Battery powered heaters?

[Foreverlexicon]

Okay I appreciate this goes against the point of camping BUT

DP and I enjoy camping for a few nights mainly as a cheap option to get away and hike. During the first lockdown we went a few weekends June-August and it was lovely.

We went to the Lake District last year in September and I froze. I feel the cold at the best of times and I had my sleeping bag, spare duvet, full winter hiking coat and I was still shivering all night. We aborted and stayed in a hotel the 3rd night as I couldn’t take anymore 😳

Now we want to go to Wales in September. But I’m very apprehensive about another September trip after last time. We have plans re different sleeping bag, getting a better bed (at the mo we just have those self inflating
mats for space saving but for trips where we stay in one place, we need something more comfortable, I’m open to suggestions on this too!)

However my main question….is there such thing as a portable battery or solar powered heater?? I feel if we could just heat our tent briefly at bedtime and wake up time, we would be SO much more comfortable but I’m struggling to find one that isn’t gas and I don’t really want to die of carbon monoxide poisoning

No the power required is too great. However there are heated sleeping bags you can get that use a battery pack. Or a hot water bottle at night with a flask of hot water left so you can redo during the night or in the morning if necessary

Other tip is to make sure you change totally out of day clothes into night ones. It's tempting to think I'll just keep this fleece on but it will be slightly damp and thus make you cold.

Or only go to sites where you can get electric hook up.

I think you need to go for a campsite with electric hook ups and take a small plug in heater.
With regards to beds, I've tried lots of options and the warmest and most comfy imo is a self inflating mat on top of a campbed - I have a vango 7.5cm SIM on an Outwell posadas bed.

A heat reflective layer underneath you would help, plus anything that raises you higher off the ground. Then a hot water bottle or two, as suggested by helpfulperson . Thermal layers to sleep in, socks and a hat. Also cuddling in with someone else is much warmer than single bags.

As Nanny says, if you put your mat on top of a good camp bed you will be a lot warmer.

Sounds like you need an electric hookup. We've got this heater and it is great.

Thank you - my DP did mention electric hook ups but I couldn’t find any for tents on campsites (although I also didn’t try very hard as prefer ‘wild style’ campsites )

Heated sleeping bag sounds great! I’ll look into it. We actually have a ‘double’ sleeping bag so that’s covered although DP seems to think individual ones would be warmer. Maybe if we sort the proper bed out + reflective mat underneath and maybe a couple of hot water bottles, that will do the trick?

I can’t stand being cold!

SIMs are pretty good insulation really, but depending on how much space you have for gear, SIM on top of camp bed could work.

Also insulate the whole floor of your tent against ground cold. Picnic rugs, foam mats (the big jigsaw play mats) or even big sheets of cardboard.

Don’t go to bed cold, do some star jumps etc before you get into bed. Have as much bedding under you as over you.