Keeping tent warm

O

OmegaA

Joined
Feb 13, 2004
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This year I was camping with my wife in Wales. The temperature during the day was warm, but during the night it was very cold that we had to sleep inside th car, even though it was still not warm enough.
One of the problems was, of course, our sleeping bags. Now, we bought ourselve better ones. However, I was wondering if there are some heaters to keep the tent warm? I know people in Russia use stoves in tents, but it is quite a fire hazard. Is there something safer and portable?
Regards,
 
OmegaA said:
This year I was camping with my wife in Wales. The temperature during the day was warm, but during the night it was very cold that we had to sleep inside th car, even though it was still not warm enough.
One of the problems was, of course, our sleeping bags. Now, we bought ourselve better ones. However, I was wondering if there are some heaters to keep the tent warm? I know people in Russia use stoves in tents, but it is quite a fire hazard. Is there something safer and portable?
Regards,
Click to expand...


A double wide sleeping bag comes to mind:D
Actually , unless you have a canvas tent with a fire insert for the stovepipe fire aint it. Plus the fire in a wood stove doesn't usually last all night anyway.
I have a woodstove I use in my 12'tipi for cold camping and I'm usally sweating. There are some catalytic heaters that are OK but IMO nothing beats a good sleeping bag.
 
the only problem with stoves and catalytic heaters in tents is CO poisoning. make sure there is ventelation. one good place to find light weight tents with stoves is www.kifaru.net they have a line of silnylon tents with optional stove inserts.
 
mewolf1 said:
A double wide sleeping bag comes to mind:D
...IMO nothing beats a good sleeping bag.
Click to expand...
I like the first idea...nothing like sharing body warmth with a fine women in a good bag!:thumbup:
 
holy sh*t, batmen! thanks for this thread and particularly to swami...just yesterday i was walking my dogs up here in the rockies and thinking "i really want to do some winter camping, but how do i stay warm at night?" it's not so much the cold as it is the fact that it gets dark by 5pm...so what do you in a cold tent for 12-14 hours? bundling up in a warm sleeping bag doesn't exactly give you many options...

i'm going to kifaru's store TOMORROW to check out the tipis and stoves...they're 30 minutes away from me...my outdoor season up here in the rockies just expanded by 6-8 months...
 
I'm not a fan of fire of ANY kind inside of tents, though I suppose there are systems/tents specifically made for that.

My answer to your question is "You don't keep tents warm - you keep your body warm." If you try to warm the inside of your tent you will promote condensation on the walls, which will lead to wet gear, which will lead to you getting cold.

The answer is to dress warmly for the outdoors, stay dry, when the time comes make a quick transition into the sleeping bag, use a good sleeping bag to keep you warm, and then in morning make a quick transition to dry clothing.
 
depending on where you are, you can stuff a lot of down leaves under your tent, try to get a good size pile of leaves to create a barrier of insulation. Otherswise it is up to your bag, pad, and sleep clothes. Always change your socks as ive found out the hard way.
 
Eat plenty of baked beans before bed.:eek: :D Seriously, what about those large warming pacs like you put in your boots. I think they make a large size similar to the hand and foot warmers.
Scott
 
kenk said:
I'm not a fan of fire of ANY kind inside of tents, though I suppose there are systems/tents specifically made for that.

My answer to your question is "You don't keep tents warm - you keep your body warm." If you try to warm the inside of your tent you will promote condensation on the walls, which will lead to wet gear, which will lead to you getting cold.

