How do you stay warm while winter camping?
Winter camping can be a magical experience, but it also requires preparation and planning to avoid freezing during cold nights. Here are some practical tips for maximising warmth and comfort when the temperature drops far below zero.
Eat well and right
A calorie-rich dinner is crucial for staying warm during the night – think of it as putting logs on a fire. The body needs fuel to keep its “inner stove” running. In very cold conditions, the body’s energy reserves can run out during the night, making it difficult to fall asleep. Therefore, focus on food that provides long-lasting energy, such as pasta and fatty foods.
Prepare for warmth
Most cold comes from below, so it’s important to create proper insulation underneath you. Sleeping pads are crucial. However, you need to be a bit careful with inflatable models, while regular old sleeping pads are reliable. Have a regular sleeping pad against the tent floor. On top of that, you can then place clothes and finally an inflatable sleeping pad if you want.
Consider using two sleeping bags
If you’re buying a sleeping bag, don’t choose a large, thick winter bag. It will be too warm and you won’t use it. Instead, buy a thin summer bag and a three-season bag. Use them separately or both when it’s cold. Take out and shake the sleeping bag early in the evening so it has time to air out properly. It’s the air that’s insulated in the sleeping bag that keeps you warm.
Dress properly for a warm night
Contrary to what many believe, you shouldn’t wear too many clothes in the sleeping bag. A dry base layer in wool, a pair of socks, and a hat or balaclava is sufficient. The base layer you sleep in should be dry and only used at night, while the base layer you use during the day can get damp. If you have clothes left over after making the bed, such as a down jacket or windbreaker, these can be placed on top of the sleeping bag for extra insulation.
Hot water bottles for extra luxury
Fill one or two bottles with hot water, seal them carefully, and place them in your sleeping bag an hour before bedtime. Put the bottles in a sock to avoid them becoming too hot to handle.
Always sleep in dry clothes
Wet clothes are one of the biggest enemies of a good night’s sleep. Therefore, use a dry base layer intended only for the night. In the morning, it might feel unpleasant to change back into the cold and damp day base layer, but think about how nice it will feel to change back into the dry one again in the evening. A tip is to bring the inner shoes from your boots down into the sleeping bag (in a plastic bag if they’re damp) to keep them warm for the morning.
Have good evening routines
Before going to bed, make sure to organise the equipment in the tent. Keep important things like headlamps close at hand, preferably around your head, so you can easily access them. Check that everything else is in the right place if you should need something during the night.
Be smart about bathroom visits
Urinate just before you crawl into the sleeping bag. If you still need to urinate during the night, get up immediately and do your business – trying to hold it only leads to an uncomfortable night. Use a pee bottle in the tent if you prefer, or step out quickly, move around to create warmth, and then return quickly to the sleeping bag.
Warm up properly before going to bed
To increase your body heat before crawling into the sleeping bag, set aside five to ten minutes for light exercise. Run around, jump, or do deep squats to get warm, but make sure you don’t start sweating – it can worsen the cold later.
Handle cold during the night
Tighten the sleeping bag’s hood properly to keep warmth around the head, where much body heat otherwise escapes. If you wake up cold, check that you’re lying correctly on the sleeping pads and consider putting an extra layer of clothes on top of the sleeping bag. Eat a small snack or do some sit-ups to create warmth.
You sleep well outdoors in the cold
Finally, remember to enjoy the experience. It’s actually both more comfortable and easier to sleep outside in winter when it’s cold than in summer when it’s warm, with mosquitoes, ticks, and other things. Winter camping is magical and an opportunity to get close to nature. With the right preparations and routines, it can be both comfortable and memorable, even when the thermometer dips well below zero. Take the opportunity to sleep outside for the first time when you feel comfortable with the temperature and weather. Test sleep on the balcony, patio, or porch before heading out to the winter mountains.