Warm nights sleep - Tips?
- Thread starter Kristien
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give your sleeping bag a good shake befor you get in it. when your sleeping bag is packed away all the air is squashed out of the fibers of your bag, shakeing it openes up the fibers letting the air back in providing better insulation.
Here in New England I camp with the boy scouts every month of the year and that usually means the coldest trip is somewhere around -20 C and another 4 trips are around -6 C. Our tricks include double up on ground pads, personally I use an inflatble big agnes and cheap closed foam. Change out of every article of clothing that you wore during the day in the real coldI wear a synthetic long johns, polyfleece sweater, and pants along with a pair of loosefitting wool socks. I also wear a knit beanie and mittens. I heat a couple of bottles half to 3/4 full and place in sock near my feet this is for the added heat and to prevent frozen water in the morning. A cup of hot cocoa before bed for the calories and for raising body temp a little but make sure to empty your baldder before going to bed one so you do not need to get up during the night and two so your body is not keeping the extra volume at body temperature. The bag I use in the coldest weather is rated -15 C and I have slept comfortably.
I regularly read posts in which people recommend sleeping in minimal clothing to stay warm. They say that if the bodyheat can't leave your clothing and enter the sleepingbag, it can't keep you warm. Are you trying to warm yourself or the sleeping bag?
If the heat isn't getting into the sleepingbag insulation, guess where it's being trapped? Against your skin, where it should be.
There is nothing magical about a sleepingbag. Imagine you are wearing thermals and a fleece jumper, but are still cold, you jump in a sleeping bag. Is extra insulation going to suck the heat away from you? No. You will be warmer.
Clothes don't keep you warm in the day and make you cold in a sleepingbag at night.
More insulation means more warmth.
Ray Jardine suggests that the advice to sleep in minimal clothing is a manufacturer's attempt for people to buy a higher rated (more expensive) sleeping bag for the expected conditions.
End of rant, sorry all!
As others have said, keep that hat on.
If you still find yourself cold while wearing all your clothing, you could always revert to using your raingear, poncho or even groundsheet as a vapour barrier inside your sleepingbag, or under clothing. I've never had to use this method myself, and I imagine waking up in my own warm sweat wouldn't be the pleasantest of experiences, but just a thought
If the heat isn't getting into the sleepingbag insulation, guess where it's being trapped? Against your skin, where it should be.
There is nothing magical about a sleepingbag. Imagine you are wearing thermals and a fleece jumper, but are still cold, you jump in a sleeping bag. Is extra insulation going to suck the heat away from you? No. You will be warmer.
Clothes don't keep you warm in the day and make you cold in a sleepingbag at night.
More insulation means more warmth.
Ray Jardine suggests that the advice to sleep in minimal clothing is a manufacturer's attempt for people to buy a higher rated (more expensive) sleeping bag for the expected conditions.
End of rant, sorry all!
As others have said, keep that hat on.
If you still find yourself cold while wearing all your clothing, you could always revert to using your raingear, poncho or even groundsheet as a vapour barrier inside your sleepingbag, or under clothing. I've never had to use this method myself, and I imagine waking up in my own warm sweat wouldn't be the pleasantest of experiences, but just a thought
Most of its been said here already, but my thoughts and what works for me is
I use the right sleeping bag for the season
I don't wear socks, but love a hot water bottle, either an empty coke bottle (1 or 2 litre) or a 1 litre fuel / drink aluminium bottle (wrap in spare clothes or in the case of he 1 litre fuel bottle I put it in two socks). The water is still around body temp in the morning and boils that much quicker
Eat something an hour or so before bed time, this gives time for the digestive system to kick in and release some fuel into the body while you sleep
Stop drinking about 30 minutes before hitting the sack especially at my age, my son hates it when I try and use the pee bottle, miss, and hit his bag (your aim goes bad along with your bladder and eyesight as you get older)
If the weather is warm you can drink right to the end as you don't mind getting up for a waz on a nice night
Get in you bag before you are really cold, remember, you are heating a lot of cold air when you first get in. A small gas lantern or even a candle lantern in our Hex 3 throws out some welcome BTU's, but watch the ventilation and DO NOT leave on all night
Keep something to eat and drink close to hand for mid night nibbles, maybe a bit of cake, chocolate, digestive biscuits etc, give you a mid sleep cycle energy boost, it you wake up cold and hungry you need to eat something.
