# Can you safely heat a tent?



## nona (May 29, 2010)

Hi! I am new to this forum and also to tent camping. I am going on my first tent camping trip next week. And it is still cold outside!! Will be down in the 30s at night. A friend talked me into this and I am worried that I am going to hate this. Is there a way to stay warm in a tent?


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## happiestcamper (Mar 6, 2008)

I've seen some use propane or electric heaters, but I'm always too chicken. The best way to stay warm is with body heat. Even if you don't have expensive sleeping bags, you can take two cheap ones and stuff one inside the other. Also, get a pad, not an air mattress. All that air will stay cold and rob you of what heat you are putting off. Even better, get a thermarest - these are air mattresses, but they are filled with cellulose type material that will help you stay warm. Also, wearing too much clothing in your sleeping bag does not help. Wearing just a t-shirt and underwear inside a good sleeping bag (or two cheap ones) will help you stay warmer - if you have too much clothing on, you'll never end up warming the bag itself. Keep your head covered.

Depending on the "status" of the friend that invited you, you may be able to share body heat, and be even more efficient. Take your two identical bags, unzip, then "mate" the bags (if they are cheap, mate two others and stuff the others inside). Remember, not too much clothing :thumbup1:


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## vee (Aug 9, 2010)

We have two different Coleman tent heaters (different sizes), the ones that use the little propane tanks that the campstove uses. We never use them while sleeping however, and we make certain there's nothing near it that would fall on it, etc. 
As we're getting ready to turn in, we'll light one up and it gets everything nice and toasty rather quick, as a side bonus, if you have any humidity issues in the tent it tends to dry stuff up. Once, it was real cold and my husband got up in the middle of the night and lit the heater for about 15 minutes and then shut it off and went back to bed.
Another non-heater way to keep warm is to get fleece blankets. We have fleece sleeping bag liners that work great, and we bought a number of cheap fleece blankets at IKEA for extra warmth.

~happy camping


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## gracy (Sep 19, 2008)

We use a Mr. Buddy heater but we are very careful using it. Works great!


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## jennyb (Mar 7, 2011)

smaller tent keeps you warmer. Use a hot water bottle, keep you warm most of the night


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## thekamperman (Feb 26, 2011)

jennyb said:


> smaller tent keeps you warmer. Use a hot water bottle, keep you warm most of the night


Tent size has a big saying and also how "winterized" it is for the area and temps. In small tents even a candle may generate good heat. 

Good sleeping bags and covering the head are also sound advice. 

Two people in a sleeping bag works (this is one of the methods to helping someone out of hypothermia).


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## artmart (Sep 21, 2010)

There are many ways to stay warm....

- A proper sleeping bag. Not oversized which creates cold spots.

- Layers of proper undergarments. Use lightweight to medium, not heavy wool or cotton. Wool is a good insulator but is thick and can be uncomfortable to sleep in.

- small heater.... there are all kinds of varieties and sizes. This greatly depends on the size of the tent. It should be at the center of the tent with the highest air space to prevent fires. You can buy those very common 20# propane bottles and mount the heater on that. This will raise the heater from the floor of the tent, but you'll need to leave some flaps open to allow fresh air or you can experience carbon monoxide poison. You can use electric heaters, but then you'll need a power source.

A real small tent will be warmed by your presence.

A lot of this also depends on what type of cold it is and where you are. But these are other long explanations and possibilities. I've probably covered 90% of them.


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## happiestcamper (Mar 6, 2008)

Don't wear too much clothing in your sleeping bag, otherwise your body heat will never get to the sleeping bag - and the fill of a sleeping is much warmer than clothing for reflecting your body heat. If need be, put a blanket over the sleeping bag.


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## artmart (Sep 21, 2010)

That's a very good point about clothing.

When I backpack and it's cold, I will wear a very thin propylene shirt and pants because I sleep warm and will perspire in my 0 degree down sleeping bag and I don't want to stick to the bag. If it's real cold then a thicker layer, but I usually gotta wear something. It also helps if I have to egress quickly in the event of a nature call or animal visit. Because the sleeping bag packs down so small I even use it even in warmer weather and use the zippers for ventilation.

When tenting/tailgating I use a 25 degree rectangular bag and a larger tent and can then add a propane heater for additional warmth.

When in the truck bed tent I have a folding truck bed cover that I use as a table that I can set a heater and use the rectangular bags as well.

In an RV, well, a king size bed, a comforter a wife and a central furnace provides options for heat.

Nothing wrong with several systems for several options under several conditions.


I definitely prefer colder than warmer weather. I can always add things to stay warm. I can't do as much when it's hot (you can only take off so much) and dragging an Air conditioner and power source for it are wieldy


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