1. Layer underneath not just over the top
It’s a camping formality that when the weather gets cold you start taking every rug, blanket and sleeping bag you can cold earth absorbs your heat during the night and a good roll matt is essential. Moreover, if you’ve taken a thick pile of blankets and you find yourself getting cold, remember the counter intuitive: pull a blanket over the top of you, yes, but also put some extra layers underneath.
2. Remember to shake your sleeping bag
Most sleeping bags work by trapping pockets of air that absorb heat from your body and then keep you well insulated. To achieve the maximum insulation, therefore, give your bag a good shake before you use it to make sure it’s lofty and full of air. With light bags, shake it from the bottom end to encourage the filling to accumulate in the upper sections of the bag where the insulation is most needed. Don’t fill your sleeping bag with too many of your belongings either. Its may seem a bright idea to stick all your clothes inside overnight to keep them warm and dry, but if you have too much it can compress the bag lining and lessen the effect of the insulation.
3. Don’t tuck your head inside your sleeping bag
It’s a natural chain of events: First you tuck your shoulders inside the sleeping bag, then your head, and then you begin retreating down inside until your bundled at the bottom. To get the most from your bag though, keep your face in the open. By enclosing yourself within, the moisture in your breath will begin condensing inside your sleeping bag, making it damp and ruining its insulating effect. Keep your mouth and nose in the open to keep the moisture outside. It’s condensation that makes the walls of the tent wet when you touch them in the mornings. You don’t want that inside your sleeping bag!
4. Let nature take its course
There’s nothing worse than getting tucked up for bed and then gradually realizing that all those campfire beers have taken effect… you need another pee. When you’re cold you need to go more frequently and there’s no use holding it in. Your body has to remain at a steady temperature and, as a result, wastes energy keeping your bladder warm. Pop out of the tent when you get the chance and let nature take its course – you’ll sleep much better after.
5. Take the right size tent (and sleeping bag)
We all like the ease (and the back-ache saving) or big family tents but when it comes to winter camping size matters. Tents are – for obvious reasons – a massive part of the insulation process, so smaller is better. If there are two of you take a small, two-person tent not some eight-man monster. It’ll trap your warmth far better. The same goes for your sleeping bag – if you’re small, buy small. It’ll keep you snug.
