Having spent an extremely cold night camping last weekend it suddenly occurred to me that maybe an electric blanket could be the answer. Just wondered if anyone out there had tried it and more importantly how safe it is? We do have an electric fan heater but I'd be far too friended to leave that on while we're sleeping.
Any other tips to stay warm would be welcome too.
Thanks
We've camped since March this year, sometimes in frosty conditions and this is what we use:
Portable Calor gas heater to get us warm and toasty before bed!
Big Coleman double airbed where we sleep on top of one duvet and up to four duvets on top of us.
In the coldest conditions we wear socks, pyjamas, thin jumper and a hat.
One thing which makes a lot of difference is having a spare pillow between us to 'plug' the gap.
Oh, one other thing is our big dog gets in under the duvet for warmth and he helps keep our legs and feet warm!
Having a caravan now makes you forget all the things you had to do to keep warm,we were away in the van all last week and had all the windows and the roof (when it wasn't raining ) open at night.Even the dog gets off the middle cushions and lays on the floor as he gets too warm.
When we used to camp i seem to remember it was what was under us especially on an air bed that kept us warm.
So at FForest fields jubilee week, the weather was, well not quite summer. It was my wifes birthday whilst we were there. So I put up the tent with the kids whilst she went to get some shopping in. What she didn't know was her birthday presents. We put her in the smaller bedroom on her own. She had a woolen rug on the floor. Then her 1st pressie, an aerobed single, not raised but still about 18 inches high. Then a fleecey blanket. Then her 2nd pressy, a slumberland electric blanket. Then a fitted sheet, then a good quilt, then a throw.
Guess who got a big hug, she loved it. It worked a treat
There is something wrong with your sleeping arangements if you "need" an electric blanket. Get a 3 or 4 season sleeping bag with sufficient insulation underneath and you will be toasty. Look at the comfort rating on the bag and you probabally need one rated down to 5C ( You cant expect to be warm if you just bring your duvet from home). I wouldnt leave a blanket on whilst sleeping especially in a tent that may leak in the night. Good insluation and a hot water bottle to get the heat trapped to begin with work well.
When I was using airbeds, I needed to use an electric underblanket for winter camping.
However, I don't need it anymore now that I have a camp bed + SIM combination, as it is very cosy being off the ground.
DK
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I have exactly the same problem in my bell tent... last July at a festival I thought my face was gonna crack. And generally very, very cold at night, tried fleecy blankets and duvets under the sheet (on an airbed)... nothing works. Someone suggested that I put a sheepskin under the sheet, but at a hundred quid a go, and not even sure if it'll work... :-)
Decent sleeping bags are the way to go.Ive been night fishing in my one and woken up to frost on the bag and didnt notice how cold it was till i woke up.
My wife and i use two zipped together and have a fleece blanket for over our shoulders because if i move it lifts it up off my wife as im broader than her.We also wear a long sleeved top and a hat when its really cold.We went in april and it went down to 2 degrees at night,no one complained of being cold once in their sleeping bags.We also sleep on sims which insulate well.
Never had a complaint out of the kids about being cold only being too hot !
Your sleeping bag may only be one or two season. If you feel the cold easily. Try and get hold of a 4 season. To up the ratings, you can use a fleece lined sleeping bag, or use one of those snuggle bags. or use high tog duvet as well. If you have room, take two. one under you, other one over. If your on an airbed, the air will be really icy inside. Insulation is essential.
I like to bury myself inside the sleeping bag, to keep my face warm.
heath63
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I would be concerned about the potential mix of damp from condensation and an electric blanket. I had a fire safety officer inspect my home recently, he said that the fire service advises the use of hot water bottles with insulating covers etc in lieu of electric blankets.
You don't say what you have underneath you and that is the biggest issue when sleeping on the floor. I used an airbed for years, but with an airbed you need at least as much underneath you as on top of you. I used to have good quality traditional camping mats under my airbed, then a 'mock' sheepskin mattress cover on top of the airbed with a duvet on top of that, then me in sleeping bag and another duvet on top!
I also either change into my jimjams early in the evening so they are warm, or wear clothes that I sleep in. I can't stand feeling restricted in bed, so I find a hoody great for keeping me warm round the shoulders as my sleeping bag doesn't fasten around the top. I have an oil filled radiator that can be left on overnight if things are really cold. I think a hat is a much under-rated thing in the battle against the cold as are good quality bed socks, we have very silly versions of both to make a joke of the issue! Soft fleece blankets are great for wrapping round you, 'plugging' draughts etc. Doing simple things like eating a hot meal in the evening, having a hot drink before bed to keep you warm from the inside help too.
All of the above is fine if you have plenty of space for taking loads of stuff. If space is tight there is little alternative but to buy the best sleeping bag you can possibly afford with the highest GSM and season rating, I would say. The fishing gear, including their off the ground beds, looks fantastic and really comfy to me as it doesn't seem to be quite as tightly 'mummified' as some of the higher rated camping gear!
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Topic: Are electric blankets the answer?
