Stay Toasty During Your Winter Camping Trip with These Tips
Summer isn't the only season that's good for camping. Even as the fall season gives way to winter, there are plenty of opportunities to trek your favorite spots and enjoy everything the great outdoors has to offer. But if you're planning on an overnight stay beneath the stars, you'll want to make sure you stay nice and cozy.
Give Your Sleeping Bag a Good Shake
Sleeping bags get their insulating properties by trapping air inside various pockets. The trapped air absorbs body heat that would otherwise be lost to your surroundings, thus keeping you warm throughout the night. Give your sleeping bag a helping hand by giving it a good shake prior to using it. Shake it from the bottom end to give trapped air a chance to fill the upper portion of the sleeping bag.
Add Barriers Between Yourself and the Ground
You'd be amazed at how much heat the ground can soak up during the night. Even with your sleeping bag between you and the ground, there's a good chance you'll find yourself uncomfortably cold by morning. Placing a few extra layers between yourself and the cold earth can help conserve your body heat. If possible, bring a couple of yoga mats along for your camping trip and use them as a body-heat barrier between you and the ground. If you don't have any yoga mats, a thick blanket or two can suffice.
Keep Your Head Up
As you're sleeping, your natural inclination may be to retreat further and further into your sleeping bag until your head is completely covered. You may even decide to completely enclose yourself inside your bag on purpose. However, as you hide away in your sleeping bag, the moisture given off by your own breath can condense, resulting in a damp and ultimately uncomfortable environment. To prevent this from happening, keep your head up and out of the sleeping bag. Also make sure the tent has at least a small amount of ventilation going to let moisture-laden air escape.
Don't Hold It In
Holding it in might seem like a good idea, but ignoring nature's call can be more work on your body than you realize. As it turns out, your body wastes energy keeping the contents of your bladder at normal body temperature, which robs it of the energy it can be using to keep you comfortably warm. So pick a discrete spot and just let it go. It's also a good idea to invest in a pee bottle and urinal funnel to keep unexpected spills from happening.