Winter warmth

[FishOn0516]

So has anyone run into their spouse getting cold at nights during winter trips? I am asking for help on looking for some alternative heating options such as electric blankets etc... I currently use sheets and a down comforter because it crushes down with the tent, but my wife still seems to get cold and just does not enjoy the trips as much as I do. I have heard someone say put a Mr Buddy heater in the tent but I am concerned about the fire safety side of things. Any ideas y’all have please shoot them my way and to everyone safe travels on current or upcoming trips.

 

[Ben Cleveland]

Sheets and a down comforter can work, but the principles of sleeping outside still apply. Wear little clothes to bed, wear dry socks, warm hat to keep heat from escaping. Extra pad underneath helps insulate if you’re in a RTT and getting cold. A little buddy helps tremendously, and it’s perfectly safe. Many people do that. I prefer the Mr buddy though, because it’s got a larger and more stable base.

My wife and I keep our down sleeping bags in our RTT as well. If it gets cold, we’ll slip inside them, under our other blankets. That helps a lot. Little things about body heat management and proper insulation make a BIG DIFFERENCE when you’re sleeping outside in the cold. Do some research on cold weather camping and follow some of these tips. I’ve never found someone to still be complaining of the cold after they did everything I just mentioned.

 

[The other Sean]

I agree with the above.

Also, what socks is your wife wearing? Good, legit wool or thin cotton?

While my wife is and was never a "fancy dresser" when we first got together I did notice right away how her "warm weather" clothes and sadly, many women's warm weather clothes were built more to look cute than function. A close look at fabrics and construction can reveal many short comings. Maybe make sure she has a dry pair of good wool socks for her feet before bed.

 

[Ben Cleveland]

To be clear, I didn't mean my above post in a critical way. In boy scouts as a teenager, I spent many freezing nights in 40 degree weather, because I thought I knew better than some leader who had given me some tidbit of info like the ones I mentioned above. I just didn't know how big of a deal those small things were. I really believe winter camping is about managing those tiny little efficiencies in body heat. Even something as simple as changing from your "pretty dry" socks that you wore all day to perfectly dry and fresh socks right before bed can make a HUGE difference. Not a bad thing for someone who doesn't know that, that's why we all chat and share info in person or online.

Also, camping with my wife, I've found we both have our own unique sets of experiences, and there's things I thought everybody knew that she had never heard of, and vice versa. We were backpacking in the Glacier backcountry a few years ago, she was complaining about her pack being uncomfortable. I got her to take it off, and I found that every heavy item was packed in the top left hand corner of the pack, every single compression strap was loose, and her shoulder straps were adjusted so most of the weight was sitting on top of her shoulders. She's backpacked probably more than I have, but all on her own, and nobody ever sat down and showed her how to adjust a pack and distribute the weight.

She on the other hand, has given me quite a few tips for cold weather camping, keeping yourself clean and dry, and comfortable. I never heard of someone taking a baby wipes bath on a backpacking trip until I met her. Literally changed my life. All of this to say just because you're comfortable, it doesn't mean your wife will be. My wife and I sharing tips and teaching eachother from our own experiences has been an awesome part of outdoors stuff for me since we got married.

 

[Correus]

To be clear, I didn't mean my above post in a critical way. In boy scouts as a teenager, I spent many freezing nights in 40 degree weather, because I thought I knew better than some leader who had given me some tidbit of info like the ones I mentioned above. I just didn't know how big of a deal those small things were. I really believe winter camping is about managing those tiny little efficiencies in body heat. Even something as simple as changing from your "pretty dry" socks that you wore all day to perfectly dry and fresh socks right before bed can make a HUGE difference. Not a bad thing for someone who doesn't know that, that's why we all chat and share info in person or online.

Also, camping with my wife, I've found we both have our own unique sets of experiences, and there's things I thought everybody knew that she had never heard of, and vice versa. We were backpacking in the Glacier backcountry a few years ago, she was complaining about her pack being uncomfortable. I got her to take it off, and I found that every heavy item was packed in the top left hand corner of the pack, every single compression strap was loose, and her shoulder straps were adjusted so most of the weight was sitting on top of her shoulders. She's backpacked probably more than I have, but all on her own, and nobody ever sat down and showed her how to adjust a pack and distribute the weight.

She on the other hand, has given me quite a few tips for cold weather camping, keeping yourself clean and dry, and comfortable. I never heard of someone taking a baby wipes bath on a backpacking trip until I met her. Literally changed my life. All of this to say just because you're comfortable, it doesn't mean your wife will be. My wife and I sharing tips and teaching eachother from our own experiences has been an awesome part of outdoors stuff for me since we got married.

Yup, it's always in the details.

I learned a lot about camping in colder weather through the Scouts as well; toss on top of this my military training AND lessons learned from historical reenacting.

