Winter tent camping- what to use under sleeping bag?

13kittycats

Earning My Ears
Joined
Feb 10, 2014
I have only tent camped in the summer. I don't plan on going this winter, but maybe the following year. What should be used underneath us if we use sleeping bags on the ground? Do blow up mattresses work in the cold months or do the have a hard time staying inflated due the cold air? I have several wool felted sweaters I never used for a different project. Do you think they could be repurposed into a sleeping mat under the sleeping bags to ward off the cold ground?? Loving the idea of electric blanket over us and maybe a ceramic heater.
 
Def invest in cold weather sleeping bags. My sons have winter camped with scouts and prefer to use a foam matt. They both wear gloves, stocking caps and a full outfit to bed. They use a lot of hand warmers. Of course this is winter camping in Wisconsin, which is likely quite different then Florida but for anything under 40 degrees the same rules should apply.

http://www.boyscouttrail.com/library/wintercampingtips.asp
 
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You don't want to use cots or blow up mattresses in cold months because the air in or around gets cold. It is best to get a sleeping pad to sleep on. I use a moving blanket inside my tent as a floor and that would also work to put under your sleeping bag. I always bring an old comforter from home that we have for extra warmth if needed to put on top of the sleeping bag for extra cold nights.
 
We used cots a couple years and double high air mattresses a couple years too. No problems at all with the air mattresses. I don't see myself getting very good sleep while in a sleeping bag only.

I should add that we used cots and air mattresses for long trips in winter.

On my signature you will find trip reports with us camping over wintertime and how we got along. I have to use my desktop to see signature lines, my mobile device does not show them.
 
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We used cots a couple years and double high air mattresses a couple years too. No problems at all with the air mattresses.

How did you get around having the cold air in the blow ups?? A few years ago we had a blow up mattress in our mh sofa and my DB & DS on two different trips used it for one night each and nearly froze to death - could not get warm even though it was only 68* inside. (We forgot from one trip to next, so they each had a very bad night!) We felt terrible.
 
Hello @North of Mouse. Well that is something new to me. Now two people are saying no to the air beds in winter. We just never had an issue. I guess, maybe they were a little cooler to sleep on compared the cots, but no enough to warrant a change or to do away with them. We put the tent on the sand pad and use nothing under the tent. We do have a carpet pad in the tent, but it goes between the beds and not under. For the last two long tent trips, I used a double high Coleman. I only had a flat sheet on top of the bed and me plus child on top of that flat sheet. On top of us, the electric blanket plus blanket of top of that to help keep electric heat in. Now, I will add that only 1/2 the time I used the electric blanket. Sometimes I would need to turn off the blanket cause it would get too warm. We also had those mattresses pushed up against the side tent walls to maximize space. If it had a chance of rain, then I would move them always from side walls. We just never had a problem with them.

I will add that I love my heat! I need my side of the van heat to be 80 and hubby has his side on off. I'm cold all the time in the winter.
 


We use cots and put an electric blanket down and sleep on top of it. Got pretty warm, had to turn mine off in the middle of the night as I started to sweat. It was about 18 degrees outside. This was in northern AL at Thanksgiving. Probably won't be that cold in central FL. In fact a couple years ago we camped in our pop-up at the fort on new years. Actually ran the AC.
 
I've always been cold and uncomfortable on an air mattress. We've camped at Disney (spring) as well as in the Smokies during the fall where it can get much colder. We've also spent a week in Rocky Mtn National Park. We take Thermarest sleeping pads everywhere we go! That would definitely be my go-to in cold weather! I also like them because they are individual pads, therefore you don't feel the movement of others.
 
It is all about R value between you and ground. If you plan to use an air mattress then go to Wal Mart in the camping section and buy the cheap blue foam pads. Place those over the air mattress and you will sleep much warmer. The blue pads alone are pretty uncomfortable.
 
An air mattress in cold weather is pretty ineffective because the cold ground will suck any heat out of the trapped air which is then next to your body. If sleeping on the ground in cold weather you need a thermal pad like a Thermarest.

www.thermarest.com

Air mattresses (simple ones) can leak. Thermal pads have the R-value and varying degrees of padding and pack-ability. When I'm backpacking I now carry the Thermarest Base Camp and although it's over 3 pounds, I've carried lighter Thermarests like the Z-lite (at less than a pound), and I sleep a WHOLE lot better with the Base Camp.

Find a thermal mattress you are comfortable with IMO.

Bama Ed
 
I agree a thermarest will always be a better option than a blow up mattress (i use a NeoTherm now myself). I just assumed they were looking for a cheap solution for a one time use.
 
hey guys! which thermarest (or other brand) would you recommend for a mom who had a mastectomy a few years ago and a co-sleeping baby? I have always just used the air mattress in fort wilderness but now I cannot because of the baby. I will need to buy a new pad which does not put too much pressure on my operated side and allows me to co-sleep. I have an older thermarest, but I understand that there are a million more models now
 
hey guys! which thermarest (or other brand) would you recommend for a mom who had a mastectomy a few years ago and a co-sleeping baby? I have always just used the air mattress in fort wilderness but now I cannot because of the baby. I will need to buy a new pad which does not put too much pressure on my operated side and allows me to co-sleep. I have an older thermarest, but I understand that there are a million more models now

DH and I just purchased a Big Agnes King Solomon double bag. They make some that are down filled as well as synthetic. They will hold thermarest pads in an actual pad sleeve tucked underneath the bag, so that the pad doesn't move. It is absolutely heaven when camping! Can be a little pricy between the down and nicer thermarest pads but we camp enough that it's worth it. The base camp would be the nicest thermarest pad, but I'm not sure it would fit in the pad sleeve, you would definitely want to check the measurements.

