Cold weather camping?

[funkychunkymonkey]

Ok I know im nuts already. I have never been camping. We just bought a 6 person tent and Im gonna try it out. Looks like its just going to be me, a tent, my sleeping bag (rated for -10) and the great outdoors. Any advice? Looks like it will be about 10 to 20 degrees when I go (the 27th)

 

[clkelley]

Put an extra fleece blanket inside that sleeping bag. Change into different clothes to sleep in than you wore all day. Even though cold, you did sweat during the day and your clothes will be damp, so therefore you will be colder.

Leave a window cracked on the tent. You need to let condensation escape. Us humans breathe very wet, so you will soak yourself just breathing if the tent is all closed up.

Wet and cold do NOT match.

Put a layer of plastic underneath your tent and inside your tent.

A foam pad under your sleeping bag will help too.

 

[ftwildernessrick]

Wow, that is jumping in with both feet without testing the water.

First, I don't what kind of tent you have, but you will need to have a little ventilation, not much, to exhaust the moisture. Otherwise you will have water dripping down the walls.

I am assuming you don't have an expedition style tent with the stove & stove pipe opening, so a couple of electric heaters would probably be nice, if you have access to electricty. If you don't have electricity, get something like the Mr. Heater Buddy portable heater (I have the Big Buddy one). It has a built in low oxygen sensor. It will run off the small propane bottles and is adjustable. The Big Buddy version can hold 2 bottles & has a battery operated fan built in. There are adapters available to hook to a large bottle and an AC adapter for the fan.

Other than that sleep with your socks on along with something comfortable like a warm up suit. Sleep with your flashlight inside the sleeping bag because batteries don't work well cold.

Have fun ?

 

[Total Joker]

Set up the tent at home!!!! that way you know you have all the parts and knowledge to set it up, especially if its dark when you get there. Air mattress is a must have unless you like a hard surface to sleep on. Clear the site of sticks and anything that may put a hole in the floor of your tent. Get a cheap door mat to put in front of your tent, the more sand and dirt you keep out the better. Take three trash bags and fold them up, put them in a small zip-lock bag and put them in the bottom of you camp gear, they always come in handy. A tent hammer (rubber mallet with a hook on the end) wal-mart $2-$3 not a must have but makes life easy. Rope or cord to make clothes line or anything else that may come up. A good fixed blade knife for Everything!

I tent camp with the boy scouts many times a year and these are a few things that are a must have. Hope this helps and enjoy!!

 

[Teamubr]

Great advice so far.

I've camped in every month of the year in the Midwest (Missouri/Illinois, so it gets cold)

The only other thing I'd add is, go to the bathroom before you go to bed.. 4am is REALLY cold and it's not fun getting out of a nice warm sleeping bag.

j