Winter camping using two blankets?

[Man of Tanith]

Both my mother and Lisa having managed to incapacitate themselves for six to eight weeks after some completly unrelated misfortune resulting in one having broken a leg and the other their wrist means I'm not gonna be able to get out to play until it gets a tad nippy.
This means if I want to do another Boone challenge style trip and use the kit list I proposed I reckon I am gonna have to up my game a bit.
I've camped out in very cold conditions before (-15° And only broke half my face with bells palsy) but that was with all the modern trapments and such like.
I know its doable with blankets but I would appreciate any hints folk have.
I'd use a long log lay for my fire,build a reflector behind the fire and sleep only a step away from the fire,use a reflective blanket on the inside of my tarp to bounce back more heat. Use a water bottle as a hot water bottle and ensure I have plenty food and such like (and more than likely take my normal cold weather kit as a contingency plan with a mate coming along as well possibly)
Look forward to what folk have to share


Edit to add- I'm a big boy I'm sensible and I would be making sure I'm safe I've already started considering safety measures and such like

 

[sasquatch]

Hot rocks and proper blanket wrapping perhaps? A heavy dose of man up I'd imagine. I'd be cold in 2 wool blankets without some help in the form of fired heat.

 

[Man of Tanith]

Yeah Chad I'm thinking man up as a main factor.
Possibly some insulation beneath me
Its more to do it as much as the doing......(cause I'm a loon)
I've plenty of wool clothing which should help........

 

[Toddy]

We are a domesticated species these days
Honestly, we are, we no longer spend most of our lives outdoors, so we don't become used to being cold.
You might not die of hypothermia, but it doesn't mean you'll sleep comfortably.

Head and feet warm, and a cover over your blankets, to stop the windchill and to help trap the heat, really helps......so does someone to coorie down beside

atb,
M

 

[Man of Tanith]

Hypothermia and bells palsy id like to avoid as much as possible
I've a nice canvas bed roll to act as a wind shield.....
It'll be interesting......

 

[Dirty]

Sleep on top of a dead fire that's been covered over? As well as a reflector fire?

 

[Man of Tanith]

That's another option...

Ps yup I know a dave

 

[Teepee]

Severe frostbite/hypothermia is great way to get out of being 'Man Mum of Tanith' and the Bells will get you even more sympathy.

I say forget the blankets and the fire altogether.

( as a sensible suggestion, I'm with Chad-a hot rock bed or more realistically knowing your site, build a raised bed from wood so the long log fire will radiate heat all around you.)

 

[Man of Tanith]

Yeah liking your sensible suggestions Pete. Nice t have someone who has been suggest some ideas.

Btw you might be my back up :0

 

[Balloonatic]

I was talking to some American friends about this (thinking about it myself) and they made several recommendations:
>Leaf litter - build yourself some sort of raised platform bed and then fill the space underneath with brush etc. If you can then make a mound of dry leaf litter to cover you that will provide a fair amount of insulation
>Wear lots of clothes - a friend pointed out that people like Rogers Rangers etc may have used a single blanket but they were also wearing at least 2 layers of linen and 3 layers of wool plus hats, gloves, fur lined outer wear etc where appropriate
>Sleep with someone - again, the Rangers, Boone etc would when possible have slept pretty close together or with animals
>Blanket wrapping - I am probably teaching my Grandmother to do interesting things with very young chickens but I've recently been realising the benefits to different blanket wrapping methods. There is a great youtube video that shows how to wrap a blanket so that you have 2-3 layers of wool around you all over, I'll see if I can dig it out but it really works

That said, I doubt you'll get an amazing nights sleep either way, if you are up for company give me a shout (I have a sneaky feeling I am around the corner from you) and we can freeze to death together!*



*I just realised how weird that sounds after my whole 'sleep with someone' advice, it was definately not a proposition I promise!

 

[rg598]

In temperatures that low it will come down to the fire. You will not be able to carry enough blankets in a bed roll to keep warm. Gather lots of wood, and keep a good fire burning through the night. The alternative is to carry lots of blankets, and not go that far.

