camping sucks

[Tristar777]

But seriously. If you get into a sleeping bag in your day clothes while they are wet, you wet your bag. This would make changing into the dry clothes a waste of time. Can anyone give me a link to info that give the answers to these questions.
Denim. Good or bad in the UK environment? and Clothed/undressed in your sleeping bag? Forget the Badgers Ill take my chances on that one!

 

[santaman2000]

But seriously. If you get into a sleeping bag in your day clothes while they are wet, you wet your bag. This would make changing into the dry clothes a waste of time. Can anyone give me a link to info that give the answers to these questions.
Denim. Good or bad in the UK environment? and Clothed/undressed in your sleeping bag? Forget the Badgers Ill take my chances on that one!

-On your first question: No one, and I mean no one, here, has advocated getting into a sleeping bag with "wet" clothing. The only ones advocating sleeping in clothing (or undressing after getting into the bag) have done so on the assumption that said clothing is dry. Either that or I have misunderstood their posts.

-On the denim question: I don't think there's anything left to argue really. And we're not going to reach a consensus.

-On the badgers: Well, you're a brave man.

 

[Woadhart]

Some of the best advice I was given when I first started out was that I should take actions to stay warm before I begin to feel the cold.

Some tips for the OP:

Bring lots of layers rather than one or two thick pieces of clothing then in the evening as the temperature drops, begin adding layers before you feel the cold. If you are too hot you can always take a layer off but it is much harder to get warm once you get cold.

If there is plenty of wood around then build a reflecting wall behind your fire to direct heat back at you, similarly if you have a tent or tarp try to position it to provide another reflecting wall behind where you are sitting. Using this technique I've been forced, many times, to strip off layers and sit past midnight next to the fire in just a t-shirt and shirt.

A good sleeping bag is worth its weight in gold, one of the most important pieces of equipment we take in my opinion.

Extra insulation underneath you is essential and worth more to you than extra insulation on top.

If you do begin to get cold then stoking up the fire, cutting more firewood, making a brew and doing some simple exercises are all good ways to help warm back up again.

I hope you give it another chance OP, with a bit of time, learning and a little money for kit then you can make camping quite comfortable.

 

[Man of Tanith]

Ah the dreaded badgers, lethal little beggers them

OP may i suggest you get a decent sleeping bag and mat. do some exercises before you go to bed so you are already warm. also and this is something i have learnt the hard way-make sure your bladder is empty before you go to bed, nothing worse than getting out a nice warm bed in middle of night for a comfort stop you loose all the warmth you have built up and have to re-establish it.

 

[mountainm]

....and this is something i have learnt the hard way-make sure your bladder is empty before you go to bed, nothing worse than getting out a nice warm bed in middle of night for a comfort stop you loose all the warmth you have built up and have to re-establish it.

There's a nice warm bottle to cuddle up against if needed...

 

[Man of Tanith]

There's a nice warm bottle to cuddle up against if needed...

maybe in winter.....but i prefer not too
a water bottle with boiled water is a good way to keep warm
so are the re heatable handwarmers put in the bottom of the sleeping bag. or between thighs near the femoral artery.

 

[Tristar777]

Hi. I believe I will take my advice from the Mountain Rescue poster from earlier as they know what they are talking about especially regarding the weather conditions and what works/doesnt work here in the UK. Secondly I actually asked seriouse questions (Badgers excepted). Im new to all this camping stuff and look to the forum to supply good info. I wasnt sue about the bag changing thing and asked. You assumed I was taking the P###. What my be obvious to you with country experience and military experience may not be to others.

 

[Tristar777]

I dont think Im going to learn much more from this thread. Ill check out the wet weather in the UK tips thread instead.

 

[santaman2000]

Hi. I believe I will take my advice from the Mountain Rescue poster from earlier as they know what they are talking about especially regarding the weather conditions and what works/doesnt work here in the UK. Secondly I actually asked seriouse questions (Badgers excepted). Im new to all this camping stuff and look to the forum to supply good info. I wasnt sue about the bag changing thing and asked. You assumed I was taking the P###. What my be obvious to you with country experience and military experience may not be to others.

No. I assumed your questions were real, that's why I gave real aswers (apart from the badger point)

 

[bigroomboy]

The reply seemed to be relevant and genuine to me??

 

[mrcharly]

Last week I took my kids for a walk in the Lake district. Kept it simple, as I have an ankle injury from many years ago and knew I couldn't cope with a big walk.

