winter camping tips
- Thread starter drewdunnrespect
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Good god
)Thank the lord you clarified things later by suggesting one leave the sleeping bag first
Best smile I've had all say, thanks!
Ive never done it before, i wondered about it myself. Build a fire reflector maybe? Ive heard many people in hammocks complain that heat is lost through the bottom of the hammock more than anything, so insulation there is good.
In winter in my house (we didnt have any heating) I used to zip myself into a sleeping back with a fleece lined quilt and stick a couple of chihuahuas in with me. There was a hole the chihuahuas used to pole their noses through and we were as warm as toast!
...i dont think chihuahuas and hammocks gel together very well though
In winter in my house (we didnt have any heating) I used to zip myself into a sleeping back with a fleece lined quilt and stick a couple of chihuahuas in with me. There was a hole the chihuahuas used to pole their noses through and we were as warm as toast!
...i dont think chihuahuas and hammocks gel together very well though
I used to zip myself into a sleeping back with a fleece lined quilt and stick a couple of chihuahuas in with me. There was a hole the chihuahuas used to pole their noses through and we were as warm as toast!
...i dont think chihuahuas and hammocks gel together very well though
I have a friend who always had his beagle along with him camping. Barney Dog would always sleep in Don's sleeping bag/bed roll with him - down by his feet. It sure helped keep Don's feet warm in the middle of the night! But it also had it's ... drawbacks. At least once each night Barney Dog would have to crawl out for a little run outside - whatever the weather was like. And then he would crawl back down into Don's sleeping bag/bedroll. But Don tended to sleep in the nude! Several times we heard what happened when Barney Dog took his middle of the night "stroll" through the SLEET or SNOW!!!! And then crawled back in to sleep! 
But Don's toes never got cold! So he put up with Barney Dog's sleeping arangement.We all missed Barney Dog when he passed on. He was an ... interesting ... camp companion. Well, except for that time he went ... scrounging ... around the large group of campers and came back with a can of creamed corn, dropped it at Don's feet in the middle of all of us, sat down, and looked up at Don with that "come on dad, open it for me" look!
Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands
I'm a believer in having a pee bottle with you for the colder nights. Saves having to get up. Plus, the pee bottle then becomes a "hot water bottle" afterwards. Personally, I have to use a wide mouth bottle,
though some might be able to get away with a smaller one
though some might be able to get away with a smaller one
I'm a believer in having a pee bottle with you for the colder nights. Saves having to get up. Plus, the pee bottle then becomes a "hot water bottle" afterwards. Persoma;;y, I have to use a wide mouth bottle,
Gary remind me NOT to accept a cup of tea from you on sunday!!!
I'm a believer in having a pee bottle with you for the colder nights. Saves having to get up. Plus, the pee bottle then becomes a "hot water bottle" afterwards. Personally, I have to use a wide mouth bottle,
Ahh yes.. A lesson learned "Never drink the free lucozade "
Well I would tend to agree with drewdunnrespect and yOdsa about underblankets. But then I would wouldn't I.
Seriously though, before my underblanket. I remember beingout in -5 deg . Iwoke up cold so put more clothes on, woke up again cold, more clothes. Never did get warm that night. Have since been told to have the right bag and wear minimal clothes. It sounds daft but it does work.
Seriously though, before my underblanket. I remember beingout in -5 deg . Iwoke up cold so put more clothes on, woke up again cold, more clothes. Never did get warm that night. Have since been told to have the right bag and wear minimal clothes. It sounds daft but it does work.
For hats, ditch the normal bushcrafter wide brimmed hat in the winter. I do as I find the blasting wind rips it off my noggin anyway, and it does keep your head warm, but not as warm as a Lowe Alpine Mountain Cap. I've had reason to take the hat off in the past as my head felt it was on fire! Best 15 quid I ever spent was getting one of those hats. Mot the most stylish thing, granted, but it's not a fashion parade in the woods. A shemagh is another great bit of kit, use it as a loose hat at night, a scarf during the day and as a dish cloth for drying up. They dry OK in a breeze too.
Wear wool, its' benefits far outweigh the downside, bulk and weight. Light weight shirts made from wool can be had on eBay, search for Pendletons and variations in spelling. Also, try the Shirts KF, old woolen military shirts. They can be a bit itchy, an old trick was to shave the inside and iron them inside out. Personally, I'd wear a tee underneath. Yoiu won't need to with the Pendletons shirts, they are quality soft wool.
