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Re: Tent heater
Board: Camping, Backpacking, and the Great Outdoors
Reply to: #190428 by Trailtracker
Feb 25, 2008 10:13am
Thread (disabled) Board
Quote Trailtracker surmised:
Instead you might consider buying some of those heat packs and be sure to change your socks before going into your sleeping bag and any clothes that have become wet through perspiration or rain. (It always at least sprinkles during scouting events?!) Many folks wear sweatpants, sweat shirts and for sure a sock cap to stay warm.


This is your best, and safest bet, to keep warm when winter camping. Make sure you totally change before going to bed, and through a hand warmer in the bottom of the bag.

Also, put that hand warmer in a spare sock because they can get very hot and may burn you if they are left against the skin too long. The sock will protect you against that.

A good sleeping bag also helps. I have an army surplus cold temp mummy bag. I have never been cold in it, even in sub-zero temps. These bags wrap you up and are like a mitten for your entire body, making your body heat work better to keep you warm.

Good luck, and have fun. Winter camping can be a challenge, but a lot of fun.
Re: Tent heater
Board: Camping, Backpacking, and the Great Outdoors
Reply to: #190435 by Cyclonic
Feb 25, 2008 10:17am
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what's the best sort of sleeping bag for someone who needs something cheap, very warm, and is too claustrophobic to even thinkabout getting into a mummy bag??

yes, that would be me...

night writer
Re: Tent heater
Board: Camping, Backpacking, and the Great Outdoors
Reply to: #190425 by Wildcats
Feb 25, 2008 10:26am
Thread (disabled) Board
If you want to check out some AWESOME heaters for INSIDE the tent and they use propane, check out this likk. I love them. They make hot water heaters too. http://www.zodi.com/web-content/
Mtn. Wizard
Re: Tent heater
Board: Camping, Backpacking, and the Great Outdoors
Reply to: #190437 by Romana
Feb 25, 2008 10:54am
Thread (disabled) Board
Check out L.L. Beans Rectangular bags. Good price. Fleece 40 degrees. Excellent bags. Mtn. Wizard
Re: Tent heater
Board: Camping, Backpacking, and the Great Outdoors
Reply to: #190437 by Romana
Feb 25, 2008 11:04am
Thread (disabled) Board
Quote what's the best sort of sleeping bag for someone who needs something cheap, very warm, and is too claustrophobic to even thinkabout getting into a mummy bag??


I'm not sure such a thing exists. At least you didn't say it has to be lightweight too, then it wouldn't exist for sure. :)

For cheap, you will probably have to avoid down, which is the warmest thing you can get by weight. Mummy bags are warm because your body doesn't have to keep a bunch of air warm. So, without getting a mummy bag you are going to have to get a bag that is heavier and probably more expensive. Mont-Bell (and probably others) sells a line of bags that have elastic in them so they are both roomy and minimize the dead air space. I have one and love it. Of course these are pricy.

I think your best bet will be to find the warmest bag you can afford and wear a lot of clothes when you sleep. Use some of the little hotties too. They are pretty cheap and last quite a while - be careful not to get them wet.

Do make sure that you can pack and carry the bag. Cheap bags will take up a lot of space and weigh a lot.
Re: Tent heater
Board: Camping, Backpacking, and the Great Outdoors
Reply to: #190435 by Cyclonic
Feb 25, 2008 11:22am
Thread (disabled) Board
Thanks to Cyclonic for adding additional thoughts and words about what I was trying to say. HAND warmers is what I could not think of the name of....and making sure they are not against any skin.

I also want to say...this is super easy to add if you are sleeping on a cot or on the ground....be sure to use a sleeping pad. they are about 14.99 or so at Targot or Wal*Mart etc. and roll up easily....but I also highly recommend dragging and extra blanket to put under and over each person. LAYERS---it's all about layers.

Whatever you do----do NOT use a blow up/inflatable mattress to sleep on if there is ANY chance the ground is still cold. It's been over 20 year ago that I did that in some colder (not even cold) weather camping....and it was by far the single worst night of camping in my life and most often I sleep out under the stars. This was inside a tent?!

Definitely consider going to an Army surplus store if you are just getting started collecting your camping stuff.
Re: Tent heater
Board: Camping, Backpacking, and the Great Outdoors
Reply to: #190419 by Amyrica
Feb 25, 2008 11:24am
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THANK YOU ALL for all the excellent feedback! It's greatly appreciated!
Amyrica
Re: Tent heater
Board: Camping, Backpacking, and the Great Outdoors
Reply to: #190467 by Trailtracker
Feb 25, 2008 11:38am
Thread (disabled) Board
Trailtracker gave some excellent advise about using a sleeping pad.

