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Our UK Camping forum has all the information you need on finding the right equipment for your tent or caravan.

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Our UK Camping forum has all the information you need on finding the right equipment for your tent or caravan.

Camping

How do we stay warm at night when camping?

55 replies

Fillyjonk · 09/04/2009 19:31

Aside from the obvious (staying at home, sharing a sleeping bag and not camping), what are your thoughts on best ways to stay warm while camping?

We have airbeds with blankets beneath, sleeping bags and a duvet or two. And we are always cold at night! Always. and I am just fed up with it

And I cannot not camp as we home educate and camping is just a fact of HEing life.

OK thoughts please, I need to get this one sorted. My kids are quite small still and shiver easily and very pathetically.

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EachPAQUESPearMum · 09/04/2009 21:28

Ah... it was just her wording- made me think it was some kind of imperative! Surely though- if you didn't like it, you could just stay at home and not have a holiday?

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Daffodingles2 · 09/04/2009 21:32

My solution is 2 fat airics gaffer taped together.
The kids are fine on one.
Dh gets the crappy blow up mattress but doesn't feel the cold anyway.

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Kayteee · 09/04/2009 21:35

Home Edder here too!

Definitely insulate underneath but my helpful tip for the day is....wait for it...
wear a wooly hat. I kid you not, the heat escapes from the head. Not that cool looking but it works for me

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NorbertDentressangle · 09/04/2009 21:46

By Smithagain on Thu 09-Apr-09 21:08:21

I haven't camped for years, but I don't EVER remember being cold at night when I camped as a child or teenager.

When I read that I was suddenly transported back to camping as a girl guide.

We had a groundsheet each (ie. big bit of thick plastic) and crappy 1970s/80s sleeping bags (nasty nylon ones, no such thing as "5 season" etc) and I don't remember being at all cold.

Nowadays I would be wearing layers of clothing and have a sleeping bag and duvet and blankets

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nannyL · 09/04/2009 22:03

am camping tomorrow

the forecast at night says 2degC tomo night

from ground to sky it will be
ground
Footprint
SIG
picnic rug
foam roll
air bed
fleece throw
sheet
sleeping bag
ME fleece winter PJs ski socks and a jumper
duvet
fleece throw (might take 2)
tent
sky

(oh and some wine! )

im hoping to be warm enough

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Fillyjonk · 10/04/2009 08:36

lol I don't know why camping is just a fact of HE life. We just all seem to be required to do a lot of it

(seriously it is for a few reasons. A cheap way to meet lots of other HErs and go to far off educational places in term time. Most of us are pretty chilled re kids running off and playing and a campsite is a good place for that. To make new friends and so forth. And it is fun and easy. It is just part of the culture really.)

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Fillyjonk · 10/04/2009 08:40

nannyL I think I will use your list. We are going to buy airics and use gaffer tape, lol.

I realise that the problem is I have been ddoing it all wrong! I am now much looking forward to being warm

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flippyflop · 10/04/2009 08:54

Just a word about space blankets..if you put the space blanket under the airbed, its not too noisy.. much better than being cold anyway! I picked up another couple in the pound shop last week cos we're going in a couple of weekend's time.. on a hen weekend would you believe!?

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bloss · 10/04/2009 08:56

Message withdrawn

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Smithagain · 10/04/2009 09:08

By Norbert... : "When I read that I was suddenly transported back to camping as a girl guide.

We had a groundsheet each (ie. big bit of thick plastic) and crappy 1970s/80s sleeping bags (nasty nylon ones, no such thing as "5 season" etc) and I don't remember being at all cold."

LOL - did you also have to make a bedding rack every morning to hold it all up off the ground. Which of course collapsed under the weight by 10am, thus soaking all the badly-wrapped nylon sleeping bags.

Seriously, it strikes me that in those days I was either in a Girl Guide traditional ridge tent, with about eight sweaty teenagers sandwiched in like sardines. Or in my parents tent, sandwiched between them. Or (latterly) in my own teeny tiny ridge tent that you couldn't swing a cat in.

Maybe its partly that we have all got used to having more space and don't cuddle up like we did???

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drinkmoretea · 10/04/2009 09:08

Camping gas heater?

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NorbertDentressangle · 10/04/2009 13:33

Smithagain -yep, we had to make racks to store the stuff on.

IIRC we used four Y-shaped sticks hammered in the ground with long sticks resting in the cradle bit of the Y and then several other sticks all laid across to make the bit that you put your bags on. Does that make sense?

We also used Y shaped sticks outside the tent to store our upside down wellies on (needless to say it always rained on guidecamp)

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Smithagain · 10/04/2009 18:25

And tripods made of sticks, with washing up bowls in the top, for washing in????

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IotasCat · 10/04/2009 18:31

We made proper washing up stands in our guide unit. Four sticks squre-lashed together in a rectangle a bowl sized hole at one end and fine sticks snake-lashed in a row to form the draining board

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Smithagain · 10/04/2009 18:45

Oooo - very flash!

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NorbertDentressangle · 10/04/2009 20:12

ooooohhh.... get you and your posh washing up stand!

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EachPAQUESPearMum · 10/04/2009 21:19

Oh! We made those washing up stands too! and bedding roll stands was so long ago.
I hated all the creepy crawlies that got into the tents because they didn't have SIGs loved camp though

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blithedance · 10/04/2009 22:51

didn't we have this conversation a few weeks ago?

If camping is a fact of life, get your DC's some decent 3-4 season mummy sleeping bags and proper thermal insulating mats like thermarests or quality roll mats. With warm PJ's and maybe a blanket that's got to be easier to pack. And they will be the envy of their friends when it comes to Duke of Edinburgh award trips.

NannyL's list makes me think of the Princess and the pea!

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greenelephant · 10/04/2009 22:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

StarlightMcEggzie · 10/04/2009 23:01

Hat

Whisky

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IloveJudgeJudy · 10/04/2009 23:07

The main thing is to make sure that there is something between the airbed and your sleeping bag. It's no good putting the insulation under the airbed, it must go on top of it. We find that a waterproof picnic rug is a great insulator. Also, you must air your sleeping stuff during the day. Do not go back to sleep in your non-aired (ie damp) sleeping bag. Open it up when you get up and put it over the car seats or hand it from the tent frame if your frame is sturdy enough, but do open it up.

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Fillyjonk · 11/04/2009 08:45

oh lol blithedance, having the same conversation again and again is the whole point of MN, isn't it?

I am very smug at the thought of going camping and being warm, I must say. I am so glad it is possible.

Useful tip re the airing too!

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NorbertDentressangle · 11/04/2009 10:44

Ilovejudgejudy -were you a Girl Guide too?

Airing your sleeping bag before rolling it (using the prescribed method of course!) and piling it precariously stacking it neatly onto the bedding roll stand was part of the morning routine before camp inspection

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Smithagain · 11/04/2009 11:28

Of course, letting it topple off onto the wet grass and leaving it there for the rest of the day while you are off enjoying rampaging in the woods was slightly less effective

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notsoteenagemum · 11/04/2009 11:42

Get the smallest tent you can, Dh and I always wake up mafted when we camp at various festivals, infact I can't recall camping not being sweaty

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Flip

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