Winter ideas on the cheap?

[uphillstruggler]

@Kosong

http://www.backpackinglight.co.uk/practical/VE104.html

this is the one I bought.

 

[Kosong]

I know this is going to sound mad, but have you considered getting a breathable bivvy bag that you use inside the tent. Whenever I have bivvyied, I have always had to be really careful about overheating.

I'm also one who can easily use 2 winter weight duvets at home, so often wear my thermals, plus some of my merino wool tops, socks and anything else to hand if it is really cold inside my sleeping bag, but a really good sleeping mat is also exceptionally important. I'm guesing you would benefit from something like the Exped downmat 9 . The initial outlay for the mat is not cheap, but essential insulation below you is just as important as a good sleeping bag. Exped do do a synthetic version, but the only time you would know it was down was if it was to fail and throw feathers at you, otherwise you would not actually know other than the lightness to warmth ratio.

One thing to consider is that an awful lot of UK campsites now offer electricity as standard to tents. I have a small heating mat that plugs into the mains, that is use for my back. I have found that I get very warm on it very quickly and you could easily use something similar to get warm. You don't need a full sized electric blanket (though they are available) to get warm.

Great ideas! Someone earlier in the thread mentioned using a bivvy inside a tent, which is certainly doable and if it keeps me warm, then great Will have a look into the mat you link to, like i said i'm not sure if I'm allergic to down or if i had a secondary reaction to something on the down (car fur most probably) so i'm going to try borrow some down duvet off someone to try at home and hope I don't end up having a reaction haha. Might be a silly question, but is all down the same? Is it from the same animal etc?

@uphillstruggler - that looks great, thanks for the link. How does it fare being used multiple times? Size and weight sounds perfect, will order one anyway and give it a run in Autumn

 

[uphillstruggler]

@Kosong I've not used it apart from unwrapping and having a look. I doubt it would last weeks but I reckon it's a cost effective back up should all else be not warm enough, especially given your condition. It's really light and packs up tiny so you don't have to omit anything else to make room for it in your packing system.

 

[andrew_s]

http://www.backpackinglight.co.uk/practical/VE104.html
this is the one I bought.

That sort of thing is really for emergency or 1 night use.
They aren't breathable, and you get enough condensation to have a pretty bad effect on the insulating properties of your sleeping bag, especially once you've packed and unpacked the bag and spread surface dampness all through.

 

[andym]

@Kosong

http://www.backpackinglight.co.uk/practical/VE104.html

this is the one I bought.

Have you ever tried sleeping in one? I did once: imagine you're a turkey in an oven being roasted... And they are bloody noisy too. If I were stuck on a cold mountain-side I'd be really glad I had one, but for normal use? Nah.

It's not often andrew_s and I agree on something, but this looks like one occasion.

Kosong - the short answer is I stay home, save my pennies and wait for next summer. I guess there's warmshowers for short breaks?

 

[Catweasel]

It will be too cold/expensive for you,I've camped out at the back end of November in Wales and I borrowed a £300 Rab Sleeping bag and it was still a struggle because I got cold going to the loo in the night and getting dressed/undressed etc.Also a 3 season non down bag is very big from my experience, not suitable for light cycle camping.
Go either in the better weather or to Youth Hostels.
Also you need a decent light tent that can cope with bad weather.

Pee bottle. A well marked pee bottle.

 

[Kosong]

That sort of thing is really for emergency or 1 night use.
They aren't breathable, and you get enough condensation to have a pretty bad effect on the insulating properties of your sleeping bag, especially once you've packed and unpacked the bag and spread surface dampness all through.

Even if you slept with your head out of the bag (so your breath wouldn't be staying inside the bag)? Bummer haha. Is this the same for regular, non emergency bivvy bags? Will check what one my brother has, it doesn't have the foil inside and he camps just in that with a sheet because he is some sort of alien with no concept of cold (I've no idea how we are related!)

