Top 10 Ways to Stay Warm at Night While Camping

A cold night in a tent can ruin a trip, even when the days are nice. The good news is that most cold nights come from a few fixable mistakes. These 10 tips work for car campers, hunters in a spike camp, and anyone sleeping out when the temperature drops.

1. Use a sleeping pad with a good R-value

Most people blame their sleeping bag when they’re cold. Often the real problem is the ground. Your body weight crushes the insulation under you, so the bag does little there. Meanwhile, the cold earth pulls heat from your back all night.

A pad’s R-value tells you how well it blocks that cold. Higher numbers are warmer. For nights near or below freezing, look for a pad rated 4 or higher.

You can also stack two pads. Their R-values add together, so a closed-cell foam pad under an air pad is a cheap way to add warmth.

2. Pick a bag rated for the night you’ll have

Many sleeping bags list two numbers: a comfort rating and a lower limit. The lower limit is the temperature where you’ll get through the night, not where you’ll sleep well. Plan around the comfort rating.

Check the forecast low for where you’ll camp, not for the nearest town. Low spots and higher ground can run colder. If you’re between two bags, bring the warmer one. You can always unzip it.

3. Change into dry clothes for sleep

The clothes you wore all day hold sweat, even if they feel dry. That moisture pulls heat from your skin once you stop moving.

Pack a set of base layers that you only wear in the bag. Wool or synthetic is best. Skip cotton, since it holds water and dries slowly.

Put on clean, dry socks too. Cold feet keep a lot of people awake.

4. Wear a hat

Your head and neck often stick out of the bag, so they’re open to the cold air. A knit hat or a warm hood covers that gap.

If your bag has a hood, pull it up and snug the drawcord. A neck gaiter helps too.

5. Eat a snack before bed

Your body makes heat as it digests food. A snack right before bed gives it fuel to burn through the night.

Foods with fat and protein last longer than sugar alone. Think nuts, cheese, peanut butter, or a piece of jerky. A warm, non-alcoholic drink helps as well.

Skip the alcohol. It can make you feel warm for a bit, but it makes your body lose heat faster.

6. Go to the bathroom before you zip in

Waking up at 2 a.m. with a full bladder is a cold problem. You have to leave your warm bag, put on boots, and let cold air in. Then it takes a while to warm up again.

Make it the last thing you do before bed, even if you don’t feel much need to go.

7. Put a warm water bottle in your bag

Heat some water, pour it into a hard-sided bottle made for hot liquids, and screw the lid on tight. Slide it into a sock or wrap it in a shirt, then put it in your bag.

Hold it near your core or between your thighs. In the morning, you’ll have water that isn’t frozen.

Test the bottle at home first to make sure the lid doesn’t leak. Use hot water, not boiling, so you don’t burn yourself or crack the bottle.

8. Don’t breathe into your bag

When it’s cold, it’s tempting to pull the bag over your head. But every breath puts moisture into the bag. Damp insulation doesn’t hold heat as well, and it gets worse over a multi-night trip.

Keep your mouth and nose outside the bag. Cinch the hood around your face and wear a hat or a loose gaiter over your nose if your face gets cold.

9. Choose a sheltered campsite

Where you pitch the tent makes a big difference. Here’s what to look for:

• Stay out of the lowest spots. Cold air sinks and collects in valley bottoms and hollows.
• Use trees, brush, or a big rock as a windbreak.
• Camp back from lakes and streams, where the air is often damper.
• Point the tent door away from the wind.
• Look up. Don’t camp under dead trees or big dead branches.

10. Warm up before you get in

A sleeping bag doesn’t make heat. It only holds the heat you bring into it. If you crawl in cold, it can take a long time to warm up.

Take a short walk or do some jumping jacks right before bed. Stop before you start to sweat, since sweat makes you colder later.

Also, pull your bag out of its stuff sack as soon as camp is set up. That gives it time to fluff up, and a fluffy bag is a warmer bag.

One more tip: put tomorrow’s clothes in the bottom of your sleeping bag. They fill empty space your body would otherwise have to heat, and you’ll have warm clothes to put on in the morning.