#121055 - 01/22/08 01:30 PM
Re: Cold weather camping advice
[Re: buzzard]
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Member
Registered: 01/25/06
Posts: 144
Loc: Nevada
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1) your in a trailer so you should have zero windchill factor in the treiler. 2) Just bring a few comforters, quilts etc... and if you need them use them. You really have no limit to what your caring if your bring a trailer. 3) Get some kind of 12volt heater and you can use it to warm the trailer up a few degrees, or a 12/120 inverter and use a standared home heater. 4) Even in negative degrees out side in a trailer you should be find.
Cheers
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#121102 - 01/22/08 07:47 PM
Re: Cold weather camping advice
[Re: ScouterMan]
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Geezer
Registered: 01/21/04
Posts: 5163
Loc: W. WA
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From my experience, sleeping on a bare cot and sleeping on the bare ground are the same -- they both suck heat out of you.
Either place, put down a piece of Reflectix flexible insulation (that mylar/plastic laminated stuff from the hardware store), and then a closed-cell foam pad on top of that, and you'll be fine.
And if you're sitting around a campfire in a folding chair and your back is freezing, grab that Reflectix, fold it in half, and put it under/behind you in the chair. Toasty.
Sue
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#121123 - 01/23/08 12:25 AM
Re: Cold weather camping advice
[Re: Susan]
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"Be Prepared"
Pooh-Bah
Registered: 06/26/04
Posts: 2209
Loc: NE Wisconsin
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Oh yeah, I forgot about the chair insulation. I found even several layers of corrigated cardboard put on the seat can make all the difference.
At some point I'll cut up a cheap closed cell foam pad to chair size.
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#121192 - 01/23/08 01:20 PM
Re: Cold weather camping advice
[Re: buzzard]
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Stranger
Registered: 03/03/06
Posts: 6
Loc: Madison, WI
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Having slept on a cot at 10,000 feet during an Elk hunting trip to Colorado for 8 days in November of 2005, I will say it can be done.
Once I set the cot up, down went a closed cell foam sleeping pad (the cheap ½ inch variety). On top of that went an old wool blanket I carry around with me. My sleeping bag is an old 2 part army surplus sleeping bag and inside that went a fleece liner.
At night I would heat up water and put that in a 32 ounce Nalgene bottle and threw that into my sleeping bag about 30 minutes before going to bed. I wouldn’t waste the water, but rather drink it the next day. I would then change into long underware that was used for nothing but sleeping to ensure dryness. However, I did notice that my legs got too warm and sweat a bit on a couple of night.
DO NOT forget to wear a good stocking cap at night when you sleep. One night it fell off and I swear someone dumped a bag of ice into my sleeping bag.
A tip I used and the other guys wish they had thought of was the use of a "pee" bottle. I use a 32 ounce wide-mouth ;-) Nalgene bottle with the YELLOW cap. I keep it next to my cot when I sleep and instead of having to completely get out of my sleeping bag and go outside to urinate, I simply rise up to my knees, use my pee bottle and then lay back down. No boots, no tripping over gear, no fumbling for the tent zipper at 2:00AM, no freezing your tail off going outside in freezing temperatures.
Regards, Steve
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#121266 - 01/24/08 12:37 AM
Re: Cold weather camping advice
[Re: buzzard]
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Member
Registered: 11/12/06
Posts: 172
Loc: South Jersey (the 51st state)
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I've never slept on a cot while camping but I do use an air mattress every time, my tired old bones need the cushioning. A few years ago while camping in PA during Oct (tent camping) it went down to high 30's over night. I almost froze. Actually woke up shivering. I had mistakenly packed only 2 of my summer sleeping bags. I had one under me and one over me with a wool blanket over the sleeping bag. 2nd night in the ten with same temps I put woll blanket ontop of air mattress, sleeping bag on that and had only the other sleeping bag on top of me. I slept like a rock. Lessons learned: 1) make sure to take proper sleeping bags 2) have twice as much under me as on top of me
_________________________
Bill Houston
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#121274 - 01/24/08 01:57 AM
Re: Cold weather camping advice
[Re: buzzard]
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Stranger
Registered: 03/03/07
Posts: 20
Loc: Idaho
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I recently returned from a car camping trip where the low was 23 degrees. I used a Cabela's army cot, a 0 degree mummy down bag and a ThermaRest self-inflator. Now, I'm a cold sleeper, so the rating for the bag was more like a 25 degree bag. I slept warmly and comfortably.
I think what made the difference was what I wore while sleeping. I had "expedition" weight thermal underwear, wool hiking socks and, most importantly, headwear. I brought a watch cap, a heavyweight balaclava and a lightweight balaclava. I brought these because I did not know what I would encounter- you never know as I was in the High Sierras. As it turned out, all I needed was the watch cap. With this set up, I didn't need to cinch up the hood to my bag.
The balaclavas cover pretty much your whole head. My heavyweight version covered my head with the exception of my eyes; there's flap that covers my nose and there's mesh over my mouth.
Having the insulation under you is very, very important as pointed out with other posts. Minimally, I suggest a closed cell pad (such as the Ridge Rest); but a self-inflator AND and closed cell would be ideal. I would put the closed cell on top of the self-inflator.
Winter camping is awesome!
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