33 replies to this topic

[Sketchead]

No matter how hot/cold it is during the day, we all know how bloody FREEZING it is when we finally settle down for a few hours kip at night. How do you all stay warm? I'd love to take duvets and blankets but they just won't fit in. I'll probably just take one additional blanket as well as my sleeping bag.

Any tips from the Glasto veterans?

[Jimmyeatspeople]

If you have it, UnderArmour/Skins/baselayer clothing is great stuff.

[Yesiamaduck]

Get a decent sleeping bag or just make sure every part of your body is covered in thin clothing, including your head. And camping mat works wonders... or get an inflatable mattress, avoid the ground basically.

Edited by Yesiamaduck, 17 June 2011 - 01:34 PM.

[snipe]

A ground mat or airbed will make a huge difference.  Most heat is lost through contact with the ground.

[Abster]

All my years camping I don't think I have ever been cold at night! I just hav a sleeping bag pj's and a blanket for just in case.......... oh and the roll matt underneath

[FluffyFairy]

Woolly hat and socks are a must for me. This year I'll also be taking my 'onesie' I hate feeling cold.

[FunkyDenz]

A good ground mat, the self-inflating ones are more insulating than airbeds or ordinary ground mats. Also a good quality sleeping bag (3 season is preferable, cheap sleeping bags are normally 1-2 season), change before you go to bed, esp if it has been damp out, you need to put on dry clothes. Only wear one layer of clothes, else it will take ages to heat the sleeping bag up.

Take a hot water bottle, then just boil a kettle on the camp stove before bed time. (I've not done this myself, as am not normally in a fit enough state to figure out what a kettle is, let alone how to boil one when I go to bed)

Make sure you keep the sleeping bag in the middle of the tent, and off the floor, when you're not in it. If it touches the sides, it might become damp.

[Aby]

The worst point is that moment when you wake up in your 45236 layers in sauna like temperatures once the sun has come up.  

[pie_and_a_pint]

Assuming you have a decent (preferably three-season) sleeping bag?

More layers under you than over you will help - I usually layer a blanket from Joe Bananas on top of my self-inflating mattress. A sleeping bag liner might help too.

And definitely keep your head and feet warm, but I think the bits inbetween are down to personal preference. I was in Venture Scouts when I was a teenager, and while we girls were always layered up for bed in thermals, pyjamas, hoodies and tracksuit bottoms, some of the lads swore blind that they were warmer inside their sleeping bag wearing just socks and a hat...

[ukslim]

Keep a jumper on if it's cold. I have a thick wooly jumper for festivals.

The most important thing is to insulate yourself from the ground, which is cold.

Rollmats, good airbeds, campbeds with legs, all do a good job of this.

[hedgepeg]

One of those reflective survival blankets are quite good although they make you look like a kit-kat in bed. Pretty cheap too

[bigsmoke]

apparently sleeping bags keep you warm by trapping warm air in - you warm the air in the sleeping bag up by getting in it. so if you can't afford to buy a fancy new one, and can't carry blankets etc you could try some of these:

- don't pack your sleeping bag away in the day, as soon as your tent is up get it out of it's compression sack and give it a good shake to allow its stuffing to 'fluff up' and fill with air.
- don't wear too many clothes inside your sleeping bag - by trying to trap the warmth against your skin you slow down warming up your sleeping bag.  one trick is to lay your warm clothes over the top of your bag as you take them off, no point wasting the heat you've built up in them.
- be warm when you get in it!  sounds tricky, as being cold is often the thing that finally drives me to bed, but a hot drink before you climb in will work wonders
(i find travel john's an essential companion for this last one )

of course, a hot naked man to bundle into said sleeping bag would be an easier option, if you had one....

[Ed the Belly]

i have an awesome three season bag (quechua) and the same brand air bed, i chuck an old army blanket over the top (i got it from a carboot sale) and im snug as a bug in a tramps beard    

[Storm_NL]

I've been using the same 3 season sleeping bag for the last 12 years... that's all you need!
Failing that, thermals.
Make sure your head is a covered as possible.
Self-inflating mattress thingummy.
Sorted.

[Abster]

You could always go for the find a hot male/female to keep you warm option  

[lucyginger]

I second the change your clothes theory. I always take pyjamas to glasto with me, I change into them every night. Also, more layers under you, rather than over you will help.

[caroldecker]

Went camping at the beginning of june and was surprisingly warm for 2 nights! First time ever! But Im always freezing cold at Glastonbury....

Every year I try a new tactic. This years is a blow up bed! Plus Im taking my big cardy and pjs and bed socks to wear over leggings, a vest/tshirt and normal socks. layers layers layers!

May have to add something with a hood as hats give you hat hair. I dont fancy having hat hair all weekend...

[FunkyDenz]

caroldecker, on 17 June 2011 - 02:27 PM, said:

May have to add something with a hood as hats give you hat hair. I dont fancy having hat hair all weekend...

Can't you wear a hat in the day to cover your hat hair?

[KryziF]

As others have said you need your body heat to warm the air in the sleeping bag, so one layer of clothes is better than multiple layers. If you're small and don't fill your sleeping bag try stuffing it with dry clothes as it means there's less air so warms up quicker.

Having someone else to keep you warm works well too  

[tolywoly]

As I was saying over in the weather thread - there's always the last resort method for keeping warm employed by Mark in an episode of Peep Show - pee on your own legs.