Stay Warmer During Cold Weather Adventures By Choosing This Size Of Camping Tent

Now that winter is here and most northern states are experiencing bone-chilling drops in temperature, the last thing you may be thinking of is finding awesome spots to pitch a tent. Like every outdoor adventure, proper gear not only comes in handy, but can make the difference between a good experience and a bad one. Seasoned campers will recommend avoiding certain camping gear in cold weather climates, and the trick to staying warmer during winter camping could come down to the size of the tent you choose to bring.

When it comes to choosing the proper size tent for your next winter camping trip, size does matter, and in this case bigger is not better. In a blog post written by adventure and outdoor enthusiast Justin Simoni, he performs a detailed test as to how much heat is lost or kept within his tent during a consistent outdoor temperature of 0F (-17.8C), with numerous thermometers attached to various parts of the tent, his body, and clothing. Simoni mentions, "I used a fairly small, one-person tent, which I would think would hold onto more warm air than a larger, two-person tent."

If you live in a place where you have to shovel your driveway, walk through ankle-deep snow to reach the bus stop, or scrape your windshield after an epically chilling polar vortex just rolled through, you probably aren't keen on sleeping outside. You may even scoff at the sheer thought of it. Some of the best bucket list camping destinations, according to hikers, are in Canada, Argentina, and the U.S., and there are some brave enough, such as Simoni, who choose to tackle tent camping even during negative double digits.

Knowing how to choose the right tent for your next outdoor adventure can determine if you stay warm and cozy, or chilly and miserable. For those camping during colder months, the best possible thing to do is downsize your tent. Not only will you have less to lug around, but a small two or three-person tent will warm up faster, and stay warmer for longer with the help of your body heat because there's less space to heat up inside the tent.

In a Happiest Outdoors blog post, Taryn Eyton recalls that one of her most sleep-deprived camping experiences was during cold weather. Since then, she's managed to fine tune her camping skills, and mentions that "The bigger the tent, the more space to heat." Taryn also suggests purchasing a four-season tent for those colder months, "Since they are designed for winter, four-season tents are easier to keep warm. They have fewer mesh panels and are built to withstand heavy wind and snow."

In an r/Ultralight subreddit thread, Redditor u/MontyAtWork talks about how much they've noticed a difference in comfort when bringing a smaller-sized tent, which allowed it to heat up faster and retain heat for longer periods of time during cold temperatures. "There's much less room inside the tent itself, and I feel like it's a warmer experience in comparison because of all that." They also elaborated on the subject by saying "For a small example, every time my wife or I exited the tent, it felt noticeably cooler, but shortly after either returned, it felt like our breath and body heat warmed the air a bunch."

Cold air can sneak into your tent even if you quickly run outdoors to answer nature's call. Just as they make essential camping gear to help your dog stay warm in the winter, a top-rated sleeping bag to stay warm for yourself is also an important piece of gear when out in the backcountry. Try to look for a sleeping bag that has a hood, so you'll be able to cover your head and retain warmth easier. You'll find that with some additional planning, you can turn your chilly camping experience into a cozy one.

Drinking a lot of water might seem counterproductive if you'll be relieving yourself more often, but hear us out. When you get dehydrated, your body's ability to stay warm slows down, therefore making it harder to keep warm. So drink more water, warm tea, and put electrolytes in for an added boost of energy. Speaking of energy, staying warm means eating more calories. Our bodies burn more calories trying to warm up than we realize through a process called thermogenesis, so making sure you're consuming more proteins will ensure your body stays happy and warm.

A quick and easy way to make sure your tent stays toasty and warm is to line the tent floor with an insulated layer. Placing a rug, wool blanket, or even foam gym mats to insulate the tent floor is vital to keep your body from losing heat because the cool ground during winter can rob you of body heat much quicker than warmer months.