For Everyone Who Has Tent Camped in Winter

[jsmla]

I can use all the tips you have to offer. We're thinking about leaving the trailer at home (to save on gas) and tenting it January 5-13. I've never done any cold weather camping and would love to hear how you stay warm. We're bringing a 10x15 cabin-style tent and I've already ordered two cots with air mattresses. It's warmer up off the ground, right?

Does anyone use a heater? We have a small ceramic one, would that do?

Are the comfort stations heated?

Any tips would be greatly appreciated. I'm praying hard for warm weather but I want to be prepared! Hubby is a Yeti and loves the cold but I'm a died-in-the-wool southern girl.

Thanks,

Jennifer

 

[clkelley]

Electric Mattress Pad and Electric Blanket on those air mattresses!!!!

I don't subscribe too much to a heater in a tent, but many folks have done it carefully and successfully. I actually use a fan in my tent during the day in cold weather to combat the moisture.

The comfort stations are heated.

If you have room, a portable toilet in the corner of your tent, so you don't have to make those middle of the night trips.

Keep some ventilation going in the tent and open up those windows during the day. Moisture is your enemy for staying warm. We as humans create lots of moisture just by breathing. Take a shower at night and get clean and dry and put on clean/dry bed clothes. Once again, you sweat during the day and there is moisture there.

 

[des1954]

We've often camped at the Fort in January. Sad to say, the temps can go either directions. I second the motion about electric pad or electric blankets. I'm leary of tent heaters. You may also want to bring a fan in case it is warmer. Also, ask Cent. Reservations if you can have a site near the Comfort Station (which is heated if it's cold).

Watch the weather reports before you go to get a better idea of how cold or hot it'll be when you're here. Here's a pretty good link to a weather site:

http://www.wunderground.com/US/FL/Lake_Buena_Vista.html

They update current info about every 10 minutes, plus will give a week long forcast.

Most of all..... have fun!!

Debbie ♥

 

[SteamBoatWillysKin]

The best advice I can give for winter camping in a tent is to make sure that once you shovel out an area for your tent you can use the excess snow as a great insulation wind breaker from the wind. Layer your clothes and make sure you know where everything is located and have a plan to get to it in the middle of the night. Oh, yeah I forgot were talking about January in Florida. Not really winter for cripes sakes. Try camping in January in Michigan on a scouting trip first before heading to the balmy climate of Orlando in January and your perspective might be slightly different)

 

[ntsammy5]

Try camping in January in Michigan

Or in Buffalo, actually last winter camping was near White Face in the Adirondacks -- woke up to 3 feet of new snow. Beautiful, though. If the snow gets deep enough to shovel at FW, we're all in trouble.

Ceramic heaters work fine and do not pose a fire threat, but if you worry easily, get electric blankets. That doesn't help though once you get out of the sleeping bag.

​

 

[jsmla]

The best advice I can give for winter camping in a tent is to make sure that once you shovel out an area for your tent you can use the excess snow as a great insulation wind breaker from the wind. Layer your clothes and make sure you know where everything is located and have a plan to get to it in the middle of the night. Oh, yeah I forgot were talking about January in Florida. Not really winter for cripes sakes. Try camping in January in Michigan on a scouting trip first before heading to the balmy climate of Orlando in January and your perspective might be slightly different)

Aaah, but I'm from the balmier clime of New Orleans and need a sweater if the temps fall below 70. A warm spring day for you would probably find me in my Cuddleduds and a winter jacket . Hubby loves the cold but give me 95 degrees and 70% humidity any day. He calls me the lizard.

Really, thanks so much for the advice. I'm going to keep an eye on the forecast as the time nears. That electric blanket sounds like a good idea!

Jennifer

 

[TheGreatGonzo]

The electric blanket and pads are the best idea.
The air mattresses will help, but a sleeping pad with foam in it will insulate better. You’d be surprised how much heat you loose through the bottom of your sleeping bag because your body crushes the insulating material making it do a poor job, and the air in the matress doesn't insulate very well either.
If you use a space heater make sure it has a tip-over switch and place it on a flat piece of metal like a pizza pan or in a cake pan so it will be less likely to tip. Also keep it away from anything that may get close to it like the foot of your sleeping bag or the tent door and window coverings.
If you are going to have several heating appliances take a couple of heavy extension cords with multiple outlets so you don't overload them.

 

[LarryJ]

I'm far past the tent camping age, but these electric ceramic type heaters are great. They don't get hot like the old resistance type ones and are completely safe and you can pick them up at like Lowes/HD for around $40 now. We have two and one even rotates and we use them all the time in colder weather to save on gas. If you can get the rotating ones, I personally would get two if you're staying in a preferred site which has both 15/30 and/or 50Amp service and make up an adapter that will allow use of the 30 Amp service to run one or both of the heaters. Each service 15/30/50 are on separate breakers and Lowes/HD should have the male 30amp RV type plug.

