I'm freezing my butt off...help !

[preppingsu]

I suppose it all depends on what your shtf is. Personally, I don't ever envisage a time where I will need to live in a tent. I'm bugging in whatever (or heading out to my mums rural abode). My preps are here, I would prefer to spend money on more food, alternative cooking stuff etc.
Camping in the snow - you must by nuts!

[BigMacKin]

Big family tents are fantastic for summer camping when you don't have to worry about keeping warm; we have two of them and the largest is a 3 bedroom job, probably the same layout as yours. We've taken it out in the summer a few times and it's be great - probably a little too warm!! However when it's cold, it is just so hard to keep any sort of heat in the thing so I have another 3 man vango tent it's called a Vango Equinox 350 and I believe Vango have re-issued it or something similar (we've had it for about 12 years) Theres enough space to snuggly fit the 3 of us and the sleeping area heats up quite quickly even in the colder months. I've had it out over a mild winter but wouldn't like to have it out in a blizzard, although it did stand up to quite severe winds a few summers ago in Glen Coe.

You have to remember that the only thing that generates heat in your tent is the occupants so it's really important to ensure that you are insulated - warm clothes are essential; warm sleeping bag - 4 season ones are good and you can simply unzip them or sleep on top of them when its too warm in the summer; a insulated foam roll mat. My wife insists on an air bed for comfort but believe me, we were out last Easter for the weekend and the cold ripped right through us so a roll mat, especially if you can get the ones that are foil lined will both insulate you from the cold ground and help keep the heat you generate in your sleeping bag.

There have been a number of deaths and near deaths over the winter here in Scotland with people putting barbecues and camp cookers inside their tent to keep warm. This is absolutely unadvisable no matter how cold you are as tents have very little ventilation and the Carbon Monoxide just squeezes all the air out of the tent and you are then in a bad situation.

I usually make a flask of tea/coffee up before I turn in while camping and if I am cold during the night a wee cuppa fair warms me up. If it is any help, I have listed some of the gear that I use and amazon links to them:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001 ... 00_details
Good warm sleeping bags but a bit heavy - I could carry one, but I'd rather have them in the car.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003 ... 01_details
A wee bit lighter and just as warm as the ones above. We are all quite tall so both these bags are ideal.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Vango-Equinox-3 ... 415&sr=8-1
Similar to our one but you can pick the older versions up cheaper on EEBay!!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/SEASON-OLIVE-SL ... 483&sr=1-3
And these mats are the biz too.

And I've often slept in this when out a fishing!!! Worth every penny during the winter but I'd advise layers when sleeping out in the winter
http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/tundra-3-pi ... it-p167006

Sorry if I am not supposed to post links to gear like this, I will take them down if requested and try to pull out some pics of my gear instead.

Just to add, I think the advise here to try to plan for Bugging In is the best advise. If the heating goes, a wee tent set up in the living room is a lot easier to keep warm than the whole room.

Paul

[Ian]

A story with a point.

I visited the US to demonstrate some specialist diving gear. I was hosted at a Panama City Navy base and people came from all over to view and trial. The night before the demo a number of military officers arrived at my hotel and started arguing over the class of hotel room they should have. The hotel was fully booked and they all wanted the better rooms of which there were not enough to go around. More than an hour later a UK SBS officer on exchange used some expletives, walked outside and set his tent up on the front lawn, cooked himself a meal and kipped down for the night.

My point. I really don't expect to use a tent, my home is my castle. Should I have to leave for a good and pertinent reason I expect to move to equivalent accommodation. But, it is possible that that accommodation is not available or suitable and I would wish to to do my own thing, which is where the camping kit comes in.

We have a full, normal camping kit because we go camping and have done for years. each piece is an old friend. That is my advice. Go camping for a few days. The back garden is fine for the first time, pack everything up, go onto the lawn and LOCK the house up for the weekend, don't waver. You will quickly find any limitations in a benign environment. Later go to the campsite down the road for the week end. By then you will have cracked all the problems.

[nickdutch]

@Kp..Think I will take my chances having a wee outside rather than trying to do it in a bottle, it's o'k for the guys but for a woman... I had my dressing gown on and my woolen coat, looked a right fool but it warmed me up a little, The idea of a small tent inside the big tent is a cracker

I understand there is a device called a "she wee" which is there so women can urinate standing up without exposing their body to prying eyes. its an anatomically appropriate funnel that you can slide into your trousers when required.
If you needed to wee into a bottle it might help

[Fortify]

I have just invested in a 6 man tent. 3 diff compartments and 3 ground sheets...but it's so chuffing cold. Any advice how to stay warm in a tent? thanks...brrrrrr

Yep what everyone else said

Non sustainable solution http://www.amazon.co.uk/Coleman-Blackca ... 448&sr=8-1
I have two of these and a considerable amount of propane, but for emergency back up only for our fort if i cant get out for more fire wood.

Very good sleeping bags at good price (and free p+p) http://www.militarykit.com/products/snu ... lite_4.htm

Keep a pair of these in the bottom of each bag http://www.amazon.co.uk/SOCK-SHOP-HOLDE ... 527&sr=1-2 and change into them when you get in (leave your day socks in the bottom of the bag to change into in the morning)

Foam roll out's are better than airbeds etc (and lighter) for insulation between you and the ground.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/SEASON-OLIVE-SL ... k_h_b_cs_1

Happy sub-zero camping

[jansman]

My family went camping ONCE. Everyone raved about it at work...
So,I bought all the gear,got a good site and the day we went it was HOT. An hour after pitching the tent it rained. It did not stop for 4days. Biblical rain.

We folded the gear,took the tent down(and I threw that in a skip) and went home.

I know some love it,but here at Chez Jansman,camping is spelt C R A P!

It was 'orrible.

[Ogre]

When I used to do re-enactments or camping in the forces I used to wake up piggin freezing and with a lot of hip pain. Of course, it slowly dawned on me that using an airbed to sleep on was pants. It's air, so takes on the temperature of the air around it.

Solved it by adding a fur rug or extra sleeping bag to my pack and using that to insulate me from the mattress.

[pseudonym]

Just back from a week in Norway where the temp was below - 10C. Slept under a Tarp:



with views over many a frozen Lake:



With the correct clothing in layers and a decent sleeping system (not necessarily expensive) you can sleep quite comfortably.

[diamond lil]

i hate camping. I'd find a nice 5* hotel with big fluffly white towels instead It rained all night here and now is heavy snow and the very thought of camping is horrible

[KalPrep]

i hate camping. I'd find a nice 5* hotel with big fluffly white towels instead It rained all night here and now is heavy snow and the very thought of camping is horrible

Out of choice I am definitely a 5* and room service guy but I enjoy the camping out side of things too and would be prepared to live outdoors if it ever came to be that bad.