Unfortunately SWMBO doesn't care for camping, especially primitive camping, as much as I do anymore. Her idea of "camping" anymore is an RV. If she had her way all the time it wouldn't even be that primitive. Example - let's say I want to get out and spend a few days at our favorite out-of-the-way lake. At one point we would of taken the tent. Then it became an RV. Now it's "let's book a room at the B&B nearby". She's just gotten to the point that her comfort, especially in colder weather, outweighs the fun of "camping". She will still give it a go, and will try all the tips-n-tricks mentioned above, but if she's even slightly uncomfortable there better be a B&B on retainer! LOL

 

[MazeVX]

What works for my girl is a mix of old school and new high tech. Got some new high tech socks keeping her feet warm and dry, functional cold weather hiking underwear, a good quality down sleeping bag and a wool blanket on top of the 2" self inflating mattress, if that is not enough she put a fleece liner into the sleeping bag.
Sleeping bags always work better in the cold than a blanket, just isolate from the ground, self inflating mattress and additional isolation pads and stuff are light and easy to pack up

 

[Wadz]

I recently started using the Mr Heater buddy in Canada and its works amazing. Battery operated jacket or shirts are great to wear to bed for your wife. Heat socks also are great. Starting using the RTT and that has helped a lot being off the ground.

 

[Gary Crouch]

Mr Buddy is the answer for my gal. Smart wool is another, sleeping bag liners, Rumpl down blankets,

frankly gets too hot for me even on cold nights. The MR Buddy is great for early morning

 

[Cav 3724]

I know where you are coming from. My wife has a comfort zone between 70-71 degrees. Less than that she is cold, more she says it's too hot. She can't stand a mummy bag which I have been using in one form or another since Boy Scouts. I got her a Cabelas big cot, thick mattress pad and a Cabelas flannel lined rectangular bag. A big buddy heater tops it all off. I let her sleep until the sun rises and I have a fire raging. She hasn't complained about being cold at night since. Remember, a happy wife means a happy camping life.

 

[DrivingTacoLoco]

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[Smileyshaun]

About 20 min before bedtime Fill a large nalgie bottle 3/4 of the way with boiling hot water , get that lid tight , slip a thick sock or two over it and then toss it in her sleeping bag will stay very warm for hours . If you keep the feet warm the rest of the body has a much easier time keeping warm .
Also remember sleeping bag temperature ratings are survival ratings not comfort if you’re going to be down in the 30s get a a negative deg rated bag .

 

[USStrongman]

Head and feet. Ive been shaving my head for more than 30 years. Before Micheal Jordan made it popular. Wearing a fleece stocking cap and wool socks may look odd when I am buck naked under the sheets, but its all I need to stay warm. Being 300lbs I don't fit in many sleeping bags. I use an inflatable mattress, open my sleeping bag and lay on top. Real down comforter, fleece hat (fleece buff for the neck for really cold nights) and wool socks kept me comfortable in 14°F weather on Beartooth Pass, MT.

 

[DrivingTacoLoco]

Just wan't You'all to be safe. Sometimes seeing an article about a Darwin award winner makes people think twice and not be stupid.

 

[elizer]

I just bought two kelty doublewide sleeping bags. Maybe give them a shot. It packs down HUGE so it takes a lot of space, but spread out your RTT may close on it.

 

[Viking1204]

Sleeping bags are a lot warmer than sheets and a blanket. Sleeping bags allow you zip them closed keeping your body heat inside and can be bought in all kinds of cold ratings. I have a normal sleeping bag rated to 32 degrees and my son has a Mummy Sleeping bag rated to 20 degrees, it would have to get really cold before my son got cold. You can the rated to a lot lower temp too, we just don't need that here in the Southeast.

 

[Polaris Overland]

I have the same issues with my missus so I went the Diesel heater piped into the tent and awning as well as a frontier wood burning stove in the awning.

 

[Sandpoint Steve]

Up here in north Idaho, cold nights are a year round thing. I’ve got a 20deg bag, but getting out of the sleeping bag in 30deg weather is always a challenge. This year I broke down and got a “Little buddy” heater. Although they are safe to run in a tent I just use it to warm up the tent when I’m getting ready to go to sleep, and when I get up in the morning to take the chill off before slipping out of the sleeping bag.

my last trip this year it was 16deg two nights in a row. The heater works great, even to answer that midnight call from Mother Nature. I just rolled over, fired up the heater and waited a few minutes. Then, run out and take care of business. By the time I got back into the tent it was toasty warm inside. turned the heater off. Slipped into my bag and slept like a baby until morning.

i found mine on Craigslist for $30. Worth every penny
if I did it again the regular size “buddy heater” would work a bit faster.

 

[madcratebuilder]

I suffer cold feet even when it's warm. I use a Roadpro 12-Volt Polar Fleece Heated Travel Blanket from Amazon and it works great, low cost and doesn't drain the battery.

 

[elizer]

Try this. Body heat does wonders!

Tru.Comfort Doublewide 20

Youre hot, youre cold and everything in between. If every night in your tent is a journey from Antarctic freezing to Sahara Desert hot and back again, its time you discovered the worlds most accommodating sleeping bag: Tru.Comfort. It's double size, for snuggling with your SO or keeping the...

www.kelty.com

Also get her down booties and a down beanie. Go to bed with a full belly full of food and warm liquid.

Insulate from the ground. Lay down a woobie and then an insulated sleeping pad. Less clothes is more when sleeping in cold weather and in a good rated bag.

 

[Outdoordog]

My GF was in the army and she still has her gear. She has these thermals that are very thin and keeps you warm. I forget what they're called. She says they're expensive but very useful.

I wear regular thermals under my jeans and shirt when I sleep.