I do want to note that there are now some inflatable pads with insulation in them to allow the comfort of air with the advantage of insulation. But certainly do not use a noninsulated inflatable pad in cold weather.

You can find some here: http://www.pacoutdoor.com/2007/index.cfm?action=group&groupID=23&familyID=1
Re: Tent heater
Board: Camping, Backpacking, and the Great Outdoors
Reply to: #190419 by Amyrica
Feb 25, 2008 11:49am
Thread (disabled) Board
Quote We just bought our first tent and will be camping in March with our new Cub Scout den.


Are you going to Camp Rainey Mtn. by chance? If so, I've got some advice... We were up there last spring and it rained, rained and rained. I can now say our test is well rain-tested and passed beautifully. Get a good tarp too.

MM/123F.
Re: Tent heater
Board: Camping, Backpacking, and the Great Outdoors
Reply to: #190474 by She Runs
Feb 25, 2008 12:23pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Nope--we're going to Woodruff.

A
Re: Tent heater
Board: Camping, Backpacking, and the Great Outdoors
Reply to: #190489 by Amyrica
Feb 25, 2008 12:31pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Camp Rainey is essentially car camping, but you can't keep your car near your campsite. You can drive and drop your stuff at your site however. Unless it rains, then you have to hike all your gear out 'cause the cars can't get through the mud. Fun.

But it's all fun ;)
Re: Tent heater
Board: Camping, Backpacking, and the Great Outdoors
Reply to: #190493 by She Runs
Feb 26, 2008 6:51am
Thread (disabled) Board
I will have to second the emotion on the army surplus gear. I started buying & collecting gear when I first started scouting ('70s). It took me all the way from Cub Scouts through to Eagle and later leadership stuff, and I'm still using some of it. There is a surplus store in my area that sells not just old US armed forces gear, but also NATO and even old surplus Soviet gear. The great thing about army surplus is that it's usually cheap and durable, if not particularly lightweight. If you're ever planning on hiking any serious distance, you'll feel every ounce of all the canvas, leather and steel that makes army gear so tough.

If you plan on going along to scouting events, I'd recommend picking up your own copy of the scout handbook. It's full of great, field-tested information and is an excellent introduction to camping and general outdoorsmanship. It's also a good way to get involved and knowledgeable about what your scout is learning and doing.
Re: Tent heater
Board: Camping, Backpacking, and the Great Outdoors
Reply to: #190419 by Amyrica
Feb 26, 2008 9:01am
Thread (disabled) Board
Quote It could be chilly and we thought we'd look into buying a heater for the tent.


From the BSA's "Policy on Use of Chemical Fuels: Liquid, Gaesous, or Jellied"
(http://www.scouting.org/HealthandSafety/Resources/policyonchemicalfuels.aspx):

No chemical-fueled lantern or stove is to be used inside a tent.

No wiggle room around this rule.

How cold will it be? I tent camped as a Scout and a Scout leader for years without using a heater like this. I bet you won't need it. The cool air in the AM helps you get dressed faster, and encourages you to hustle around with morning chores to get warm... ;-)
Re: Tent heater
Board: Camping, Backpacking, and the Great Outdoors
Reply to: #190437 by Romana
Feb 26, 2008 12:23pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Quote what's the best sort of sleeping bag for someone who needs something cheap, very warm, and is too claustrophobic to even thinkabout getting into a mummy bag??


As others have said, very warm and not a mummy shape are pretty much mutually exclusive. If you have lots of airspace around your body to warm up, the bag just won't be particularly warm. I have used an inexpensive Slumberjack thermolite bag summer camping. It wasn't expensive, is lighter than most synthetic bags and was plenty warm for camping in late July at 8000'.

My model is long gone but I just found this one online at Campmor. It's got a fold back hood so you wouldn't have to be cinched around your face. Perhaps that would mitigate the claustrophobia factor.
http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?memberId=12500226&productId=38505750
Re: Tent heater
Board: Camping, Backpacking, and the Great Outdoors
Reply to: #190838 by Funhog
Feb 26, 2008 9:21pm
Thread (disabled) Board
As others have said, very warm and not a mummy shape are pretty much mutually exclusive. If you have lots of airspace around your body to warm up, the bag just won't be particularly warm


IMHO- the answer to both this question, as well as the tent heater question- bring a dog...or two!! Our pup (see Rocket Man's profile) generates more heat than my kids...and that says a lot from someone who is always cold-even in Southern California.

scraphappy
who like dogs who are snuggly teddy bears..oh yeah, and husbands, too. (To be snuggly teddy bears, not dogs.)