Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Staying warm in a tent

West tx in those temps hands down the quick is a 6-8 man tipi, not cheap though.

With wood stove if you desire.

If not wife and I sleep down to around +10 every fall in AK, in zero degree wiggy bags and she is cold natured. We sleep together if it gets colder, but has not so far...

Good ground pad is a must. We just started with the cabela's 3 inch foam pad last fall in AK, its enough to keep us off the ground and insulated so far.

Tipis take no time to set up, Put a few stakes in and raise the pole...

But for me, if I was around a vehicle, I'd just as quickly put the bag in the seat and crawl in... Granted I"m only 51 but I sleep in the back seat of my F350 a few times a year in a good bag in the 20s with never a complaint.

I have done it in the bed before too, but you better have a good thick warm pad under you. Steel truck beds conduct cold really well I've found...

#1. get out of the wind

#2 stay dry not much of a problem in W Texas generally.


Expected temp? Activity? For sleeping or around camp?

I'm assuming you know how to keep warm while hunting

If a vehicle is carrying the weight, staying warm in a tent is easy. Until you get out of the sleeping bag!

My formula is 1) cot 2) insulating pad (cheap is ok) 3) Phat sleeping bag. I use the Therma-rest backpacker cot if room is an issue. That thing works. Warning -- put padding under the feet or it will wear a hole in your tent. Given the room, I use a bigger cot. Or preferably my 6-foot Toyota truck bed with a topper

There are many tricks regarding what to wear inside a sleeping bag, but I'll just say it needs to be dry and you need a beanie cap. I also sleep with snacks and a pee bottle within reach. No getting out in the cold to pee for me.

If you want to be warm out of the bag, look at the Little Buddy line of products.

For safe heat nearly all night, while you sleep, hard to beat one of the smaller size outfitter stoves in a tipi. Otherwise have a look at the zodi tent heaters or a propex heater mounted in a tool box.

I love sleeping in the cold. A good 15 degree mummy bag, a good pad, and some good long johns and you'll be fine. Get mummy'd up and sleep like a baby.

A two burner Coleman lantern will warm a 4 man dome tent. Fire up a burner for cooking, and one will likely have to open the door to cool things down. Other than that, simply get a good bag.

We use a cylinder woodstove in the wall tent, and 12-man tipi.

In a Cabelas 8-man guide tent we have used a Buddy heater with 20lb jug, and even a single mantle Coleman lantern warmed it up well in the 30s.

Getting ready to venture into the lightweight titanium stove world, for our 6-man tipi.

I will add that one of the biggest factor in staying warm is a good stocking cap that stays on. Keeping that heat from escaping from the top of your head makes a huge difference.

I use a good bag and a good pad. Then when it's really cold out.--I open up a 8 or 10 hour hot-hand hand warmer. Pop it down in my sleeping bag. Easy money staying warm and getting a good night sleep.

It works for me and a few of my buddies.

Not a lot of experience with packing in, but when I've done so and it is cold I place a hot hands inside the beanie before putting it on.

This x 1000. If your dome-piece gets cold, good luck staying warm.

Tanner

Hmmmm.

Notice I said "stays on".. (grin) I had one beanie on a hunt that would work it's way off during the night. Wake up freezing cold, find it, put it back on, and be warm again in 10 minutes. I know they supposedly debunked the myth of heat escaping through your head, but every experience I have had either cold weather camping or winter fishing has told me to keep my head covered with a beanie.

No doubt, they like to come off in a mummy bag often! I've taken to either using a beanie with strings that'll tie under the chin or putting a hood on over the beanie as an extra layer. Seems to work well.

Its been pretty much covered.

A good pad, bag and a nightcap. I use a wool watch cap.

Leave the heaters for the wall tents or a "hang out" shelter.

If you need a warm layer for when you don't want to get up, don't wear them, but throw them in your bag or throw them in the bag sack or pad bag for a pillow. You don't need extra layers in a bag that works.

A good bag taller than you are is vital.

The concept of heat loss through the head has not been debunked, just the exaggerated % that had been given.



FWIW.

One other thing I tend to do is eat something before I hit the sack. Food digestion burns calories which helps you stay warm. I eat when I'm cold during the day too.

An added trick I learned a while back, when it is really cold, zip your shell or jacket closed and slide your sleeping bag into it from the bottom end. The added layer covers your feet and up your legs, really helps. Also, be careful buying a bag too long, the added space may seem comfy, but it traps cold air.

Keep It simple...We have lived Outdoors more than Indoors most of our lives. A 4x4 Wagon long enough to sleep in the back, a good Mattress, and good Sleeping Bags. Turn key...Start Motor...Heater on.

We raised our Kids out Camping in a 75 Chevy "Bubble Top" RV Van. Just landed all the Drivetrain and Suspension to make the old Van 4x4. My next project will be to rebuild the interior and install the 4x4 parts.

The Kids will be fighting over who will get to park it at their house for the Grandkids.

A Mountain House warms you up for about an hour when you are freezing your arse off.