Well i survived -.- need to learn how to do my layers though,layed on a wool blanket pretty thin with a waterproof bottom, had a snugpack on a waterproof thick jacket and a shirt under that, and something on my head was bloody freezing
A couple notes to consider:
Insulate yourself from the ground. Contact with the ground will suck heat out of you faster than contact with the air. Even a few handfulls of grass/leaves will help. I know it doesn't sound right, but if you have only one blanket you use it between you and the ground instead of pulling it over yourself.
Try to be warm when you bundle up for the night. Roast a bit by the fire, or do a little exercise.
When you wake up in the middle of the night from the cold (and you will), have a quick high-energy snack to feed the internal engine/fire. I prefer a little chocolate, but that is partially because of the "chocolate therapy" issues - it comforts the soul when you are shivering in the dark! But that little bit of a snack really does perk up your internal engine.
While you are awake at oh-dark-thiry in the morning, releave yourself of any built up internal liquid - whether you really need to or not. It will reduce some of that internal pressures, and will just feel better - leading to a better state of mind - which should promote better rest. And, when dawn finds you, there will be less ... urgency ... to crawl out of your now somewhat warmed up bed. There's few things worse than waking up and lying there enduring the "pressure" as long as you can until forced by nature get up!
Make sure to block any wind from reaching you, or at least from blowing on any exposed skin. That moving air cools you off fast - even a slight draft.
Most of dealing with the cold is in your mental attitude! If you THINK you will be cold, then you WILL be cold! The more you fight it, the worse it will seem. Once you accept that you will be cold, it is easier to mentally move it out of the forefront of you mind. I learned this early while growing up on the farm. There were many times that the weather was BAD, but we still had work/chores to do. Fretting over it just made it worse. So we did our best to just accept that we would get soaked/muddy/froze and got on with getting the work done. So your mental attitude has a lot more to do with your comfort than you might at first think.
Some of this might seem like little things. But those little things start to add up.
And so you have learned and experienced some more of the outdoors with your trip. Then next time will be a little better, as will the next and the next. And when you run into a trip with bad weather/luck, it will be easier to enjoy it still.
Keep up the good work.
Just a few humble thoughts to share. Take them as such.
Mikey - yee ol' grumpy German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands
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