Make a Thermos of tea/coffee/hot chocolate, if you don't drink it in the night, its very welcome first thing in the morning
With enough food, drink and insulation and pre supposing your bladder does not wake you up, you should sleep fine
Just my pennies worth
I use the right sleeping bag for the season
I don't wear socks, but love a hot water bottle, either an empty coke bottle (1 or 2 litre) or a 1 litre fuel / drink aluminium bottle (wrap in spare clothes or in the case of he 1 litre fuel bottle I put it in two socks). The water is still around body temp in the morning and boils that much quicker
Eat something an hour or so before bed time, this gives time for the digestive system to kick in and release some fuel into the body while you sleep
Stop drinking about 30 minutes before hitting the sack especially at my age, my son hates it when I try and use the pee bottle, miss, and hit his bag (your aim goes bad along with your bladder and eyesight as you get older)
If the weather is warm you can drink right to the end as you don't mind getting up for a waz on a nice night
Get in you bag before you are really cold, remember, you are heating a lot of cold air when you first get in. A small gas lantern or even a candle lantern in our Hex 3 throws out some welcome BTU's, but watch the ventilation and DO NOT leave on all night
Keep something to eat and drink close to hand for mid night nibbles, maybe a bit of cake, chocolate, digestive biscuits etc, give you a mid sleep cycle energy boost, it you wake up cold and hungry you need to eat something.
Make a Thermos of tea/coffee/hot chocolate, if you don't drink it in the night, its very welcome first thing in the morning
With enough food, drink and insulation and pre supposing your bladder does not wake you up, you should sleep fine
Just my pennies worth
try one of these it may work.
There is nothing wrong with a eurohike sleeping bag apart from being bulky/heavy for the warmth rating they are OK for fixed camping as they are inexpensive.
A big tip is to have more than one sleeping bag and use different ones at different times of the year. I could not sleep last January when I went to bed in my clothes and had to strip down to my boxers (as usual) the night was about 7 degrees and I took a bag rated similiar to the one you are talking about. my mate sharing the tent with me complained of being cold.
If you are in a fixed location and are still worried take a duvet from home and put it under your sleeping bag on top of you sleeping mat.
There is nothing wrong with a eurohike sleeping bag apart from being bulky/heavy for the warmth rating they are OK for fixed camping as they are inexpensive.
A big tip is to have more than one sleeping bag and use different ones at different times of the year. I could not sleep last January when I went to bed in my clothes and had to strip down to my boxers (as usual) the night was about 7 degrees and I took a bag rated similiar to the one you are talking about. my mate sharing the tent with me complained of being cold.
If you are in a fixed location and are still worried take a duvet from home and put it under your sleeping bag on top of you sleeping mat.
Sleeping bags -- hmmm, I think I have one stashed away somewhere. I've only used one about 3 or 4 times ever - and twice was inside a house/cabin. Usually I just use a couple wool blankets and a canvas tarp, possibly even with a quilt thrown in (if I don't have to pack it in). But then, most of my camping is historically based, so I can only use what would have been available in the 1600 to 1800's. But I have mostly been better off than friends who did try using a modern sleeping bag. In the end, it is more of HOW you set yourself up for the night than relying upon GEAR to save you.
Insulate yourself from the ground. I usually gather up lots of grass/leaves/pine bows to make a "bed" to sleep on. It keeps you off of the ground which will soak away heat. It also gets you up away from the damp.
Block the wind/breeze. Even a slight breeze blowing across you will chill you.
Wear a hat/cap. You lose so much heat through your head.
Remove or change any damp/wet clothing before you crawl in - especially socks. The main reason they tell you to strip down before crawling in to sleep is to remove those damp clothes. The other reason is to remove any "restrictive" clothing. Clothes that are too tight can interfere with your blood circulation on body parts.
Keep moisture away from yourself and our bedding. So have something over top of you to keep rain/sleet/snow and even the night air dew from settling on you. Also don't breath inside what you are sleeping in - it adds lots of moisture.
If you wake up and feel the "call of nature", don't fight it. Just get up and releave yourself. Fighting that urge while trying to get back to sleep just doesn't work.
Have that little snack to nibble on in the middle of the night - a little chocolate or a handful of nuts. It feeds your internal furnace.
And, if you are really worried about the cold overnight, do a simple thing that has been done for centuries. Share your sleeping bag or blankets with a buddy. It is amazing how much better each will sleep when sharing/combining body heat. Yeah, it takes a bit to get used to sharing with just a buddy instead of a romantic partner, but it ends up being one of the better "tips" to deal with sleeping out over a cold night. As kids we just did it all the time. Growing up I shared a bed with one or more of my brothers. And if you have been ... out in the field ... with any military unit, you quickly learn this.
I have camped out with two wool blankets and a canvas tarp in most weather conditions in every month of the year. And that includes January/February with temps down to -20 to -25 (F) degrees - which works out to somewhere around -30 (C) or so. But you really do have to be prepared to do that.
Which leads to that final point about sleeping warm overnight - mental attitude. If you really believe that you will be cold, then you will be - a self-fullfilling condition. But if you accept that you "might" be cold and uncomfortable, and just live with it, then you will spend a much better time and enjoy it more. Mental attitude is such a big part of it all.
Just a few humble thoughts to share. Take them as such.
Mikey - yee ol' grumpy blacksmith out in the Hinterlands
p.s. Who still can't understand this facination with hammocks. Besides carrying the extra "gear", and having to find the right pair of big trees to hang it between, I just can't stand being that "swaddled" up when sleeping. I have to be able to move around a bit and roll over on my sides. Must be part of that Personal Choice stuff. (Yes, I have spent a little time in a traditional naval hammock.)
