How cold is it when wild camping this time of year?

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Bear mears

Tenderfoot
Mar 16, 2017
66
1
Wolverhampton
Hi folks, had me a spending spree this morning managed to get some held decent looking gear online from blacks I'd say nearly enough to test the waters to see how me and the daughter like camping.

Picked up a tent, two sleeping bags, two inflatables and the bag to carry it all.

Do you guys think that will be enough to keep us toasty on the nights? I'm assuming with two of us in the one tent that will help too but I don't want to get caught out and spend the night freezing our toes off lol.

Do I need the insulation mats and liners too? Cheers
 

dannyk64

Full Member
Apr 1, 2015
106
17
Nottingham
depends on a lot, where your camping, current conditions, local geography but for the most part you should be fine anywhere in the uk.

I slept out in Nottingham at a mates wood in January and night time temperature's were around 0 to 2c and it was fine. All I had was a cheap roll matt a 3 season sleeping bag and a two man tent and I was more than comfortable.

As long as your dry I find for the most part the UK climate pretty forgiving excluding some of the more elevated areas of the country.
 

baggins

Full Member
Apr 20, 2005
1,563
300
49
Coventry (and surveying trees uk wide)
This time of year is a bit of a tricky one. the days can be up to 15c but the nights (like tonight) can be getting close to freezing.
I guess it all depends on the rating of your bags. but definitely invest in a couple of good quality sleeping mats, they do make such a difference to comfort.
My advice would be to plan to go away but keep a close eye on the forecast and not be afraid to call it off if the weather looks too wet/cold/windy etc.
A bad first camping experience can really put folk off (especially younger people).
but don't be afraid to give it a go and remember there is no shame in bugging out if it gets too uncomfortable.
 

Mesquite

It is what it is.
Mar 5, 2008
27,802
2,892
62
~Hemel Hempstead~
It all depends on the season rating of the bags and what type inflatables you said you've got.

If they're winter weight bags then you should be fine but if they're summer ones then you'll be cold.

As for the inflatables do you mean airbed type kip mats or self inflating ones? If the former then you might need an insulating layer to protect you from the mass of cold air you'd be lying on. If the latter then rock on :)
 

Bear mears

Tenderfoot
Mar 16, 2017
66
1
Wolverhampton
Great i think we will do ok in that case but having a ciggy at the bavk door earlier it made me question it lol. once the missus is sorted out this weekend I'm free from then to either wait for a meet to come up on here locally or plan our own little expedition. I've also orders a Cannock chase o.s and peak district o.s in case we decide to really go for it lol.
 

Bear mears

Tenderfoot
Mar 16, 2017
66
1
Wolverhampton
It all depends on the season rating of the bags and what type inflatables you said you've got.

If they're winter weight bags then you should be fine but if they're summer ones then you'll be cold.

As for the inflatables do you mean airbed type kip mats or self inflating ones? If the former then you might need an insulating layer to protect you from the mass of cold air you'd be lying on. If the latter then rock on :)

Ahh your joking! Lol its the blow up single bed and the rating on the sleeping bags said 2-3 seasons
 

Bear mears

Tenderfoot
Mar 16, 2017
66
1
Wolverhampton
If it is a true three season then I'd say no problem. If it's a cheap 2-3 then maybe not :lmao:

well they cost me £15 each so I'm guessing not so much haha. Looks like were getting insulation sheets aswel. Its more the carrying aspect than anything don't want too much weight as I have some lung issues.
 

Robbi

Full Member
Mar 1, 2009
10,226
1,027
northern ireland
well they cost me £15 each so I'm guessing not so much haha. Looks like were getting insulation sheets aswel. Its more the carrying aspect than anything don't want too much weight as I have some lung issues.

Great i think we will do ok in that case but having a ciggy at the bavk door earlier it made me question it lol. once the missus is sorted out this weekend I'm free from then to either wait for a meet to come up on here locally or plan our own little expedition. I've also orders a Cannock chase o.s and peak district o.s in case we decide to really go for it lol.

:confused:
 

Mesquite

It is what it is.
Mar 5, 2008
27,802
2,892
62
~Hemel Hempstead~
Ahh your joking! Lol its the blow up single bed and the rating on the sleeping bags said 2-3 seasons

I joke you not :)

well they cost me £15 each so I'm guessing not so much haha. Looks like were getting insulation sheets aswel. Its more the carrying aspect than anything don't want too much weight as I have some lung issues.

You might be ok if you put one of the bags inside the other but that means getting some more for your missus.