The answer is to dress warmly for the outdoors, stay dry, when the time comes make a quick transition into the sleeping bag, use a good sleeping bag to keep you warm, and then in morning make a quick transition to dry clothing.
Click to expand...
http://www.fourdog.com/ http://w...our tipi cover. The list goes on...:)
 
Unless you have a tepee, I don't recommend that you heat a tent. Use a sleeping bag rated below your anticipated low temperature. Mine is a military arctic bag with a wolf fur face ring. I have been toasty at -10. But it is not a lightweight by any means. I have a Stagbag goose down and it was warm to +20 for many years. Now it is good to +40. Both bags together will make you sweat at 20 below. Keep your head and face covered. Wear a toboggan to bed. You can increase the warmth of your bag with those handwarmer packets, but your best rating increase is insulation between the bag and the ground. FOam is great, leaves or straw is good. Put your clothes in the foot of the bag in the morning before you get up to preheat them. Also, you will sleep warmer (drier) nude, or nearly so. Allow the bag to air out in the morning or it will get saturated from moisture inside and freeze. And freeze you.
 
Over the years I have tried a large number of things;
  • Warm bodies (female) - you don't get much sleep (but you don't care)
  • Excellant bag - great if you know ahead of time that it is going to snow (I have been snowed upon in mid July, the fresh powder actually makes the tent warmer)
  • Minimise the vented stargasing windows in todays tents - dangerous if you use any form of heater (heavy guage clear plastic (walmart) works great for this).
  • Throw a hand warmer in the foot of your bag - sometimes they get uncomfortably hot.
  • use a tarp as a rainfly and secure it tightly to the ground all the way around the tent - another way to minimise venting although the dead air space does add insulatiion (again this ccould be dangerous if used with combustion or catalytic heaters).
  • Use a small heater (start it before you get up) to ease the shock of gettig out of your bag in the morning - a good compromise
  • Use an 18,000 BTU ventless heater in the tent - heats well but the condensation is a lot like a rainstorm every time the wind blows.
  • Use the stove jack that came with the tent and make a vented furnace - this winter's heating project.
  • Place a moving pad between your bag and matress or sleeping pad - I do this even in the summer (insulate below) it works.
  • Carry layers for your bag to fine tune its insulating ability - fleece liners or poncho liners help if it turns cold unexpectedly.
I would realy like to try a tent with an insulated liner for winter camping but I haven't found an affordable one.

"Winter camping is fun (your beer doen't get warm)."
Enjoy!

(edit) Wear a wool stocking cap or watch cap in the bag you can loose a lot of heat through your head.

"Finding firewood under 3 feet of snow is easy, just slam a couple of beers and walk around when you face plant into a snowdrift just look at your feet the firewood will appear."
 
Ditto advice to increase insulation. Your body will produce plenty of heat IF you have adequate insulation.

Please check out Robbie's current thread in this forum regarding sleeping bags. Wales is not all that differnt from Robbie's stomping grounds in one respect -- damp cold.

Have totally dry sweat suit and dry,fluffy stockings to wear "to bed."
 
Ditto on hat advice. 70% of your body heat escapes through your head:) Keep it warm = stay warm.
 
I good matress with high thermal resistivity makes a huge difference as well. A hot water bottle is great too, water has a really high heat capacity.

Will
 
A good mattress (foam, Thermarest, air) is essential when winter tent camping. Synthetic long johns and a toque help, too (but NOT cotton and don't EVER try sleeping with all your winter clothes on -- they'll absorb mositure instead of letting it escape, and you'll freeze). A sheet contoured for your bag will add a few degrees temperture protection. At -45 an Arctic bag (20 lb. actual weight), or two lighter bags are necessary. A big wall tent designed for a wood stove can be cozy at -40, provided you keep stoking the stove. Banking snow around the outside helps, too. Best of all is a big double bag and a compatible companion...
 
January middle of appalacian mt range in WV. Was in the Boy scouts doing polar bear camp. 3 feet of snow on the ground canvas tents night time low
-30 degrees we cleared the snow to the ground picted the tent, cover the tent with dirt, braken etc., then snow up to with in 1 foot of top on 3 sides and within 2 feet at the door. straw was used insined as a ground insulator. i had a heavy old hunter's sleeping bag, the type with a cotten felt body and wool rag insulation I sleprtin in quited thermal undeawear and was quite warm. I must say the tents enterior by the door got to below 32 degrees as I forgot to put my boots in the bag with me, and they froze solid.
 
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