Thіѕ weekend wе аrе attending a festival аnd going tο camp. Wе live іn Michigan- аnd іt’s fall.. ѕο during thе night thе temp hаѕ bееn getting down around іn thе low 40’s. I hаνе a very nice 8 person tent аnd thеrе аrе 5 οf υѕ іn іt. (Mе, mу husband аnd ουr 3 kids ages 10, 3 аnd 1). Thеrе іѕ nο electric hook-ups аnd I’m nοt comfortable wіth a heater inside anyways- οnlу thе kids hаνе sleeping bags- іѕ thеrе anything еlѕе wе саn dο tο mаkе sure іtѕ warm іn thеrе ѕο thе kids don’t freeze? (Lіkе laying extra blankets down οn thе floor etc…)
Buy very big sweatshirts for all the kids. Also get something to cover up their ears, hands and feet because those are the parts of the body that cold fast. Sleep close to each other for body heat.
A catalytic heater is pretty safe. – But not very effective within the enclosure of uninsulated tent walls.
Bring along their winter coats, in case they get cold over the night. – And a couple of blankets for baby boo boo.
Catalytic heaters can be very dangerous if used without proper ventilation. They need fresh air to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning and death. Everyone needs a good sleeping bag, I recommend sweatshirts and sweat pants, warm socks, and most of all A STOCKING HAT ! The worst problem you’ll have is getting everyone to get out of their warm bag in the morning. Extra blankets will help also.
I live in MN and have taken my kids camping as cold as 0. It’s not much fun with kids when it’s colder than that.
We have therm a rest pads as well as additional pads to keep off the ground, then really good sleeping bags, liners in the sleeping bags, the kids wear sweat pants, socks, sweat shirts and hats.
They get a huge kick out of it. Bring lots of extra clothes for when they get wet, then dry them out near (not over) the fire.
Fuel powered heaters in tents can be deadly so don’t even use them.
The tricks to staying warm at night is insulation and staying dry. Start by setting your tent over a good vapor barrier like a plastic tarp, this keeps water vapor from the ground from rising through your tent floor. Next is a good layer of insulation under the sleeping bags, the best form is a closed cell foam pad the thicker the better, Walmart has a folding foam sleeping mat they sell in the store for about $45 that is 4inches thick. A backpacking model called Thermarest is lightweight sells for about the same price is only 1-2 inches thick. Inflated air mattresses are not any good for trapping heat and get as cold as the air around you. I also sometimes use a folded furniture pad about $10 bucks at the hardware. Next is using sleeping bags rated for the weather sleeping bags rated to 15* will be good enough but the colder the rating the warmer the bag. Adding a fleece liner will add more insulation. Throw a comforter over the kids for a bit more and your done. Now before you hit the sack eat a good meal with plenty of carbs and drink plenty of fluids, this is what your bodies need to burn fuel with to make heat and keep you warm at night. Of course that may give rise to the call of nature and definitely get up and go because it takes heat away from the body to heat a full bladder and you can’t sleep any way. Do all these things and I guarantee you will be toasty warm all night. Here is a link with more winter camping info,
the guy above had some good tips. Another thing besides a properly rated sleeping bag, and a sleeping pad (use a mat or a thermo-rest type mat) (air mattresses are bad for cold weather because they take the temperature of the air which will be 10* vs the 30* ground). You can use a sleeping bag liner, or even a space blanket. Plus a ground tarp and floor blankets will help
But the main thing you should know is that you loose heat by two main ways. Conduction (example: laying on the ground) and convection (example: wind).
You are getting some good information. I would steer clear of heaters too.
Give the kids something warm to eat or drink, high fat, high calories, just before bed. Something like a bowl of oatmeal will help them stay warm through the night without pumping them full of sugar that will keep them awake. You should cuddle them up in a blanket and have hot cider or crystal light or even protein heavy sugar free jello heated like koolaid, and sit by the fire, take potty breaks a little bit in advance of going to bed, so you can go straight from fireside to bed. They will be super toasty. You have to decide how much fluids your kids can take before bed. If you have any issues with any kids bedwetting, this is a miserable event on camping trips. Have pullups to protect their gear so they stay dry and comfortable and safe. That said, all outdoors people need to stay properly hydrated through the day so that we can regulate body temperature. If you aren’t drinking enough water, you won’t stay warm in the winter.
Don’t waterproof or windproof each kid too much. Your shelter should do the trick for that, and that is all you need. . . I mean, you need sleeping bag and you might need some extra covers but don’t try to burrito them up in anything like a poncho or plastic, or a bivy sack or any sort of mini-shelter extra protection inside the tent. Honestly 5 people in a tent generate quite a bit of heat, anyway. What happens if you get carried away with over sheltering this way is for one, with tiny ones it could be a suffocation issue. But with regard to heat loss, the sleeper will exhale and sweat all night, and it just condenses back on them so they actually get dripped on and this can result in getting quite wet. This is not comfortable, and ruins the effectiveness of many types of fabric including cotton, so they would end up colder. So use synthetic sleeping bags and YES, put them on top of an extra blanket for a ground cover, but allow for plenty of air flow (air warmed because you are in a tent with a bunch of people) around the kids, esp their heads and faces.
I also would advise against laying them all together close and tight, esp the baby. Snuggling for body heat really is an emergency tactic, and is only super safe when everyone is awake so no one gets rolled over or smothered. No one will sleep well if you are all worried about crushing the baby. . . and the baby won’t sleep well if she gets squished. hahha!
Re: layers, if you are using proper sleeping bags rated for the temps you are experiencing, then dress your kids lightly, such as in a layer of long john underwear and thin socks and a hat on their heads. This way their clothes won’t keep their bags from doing their jobs, which is collecting body heat and holding it around the sleeper. If however, you are using household blankets, etc you will need to layer them up plus blankets.
Make sure you help kids get adjusted and read their clues of being too hot or cold. Stay awake with them until they are asleep.