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Let me emphasize something: The picture of me sleeping outside in the snow is not a good idea. I did not sleep well. But I did survive, and since then I've learned some tricks that would've kept me plenty toasty. Many of these seem like common sense when you read them, but you'd be surprised how few people think of them. I didn't, without a lot of trial and error. Here's what I learned so that you don't have to make the mistakes I did.
Keep in mind that most of these techniques assume dry weather. If it's raining or snowing, the steps are the same, but you'll have to do them inside your tent or vestibule. It is also assumed that you have a sleeping bag rated for around the same temperatures you're likely to be experiencing, but the techniques demonstrated here can give you some wiggle-room with that. Remember: being prepared is always step one.
As always, anyone see something I'm doing wrong, could be doing better, or should be doing that I'm not, let me know!
Also, with the exception of the two intro pics, they're all staged on a closed course by professionals, but rest assured that these techniques do work. Hopefully, they'll help you get a better night's sleep, and in doing so help you better enjoy the great outdoors.
Keep in mind that most of these techniques assume dry weather. If it's raining or snowing, the steps are the same, but you'll have to do them inside your tent or vestibule. It is also assumed that you have a sleeping bag rated for around the same temperatures you're likely to be experiencing, but the techniques demonstrated here can give you some wiggle-room with that. Remember: being prepared is always step one.
As always, anyone see something I'm doing wrong, could be doing better, or should be doing that I'm not, let me know!
Also, with the exception of the two intro pics, they're all staged on a closed course by professionals, but rest assured that these techniques do work. Hopefully, they'll help you get a better night's sleep, and in doing so help you better enjoy the great outdoors.
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Signing UpStep 1Put on Your Fly.
This seems like a no-brainer, especially with a mesh-canopy tent like mine, but it's very, very important in frigid conditions. Not only does your fly block wind, keep in heat and keep off rain or snow, many tents are actually designed so that the fly helps prevent condensation, and a dry sleeper is a warm sleeper.
The fly also provides a vestibule, which is an extremely useful thing to have, especially in windy or rainy situations.
On the downside, it does block your view of the stars, but I can forgo marveling at the majesty of the cosmos if it means not freezing to death.
The fly also provides a vestibule, which is an extremely useful thing to have, especially in windy or rainy situations.
On the downside, it does block your view of the stars, but I can forgo marveling at the majesty of the cosmos if it means not freezing to death.
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If you do need to wear clothes to stay warm, I'd suggest just getting a better sleeping bag or a wool blanket (wool wicks away moisture), or you could wear wool clothing. I prefer the better sleeping bag because it's less weight, but if that's not of any concern then a nice wool blanket would work perfectly.
Unfortunately combining the steps is a fair bit less convenient for that half of people with female urinary tract, though still doable if they're careful.
It's much more efficient than wearing something big and bulky and warm.
I think that fur coats & hats are ok to a point....but the industry in this country has gotten out of hand. they process way too many animals, for things that most people would never buy in the first place, and the ones that would(most of them) are not there to begin with....they have more $$$$$ than common sense.
I do hunt, and I do make things out of the skins...but everything I kill, goes into my freezer for food at a later point in time. I try not to waste ANYTHING. not the fur, bones, feathers, NOTHING. the stuff I make from what is left of the animals & birds I kill, I sell.
2.65 / 1.9 = 139% increase in density.
So if rocks are available and you have a fire, you should have already built a heat wall to reflect the radiant energy of the fire at yourself from the far side of the fire. Why not use those same rocks again to stay warm through the night.
You could also start a small fire, dig a trench a few inches deep and your body wide, piling the dirt all to one side... then build the fire along the length of the pit. and put in rocks.. then when it's time for bed you knock the dirt over the fire putting it out and trapping all the heat underneath. Put your sleeping back on top and roast away.
But sleeping on rocks & hot coals is what I always do...works every time. :)
I also bring some when traveling, even when I expect to sleep in a bed, in case the hotel or friend's house I'm staying at is too cold.
In less than arctic conditions, I have found that I would get too warm at times. A poncho liner or sheet came in handy for cover when I opened up my sleeping bag a little to cool off. If your sleeping bag is big enough, or you are small enough, you can get undressed/dressed in your bag. The moving around getting undressed will get you and your bag nice and toasty. They also taught us to remove our clothes down to T-shirt, shorts and sleeping hoods.
The other thing I would do too, is about an hour before I went to bed, I would eat a large Butterfinger candy bar. This candy bar had, at that time, the highest amount of calories of any candy bar. During the night, my body would process the calories to help keep me warm. I never worried either about any healthy aspects of doing this, as I didn't do this every night of my life, just when I went camping/backpacking in zero degree temps. When mountaineers climb alpine peaks, they actually eat sticks of butter to help them keep warm. Yum! I definitely NEVER drank anything before going to bed. Nothing is worse than waking in the middle of the night, putting your boots on and nothing else, and running outside to pee real quick. That is the worst! These are the rules I have followed throughout 40 years of being in the outdoors through the coldest temperatures.
I found that a poncho liner in my sleeping bag kept me warmer. The importance of something between your sleeping bag and the ground can not be understated. As well as keeping out of the wind. I learned that the by a night of shivering on a hood of a hummer during a cold snap in April. My light weight bag and poncho liner fell short.
Soldiers that get issued a new sleeping bag find that they come with a sleeping cap so that Soldiers can cover their heads when they sleep. It also allows the head to be exsposed and your warm moist breath to be expelled outside your bag.
Thanks for the post and the good comments.