Try a Swanndri type shirt for a second layer. Bison also do a shirt which may suit your needs, it is thicker and denser weave as far as various reports tell. A windproof shell would be needed over the top to stop the wind striping your heat away. Ventile or gaberdine, dense cotton canvas type jackets and goretex type shells should be considered. If you don't want to go synthetic, you'll need some sort of waterproof, a poncho in either rubber, nylon or ventile if you have the cash!
The legs are quite big but seem to be overlooked somewhat. It's like we pay so much attention equipping our hands, feet, head and torso but just let our legs look after themselves! A good set of solid trews with a pair of tights underneath will really do wonders. Tights used to be used in the forces before thermal garments were issued. They really do work, but make sure you don't get too drunk and strip, you'll never live it down! Gaiters can help keep your legs warm, not only protecting you from water and thorns, they will trap a layer of air again and insulate your legs and protect them from that chilling cold.
All this kit is for wearing during the day, as soon as it is gonk bag time, you need to rethink things. No point getting into your gonk sack with damp or wet gear on. People put wet kit in their bag to dry it out at night. Do not do this! It is extremely foolish. Your bag will get damp, and you will get colder each night as your wet kit transfers it's water into your gonk bag. Treat your bag with the utmost care, it above all things should remain bone dry. If the day looks to be fine, air it out as best as you can. If it is damp, there's not much point in trying!
Massive post, sorry about that, but I hope it is useful to at least a few people. remeber, lots of layers during the day, keep your gonk sack dry at all times, and the comment about going for a pee is spot on. Have you ever noticed that when you do put it off and go in the morning, the steam is like somebody let off a smoke grenade? That's the heat that your urine has sapped from your body core, you've wasted energy heating up your pee. Get up and go as soon as you need to.
Wear wool, its' benefits far outweigh the downside, bulk and weight. Light weight shirts made from wool can be had on eBay, search for Pendletons and variations in spelling. Also, try the Shirts KF, old woolen military shirts. They can be a bit itchy, an old trick was to shave the inside and iron them inside out. Personally, I'd wear a tee underneath. Yoiu won't need to with the Pendletons shirts, they are quality soft wool.
Try a Swanndri type shirt for a second layer. Bison also do a shirt which may suit your needs, it is thicker and denser weave as far as various reports tell. A windproof shell would be needed over the top to stop the wind striping your heat away. Ventile or gaberdine, dense cotton canvas type jackets and goretex type shells should be considered. If you don't want to go synthetic, you'll need some sort of waterproof, a poncho in either rubber, nylon or ventile if you have the cash!
The legs are quite big but seem to be overlooked somewhat. It's like we pay so much attention equipping our hands, feet, head and torso but just let our legs look after themselves! A good set of solid trews with a pair of tights underneath will really do wonders. Tights used to be used in the forces before thermal garments were issued. They really do work, but make sure you don't get too drunk and strip, you'll never live it down! Gaiters can help keep your legs warm, not only protecting you from water and thorns, they will trap a layer of air again and insulate your legs and protect them from that chilling cold.
All this kit is for wearing during the day, as soon as it is gonk bag time, you need to rethink things. No point getting into your gonk sack with damp or wet gear on. People put wet kit in their bag to dry it out at night. Do not do this! It is extremely foolish. Your bag will get damp, and you will get colder each night as your wet kit transfers it's water into your gonk bag. Treat your bag with the utmost care, it above all things should remain bone dry. If the day looks to be fine, air it out as best as you can. If it is damp, there's not much point in trying!
Massive post, sorry about that, but I hope it is useful to at least a few people. remeber, lots of layers during the day, keep your gonk sack dry at all times, and the comment about going for a pee is spot on. Have you ever noticed that when you do put it off and go in the morning, the steam is like somebody let off a smoke grenade? That's the heat that your urine has sapped from your body core, you've wasted energy heating up your pee. Get up and go as soon as you need to.
Eat a gargantuan piping hot beef steak sandwich before you go to bed.
Sleeping on a full stomach is a joy in the winter.
Sleeping on a full stomach is a joy in the winter.