Insulate yourself from the ground. I usually gather up lots of grass/leaves/pine bows to make a "bed" to sleep on. It keeps you off of the ground which will soak away heat. It also gets you up away from the damp.
Block the wind/breeze. Even a slight breeze blowing across you will chill you.
Wear a hat/cap. You lose so much heat through your head.
Remove or change any damp/wet clothing before you crawl in - especially socks. The main reason they tell you to strip down before crawling in to sleep is to remove those damp clothes. The other reason is to remove any "restrictive" clothing. Clothes that are too tight can interfere with your blood circulation on body parts.
Keep moisture away from yourself and our bedding. So have something over top of you to keep rain/sleet/snow and even the night air dew from settling on you. Also don't breath inside what you are sleeping in - it adds lots of moisture.
If you wake up and feel the "call of nature", don't fight it. Just get up and releave yourself. Fighting that urge while trying to get back to sleep just doesn't work.
Have that little snack to nibble on in the middle of the night - a little chocolate or a handful of nuts. It feeds your internal furnace.
And, if you are really worried about the cold overnight, do a simple thing that has been done for centuries. Share your sleeping bag or blankets with a buddy. It is amazing how much better each will sleep when sharing/combining body heat. Yeah, it takes a bit to get used to sharing with just a buddy instead of a romantic partner, but it ends up being one of the better "tips" to deal with sleeping out over a cold night. As kids we just did it all the time. Growing up I shared a bed with one or more of my brothers. And if you have been ... out in the field ... with any military unit, you quickly learn this.
I have camped out with two wool blankets and a canvas tarp in most weather conditions in every month of the year. And that includes January/February with temps down to -20 to -25 (F) degrees - which works out to somewhere around -30 (C) or so. But you really do have to be prepared to do that.
Which leads to that final point about sleeping warm overnight - mental attitude. If you really believe that you will be cold, then you will be - a self-fullfilling condition. But if you accept that you "might" be cold and uncomfortable, and just live with it, then you will spend a much better time and enjoy it more. Mental attitude is such a big part of it all.
Just a few humble thoughts to share. Take them as such.
Mikey - yee ol' grumpy blacksmith out in the Hinterlands
p.s. Who still can't understand this facination with hammocks. Besides carrying the extra "gear", and having to find the right pair of big trees to hang it between, I just can't stand being that "swaddled" up when sleeping. I have to be able to move around a bit and roll over on my sides. Must be part of that Personal Choice stuff. (Yes, I have spent a little time in a traditional naval hammock.)
Hmmm... I know I've had this argument on here before... I used to be of the "less clothes = warmer" school, and I've definitely revised my opinion of that, but I do think it depends on what sort of clothes you're wearing. If they don't wick adequately, and feel cold when damp (like denim jeans, for example) then I think you might be better off without.
I move around plenty in my hammock, and I usually sleep on my side. Perhaps a traditional naval hammock isn't as comfortable as a modern camping hammock?
A lot of the fascination is that in many places, finding somewhere to sling your hammock is a heck of a lot easier than finding anywhere even close to flat or dry, never mind both at once.
If you wear too many clothes in your bag you can compress the insulation of the bag against the outer fabric of the bag, reducing its loft/insulation.
Wearing the clothing you had on all day means that your body heat has to dry out your slightly damp (from insensible perspiration) clothing as well as warm your bag, which makes you feel colder, longer. It also means that any fungi/nasties on your skin have an ideal breading ground.....
Wearing dry insulating clothing that is not too bulky adds insulation but clothing can also tighten or ruck up at elbows or knees etc constricting circulation making your extremities colder.
I am a sleep in minimal clothing, use a sleepingbag liner type of guy myself.....
Wearing the clothing you had on all day means that your body heat has to dry out your slightly damp (from insensible perspiration) clothing as well as warm your bag, which makes you feel colder, longer. It also means that any fungi/nasties on your skin have an ideal breading ground.....
Wearing dry insulating clothing that is not too bulky adds insulation but clothing can also tighten or ruck up at elbows or knees etc constricting circulation making your extremities colder.
I am a sleep in minimal clothing, use a sleepingbag liner type of guy myself.....
The more/less clothing seems to be a very individual thing - I find it varies a lot from situation to situation. I've been toasty sleeping in just my base-layer in freezing temps. On other occasions, in just chilly temps, I've not been warm enough and had to put a jumper on. I know you're not supposed to sleep in damp clothes but I have in the past and found I slept warm enough and my clothes were dry enough by morning. So, I don't think there is a definitive answer to that one, and you're best to go with whatever works for you at the time.
I think clothing would have to be pretty enormous for it to compress the insulation of a sleepingbag. Surely a jacket would only add a few cm to the width of a sleeper.
Surely curling up to sleep in the fetal position to sleep would cause more compression around the knees and bum.
Surely curling up to sleep in the fetal position to sleep would cause more compression around the knees and bum.
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