We have a baby due in January and I'm excited to try it. My biggest pet peeve when taking the kids camping, especially in cold weather, is when they wake up and their pad is on one side of the tent and they are on the complete opposite side complaining of being cold! Lol
 
Lynzi2004, I have been totally drooling over the double bags. I really want sierra designs duo backcountry but alas, i am not independently wealthy so it will have to wait. I love that you can tuck the pad into the bag. where did you buy your bag?
I know exactly what you mean about the kids and the pads. I am constantly chasing mine all over the tent. I was contemplating tying it to my 6 year old but my husband would not let me. I just wanted to sleep at night...
 
Lynzi2004, I have been totally drooling over the double bags. I really want sierra designs duo backcountry but alas, i am not independently wealthy so it will have to wait. I love that you can tuck the pad into the bag. where did you buy your bag?
I know exactly what you mean about the kids and the pads. I am constantly chasing mine all over the tent. I was contemplating tying it to my 6 year old but my husband would not let me. I just wanted to sleep at night...

I don't remember which website we purchased from but we caught it on sale for about $250. They are normally around $399 I think, but ours was a closeout being the old color. And yes, I've too have thought of all types of scenarios to keep our kids and their pillows in the bag! Lol. If I can catch another one on sale. I'm wanting to buy it and just put DH and I each with a kid in the bag, that way everyone gets a good nights sleep.

FYI, the synthetic ones are much more resonably priced even from big Agnes. I think I've seen some rated around either 15 or 30 degrees for around $185ish.
 
I have only tent camped in the summer. I don't plan on going this winter, but maybe the following year. What should be used underneath us if we use sleeping bags on the ground? Do blow up mattresses work in the cold months or do the have a hard time staying inflated due the cold air? I have several wool felted sweaters I never used for a different project. Do you think they could be repurposed into a sleeping mat under the sleeping bags to ward off the cold ground?? Loving the idea of electric blanket over us and maybe a ceramic heater.
Don't expect it to get very cold during your stay. Central Florida gets freezing cold snaps occasionally, but it's not the norm. I recommend an air mattress.
 
I have only tent camped in the summer. I don't plan on going this winter, but maybe the following year. What should be used underneath us if we use sleeping bags on the ground? Do blow up mattresses work in the cold months or do the have a hard time staying inflated due the cold air? I have several wool felted sweaters I never used for a different project. Do you think they could be repurposed into a sleeping mat under the sleeping bags to ward off the cold ground?? Loving the idea of electric blanket over us and maybe a ceramic heater.

We live in Tampa. My son is an adult now but we camped a lot when he was a boy scout. A few years ago we went camping on the coldest night of the year. We use foam pads between the sleeping bags and air mattress so the air mattress doesn't pull the heat from you in the sleeping bag. We also use hand warmers to throw at the feet of the sleeping bags to keep the sleeping bags warm. We didn't own any heated blankets at that time, but that is not a bad idea. We brought comforters to use on top of the sleeping bags and we sleep in warm socks and knit caps too. It was unusually cold that trip, but we sleep comfortable. Our friends in the next tent over were a bit colder than we were. I am not sure if they used the foam pad barrier on top of the air mattress. Oh, we also bought our Korean Mink Blankets which are super warm.

Just be sure to layer under and over the sleeping bags if you use an air mattress. It doesn't get cold enough to deflate the air mattress and I have never heard of that. I have only heard of the air mattress pulling heat away from the people if no barrier is used. The foam padding can be purchased at walmart. You can also get a foam pad from home depot if you want larger than a single size and its pretty cheap too.
 
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My biggest pet peeve when taking the kids camping, especially in cold weather, is when they wake up and their pad is on one side of the tent and they are on the complete opposite side complaining of being cold!

During my years of Boy Scout camping, I found a cheap solution for bags/pads sliding around that worked for me. I bought a couple of rolls of the rubberized grippy shelf liner from the dollar store and placed one piece between the tent floor and the air mattress or pad and another between the mattress and the sleeping bag. Nothing moves around during the night. It acts like the pads you can put under an area rug to keep it in place, but cheaper.
 
During my years of Boy Scout camping, I found a cheap solution for bags/pads sliding around that worked for me. I bought a couple of rolls of the rubberized grippy shelf liner from the dollar store and placed one piece between the tent floor and the air mattress or pad and another between the mattress and the sleeping bag. Nothing moves around during the night. It acts like the pads you can put under an area rug to keep it in place, but cheaper.

That is a great idea, I will have to try it! Thanks!
 

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