Larry

 

[Colson39]

I agree with Larry, go with the ceramic type heater, the old types you're just risking it. I know people still use the old one's, and some people will probably use them forever without a single incident. But the last thing you want to do is wake up in the middle of the night to find yourself surrounded by a fire in an enclosed tent

As others have said, the temperatures can vary greatly. You're
not really going to know what the temperature is going to be up until about a week before. There is a chance it could get into the high 70's during the day, there is a chance it could get into the 30's at night. There is also a chance it can get into the 50's during the day, and a chance that it can get into the low 70's at night.

To give you an example of how it is in late November / early December over the course of 3 years:

1 year ago - Some nights dipped into the mid 30's, days were in the 60's
2 years ago - Daytime highs were in the mid to upper 70's, nightime lows were in the mid to upper 60's
3 years ago - Most nights were in the 40's, daytime highs were in the lower to mid 70's

You can see how one year be much warmer than others, or much colder than others. On average I would assume that it's going to be cool to cold, as the really warm times don't happen as often as the cool to colder times.

I'm planning on spending a couple nights in a tent outside the camper this winter for the first time in 2 years. I'm actually hoping it's cold, but that's just because our Floridians don't get very much of it

 

[clkelley]

Really, thanks so much for the advice. I'm going to keep an eye on the forecast as the time nears. That electric blanket sounds like a good idea!

Jennifer

I used to just use an electric blanket and was still chilly as heat rises. Adding the electric mattress pad made me much more comfy.

 

[Conan the Librarian]

We use an ceramic heater (NO flames in a tent please!). We need to get another one I think (the Boss is cold when it is 70 deg), but, we have always been comfortable while in the Fort.

We have an air matress and sleep on the ground and are, for the most part, always warm. We have been thinking of getting an electric mat or blanket, but, haven't taken that step yet.

 

[ntsammy5]

(the Boss is cold when it is 70 deg)

 

[jsmla]

Thanks for the help! I had a discount credit at Target.com so I ordered a couple of heated mattress pads. The heat rising thing makes a lot of sense. Gotta sleep warm. If the Yeti gets too hot he can just turn his off.

Jennifer

 

[dreambound]

These are great tips! DH is always very anxious about electric blankets and pads for some reason, but I may have to convince him otherwise.

We were going to take air mattresses with metallic emergency blankets UNDER them between the mattress and the tent floor. Then we were going to take long johns and polyester blanket sleepers for the kids, with two 40 degree rated double sleeping bags (can't do individuals with our kids because they aren't comfortable in them) and two extra blankets. I'm wondering if we'll be too cold with this? Will we need more than that?

If you had to choose between the ceramic heater and the electric pads/blankets, which would you choose?

Thanks

meg

 

[des1954]

These are great tips! DH is always very anxious about electric blankets and pads for some reason

When I was a small child, my mom & dad had an electric blanket that short-circuited & started smoldering. My mom was "death" on elec. blankets after that!

Maybe your DH had a similar experience - or - knew an adult who imprinted their fear of an elec. blanket on him.

Just hold & pat his hand and say, "It'll be all right, dear! I'll fix us grilled peacock for dinner if I can have my electric blanket."
(Or, up-grade to a premium site with a beer tap! )

Debbie ♥

 

[dreambound]

When I was a small child, my mom & dad had an electric blanket that short-circuited & started smoldering. My mom was "death" on elec. blankets after that!

Maybe your DH had a similar experience - or - knew an adult who imprinted their fear of an elec. blanket on him.

Just hold & pat his hand and say, "It'll be all right, dear! I'll fix us grilled peacock for dinner if I can have my electric blanket."
(Or, up-grade to a premium site with a beer tap! )

Debbie ♥

OH MAN! I was at Target yesterday and I saw this:

http://www.target.com/Margarator-Ma...55?ie=UTF8&index=target&rh=k:margarita&page=1

EVERY tent site should have one of these. Forget the beer tap!

Meg

 

[des1954]

My DH (aka "Margarita-Man"), wants one of these for Christmas!
I said he could have one only if I could have a beer-frigerator!

(Hey, I got my 50" plasma TV set for football season! (Do we have a "reverse-role" household, or what?)

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

Another tip for staying warm at night is to wear a close fitting hat while sleeping.
Stopping the heat from leaving your head helps keep you warm too.

 

[BigDaddyRog]

OH MAN! I was at Target yesterday and I saw this:

http://www.target.com/Margarator-Ma...55?ie=UTF8&index=target&rh=k:margarita&page=1

EVERY tent site should have one of these. Forget the beer tap!

Meg

Ummm....ya'll realize thats a hundred dollar blender, right???

 

[BigDaddyRog]

My DH (aka "Margarita-Man"), wants one of these for Christmas!
I said he could have one only if I could have a beer-frigerator!

(Hey, I got my 50" plasma TV set for football season! (Do we have a "reverse-role" household, or what?)

And you're convinced that the 50" plasma was you're idea......man he's GOOOOD!!