# I got a stupid question......



## bigdaddyrabbit77 (Dec 23, 2013)

I am wanting to do some camping next winter with my son on some WMA hunts. I dont have a small camper. Sleeping in a tent is just Easier for me... The problem I am having is how to stay warm in a tent. I have a generator and electric heaters but the tents don't hold the heat... I am wanting to make it as comfortable as I can for my young son...   I know this is a silly question but I was hoping a fellow camper has come up with a sulution to this....  Any ideas would be helpful..... Thanks.  And Merry Christmas!!!!


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## Havana Dude (Dec 23, 2013)

Generator? Electric blanket maybe ?


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## Artfuldodger (Dec 23, 2013)

I would just invest in warmer sleeping bags vs catalytic heaters or even generators and electric heaters/blankets.
Check out this video of a guy sleeping in a hammock at 1 degrees.


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## Dr. Strangelove (Dec 24, 2013)

The best advice I can give is to stay off the ground.  Get a cot, air mattress or at least a couple thicknesses of foam mattress.  Put some blankets under and over your sleeping bag.  I use a blow up Coleman mattress and do fine.


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## flyfisher1 (Dec 24, 2013)

Been using a zero degree down sleeping bag for 20+ years and never gotten cold.  Forget all that electric heater, generator crap and invest in a good down 650-800 fill sleeping bag and a good ground barrier such as a Thermarest pad and you won't be cold.  You can find down sleeping bags all day long < $200 at Sierra Trading Post w/coupon.


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## 660griz (Dec 24, 2013)

Have you got a good 4 season tent. Is the tent sized correctly for the amount of folks and gear? A good tent will hold in some heat.


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## bigdaddyrabbit77 (Dec 24, 2013)

I have seen those tents in cabelas magazines that had a wood burning heater in them. Do they make a small version of those tents anywhere


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## 660griz (Dec 24, 2013)

How small? 5 man? 2 man?
Here is a 2 man.
http://store.kifaru.net/paratipi-p82.aspx
Or just check out their site. 
I think all tents can use stoves.
http://store.kifaru.net/tipis-c18.aspx


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## Nicodemus (Dec 24, 2013)

Get a tipi and your problems will be over. A small one, like a 12 footer would probably be all you need, and you wouldn`t care how cold it got. Nor would you care how hard the wind blew either.


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## 660griz (Dec 24, 2013)

You may be able to find a used GI arctic Tipi for around $300. (5 man)


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## wulf (Dec 24, 2013)

We put our tent up, regular Coleman tent, then covered the whole thing with one of those big blue tarps. Then used the heaters and it stayed very comfortable inside. We had the same issues as you until we did this. Tents just let the heat go right through! Good luck!


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## 3ringer (Dec 24, 2013)

I don't like a generator because of the noise. If you have other people near by , they won't like hearing it either. I like to be able to hear the wildlife at night. In my tent , I use a "Little Buddy " propane heater. I use an air mattress and a foam pad. I also use a good quality sleeping bag. The propane heater will make it bearable inside the tent.


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## walters (Dec 25, 2013)

*tent*

we used the big buddy heater hooked to a large propane tank. it heated our 8 man tent great. and it has a shut off if u build too much gas or carbonmonoxide they are very safe. a small popup camper with furnace works great also and u can pick one up for about 700 if u look around


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## deadend (Dec 25, 2013)

A wall tent with a wood stove is your huckleberry. It's like being at home and no danger of CO poisoning or getting murdered for running a generator.


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## dotties cutter (Dec 25, 2013)

Good sleeping bags will get the job done and have everything ready for the morning fire cause nothing feels better to a camper in the morning than that fire except for the one who has to get up and start the fire.


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## Artfuldodger (Dec 25, 2013)

I took a nap yesterday under a light down throw. I got so hot I thought I had left the little ceramic room heater on. I would imagine a nice thick down sleeping bag would be warm. The only drawback to down is it doesn't insulate if wet.
My dad bought one of those small Coleman catalytic heaters when I was young. We used it in our pop-up. It usually got too hot. I guess it depends if you are just sleeping or living/lounging/cooking. 
A big wall tent with a stove or a teepee with a fire would be nice.