So we went up Scafell Pike via Mickledore, down via the guides route and face of great gable.

The weather was a treat, blue sunshine for most of it. You could see Scotland from the top.
Quite a few walkers were in jeans. No problem. It's sunny weather.

By 5pm, the cloud base dropped below 600m (Scafell is +900m). Winds picked up to 60mph. It stayed like that for 3 days, except for when the clouds dropped to 300m.

Now, those people clad in jeans and cotton shirts would have been rapidly soaked on the tops. Fine if they could walk off quickly. Not fine if they struggled to navigate.

Read the local mountain rescue reports. See how many reports can be summarised thus: "Became disorientated in cloud. Wearing jeans and cotton shirt. Hypothermic. Escorted/stretchered off."

If you want to know what not to wear on the UK hills, ask the local mountain rescue. Top of their 'no' list will be jeans and cotton shirts. That's not because they bear an unnatural hatred of denim, it's because of the number of times they have to rescue someone who gets hypothermic once their cotton clothes get soaked in the cloud and drizzle.

 

[Nonsuch]

I'd love to know what you'd call a "big walk"! ;-)

 

[Bushwhacker]

Jesus Christ! Is this a bushcraft group or not? I scanned the first page and all I saw was a kit discussion. How about sorting the ground out to make it more comfortable? You can insulate yourself from the ground with natural materials and make it more comfortable by doing so.

 

[santaman2000]

...Read the local mountain rescue reports. See how many reports can be summarised thus: "Became disorientated in cloud. Wearing jeans and cotton shirt. Hypothermic. Escorted/stretchered off."

If you want to know what not to wear on the UK hills, ask the local mountain rescue. Top of their 'no' list will be jeans and cotton shirts. That's not because they bear an unnatural hatred of denim, it's because of the number of times they have to rescue someone who gets hypothermic once their cotton clothes get soaked in the cloud and drizzle.

Depends doesn't it? Are they also reporting the equal number rescued and strechered off wearing the latest and greatest? Or are they just looking in disbelief?

 

[Dartmoor navigator]

Jesus Christ! Is this a bushcraft group or not? I scanned the first page and all I saw was a kit discussion. How about sorting the ground out to make it more comfortable? You can insulate yourself from the ground with natural materials and make it more comfortable by doing so.

Very true, a simple skill that is often overlooked.

 

[multi]

Not eating enough/too much processed/hard to process foods can cause you to have not enough energy to regulate body temp. Or have too much energy being used around the stomach.
Bad pysical health can make you suffer from cold more than others.
makesure your enjoying the occasion, boredom and unhappyness always expresses cold.
Warmths a luxury, unless the colds actually killing you, which is unlikely.
Start of a cold virus is always going to express cold temperatures.


P.s you probably just got broken in, your next night would be better.

 

[Bushwhacker]

The other thing I'll add is that people are slaves to routine. You'll sleep anywhere if you're tired. Don't go looking at your watch thinking that you must go to bed. Relax!

 

[mousey]

The other thing I'll add is that people are slaves to routine. You'll sleep anywhere if you're tired. Don't go looking at your watch thinking that you must go to bed. Relax!

I suppose thats true - I've fallen asleep standing up on a bus, wedged into a corner - at least I was traveling with some folks who woke me up when it was our stop. I've always thought of my ability to sleep as a natural gift, I've heard of people who can't...

Also there very little natural foliage to be had on a bus - but atleast it wasn't wet, with high winds [and I wasn't wearing jeans]

 

[mrcharly]

Depends doesn't it? Are they also reporting the equal number rescued and strechered off wearing the latest and greatest? Or are they just looking in disbelief?

They report ALL rescues. There is a member on here, who has already stated that jeans are not suitable for mid and high level walking in the UK. I'd take that as a professional opinion.

 

[santaman2000]

They report ALL rescues. There is a member on here, who has already stated that jeans are not suitable for mid and high level walking in the UK. I'd take that as a professional opinion.

I'm sure they report all rescues. What I was saying is, I doubt they always report in detail what the victim was wearing. Likely only if it's one of their pet peeves. Or more to the point: How many non-rescues? (the thousnds who successfully went up and down the mountain without ever even thinking about outsde help)

I'm also a member on here and I've stated just how many proffessionals wear them. Apart from hunters in camo or someone in uniform, only "dudes" show up in the wilds in anything else.