Nothing is more miserable than trying to sleep when you are cold. Sleeping warm during winter camping requires following a short list of basic tips to eliminate moisture and keep your body heat stable. Following is a list of cold-weather camping tips to make you more comfortable on winter camping trips:
*Buy a quality sleeping baga mummy bag rated for 10 degrees or lower with quality fill material, zipper baffles, and drawstring hood.
*Vent the tent at night. This prevents condensation from your breath from forming on the inside roof of the tent and dripping on you and your sleeping bag while you sleep.
*Change into dry clothes immediately before bed. Even clothing that feels dry to the touch has enough moisture to cause you discomfort. Some campers place a minimal change of clothing in their sleeping bag during the day, keeping it warmer for a quick change right before bed.
*Make sure you are clean and dry before climbing into your bag. Why clean? Dirt retains moisture. Use a moist towellette to clean your skin, and a dry towel to dry your skin, before climbing into the bag.
*Wear very little clothing inside your bag. Many campers sleep in minimal clothingsocks and underwear only. Minimal clothing lets you and the bag heat up quickly and avoids sweating resulting from overheating.
*Don’t wear too much clothing. You’ll sweat inside the bag, and the moisture will make you feel colder.
*Cover your head. Use the mummy bag’s built-in head piece and drawstring or wear a knit cap.
*Breathe outside the bag. Your breath is the main source of moisture inside the tent, and this much moisture inside your bag will dampen you and make you feel colder.
*Waterproof your tent. Install the rain fly over the tent tautly, ensuring that it does not droop and touch the tent face. Use seam sealer to seal all stitch joints and be careful not to pitch your tent in drainage paths. Water and cold in combination are uncomfortable at best, and hazardous at worst.
*DO NOT LIGHT ANY TYPE OF OPEN FLAME, CANDLE, OR STOVE INSIDE A TENT EVER-This is extremely dangerous! Avoid the tempation to use any kind of heater inside a tent.
*Never place chemical thermal packs (i.e. Hot hands) inside a sleeping bag-a very bad burn can result. These types of warmers only
*Keep your sleeping bag dry. Store it inside the tent at all times. Keep your tent’s rain flap sealed when you are away from the campsite.
*Use an insulating pad under the bag. This product is available as an expensive self-inflating type or inexpensive closed-cell pads. Either one will help you stay more comfortable by separating your bag from the cold floor of the tent.