How much do little kids need to be wearing in bed at this time of year in a tent? I don't want to melt the poor things, neither do I want them to freeze!!
Vest, long sleeved long legged PJs, optional socks. My kids have Vango Nitestar 350 mummy sleeping bags though, which are about as warm as you get, also they sleep on self inflating mats, which are warmer than airbeds. I always put the kids in the smallest pod in the tent as the smallest pod is the warmest. They have a small fleece blanket each but they don`t usually use it for sleeping under, more for snuggling. If it`s a really cold night they tend to snuggle up to each other as well. A single child might benefit from an extra blanket or two just to nestle into.
They`re four and nine now but this is how I`ve dressed/equipped them since they were babies and no complaints yet. Also no waking up howling cold at night! It doesn`t seem to matter to them what the outside temperature is (unless we`re in a french heatwave) as it`s always colder than you might think at night and if they get to warm, they just stick their arms out the bags. Err on the side of warm rather than cold, unless of course they`re babies and can`t regulate their own bedding.
Mine are dressed in thermals and a fleecy all in one sleepsuit from mothercare, with socks. If it's a warm night I omit the thermals. They also sleep in a mummy bag and have a fleece blanket for if they still feel cold.
The only time they haven't used their sleepsuits was in cornwall last July when it was scorching and they slept in their their vest and pants. (They are 4&5)
We don't have any heating in our tent, so for this weekend I will be taking long sleeved winter weight pyjamas and warm socks (the thick ones with non slip soles) and a proper sleeping bag - Charlie loves his ready bed but it isn't warm enough, so he uses it as an airbed with a grown up bag on top. I'll have a fleece blanket for the wee small hours and I also keep a pair of jogging bottoms handy to go over jammies if its really cold. If he wakes up cold in the night the only solution to warm him up is get him in the middle with us and there isn't enough room for that, so I try to make sure he stays toastie warm ! Of course, this means he wakes up boiling at about 6am and we have to de-layer him to get him back to sleep - it's non-stop climate control !
Alison
Yes, I should have added that I`ve never used any sort of heating in the tent. I can`t emphasise enough though the importance of decent sleeping bags. Kids sleeping bags need to be at least if not better performance than adult ones, as kids have a higher surface area to volume ratio.
hi i have kids age 10, 9 & 3 the 10 yr old just sleeps in boxers the 9 yr old and 3 yr old sleep in normal pj's but all of them have good sleeeping bags.
any concerns just buy a thermal inner for the sleeping bags .
Mine are 17 & nearly 11 (both girls) The older one insists the younger one sleeps in PJ's so as not to start moaning about being cold. Sometimes I have to ask myself who the mum is??!!
I use layers which are easy to adjust, and add on in the night if the temprature drops.
Alice tends to sleep on top of the sleeping bag, and can not feel the cold. She's always been like this, even as a baby she'd be on top of the bedding, and as soon as she could she took her pjs off.
Not a clue!! Little Scamp is 14 and has a Vango Nitestar mummy bag, with an optional extra 'normal' cheap bag if it's REALLY cold (we go away all year round, and she always sleeps in her own tent, not the 'van), but she decides herself what she sleeps in!!
Seriously, when she was younger, I worked on how many layers we needed, then added a couple to compensate for her being small. She never complained of being cold, or woke up crying because she was cold.
Mine are 10 and 12. They do not like sleeping bags so take their duvets from home and wear exactly the same as they would at home. We also have a small fleecy blanket each but don't always use it.
Thanks everyone. I have winter weight pjs and fleece sleepsuits so I'll try one or the other first and see how we get on. We have proper sleeping bags for the kids (Vango ones) and I made some inners for them from flurr, which is kinda like a brushed furry really soft fleece, so hopefully they will be plenty warm enough.
my 2 wear t shirt and boxers but then we are hard and dont have central heating at home and I think this has made us a little used to being cold at night. I couldnt imagine sleeping with central heating now I think we would be way to hot.
Just a note. If it's going to be really cold, and they don't have mummy sleeping bags, sticking a hat on the kids really helps to keep them warm - and they think it's hilarious to go to bed in wearing a hat.
Other than that, mine wear normal long sleeved pj's unless it's particularly hot, but they do have a fleece blanket that they use too. They don't have particularly brilliant sleeping bags I might add.
Better one's will be on the shopping list when we start camping more frequently, as I hope we will do soon.
Oh, one other thing. As an extra layer for warmth - and because their sleeping bags are adult size until this year I've always folded the bottom end of the sleeping bag underneath, so they're lying on the bottom half of the bag too. Don't think I'm going to be able to this year - my daughter now 7 has decided to have a growth spurt and I think she'll be too long for it to make any difference. Very inconsiderate of her I thought!
I've got a 11 and 14yr old. They wear long sleeve and long trouser pyjammas, a fleece jumper and a hat if it's particuarly cold, they have mummy style sleeping bags and they take a fleece blanket that they put on top of their sleeping bags if they need to, although they tend to wrap themselves in their blankets the most in the evening when they're sat playing games.