How to keep warm on a winter campout

I love to go camping in the winter.  But a crucial part to having fun on these campouts is staying warm.  Everything can go bad real fast if you get wet or extremely cold.  I follow these basic rules to stay warm.

Step 1 Bedding

Crucial to keeping warm is having a warm place to sleep.  You should always have a warm sleeping bag, as well as  a good pad to insulate you from the cold ground.  Blankets are always a good thing to have, as you can use them as padding inside your sleeping bag, as well as to keep warm.  Fleece blankets are good to keep warm, but most often they won't be big enough.  I usually bring an extra blanket to go with that.  Personally I like to bring pillows, but some people just consider them a waste of space.

Comments

[4Richie4Poorer]

Brilliant instructable, thanks for sharing. With regards to building a campfire, check out these links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVcHWoT2jmE

http://ultimatebushcraft.com/category/fire-starting/

The second link has specific instructions for lighting a fire in the snow or cold weather.

[jpmarq]

I love going out all year long and winter is even better due to the emptiness of areas. Nothing better than a campfire and a warm drink under the stars even when the temps drop. Try using wool for blankets and socks. I even have a pair of old wool pants that are not going to win any fashion awards but are great for the camp. The best thing about wool is it will still keep you warm when it is wet unlike many synthetics or cotton. If it is itchy, use of some hair conditioning products will make it softer (lots of info about this online). Have fun.

[furrysalamander]

Wool is definitely great. I prefer synthetics for ventilation though.

[sunshiine]

I love wool for warmth but I like the soft wool.

[wire-nut]

Also found digging out the snow and laying plywood or pallets down with plastic and then back fill with snow helps hold in heat.

[furrysalamander]

Maybe I'll try it this weekend.

[wire-nut]

In past I used the plywood as a sled and make sure you use waterproof plywood or it will delamdate. And make sure you tie everything down good. And happy camping :-)

[furrysalamander]

I mean below

[furrysalamander]

Read above comment.

[Galonii]

(removed by author or community request)

[furrysalamander]

Just got back. Me and my friend shared a tent and we both brought a bunch of blankets. We put them under, over, and in our sleeping bags. Stayed nice and warm.