Hot water bottles

[maddave]

When the temperature dips towards freezing, make a 'hot water bottle' by warming a rock by the fire, then wrap it in a towel secure with a bit of cordage and bung it in the bottom of your sleeping bag. Toasty

 

[Justin Time]

I've used the hot rock thing to pre-warm a debris shelter, no towel though so had to be careful about where I put it......Of course hot water bottles themselves are handy, heat up water, put in your water bottle, stick it in your sleeping bag; toasty sleeping bag...then in the morning you've got warmish water which helps make the morning cuppa boil faster, no frozen water bottles...if you're using a hexy stove you don't even need to get out of the sleeping bag :-D

Justin

 

[george]

Great idea Justin

I've always done that if I'm staying out in a snowhole or if I'm camping out in weather when my water bottle is likely to freeze.

If you wrap your water bottle in your damp socks it drys them out nicely too!

George

 

[woodsitter]

I hate it when you have to get out of your nice warm sleeping bag, into the cold morning.
I really hate it, having to force my bare feet into the frozen shoes because they are too hard to get into with socks. By the time they are above zero, your feet are below! :yikes:
Nothing I've tried so far worked and my shoes don't fit well in my sleepingbag. I tried these gel heat packs, no use.

 

[george]

I hate it when you have to get out of your nice warm sleeping bag, into the cold morning.
I really hate it, having to force my bare feet into the frozen shoes because they are too hard to get into with socks. By the time they are above zero, your feet are below! :yikes:
Nothing I've tried so far worked and my shoes don't fit well in my sleepingbag. I tried these gel heat packs, no use.

If you've got the time and the fuel try using a hot waterbottle in each - a long thin one like a sigg bottle is good - I've found that the trick is to insulate the top of the boot with something so that the heat from the bottles goes out through the boot not out the top.

Slip the bottle inside and then block the top of the boot with a spare pair of socks or gloves or something - even if it doesn't thaw the whole boot you should find that it softens the lining enough for you to get your feet into with your socks still on!

Alternatively I wrap my boots inside a waterproof stuffsac and then use them as a pillow (I hate having them inside my sleeping bag unless I absolutely have to) They keep a bit warmer that way and dont freeze so hard.

George

 

[Andy]

to put out your fire it isn't a good idea drinking water that has come straight out of normal hot waterbotle as the rubber affects it and it isn't good for drinking. you can however you a pop bottle with a towel round it in the same way and this means you can drink it after. i tent to cook pasta for supper then use that water when camping then use the water for noddles in the morning

 

[Jon]

Cold boots in the morning ?

One answer is to use one of those little night light candles. I think they are known as T-lights, tiny metal cup filled with wax, you know the ones. A couple of minutes per boot should do the trick.

Warm boots in the morning make you incredably smug and happy when everyone else is grumpy.

Careful not to let things get too hot, one boot and one stockinged foot ( because you burnt the other boot) make you incredably grumpy all day.

Jon.

 

[TAHAWK]

I hate it when you have to get out of your nice warm sleeping bag, into the cold morning.
I really hate it, having to force my bare feet into the frozen shoes because they are too hard to get into with socks. By the time they are above zero, your feet are below! :yikes:
Nothing I've tried so far worked and my shoes don't fit well in my sleepingbag. I tried these gel heat packs, no use.

:idea: If you can get the tops of the boots wedged between your bag and sleeping mat, that will usually keep them from freezing.