Winter camping heating options

AZVAJKU said:
Definitely the ground pad. What’s under you is just as important as your bag or clothing.

Also as @jeeeep stated don’t over heat, once you start to sweat you’re screwed.
Click to expand...
when they were cheap, I'd use army surplus wool blankets, sprayed them with Scotchgard fabric water shield, excellent ground cover on top of a tarp.
That was back during the stone age days when we slept in tents on the ground or on bare metal in the back of a pickup/ CJ
 
Good thread, OP.

GP NOIR said:
We’ve been using a propane powered Buddy Heater to warm our tent. I like it a lot!
Click to expand...

Buddy heater is nice on 30 degree desert nights.

I’ve never tried it much lower than that.

It’s not amazing, but it lets me sleep through the night with my middle of the road sleeping bag.

I’m sure a better bag is the right place to start.
 
Last edited:
GP NOIR said:
We’ve been using a propane powered Buddy Heater to warm our tent. I like it a lot!
Click to expand...
Was going to suggest this. I bought one to use at KOH. Works really well heating my coffee booth with the front completely open. I could only imagine what it'd do in a small fully enclosed space. I bought the filter and adapter to run it off a 20lb tank.
 
Thanks for the suggestions guys. Looks like I’ll be investing in some better sleeping bags for the time being and keep searching for heater options down the line if I feel I need them. 👍
 
TrailHunter said:
As I'm sure you know.. really makes a difference in how much $ you need to spend on gear. Personally about 25-28° is the lowest I've gone.
Click to expand...
I use a 15 degree bag, we do alpine stuff. and I also use a 30 degree bag for milder temps. They are made by Monbell. A cool feature is they stretch so you don’t feel like you’re in a straight jacket. Cost is $500-600.00 a bag.
But you’re dealing with your life in some situations, and you gotta have the right gear.
Coldest we’ve been in was -14 degrees near the summit of Mt Whitney.
 
bobfriesenhahn said:
They produce a lot of moisture, which condenses on anything colder, such as the side of the tent. It can start raining in the tent. That is the main drawback of the Buddy heater.
Click to expand...
Propane does produce moisture, however with proper ventilation, it's not a problem. We have a Gazelle tent and haven't had a problem with dampness even in rain. So far, all our camping with the Gazelle and Buddy heater has been here in Utah. Haven't tried them in high humidity areas.

Never had problems with dampness from propane in the two years we lived in our motorhome.
 
TrailHunter said:
What temps are you thinking?
Click to expand...
I'm wanting to camp up near Mammoth or June lake area so I know during winter it can get quite cold there. Maybe 15-25 degrees maybe colder at night. I would be going with a cold weather sleeping bag like Doug said. As of now I just have a summer bag for backpacking and regular camping. I would be looking at double sleeping bags though so myself and fiance can sleep together.
 
Trail Bud said:
You’re going to need good sleeping pads for the cold. Thermarest make a 3” self inflating pad that’s great for car/jeep camping. A lot of us bought this because it works.
Click to expand...
I have heard that using a cot is a good idea because a lot of the cold comes from the ground. So Themarest on top of a cot. And then sharing the sleeping bag for extra heat!
 
Trail Bud said:
You’re going to need good sleeping pads for the cold. Thermarest make a 3” self inflating pad that’s great for car/jeep camping. A lot of us bought this because it works.
Click to expand...
I’m using my RTT so it already has a mattress that does pretty good at keeping the heat out but mainly looking for a good sleeping bag for the top. Good thing is the tent does have some insulation but still I could imagine it getting cold in winter conditions.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom