How to keep warm in a tent

When we woke up this morning is was 2 degrees out! The wood burning stove we have gets hot fast but doesn’t maintain heat for very long. Someone had to get up throughout the night and keep adding wood.

I had brought all my plants in the night before. They have been through so much. A few didn’t make it. My tomato plant and toothache plant suffered the most. The basil is wilted. I’m not too disappointed though because I was able to collect some seeds from my favorite plants and I put them to good use since we’ve been here. They’ve made many meals flavorful so they’ve served their purpose. We will start again next season.

I’d like to share some tips with you on how to keep warm when your camping in the winter. Winter camping is one of my favorite times to camp. There’s no bugs, no one else seems to like camping in the cold so you get the best spots to yourself, it’s quiet, the cool crisp air is refreshing, and the cozy campfire is very welcoming.

Tip # 1 dress the part

Wear wool socks, long johns, gloves and a stocking cap. Dress in layers! Heat escapes from your head so it’s important to keep it covered. A vest will keep your torso warm which will also help your body keep heat.

Tip #2 Bring a cuddle buddy

Could be a friend, child or pet. Cuddling is my favorite form of keeping warm. There’s nothing more soothing. Women have a higher percentage of body fat and conserve more heat around the core, which helps keep vital organs warm, but not extremities. My hands and feet are always freezing 🥶

Tip #3 Get a zero degree sleeping bag

These kinds of sleeping bags are the warmest blankets ever! We use one to put down over the bed to lay on and the other to cover up with. Investing in a decent sleeping bag makes a whole world of difference.

Tip #4 have a heat source

You should have something like a wood burning stove if you have a canvas tent. If you do not, you can use space heaters. If you don’t have access to electricity you can use a propane heater or pour hot water in a few water bottles and put them inside of your sleeping bag. Heating up large rocks and putting them inside of your tent is also an option.

There’s another method that I love. This requires a little more as far as the process goes but is worth looking into. It’s called the Swedish log torch. Click on the link below to see how you how to make it.

https://youtu.be/QeHGDr81XwMhttps://youtu.be/QeHGDr81XwM

Tip #5 Bring extra blankets

This goes along with the whole layering idea. What’s fun about camping in the colder months is; if your cold you can always layer up, if it’s hot there’s only so many clothes you can take off. Bring lots of extra blankets. If you don’t use them to cover up with, I promise you’ll find something clever to use them for. For example, we use some of ours for bed padding and a curtain for privacy when showering.

Don’t let the cold prevent you from enjoying the outdoors in the chilly months. You’ll miss a whole world of camping that you never knew about. Be prepared, make it fun and you’ll be just fine!