Here is a short discussion on catalytic heaters and tents.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081207184801AAcHVB6


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## one hogman (Dec 25, 2013)

flyfisher1 said:


> been using a zero degree down sleeping bag for 20+ years and never gotten cold.  Forget all that electric heater, generator crap and invest in a good down 650-800 fill sleeping bag and a good ground barrier such as a thermarest pad and you won't be cold.  You can find down sleeping bags all day long < $200 at sierra trading post w/coupon.



this!!


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## Howard Parker (Dec 25, 2013)

*staying warm*

Get a Buddy Heater. They are great


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## riprap (Dec 25, 2013)

I used the little buddy heater, the one that will only take a 1 lb bottle, while hunting in Kansas. It will last 4 1/2 hours on one bottle. It was -3 one morning and warmed up the little pop up blind (it's like a cheap tent) nicely. A good sleeping bag and one of those boogers to knock the chill off while getting dressed should do the trick anywhere in Georgia.


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## 7Mag Hunter (Dec 26, 2013)

I tent camp alot......
1-cover the tent with a HD tarp to minimize heat loss from wind....
2-Catalytic tent heater with 6' hose to 20lb propane tank...
3-Stay off air mattress as the air inside is cold..
4-Army style cot with insulating blankets under quality sleeping bag..
5-insulate the floor if possible with rugs or carpet...
6-keep window and door slightly open to allow fresh air in...

Above has kept me warm in 15*-20* weather....My tent is 12'X18'..
Smaller dome type tents would be easier to keep warm..
Try to find a solid roof (4 season) tent to keep heat in..


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## Bam Bam (Dec 26, 2013)

Howard Parker said:


> Get a Buddy Heater. They are great


(On and Off for the last three Deer Seasons) I have the Big Buddy Heater and a 8 person instant tent with queen size air matteress laying right in the middle! I sleep comfortable/warm in 20 to 30 degrees weather and have plenty of room to stand up and move around!!!!! I have used my smaller dome tent too!


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## godzilla (Dec 26, 2013)

I camp all the time in the cold, a little buddy heater, a cot and a decent sleeping bag goes a long way. Camped last year and it got down to the single digits and the heater kept my 9 by 10 dome tent 65 degrees.


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## bigdaddyrabbit77 (Dec 27, 2013)

Thanks guys!!!! I got some good ideas to try out


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## CabinFreak (Dec 29, 2013)

I've been doing a good bit of winter camping lately and this year I've ran into an issue I can't figure out.I use a double layer air mattress along with my sleeping bag  and a couple of fleece zip blankets.I usually put down one of the fleece blankets on top of the air mattress,then sleeping bag,then extra fleece blanket on top of sleeping blanket just in case I feel a chill at night.The problem I had this year was that between the fleece blanket and the air mattress has been getting soaked from body heat or condensation.The previous years I've used the same system with no problem.

If you have a good sleeping bag rated for the temps you're going to be in you will stay warm all night regardless of how cold it gets.I would also suggest the Mr Buddy heater.I can sit in my tent in a sweat shirt and shorts in 20 degree weather and have my Mr. Buddy heater cranked up and be comfortable,but I'm a freak so don't wear shorts in the winter like I do.I wouldn't suggest sleeping with a propane heater going but some people do it.