Like E.H. Kreps wrote: “Now, it is not difficult to get together a quantity of blankets that will keep a man warm in the coldest night, but the trouble will come when he wants to transport them. No, you can’t carry with you enough woolen blankets to keep you comfortably warm when traveling the northern trails in midwinter.” "A good hot fire must be kept going and such a fire will consume nearly half a cord of wood during the long northern night.”

An alternative would be to use the traditional winter sleeping insulation: a fur blanket or sleeping bag.

 

[Man of Tanith]

I was talking to some American friends about this (thinking about it myself) and they made several recommendations:
>Leaf litter - build yourself some sort of raised platform bed and then fill the space underneath with brush etc. If you can then make a mound of dry leaf litter to cover you that will provide a fair amount of insulation
>Wear lots of clothes - a friend pointed out that people like Rogers Rangers etc may have used a single blanket but they were also wearing at least 2 layers of linen and 3 layers of wool plus hats, gloves, fur lined outer wear etc where appropriate
>Sleep with someone - again, the Rangers, Boone etc would when possible have slept pretty close together or with animals
>Blanket wrapping - I am probably teaching my Grandmother to do interesting things with very young chickens but I've recently been realising the benefits to different blanket wrapping methods. There is a great youtube video that shows how to wrap a blanket so that you have 2-3 layers of wool around you all over, I'll see if I can dig it out but it really works

That said, I doubt you'll get an amazing nights sleep either way, if you are up for company give me a shout (I have a sneaky feeling I am around the corner from you) and we can freeze to death together!*



*I just realised how weird that sounds after my whole 'sleep with someone' advice, it was definately not a proposition I promise!

Well I'm relieved its not a proposition!
I'm probably gonna be wearing many many layers of wooly goodness.

 

[Man of Tanith]

In temperatures that low it will come down to the fire. You will not be able to carry enough blankets in a bed roll to keep warm. Gather lots of wood, and keep a good fire burning through the night. The alternative is to carry lots of blankets, and not go that far.

Like E.H. Kreps wrote: “Now, it is not difficult to get together a quantity of blankets that will keep a man warm in the coldest night, but the trouble will come when he wants to transport them. No, you can’t carry with you enough woolen blankets to keep you comfortably warm when traveling the northern trails in midwinter.” "A good hot fire must be kept going and such a fire will consume nearly half a cord of wood during the long northern night.”

An alternative would be to use the traditional winter sleeping insulation: a fur blanket or sleeping bag.

Either way works for me although I would like to do it with the two blankets.
Not got access to fur unfortunately

 

[crosslandkelly]

Either way works for me although I would like to do it with the two blankets.
Not got access to fur unfortunately

I wonder if a Reindeer hide might not be a possibility.

 

[Man of Tanith]

I wonder if a Reindeer hide might not be a possibility.

Aye that may work.
But getting it past lisa wouldn't......

 

[Teepee]

Yeah liking your sensible suggestions Pete. Nice t have someone who has been suggest some ideas.

Btw you might be my back up :0

Pleasure, gimme a shout when you shake the Pinny off.

For a highly fuel efficient way of providing warmth, the Sami split trunk style setup that we saw in Jokkmokk looks intriguing to try although foraging the log may be tricky.

I'm sure Wayland has a better photo of this somewhere.

 

[boatman]

Is it likely before Christmas to be much below freezing?

 

[Man of Tanith]

It'll be after the traditional birthday meet up in december mate so we can discuss it then.(amongst a couple of other things)
That split log looks interesting.
Has any one tried the coal bed before?
Id like to try it but part of me worries i would end up roasting myself

 

[ship]

Well, one can,t chase ya, the other needs to be careful with which hand she hits ya with, good time to go methinks
On a more sensible note, and you lot have a HUGE amount of knowledge compared to me, my wife recently bought a picnic style blanket, foil lined on side and fold,s down with Velcro straps fairly compact and reasonably light. Could be used for multlipe uses, will find out where she got it from? and let ya know.

ship

 

[Man of Tanith]

They'd both just set the toddler on me. He's main reason I'm not off out n about.
Those blankets look good but id want somethin more significant