So you’re here to know how to stay warm in a tent without electricity? Don’t worry. You’re reading a perfect blog post as it will only give you the ways to help you stay warm in the tent without needing any electricity in winter or snow. Just a note before starting the topic – please follow as many tips you can that I will share to get the maximum out of this article. And if you still have excuses not to spend enough time in nature/outdoors, then you must check out the immense benefits of being in nature; it will change your mind.
1. Wearing clothes in Bed
Making your bed stylish should not be your priority because when camping, you only want to carry the necessary things, so what clothes work great in bed during camping? Wearing a zip-up hoodie on top of my pajamas with a good pair of wool socks is my preferred option on my camping bed, as it will help me stay warmer inside my sleeping bag.
If you want more heat, pairing a balaclava with a hoodie won’t regret you because the hood will slip off during sleep, whereas a balaclava won’t move from its place, and thus it will not allow the hard-earned heat to escape.
2. A suitable sleeping bag
We don’t overthink quality when we camp in summer. We may want a durable and lightweight bag. That type of sleeping bag is suitable for summer, but when we’re talking about camping in winter, we need to narrow our selection to something specific that works amazingly in winter.
Here are some factors that I think your sleeping bag should have to provide you with a warm and sound sleep: Insulation, thickness, shape (mummy sleeping bags are best for winters), durability, and filling (down is best, but some synthetic sleeping is also great).
Why do mummy sleeping bags work magically in winter? Because they don’t provide space for heat to escape. A good sleeping bag is a must, but it is not the only thing you need. Continue reading the article to find out all possible ways to stay warm inside the tent in winter.
Must read: How to stay warm while camping in the winter
3. Mylar blankets
If you can’t afford to lose some heat inside the tent, mylar blankets are a must because mylar blankets, also known as space blankets, are designed to reflect your body heat.
I know two ways to use mylar blankets: You can place a mylar blanket on your sleeping bag or attach one to the tent’s ceiling using duct tape. Using a mylar blanket on the tent’s roof will reflect your body heat or the heat of the recently used heater.
4. Heated rocks
Before going for this method, you must know it is not recommended for inexperienced campers or unsupervised children. Place some hand-sized rocks in the campfire for about an hour and let them sit and be cooled to the point where they don’t hurt handling. There are several methods to use these heated rocks:
- When the rocks are cold enough, wrap them in a cloth and put this cloth in the center of your tent. Now, what will happen is the mylar tent you’ve attached to the ceiling of the tent will reflect the heat of these rocks to you and will provide you with hours of a toasty sleeping area.
- You can also wrap these rocks in a cloth at the foot of the sleeping bag.
- While the campfire is heating rocks, dig up your body-sized trench below the tent just where you will sleep. Now, without letting the stones cool down, put all these in that trench and ensure all rocks are inside the trench with a few inches left to cover them with soil. Make your bed on top of that burial and enjoy a toasty sleep.
5. Double sleeping pad
A sleeping pad insulates you from the snow and cold ground. The insulation power of any sleeping pad is determined by its R-value, and pairing two sleeping pads will add up their R-value to the overall R-value of the sleeping pad. Consider bringing two types of sleeping pads – foam and inflatable. Put the foam sleeping pad on the bottom and an inflatable one between the sleeping bag and the foam.
6. This time, eating and drinking a lot can save you
Michael, What are you saying? I am on my diet. Okay, you may be on a diet, but as I said, this time, eating a lot can save you from shivering on that cold night. As we know, high fats and high-protein foods burn more slowly than high-carb meals, so eating a meal rich in fats and proteins can keep you warmer for longer.
When you’ve finished eating, it is best not to drink cold water because it will cool down the heat in your body which your body generates to digest food, so after eating, only drink warm water, which should also be after 15-20 minutes. Before going to bed, you would like to drink plenty of warm water as it will raise your body temperature.
Always stay hydrated because your body does more work than usual in winter; if you experience dehydration, you will also experience freezing. So always stay hydrated by drinking lots of warm water. If you don’t have a stove to boil water, then you can read this article, where I’ve covered some best stoves for boiling water available on the market.
7. Time for some workout
Never go to bed when you’re feeling cold already. Going warm in a sleeping bag will help you maintain your body temperature for longer, but there is no guarantee that you’ll remain warm in bed if you’re already feeling cold.
So, how can I generate heat in my body? Doing some light workouts (push-ups, squats, jumping, etc.) will help you burn some calories fast to generate heat in the body. Don’t work out too much because we only need warmth, not sweat, in winter camping.
If you begin to feel cold in the sleeping bag again, you can do crunches, which will help you stay warm again without needing to get up from bed.
8. Let your core region hug the hot water bottle
When it’s time to sleep, Have some hot water inside a hard plastic bottle and sleep with it. How should I sleep with a hot water bottle to remain warmer for more periods and have a sound sleep? The best way to use a hot water bottle is to place it in your groin and not put it under the sleeping bag. Instead, putting this hot water bottle inside your sleeping bag is best.
Many people may advise you to put that bottle at your toes, but putting it in your groin will surely be better because it will warm your body much faster as it heats the blood flowing. If the bottle is too hot to touch, wrap it up with one of your layers around it and put it in your groin.
9. Don’t use a massive tent
We know a large tent works excellently as it allows every group member to sleep comfortably without experiencing it like they’re packed in a 4×4 box. It is true, but only until winter knocks on the door. A comparably fit or small tent might make you think like hell firsthand, but when you camp in winter, you’ll feel like heaven.
Why not buy a massive tent in winter? The answer is straightforward because if there is lots of space inside the tent, the hard-earned heat will escape without asking you, and you’ll sleep in the cold. The closer you sleep, the more is the chance of staying warm inside the tent for a more extended period.
10. Don’t forget to insulate your tent floor
What! How much insulation do you want me to do? Are sleeping pads and mylar blankets not enough? In a way, yes, they’re not enough, but if you follow all the steps I’ve told you, you’ll sleep warmer, but what if you wake up at night for a pee or something else? Now, how will you feel touching the cold floor of the tent?
That’s why a fitted tent carpet or rug will act as an insulating layer and prevent the cold from coming up through the floor. A tent carpet or rug is unnecessary if you’ll not wake up at night touching the tent’s cold sheet.
11. Vent your tent
What venting tent in winter? Are you crazy? Yes, you have the right to call me anything, but you may change your opinion about me when you know the case. What will happen if you’ll not vent your tent in winter? See, when you haven’t allowed airflow inside the tent, you have not allowed escaping the air from the tent.
When you sleep, you may release hot vapors inside the tent, and these water droplets collect as condensation by hitting the cold fabric of the tent and freezing. Now you may not see me as a crazy person because I don’t want you to feel like you’re trapped in an icebox. And it is for sure the water will melt to make you wet.
Conclusion
I hope you stay warm inside the tent when camping in winter, snow, or cold weather. These are all the tips I know, but I like your advice on staying warm in a tent without electricity. This is all about staying warm inside the tent, but what about staying warm in winter outside the tent? If you want to know that, I’ve already written a good piece of content you can read: staying warm in winter outside the tent.
Michael is heavily inclined towards traveling to natural places and documenting cultures/people from different parts of the world. He also loves hiking and camping and is spirited toward all outdoor activities. He will share his passion for outdoor life and brands or products we use outside our homes. He has good research skills, and that’s why you can see why his articles are packed with info that is factual and not readily available. He also has the vision to travel the whole world and share it with all readers of Outdoor Favor.
