Mylar blankets are ideal if you have them. They do the best job at trapping heat. These aren’t always the most comfortable though, so feel free to use normal blankets if it isn’t freezing outside. Some tents have hooks on the frame to hang fabric and line the inside of your tent. If you don’t have those, you can always duct tape some blankets to the walls of the tent if you’d like. If your tent has vents, leave them open unless they’re really letting tons of cold air in. The ventilation will help moisture escape the tent and keep the temperature down.
If you’re sweating in your clothes, it’s going to actually cool off the tent as that moisture gets into the air. Only wear enough layers to keep you comfortably warm without trapping dead space in your sleeping bag or against your skin.
Foam pads are rated by something called an R-value. The higher the R-value, the better it will be at keeping you warm at night. Some prefer inflatable pads as they tend to provide more warmth than foam pads but are at risk of popping. If you’re already on the campsite and you don’t have a foam pad, layer blankets down on the ground underneath the sleeping bag. It’s not going to be nearly as warm, but it’ll give you some protection.
If you’re camping alone, spread your bags and gear around your sleeping bag. This should block any potential drafts and help insulate the sides of your sleeping bag.
A radiant barrier refers to a layer of insulation in a ceiling that reflects and absorbs heat. They’re typically installed in homes, but a mylar blanket in your tent will perform the same basic function. [6] X Trustworthy Source U. S. Department of Energy Official site for the U. S. Department of Energy, which provides resources related to energy safety, conservation, and efficiency Go to source If it isn’t super cold out and you’re doing a pretty good job of bundling up, you may wake up feeling kind of sweaty if you do this.
If the thermos is super hot, wrap it in a thick sock or T-shirt to keep it from burning you. Do not boil your water inside of the tent. Those mini-stoves let off a lot of carbon monoxide, which is poisonous if it can’t get out of the tent.
Keeping snow off of the outside of your tent will also make it easier for sunlight to keep the fabric warm. While snow on your tent may help block high winds, it is more likely to cool the tent off than keep it warm.
You don’t need to break a sweat or anything. Just do 15-30 seconds of short exercise.
This will also warm your hands up. If you hold the cup under your chin, you’ll also get a nice blast of warm air on your face. Never use your backpack stovetop inside of your tent. These things will fill your tent with carbon monoxide if you run it inside.
Determining how big your tent needs to be should be fairly straightforward. Tents are labelled as 1-person, 2-person, 3-person, etc. Just get a tent that will fit everyone who’s going to be sleeping together. If you have a choice between everyone bringing separate tents and sharing 1 bigger tent, it’s better to have everyone sleep in the same place so long as you’re comfortable sleeping with your fellow travelers. The extra body heat should compensate for the extra space.
If it’s going to be warmer than 32 °F (0 °C) at night, you can probably get away with a regular sleeping bag. It may be unsafe to skip the winter-proof sleeping bag if it’s freezing out, though. Some sleeping bags offer vapor barriers. These will trap moisture in the sleeping bag. Vapor barriers will give you a ton of warmth inside of the sleeping bag, but you may wake up sweaty and clammy if it isn’t super cold out. [13] X Trustworthy Source Princeton University Leading academic institution devoted to expanding and sharing knowledge Go to source
