Why would anyone camp out in winter anyway? Out of masochism, or in the interests of science? You might be taking part in an Occupy Wall Street type protest, doing winter sports or trying to save money on hotel bills. You could be simply unlucky, and get caught out by a sudden change in the weather.
Whatever your reasons for setting up in the cold, here are a few old-timer's tips for keeping the cold at bay.
Choose a sheltered spot
Camp in a sheltered place in the lee of a hillside, wood or wall, unless there's a high wind, in which case you need to avoid any place where dead trees or masonry could fall on your tent.
Sleeping bags
Choose your sleeping bag with care. It's your most important ally. A waterproof one is excellent for keeping out the damp,and the wind. Because you do tend to sweat inside it, wiping yourself down and changing clothing is essential when getting up after sleeping, to keep from getting chilled. Or get yourself a conventional winter-grade bag, not cheap, but worth it if you're going to be camping more than a single night. Any sleeping bag you use in the cold should have 'baffles' – strips of fabric you can pull tight around your neck and shoulders by drawstrings, with a longer baffle running the length of the sleeping bag zip inside it.
There's no law against folding yourself inside a duvet when camping, if you have a way to transport it. (Seasoned bushwhackers may scoff at such an indulgence. Let them!) If you do use a duvet, be sure to dry it out regularly as it quickly gets damp inside a tent. The same applies, in varying degrees, to all your bedding and clothing.
Wrapping up
If for any reason your sleeping bag isn't quite up to the job, you can make up for this by putting on extra clothes before getting into bed. Clothing should be comfortably loose, with plenty of layers to trap warm air between them – for example a thermal vest, long sleeved T-shirt, woolly sweater,and a fleece or jacket on the upper half of your body. On the lower limbs, a baby blanket wrapped around the lower body and pinned, or an old skirt worn over thick trousers, can warm that vulnerable spot on the front of the thighs that always seems to feel colder than everywhere else. Thermal long johns or a thermal sleeping suit, are useful, too. You could wrap a shawl around your waist and pin it, to block out that creeping draught that always attacks the small of your back just when the rest of you is getting comfortable.
Bubble wrap is an excellent insulator, that can be wrapped around the shoulders to keep out the draught.
Warmth at the extremities is crucial to staying warm in the rest of your body. Always wear loosely fitting socks in bed on winter nights, and on your head a thick woolly or thermal hat, with possibly a scarf or shawl wrapped around that.
Waterproofing
If you don't want to lie awake shivering on a cold night, do your utmost to keep clothing dry before turning in. If clothes do get wet you may be able to find somewhere to light a fire to dry them, or change them in a vehicle or a building, if there's one nearby. Always carry spare clothing, at least socks and underwear.
Even on nights without rainfall, or when water turns to ice or snow, you need to protect your sleeping space against creeping damp. A light plastic tarpaulin spread on the tent floor and lapping up the lower part of the tent walls inside is helpful, especially if the floor is less than waterproof to begin with.
Floor insulation
Warmth underneath the body is even more important than warmth on top. Once you're sure the floor is safely damp-proof, you can spread clean cardboard or sheets of newspaper on it, topped with a rubber camping mat, with a folded blanket on top of that. (Some people prefer to lay the camping mat underneath the tarpaulin, to keep it from sliding about.)
Food and drink
A cup of something hot, such as coffee or spicy soup,is always welcome when fending off the cold. So pack an insulated flask, or a camping stove. (Never be tempted, though, to light up your stove inside the tent, unless you want to end up warmer than you bargained for!) Heat up water or soup well ahead of time in a dry spot – a doorway, a cave, or under trees – and fill the flask for use in the tent later.
What not to drink
Alcohol is not a good idea when camping in winter. It might warm and cheer in the short term, but it then depresses the body's temperature, and leaves it colder.
Too much liquid too close to bedtime will get you out of your warm bed on and off all night. (To save going out in the cold a plastic container – bottle, plastic ice cream tub or large margarine box – could be kept handy for night time emergencies.)
Pre-sleep warm-up
Raise your body temperature before getting into bed by a little gentle exercise, enough to stimulate the circulation without getting too sweaty. Do a few knee bends, or cut some firewood.
Sleep tight.
Join the Conversation