So after a 4 day trip to Panamint Valley I need help !!

mo0s3

mo0s3

New member
It was around 30' at night possibly lower, so here is my issue, I have my 5 year old and my 4 year old with me on these trips and I want to be sure they stay warm and safe while we sleep in my roof top tent.
Does anyone have a suggestion on what heaters are best for my situation and is 12 v the way to go ? If so the cord will have to be long to go from my center council to my tent on top my Jeep!
Thanks for the help !
 
DMF

DMF

Active Member
Mr Buddy heater if you have the room for it in your tent or a bunch of those hand warmers.
 
WJCO

WJCO

Meme King
I camp year round here in CO, camped below zero several times. I take my kids in mid 20s too, same age as yours. I would advise against a heater. I would make sure you double-up their socks and have them sleep in only a single base layer with a decent 20 degree sleeping bag. Kelty, Big Agnes, Norther Face and Mountain Hardware make great toddler/kids 20 degree bags. I usually put a long sleeve shirt on them and fleece pants. If you put too much clothes on them, it actually works against the thermal way a sleeping bag works, IMO. The clothes absorb their body heat vs the dead air space that the bag retains making your body feel colder, this may sound dumb, but I've tried a lot out here and have found a base layer is better then bundling up in the bag. I don't even put gloves on the kids at night, I have just told them to make sure their hands stay on their core area through the night. And obviously a good benie for the youngsters. And the #1 tip, that I and my kids do is to eat a good meal of protein and/or fat right before bed. This will help keep you warm through the night. Every time I've taken my kids, in the morning, I check their feet, hands, and core for warmth and they're always warm. And I would invest in a well-known brand of bag, the Walmart special isn't worth the risk IMO.
 
WJCO

WJCO

Meme King
Almost forgot, and a good sleeping pad as your body weight collapses the bottom insulation of the bag. Bring decent pads. At 30 or slightly lower, and Thermarest 1 inch should be fine or at least half-inch closed cell foam pad. I've tested zero-degree bags out here with no pad, and the bag does absolutely nothing for your back, gotta have a good pad.
 
DWiggles

DWiggles

Caught the Bug
WJCO said:
I camp year round here in CO, camped below zero several times. I take my kids in mid 20s too, same age as yours. I would advise against a heater. I would make sure you double-up their socks and have them sleep in only a single base layer with a decent 20 degree sleeping bag. Kelty, Big Agnes, Norther Face and Mountain Hardware make great toddler/kids 20 degree bags. I usually put a long sleeve shirt on them and fleece pants. If you put too much clothes on them, it actually works against the thermal way a sleeping bag works, IMO. The clothes absorb their body heat vs the dead air space that the bag retains making your body feel colder, this may sound dumb, but I've tried a lot out here and have found a base layer is better then bundling up in the bag. I don't even put gloves on the kids at night, I have just told them to make sure their hands stay on their core area through the night. And obviously a good benie for the youngsters. And the #1 tip, that I and my kids do is to eat a good meal of protein and/or fat right before bed. This will help keep you warm through the night. Every time I've taken my kids, in the morning, I check their feet, hands, and core for warmth and they're always warm. And I would invest in a well-known brand of bag, the Walmart special isn't worth the risk IMO.
Click to expand...

This is solid advice for anyone camping in below freezing weather, not just children. Thank you for posting this!
 
Jackal01

Jackal01

New member
WJCO said:
I camp year round here in CO, camped below zero several times. I take my kids in mid 20s too, same age as yours. I would advise against a heater. I would make sure you double-up their socks and have them sleep in only a single base layer with a decent 20 degree sleeping bag. Kelty, Big Agnes, Norther Face and Mountain Hardware make great toddler/kids 20 degree bags. I usually put a long sleeve shirt on them and fleece pants. If you put too much clothes on them, it actually works against the thermal way a sleeping bag works, IMO. The clothes absorb their body heat vs the dead air space that the bag retains making your body feel colder, this may sound dumb, but I've tried a lot out here and have found a base layer is better then bundling up in the bag. I don't even put gloves on the kids at night, I have just told them to make sure their hands stay on their core area through the night. And obviously a good benie for the youngsters. And the #1 tip, that I and my kids do is to eat a good meal of protein and/or fat right before bed. This will help keep you warm through the night. Every time I've taken my kids, in the morning, I check their feet, hands, and core for warmth and they're always warm. And I would invest in a well-known brand of bag, the Walmart special isn't worth the risk IMO.
Click to expand...

WJCO said:
Almost forgot, and a good sleeping pad as your body weight collapses the bottom insulation of the bag. Bring decent pads. At 30 or slightly lower, and Thermarest 1 inch should be fine or at least half-inch closed cell foam pad. I've tested zero-degree bags out here with no pad, and the bag does absolutely nothing for your back, gotta have a good pad.
Click to expand...

I will second all of this. The wife and I both have 20 degree REI goose down bags. We wear single layer thermal long sleeves, pants, socks and beenies. We stay warm all night. I would highly discourage the use of any kind of hearer while sleeping (electric, gas, etc).
 
WJCO

WJCO

Meme King
DWiggles said:
This is solid advice for anyone camping in below freezing weather, not just children. Thank you for posting this!
Click to expand...

Just speaking from experience, that's all. I have learned a lot along the journey when it comes to winter camping, some things work, some do not.
 
mo0s3

mo0s3

New member
WJCO said:
I camp year round here in CO, camped below zero several times. I take my kids in mid 20s too, same age as yours. I would advise against a heater. I would make sure you double-up their socks and have them sleep in only a single base layer with a decent 20 degree sleeping bag. Kelty, Big Agnes, Norther Face and Mountain Hardware make great toddler/kids 20 degree bags. I usually put a long sleeve shirt on them and fleece pants. If you put too much clothes on them, it actually works against the thermal way a sleeping bag works, IMO. The clothes absorb their body heat vs the dead air space that the bag retains making your body feel colder, this may sound dumb, but I've tried a lot out here and have found a base layer is better then bundling up in the bag. I don't even put gloves on the kids at night, I have just told them to make sure their hands stay on their core area through the night. And obviously a good benie for the youngsters. And the #1 tip, that I and my kids do is to eat a good meal of protein and/or fat right before bed. This will help keep you warm through the night. Every time I've taken my kids, in the morning, I check their feet, hands, and core for warmth and they're always warm. And I would invest in a well-known brand of bag, the Walmart special isn't worth the risk IMO.
Click to expand...

Awesome advice, again thanks for all the replies.
I just kept waking up all night checking if they were warm. I had single layers on them and they kept me warm (they are mini Heaters) I just wanted to be sure to keep them safe.
I will for sure get some goose down bags for next time.
 
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