Bloomin' freezing at night. What do you wear?

[footballsgalore]

Have been camping now for 4 years and still I cannot guarantee that I will be warm at night.
This bank holiday weekend we had 4 nights away. The cloudy ones were fine. I was wearing: long sleeved thermal top, thermal bottoms, slipper socks, fleecy PJ top.
The clear nights were chilly. I wore all of the above and added a hoody sweatshirt (with the hood up!), another pair of socks and a pair of tracksuit bottoms. And I was still not all that comfortable! My sleeping bag is quite a good one - Mummy style.
DH says I'm a wimp. My 2 DS's sleep in just PJ's and socks and are sweaty!! Am I just a cold blooded wuss?

[choirmum]

I think you might be! I'm always roasting at night in our tent with just PJ's and a (fairly cheap) sleeping bag. Mind you, we only camp in the summer holidays, though not abroad.

[zanz1bar]

Bet you slept on an aired.
Get yourself a self inflating mat and be cold no more.

[footballsgalore]

I sleep on a camp bed. What is the difference between an airbed and a self inflating mat? Are they insulated?

[footballsgalore]

Having read that list of clothes back. It does sound pathetic!!! Maybe I should sleep in the car

[winnybella]

My ex who was in the army said they all slept naked in their sleeping bags as supposedly then your body has space to radiate the heat and so it becomes very warm inside the bag- but if you put lots of layers on then the heat cannot escape and so it's cold in the bag iyswim Not sure if there's any truth in it.

[LoveInAColdClimate]

Put a blanket under your airbed. I always wear a hat as well. I usually also make a hot water bottle before the fire goes out. Am also cold blooded! Oh, and don't let yourself get cold before bed - lots of layers and a hot drink before bed.

[Hulababy]

I camped for the first time in a very long time (and probably last time for at least a year too, lol) his weekend for two nights. the first night I was freezing. So the next day I found a stall (was ata festival) selling very long socks and then wore them, and wore my hoodie. I slept on a camp bed off the floor and made sure my sleeping bag was zipped all the way up tp the top and pulled the cord near the hood bit too - much, much better.

Think it was the socks that made the difference.

[RCToday]

Camp beds can be a bit colder than mats but I cant stand sleeping on the floor

I use a plastic backed picnic blanket with a fleece blanket over it, then my sleeping bag

I also wear thermal leggings, vest and tracksuit and a hat that covers my ears

I dont need a hot water bottle as my dog sleeps in the end of my sleeping bag

I fully admit I am a wimp with the cold but all of the above work for me

[footballsgalore]

Maybe that's what I need Cupnoodle, a good old fashioned Hotty! Will try that next time. Fleecy blanket sounds good too. If lying on it doesn't help, I'll just roll up in it!
Not sure about the sleeping naked though. It would make the 2am walk to the toilet block interesting!!
Thanks for your ideas!

[MrsKaravan]

I second the hot water bottle. I even stick one up my jumper when we sit out in the evening. If I am cold when I get into bed not even 5 duvets will warm me up (ok I exaggerate)

[mamaduckbone]

Try and go to campsites where you can have an open fire and get warm clothes on before you start getting cold, then toast yourself until bedtime!
I also second the suggestion of putting a blanket under your airbed, or one of those roll mats. I'd imagine a camp bed isn't a very warm option cos you've got cold air circulating underneath you. When I was pregnant and couldn't zip my sleeping bag up (36 weeks and enormous!) I opened my sleeping bag out and slept on top of it with a duvet over the top of me and was toasty! I'm not sure that more clothes helps as much as extra blankets, fleeces etc.

[Selks]

One important thing to do is to wrap up warmly or get into your sleeping bag BEFORE you get freezing. Once you're really cold it's harder to warm up again.

[footballsgalore]

I also have a pair of long socks somewhere Hulababy, will try them. Seems that laying on something is a familiar theme. Will sort that out.
Failing that, Ill replace your dog with one of my sweaty DC's RCT. Glad I'm not the only wimp. Was starting to get paranoid!!

[Ineedalife]

I have a hottie, which I put into bed about half a hour before I go to bed, also I put my jarmies on under my clothes when I put Dd3 to bed. This has 2 benenfits:
1] They are prewarmed when I go to bed.
2] I don't flatten Dd3 by falling on her trying to put said jarmies on in the dark!!

A hat is a must for chilly nights and I would agree about the SI mats they are warmer that airbeds or campbeds IME.

Good luck.

[SherlockMoans]

I only slept on a campbed once and I was bloody freezing, if you think about it when you are on a solid surface the bed below you warms up but with a camp bed you still have cold air under you. Could you get some kind of heat reflective mat you could put on the bed under the sleeping bag...dont know if that would work?


