looks kinda cool.

(no pun intended)