Avoid This Counterintuitive Sleeping Bag Mistake To Stay Warm During Winter Camping

Winter camping is an art. From figuring out the perfect combination of layers to perfecting your bedtime routine, there are several things to keep in mind when trying to stay warm while camping in the winter. If you didn't know any better, you may think the best way to stay warm is to bundle yourself up in your sleeping bag from head to toe. Covering your face with your sleeping bag must be the best way to keep your face warm, right?

Well, this well-intentioned gesture may be the thing that makes your night a lot colder. When you breathe into your sleeping bag throughout the night, the condensation from your breath ends up getting trapped in your sleeping bag, ultimately making it colder. Moisture gathers in your bag, slowly cools off, and may even dampen your clothes. Instead of tucking your face into your sleeping bag, offset the condensation by wearing a buff over your mouth so you don't have to tuck your face in. This is one of several low-tech tricks that will help you stay warm while camping in the cold without having to bury your face in your sleeping bag.

Accidentally introducing condensation to your sleeping bag is one of the most common camping mistakes people make when winter camping. It's easy to forget that your body is always producing moisture, whether from sweating or breathing. So your best bet to stay warm is to avoid condensation at all costs. Before going to bed, make sure your clothes are dry. If you are sweaty from a day full of fun winter camping activities, your clothes will eventually cool off and make you colder from the moisture. You'd be doing yourself a favor by putting on some dry clothes for sleeping.

You can also avoid condensation forming while you're bundled up by using a vapor barrier layer (VBL). This is an impermeable layer of clothing that keeps your body insulated and prevents condensation from escaping. This is particularly helpful when trying to keep your feet insulated. You can buy dedicated VBL socks, or just try another low-tech hack to keep you warm; just use plastic bags on your feet. If you are car camping, there is another seemingly counterintuitive winter trick to stay warm, which is keeping your windows cracked to avoid condensation. Similar to tucking your face into a sleeping bag, a closed car will inevitably have condensation build up from the inhabitants' breath. If you keep a window cracked, you prevent the car from getting too moist inside, thus keeping your accommodations toasty.