We slept on the self inflating mattresses then I had a sleeping bag & quilt and work trackies long sleeved top and socks, I usually warm up nicely....rest of the family dont feel the cold at all.

Im considering buying a hot water bottle as I cant take the microwave and my wheat bag!!

[omnishambles]

If you drive then take a duvet and a blanket to go underneath. The warmest things I've slept under though are sheepskins. Toasty.

[gruber]

Well...

Thermal vest. Thermal ski base layer (long sleeved), ski base leggings. Long tights. Flannelette pjs (long sleeved). Fleece. Hat. Synthetic/polyester fluffy bed socks. Hat.

Read somewhere on here to get dressed early on, so I layer up about 6/7pm to get warm in all that. Hot water bottle in sleeping bag after dinner with the last of the hot water we boil fir washing up. Blanket (cheapy Ikea one) inside sleeping bag, and, as Hulababy says, draw the zip up.

Was actually toasty last weekend!

Not sure on the campbed/airbed- used a camp bed for years, got really cold. Air bed for first time this year and I wasn't cold- will report back at end of season!

[oranges123]

I get very cold at night and often sleep in thermals and pyjamas with socks and even occasionally a hat, although I have been warmer this year and just slept in pyjamas. I have found that if I change into thermals earlier in the evening rather than at the end and don't let myself get cold before bed I tend to stay warmer. But even then I can't keep myself properly warm in a single sleeping bag. DH is like a radiator so we sleep on a double SIM with an open sleeping bag beneath us for extra insulation and a duvet or double sleeping bag and blanket over us. That way, I stay toasty.

[KellyCZ]

We camped many times this winter, including new years eve in the Brecon Beacons and February in Snowdonia.

One of the most important things, if not the most important thing you can do is insulate yourself from the ground. We do this with closed-cell foam roll mats on the floor (very cheap, light and you can buy them everywhere) and self-inflating mats on top of that. Your body heat just dissipates in a big inflatable mattress - it's like sleeping on a mass of cold air.

Then we have 4 season sleeping bags. They're expensive but they mean you can camp all year rather than just the best summer months. If you're a car camper you can get a bulky one which is a fraction of the price of lightweight compact hardcore ones. But even more economical is to get the £10 fleece liner from Tesco. They make a massive difference and are so lovely to sleep in - soft and stretchy. Even nice on their own when it's very warm.

Another good trick is to fill a water flask (the screw-top metal ones) with boiling water before you go to bed. Wrap it in a jumper or something and put it in the sleeping bag to warm it up before you get in. Then when you get in hug it, put it by your feet, hold it between your legs, etc. Just make sure you don't burn yourself because it will be very hot to start with.

We bought 4.5 tog socks to sleep in and walk around the tent in too. We call them our 'magic socks' . You can buy them online and in a few sports and outdoors shops. Heat Holders they're called. £4-£5.

Oh yes, and make sure the tent is very well ventilated. You might think that the more open the tent the colder it would be, but if you allow condensation to build up inside the temperature drops a lot.

And sleep with a comfortable wooly hat on. You lose a lot of heat from your head. Likewise do your mummy sleeping bag up snuggly around your head.

We do all of the above things and we sleep very comfortably even when it drops below freezing. All you need is a little preparation and you'll never be uncomfortable again .

[elliott]

I have had this problem in the past but no more....
I have a down sleeping bag (very nice and cosy). I sleep on a thermarest, with a duvet on top underneath the sleeping bag. It does seem to be the duvet that makes the biggest difference - but its a bit impractical packing wise so I am going to have to try something different!
I wear socks and long top and leggings. something on the head (or just snuggling down into the sleeping bag) also helps.

[QueeferSutherland]

Have you tried sharing a double sleeping bag with your DH/DC?

[dobby2001]

I quite fancy the look of these http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/sleepmover-5-xl-118874301/

[dobby2001]

sorry
www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/sleepmover-5-xl-118874301/

[magso]

Closed cell or self inflating insulated mat under you. A mummy bag of suitable filling (go up a season if you sleep cold ie a 3-4 season in May) with shoulder baffle and hood. It is also important the sleeping bag fits you - not too big and baggy - ladies bags are usually shorter. Make sure you are warm before going to bed. If its really cold put your day clothes inside with you to stay warm for the morning. Thermals especially on the legs and socks if cold feet are a problem. Before I had a shoulder baffle I wore a fleece balaclava ! Preheat the bag with a hottie ( can use the water the next morning if no hot water for washing).
Wow I've always fancied a wearable bag for those freezing trips to the loo at night!