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## riprap (Dec 29, 2013)

CabinFreak said:


> I've been doing a good bit of winter camping lately and this year I've ran into an issue I can't figure out.I use a double layer air mattress along with my sleeping bag  and a couple of fleece zip blankets.I usually put down one of the fleece blankets on top of the air mattress,then sleeping bag,then extra fleece blanket on top of sleeping blanket just in case I feel a chill at night.The problem I had this year was that between the fleece blanket and the air mattress has been getting soaked from body heat or condensation.The previous years I've used the same system with no problem.
> 
> If you have a good sleeping bag rated for the temps you're going to be in you will stay warm all night regardless of how cold it gets.I would also suggest the Mr Buddy heater.I can sit in my tent in a sweat shirt and shorts in 20 degree weather and have my Mr. Buddy heater cranked up and be comfortable,but I'm a freak so don't wear shorts in the winter like I do.I wouldn't suggest sleeping with a propane heater going but some people do it.



I had my blow up mattress get soaking wet one time because I used a blow dryer to blow it up. We had the air turned down low in the cabin. My sleeping bag was soaked too. It didn't happen the next night after the temps evened out.


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## Milkman (Dec 29, 2013)

WMA rules require quiet time in campgrounds from 10PM until 5 AM so a generator ain't gonna be allowed unless you are the only one in the campground.

Lots of good advice above about the buddy heaters.


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## dotties cutter (Dec 30, 2013)

WHAT NOT TO DO. I have a friend who was to join other friends [5 of them ] on a mountain excursion but he missed his flight and was a day late. The other guys got cold during the night apparently and used a couple coleman lanterns to heat the tent. The tent was a heavy, good quality tent and the lanterns used the oxygen in the tent and smothered the 5 men inside. These guys were experienced and should have known better but had my friend not missed his plane he would have been gone with the other guys because he said he never would have thought this could happen and they had used lanterns in this way in the past. Just be sure any heat you use that involves a flame is tent safe as it could save your life.


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## Randy (Dec 30, 2013)

Artfuldodger said:


> I would just invest in warmer sleeping bags vs catalytic heaters or even generators and electric heaters/blankets.
> Check out this video of a guy sleeping in a hammock at 1 degrees.



This is the guy who got me into Hammock camping.  I will never sleep in a tent again as long as there are trees around.  A top quilt and under quilt does me good down to and a little below freezing.


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## Artfuldodger (Dec 30, 2013)

Randy said:


> This is the guy who got me into Hammock camping.  I will never sleep in a tent again as long as there are trees around.  A top quilt and under quilt does me good down to and a little below freezing.



My daughter and I are seriously looking at that route. I can understand a father with younger children wanting a tent  though. I would probably be too paranoid to sleep with any type of propane stove in a traditional tent. 
I would thing a wall tent designed for a stove or teepee designed fro a fire would be ok with proper ventilation.


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## Artfuldodger (Dec 30, 2013)

CabinFreak said:


> I've been doing a good bit of winter camping lately and this year I've ran into an issue I can't figure out.I use a double layer air mattress along with my sleeping bag  and a couple of fleece zip blankets.I usually put down one of the fleece blankets on top of the air mattress,then sleeping bag,then extra fleece blanket on top of sleeping blanket just in case I feel a chill at night.The problem I had this year was that between the fleece blanket and the air mattress has been getting soaked from body heat or condensation.The previous years I've used the same system with no problem.
> 
> If you have a good sleeping bag rated for the temps you're going to be in you will stay warm all night regardless of how cold it gets.I would also suggest the Mr Buddy heater.I can sit in my tent in a sweat shirt and shorts in 20 degree weather and have my Mr. Buddy heater cranked up and be comfortable,but I'm a freak so don't wear shorts in the winter like I do.I wouldn't suggest sleeping with a propane heater going but some people do it.



Body moisture removal in a tent is sometimes a problem. 
I found this discussion but no answer:
Just wondered if any of you ever experienced condensation between your sleeping bag and pad. I always used a therma rest pad and never really had this problem. Recently I switched to a Big Agnes Insulated Air Core pad. I love the pad as it is so much more comfortable than the Therma rest, but in the morning, the underside of my bag and the top of my pad is soaked. Any advice on how to remedy this? Thanks.

http://forums.outdoorsdirectory.com/showthread.php/93189-Sleeping-pad-condensation


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