Failing that then a couple fleece blankets and cuddle up close ;)
 

Bear mears

Tenderfoot
Mar 16, 2017
66
1
Wolverhampton
Great i think we will do ok in that case but having a ciggy at the bavk door earlier it made me question it lol. once the missus is sorted out this weekend I'm free from then to either wait for a meet to come up on here locally or plan our own little expedition. I've also orders a Cannock chase o.s and peak district o.s in case we decide to really go for it lol.

:confused:

Lol not smoking related, I have a rare auto immune disease it restricts my airways.... But yes good point and I'm trying thank you.
 

Nice65

Brilliant!
Apr 16, 2009
6,438
2,859
W.Sussex
Air beds suck in cold weather - like lying on a slab of ice.

Yep, you need some insulation within, it makes a huge difference. Multimat make some affordable mats.

And, take this lesson from me, not from experience. Pack them well within your bag, the slightest collision with a Hawthorn, Rose, or Bramble will see you having a miserable night on the ground.

Or, and this will really bulk you out, a pair of closed cell foam mats to go on top of the air mattresses. And a couple of fleeces.

The weather is looking cold and wet for the week down here, but the weekend looks better. Why not pack some warm clothing layers and see how you get on?
 

Janne

Sent off - Not allowed to play
Feb 10, 2016
12,330
2,293
Grand Cayman, Norway, Sweden
Do not forget a beanie or similar head covefing, plus a pair of thick, loose fitting socks.

You lose a very large % of the body heat from your head, and having to sleep with cold feet makes you feel miserable.

As for ground insulation I like to use leaves and/or thin branches, with a closed cell mat on top, as I never am able to carry to much.
 

decorum

Full Member
May 2, 2007
5,064
12
Warwickshire
You lose a very large % of the body heat from your head, and having to sleep with cold feet makes you feel miserable.

They lied to us on that one :( :soapbox: . It's based on skewed findings from biased tests. It's based on a person being efficiently insulated for their entire body, excepting their head. So, obviously, the head would lose a lot more than other areas. If you insulate the head but then remove insulation from elsewhere that then becomes the area of greatest percentage heat loss. That said a nice dry thin beanie can give you a nice little boost if the temperature is challenging the bag's low end rating :D



As Janne alludes to, even in dryish UK weather a day's activities will cause a level of foot dampness. Sleepping in damp socks can be a misery! I tend to sleep sockless, with the damp* socks being kept in my bag near my core to dry overnight. * DAMP, not wet. Wet socks are wrung out and hung to dry as I'm best able and then dealt with slightly differently.
As Janne says, a wool beanie can be a useful addition to your sleep kit if it's cold. Same goes if you don't like your head restricted by the sleeping bag and feel the need for a bit of coverage. Personallly, I tend to sleep with a hand under my head ~ so I also tend to carry a pair of loose mitts to my kit ;)


I use a Klymit kip mat ~ basically a hi-tech inflatable crisp packet with absolutely zero insulating properties! If it's cold I put a ccf* mat under it ~ cheap and light *closed cell foam. As mentioned by others, if your pad inflates make sure you have and take, a puncture repair kit ;)

If you do find that your new bags are a bit light on warmth I'd first look at insulating underneath you ~ your weight comresses the insulation and the ground 'sucks' heat away faster than air does (you mention a tent, so retention of radiated heat is less of a concern). One of the tricks I use is to put one or more blankets (fleece or wool ~ or a poncho liner) down first and the sleeping pad on it/them. The down side is that blankets are bulky and can be heavy too :(

Massive generality alert! ... Be aware that there tends to be a disparity in cold tolerance between males and females. This disparity is about 5 degrees C ~ so if your new bags have a comfort rating of 5 deg, count it as a comfort rating of 10 gegrees C (If I remember the sciencey bit correctly the feeling the cold more bit is down to women, generally, having a whole lot more nerve endings on their skin than men do)

If it's a bit nippy I tend to find that if I can keep my kidneys and shoulder/neck area warm then the rest of me doesn't grumble too much. After that a dry beanie and/or mitts helps maintain comfort ;)

And remember that it's you who warms the sleeping bag, not the other way around ~ a bag may or may not not hold the heat well, but if you go into it physcally cold then you will likely remain cold! :eek: :(
 

Tonyuk

Settler
Nov 30, 2011
933
81
Scotland
I'd want a decent mat, bivvy and bag rated to at least -5 at this time of year.

Remember what you have to eat and how much exertion you've been through that day will make a big impact on how warm you feel.

Tonyuk
 

Joonsy

Native
Jul 24, 2008
1,483
3
UK
though checking the weather forecast is good advice (post 3) it's worth noting that temperatures given on the BBC weather is for towns and cities, it can sometimes be a few degrees colder when out in the sticks.
 

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