@andym glad my post could be a place you could agree with each other haha As for staying in all winter, no chance. I haven't spent a winter in the UK for years for a reason, I'm terrible at doing nothing and work 2 days a week at a maximum so that's a whole load of time to stare at the walls. Hadn't thought of warm showers though, will get myself signed up to that as it's certainly an option...that and I could take my camper somewhere and do day trips out on the bike and kip back in the relative warmth of the van. Would be nice to keep cycling the longer distances in winter and keeping fitness up either way

thanks again all for suggestions, need to try a few of these ideas out in the coming months...part of me thinks the cold outside won't bother me as much as i think as I'm always so bloody cold anyway I've just got used to it haha! If anyone else has Reynauds and is mad enough to camp outdoors in autumn/winter, let me know I'd be curious to hear how it went!

 

[Kosong]

Pee bottle. A well marked pee bottle.

As an ex van dweller, I can press this point of having a clearly marked pissjug. They are lifesavers, but wow you do not want to get it mixed up in the dark of night! Thankfully I got into a good routine of stopping drinking so long before i go to bed, having a pee then not needing to wake during the night. brrrr

 

[uphillstruggler]

@andrew_s , @andym , @Kosong, I agree, it's a back up, but a small lightweight one and inexpensive if you are considering all the other options first (which would be sensible)

I wish you all the best with your efforts and keep us posted as to what you buy and how it works.

 

[Kosong]

Will do, Uphillstruggler. Thanks again all for the advice and ideas...will be off on the bike for last week of this month, then prob 1 or 2 shorter trips a month until it gets too cold or I figure out a way to make cold camping comfortable

 

[simongt]

I got into a good routine of stopping drinking so long before i go to bed, having a pee then not needing to wake during the night. brrrr

My favorite memory of camping was in October on Abdon Burf in Shropshire some years ago. woke up during the night for a widdle, whilst emerging from the tent I was showered with ice crystals off the zip and door. Not a problem you think, but as I was in the buff - I sleep warm - and wearing nothing but a pair of boots, it fair woke me up - ! However, the view of a completely clear, starlit sky more than made up for the ice shower - !

 

[Kosong]

Haha! That reminds me of the time I slept in the van during winter and woke up in pitch dark at 9am, it had snowed overnight and blocked all the light out. I went to go take a swig of water from my bottle and nearly knocked my teeth out as the water had frozen solid brrrrrrrr, but it was a damn beautiful day to turn on the electric blanket, get warm then open the back doors of the van and look at the snow from my bed

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

not all bivvy bags are the same. Our (bought specifically for sleeping out in and used on our aborted world tour attempt) are Gore-Tex ones which means they are breathable and waterproof (and tested as well!). The ones we have also have a mesh zipper at the top, so you can sleep with it 'open' but not get bitten by insects - that can be a bonus. The only issue I came across was the night when I got too warm and decided to surface for air - unzipped the mesh zipper to get some fresher air and promptly fell asleep (and I do mean promptly). I woke in the morning the correct temperature, but my forehead had been bitten...

No all down is not the same. It is feathers from ducks. Different ducks produce different features - specifically from the bit of the duck that incubates eggs. The better the quality, the lighter and less 'prickly' the down. We have expensive down sleeping bags and duvets at home (despite me being a severe asthmatic) bought at a time in our lives when we could afford them. I recently purchased a much cheaper down pillow and the difference was very noticeable. the pillow is not being used. not because I have had issues with my asthma, but because the quill of the feathers (hope that's the right word) sticks out through the pillow case and scratches me. I'll go back to saving up for a better quality down pillow.

What else. It is fantastic waking up with a layer of ice over either the bivvy bag or the inside of the tent and on one occasion the top of my sleeping bag (very warm bags (comfortable to -40C) and a very cold night at -20C). I find sleeping with your clothes in the bag on night due to get around zero is beneficial. That way the clothes are a touch warmer and ready for you to get into in the bag. It takes practice but is doable.