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Cold Weather Tenting

23K views 33 replies 16 participants last post by  IslaCurrey 
#1 ·
Planning on going tenting with my 5 year old this weekend and looking for tips on making it more comfortable and fun so he'll want to do it again. I'm thinking the temps should be between 5C and -5C. I've got a decent tent and thermarests.
 
#3 ·
REALLY good bags for sleeping....seriously good bags...5yo don't got much mass to loose heat. Good bags and maybe stick a reflective emergency blanket UNDER his bag between the bag and thermorest...NOT in the bag...

Just stay hydrated, eat well and have fun...
 
#4 ·
We've decent sleeping bags with zip-in fleece liners for extra warmth plus since theres two we'll be zipping them together for the extra snuggle factor. I think I'm going to bring an old feather duvet for extra insulation as well.

I've got a tent heater too but I'm a little worried about using it.
 
#5 ·
old trick I've used in the past to help, take a large heavy cast iron pan. Throw some rocks in the fire before you go to bed, when they get really hot, take and put them in the pan. Put it in the tent with a fireproof stand under it to keep it off the tent bottom. Works wonders, will keep the tent substantially warmer. I always throw another batch of rocks in the fire and get it going good when we go to sleep, then when I cold, I get up put new rocks in the pan and go back to sleep!
Monty
 
#9 ·
Nice idea...I like that one....thanks for the tip...LOL

I want to try my hennesy hammock out soon when it's cooler....with my nice down military bag!...Maybe in couple weeks!
 
#6 ·
I had my kid out camping from 6 months of age, year round and he always loved it!
I just made sure I was up early to spark up the fire again as I always noticed that's when he would be freezing his ass off! lol!
As for tent heaters I'm against them, it's too dam easy for a suffocation to occur.
 
#7 ·
I knocked over a heater in my tent. After waking up cold one morning I llit the heater and went back to sleep. I woke up to the smell of burning air mattress and a tent full of black smoke. You could say that I am damn lucky to live to tell the story.
 
#12 ·
dont use airmatress unless you have a large amount of bedding between you and the airmatress. always find the airmatress is a big heat sink to suck the heat out of you. when I was younger I always prefered a bunch of bedding on the tent floor to insulate me from the ground.
 
#20 ·
Yeah thats my plan, I guess I wasn't clear. We have identical bags that I'm zipping together to make one bag so we can share each others heat.

If I can find one of those tent candles locally I'm going to pick one up. I was reading reviews on mec.ca and they seem pretty slick and probably worth keeping in my glove box for unplanned stays in the ditch.
 
#21 ·
its all depend on your tent setup, personnally there wont ever be a flame getting in my tent... yes a candle can save your life in the ditch..

everything is extremely flamable in a tent and ill never risk my baby face... its like making an open pit fire in the middle of a barn full of hays

I am awaiting zodi to come with their next generation of heat exchanger, I chatted with them today, they still under testing and dont have a date yet... if they dont come out with something ill make my own...

with that you got no CO (carbon monoxyde), and you keep the heater itself a few feets from your tent
 

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#31 ·
I know i'm several months late, But in the 40's and 50's my grampa was a scout master and all around outdoorsman. He often took the troop and my mom and uncle camping when it was still cold, He would let everyone find there own rock a fairly good sized one and then they would all warm them near the fire. When they were good and toasty not too hot he would wrap them in a towel and put them in the bottom of the kids sleeping bags the rocks stayed warm most of the night and you could put your feet on them during the night for added warmth. although i have never tried it, My mom has fond memories of camping this way when it was cold.
 
#33 · (Edited)
The weather that you are telling about is sometimes common depending upon your camping place. Whatever you go for camping, you prepare yourself for almost any type of weather, this advice I got from My Dad. For cold one, Bring a good quality of Marquee to prevent you from hard weather
Bartending Schools
 
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