How do you keep warm in a tent in October?

[Digger]

Hi there,

we have booked a week at a lovely site near Skipton in North Yorkshire to camp in the new tent over half term.

I have never camped before (well, only Brownies, Guides and a one nighter) and I was just wondering how one keeps warm in the tent before it's time to get into bed? Or do you just get in bed if it's cold!

We are allowed a bbq as long as it's off the ground so I thought we would take at least one and use it as a fire but that will be outside. Obviously we'll have thermals, hats, gloves, quilts, blankets etc but (and we do have an electric hook up pitch thingy) can you have some kind of heater in the tent? Sorry if that offends any camping purists. I just want the family to be comfy so it doesn't put them off.

The tent is a Vango Wyoming 8. The family is 2 adults, a 12 year old boy and a nearly 8 year old girl.

Really, any tips at all would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Digger

[Red Tape]

I would be very careful about putting any kind of heating unit inside a tent, but it doesn't seem that that is what you're asking, Typically, before I crawl into a sleeping bag, I've spent some time sitting next to a fire, so I'm already warm.
You'll be surprised how quickly your body heats up the sleeping area, so as long as you have blankets or extra covers, you should be fine. One tip though. Before you crawl into bed, take whatever you're going to slip into the next morning (underpants, jeans, shirt) and stuff it into the bottom of your sleeping bag or keep it alongside you. It'll be warmed up when you wake. This will be particularly useful if you hit a cold snap.

[paul]

A good quality sleeping bag can also help. Look for 4-season bags... (I think there's even ones out there that they call 5-season bags - never really understood that one!)
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[bogdan808]

There are equipments to warm a tent (i don't have knowledge of their names) but i know they are verrrry expensive, they are used on polar expeditions and i know you woun't need one in a camp. You'll have great memories of how you frozed in this or that camp (at least i do).
But what you really need is a good sleeping bag and a there are sleeping bags for -15 degrees... so you'll be more than warm in them. You'll only be cold when you're changing clothes.
Oh, and you'll need a thermo izolator to put under your sleeping bag... orelse don't even leave home!

[Truelyana]

Can't you just all cuddle up together? You'd be surprised at how much heat you'll produce, it'll also be alot safer then any electric warmer.

[Elle1971]

[footandbike]

I always take a fire pit camping - gbp60 from argos- this stands about 1 foot off the ground on legs so you can have a whopper of a fire in it without any risk of damaging the ground. This always keeps me warm but inside i would go for an airbed with a duvet on top and then a sleeping bag and a couple of blankets as a minimum - keep off the floor. Avoid sitting around too much... play games to keep warm...Hot chocs also help....
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[trev]

[Martin Thompson]

One technique which is fairly effective and safe as long as you take care is the use of hot rocks. Place some big rocks around your fire and let them heat up during the evening. You could put these around a barbecue as well I suppose. Then using some thick gloves transfer the rocks onto a piece of cardboard and place inside your sleeping bag. Be careful not to burn yourself. I like to put the rocks in the middle of the bag so that I am curled around them. It is also nice to have some near your feet. I was also thinking in the winter you could build a pyramid of hot rocks inside the tent to warm the air up. This would be much better than the use of a gas lamp which would slowly poison you.
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[trev]

Just one question - how do you stop yourself turning over and burning yourself on them, especially parts that you really don't want to burn?

Oh and does this work if the sleeping bag is made of manmade fibres? Just guessing they might melt a bit.

Trev
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[Martin Thompson]

Yes best not to try this with a synthetic sleepic bag. My one has a cotten lining atleast so it was ok. The rocks can get in the way a bit but best not to use red hot ones just hot enough with cardboard around them. Excerise care when using hot rocks and keep them away from exposed skin. You can also get special dogs with no hair that are good to sleep with although I would prefer a cute female also without too much hair.
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[Juniper]

A heater in a tent sounds like a bad idea. I think the kinds of tents people take to the Arctic and things are rather tougher than the sort of tent you'd be using for a family of four in the UK and designed for use with Arctic equipment. Tents are never 100% dry so electricity is a bad idea, and besides, the last thing you want to do is melt a hole in the groundsheet.

If you have decent sleeping bags you should be fine. Remember always to look at the comfort rating not the extreme rating if you are buying a new one, and try not to get very big sleeping bags- that's just more space for your body to warm up. That said, kids' sleeping bags in more than 3 seasons are rare, so I don't know whether kids are better off with a small adult's sleeping bag or not. Lots of sleeping bags have drawstrings at the top and drawing them in a bit once you're inside can really help to prevent heat from escaping. Wearing warm socks to bed can help a lot too- it's always the feet that get cold. If it's really cold, wear a woolly hat, you lose a lot of heat from your head and it's the only bit that isn't covered by the sleeping bag. You'll be toasty by the morning.

I suppose you could also use hot water bottles or those little packs of gel where you click the metal disc and they heat up. Those are rather small but they are fun and a lot safer than a heater.

Before going to bed either sitting outside by the fire or wearing your sleeping bag is the norm. I don't think people sit around in tents in their outdoor clothes much unless there are a lot of people in one tent. Cocoa is good but getting out of your cosy warm sleeping bag in the middle of the night to go to the loo isn't, so maybe not such a good idea right before bed...

[cazza]

Did you go camping in October? And how DID you keep warm?

I would be interested to know. Not that I am thinking of doing it, just wondered.
We went camping this summer in Cornwall, my partner and myself, his daughter and my son. It was fantastic!

It rained a bit at night, but we have really lovely sunny days. I got a natural light tan, which is a first for me, as I am naturally blonde and pale. I spent most of my time on the beach reading, as did my partner, whilst the kids went off beachcombing and paddling.

(Kids of 11 and 14, I should add! We wouldn't leave little ones on their own!)

[andi_lincoln]

Important

There is absolutely nothing wrong with using hot rocks but please be sure NOT to use wet rocks..... They are likely to have absorbed moisture and are liable to explode.....

Other than that, in order to keep warm the best thing you can do is to have good insulation under your sleeping bag and a decent multi season sleeping bag.....

Good Luck.

[Valeria71]

The best way to keep warm is to have a partner to hug up to inside to the ten!

Otherwise a trip to Millets for a quality sleeping bag. There is NO point to just buy the cheapest sleeping bags though as I find with camping gear that you realy have to pay if you want the good stuff.