Quote: Originally posted by Bob61 on 14/5/2015
A sleeping bag works by retaining body heat in the insulating fibres. As your body continually produces heat so more and more heat gets retained in the sleeping bag keeping you nice and toasty. If you sleep in lots of clothing you might as well not bother with a sleeping bag because the heat won't get through to it and it won't be doing it's job properly. You will find that sleeping naked or with very light clothing will be warmest. Also, keep your head out of the sleeping bag or you will be filling it with damp air from your breath and that will feel cold and clammy.
I have found a fan heater heats a tent best and it can be left on thermostat to kick in and out all night. An electric heater will also help to reduce condensation in the tent.
I know from experience that it is definately warmer to wear clothes in a sleeping bag! I used to do a lot of mountaineering in Scotland, often in the winter but the coldest I camped was about -10. Wearing a fleece and thermal leggings definately kept me warmer.
By wearing clothes you add additional insulation to your body keeping a thin layer of warm air very close to your body, the addition of a sleeping bag increases this insulation with all the layers (clothes and sleeping bag) acting in combination to reduce thermal heat loss.
Theoretically it is possible to wear too many layers though, although this will only be a problem when it starts to compress the sleeping bag fibres thus reducing its insulative properties.
Another problem is wearing too many layers, ie too much insulation as this will make you too warm causing you to sweat eventually leading to you feeling cold due to the moisture on your skin, this can be mistaken for thinking that wearing clothes in a sleeping bag actually makes you colder.
------------- May 2015 - Arrow Bank 4 nights
July 2015 - Manorafon 4 nights
August 2015 - Piccadilly Caravan park 3 nights
August 2015 - Wheal Rodney 11 nights
If you sleep on camp beds try to put as many layers under you as on top, if have a blanket lay half across the camp bed, place sleeping bag on top then fold the blanket over the top of that. I also used a foam mat with the foil backing under my bedding as well to help insulate. I would also recommend onesies for kids over their pj's.
------------- Linda
2017
May - 3 nights Yeatheridge.
May - 5 nights Mill Park, Ilfracombe
July - 6 nights not sure where yet
August - 2 weeks Croatia, Camp Lanterna.
2018
May - 3 night Yeatheridge campsite
May half term - 6 nights Cornwall
July - 1 week Cotswolds
August - 2 weeks Vendee.
I,we allways left our fan heater on all night plus is stops any condensation forming on the tent roof which can get quite bad with a lot of people inside.
We got a small fan heater from home bargains 2 speed fan and. Thermostat controlled safe to leave on all night comes off and on according to temp only about £6 aswell
We have a cheap primark fleece blanket each and if its really cold we wrapit around us then get into the sleeping bag. You can then take it off if too hot during the night
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