Most effective ways of tent heating

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In recent years, camping has become one of the most popular outdoor activities, helping people improve their physical state and get positive emotions. However, the main things you should take care of, especially in the fall or winter seasons, are your safety and health. In order not to postpone your wonderful vacation because of the cold, you need to find out what methods of heating your tent exist in advance. In this guide we have collected different ways to heat and maintain the temperature in the tent, which will save it from unexpected fire.

In turn, here at RMB Outdoors, we are always ready to offer our customers the best camping conditions. Our catalog includes a large selection of products: from heated tents to versatile accessories that will make your vacation the most favorable! Therefore, the cold will definitely not become a hindrance for you.

Take care of your own comfort

The most common mistake you can make is the lack of warm and comfortable clothes that you take with you on your outdoor trip . Therefore, you need to stock up on several types of outerwear and a sleeping bag with a thick rug. You also need to take care of your health and get ready for bed only when you feel warm. This will help to avoid unwanted inflammation and disease. And don't forget that your indoor sleeping area should be designed for a sufficient number of people!

The best ways to warm up your sleeping area

Have you already applied our tips above but need to keep your tent heated? Then you will definitely be interested in the ways that we are going to offer you!

1) Warmth from the fire

One of the old and proven methods of warming up is to place the tent on the ground heated by a fire. Firstly, you can remove the sod at the future bivouac site. Furthermore, a fire is made on wide logs to warm and dry the earth, as well as to obtain large coals. When the coals are ready for use, they are evenly distributed over the entire space of the pit and covered with a 7-10 cm layer of dried heated earth. A layer of dry grass is placed on top, and a tent is set up on top of all layers. According to the assurances of the adherents of this method, the heat will be saved throughout the whole night.

The second method is suitable for those who do not want to spend too much time and energy setting up a bivouac. You need to free the site from debris and build a large fire without digging a hole for it. After burning the logs, dry grass or spruce branches should be laid on top of the heated earth. After that, a tent is set up on this coating. Warmth loss will be higher in this case, however, a comfortable indoor temperature is ensured for several hours. Such methods can be applied only in warm seasons!

If you stay in one place for a long time, the heat of the fire can be used in other ways. You will need a long pipe. Bring one end of it into the tent near the ceiling, place the other one outside (closer to the ground), but so that the middle of the pipe passes over the fire. Warm air will naturally rise through the pipe and enter your sleeping area. The disadvantages of the method are the transportation of the pipe (not all of them are easily portable) and the need to maintain the fire at night.

You can also use candles for heating. It is worth remembering that this option is not suitable for severe sub-zero temperatures. To achieve sufficient indoor heat for a long time, you will need about 50 candles, which in terms of warmth release can compete with a standard burner. A safe option for using candles is in a special thermos container, which guarantees that if a tipping occurs, the candle will go out.

2) Heating with hot water

Almost every traveler has a portable cooking pot with them. So why not use it for heating? In order to create the fastest possible heating of the bivouac in winter, it is enough to place a pot with water boiled. At the same time, it is better to install it on a pre-prepared thermal insulation - so that the heat does not go into the cold ground. For this, spruce branches or boards lined with fabric on top are suitable. The water container itself should be covered with a lid and wrapped with a cloth. With proper arrangement, the indoor warmth will be saved at least for 3-4 hours.

By the way, to quickly warm up a freezing tourist, it is recommended to take individual heating pads with you. They can be quickly filled with hot water from your pot and applied to particularly problematic areas of the body in winter, such as the feet.

3) Hot stones

It will not be difficult for you to find stones in nature. Heating the camping place with stones is used at any time of the year! To achieve the highest possible efficiency of the method, it is necessary to collect and put stones in the fire, and after the surface turns red, pull them out and place them in a portable pot or iron bucket. With proper thermal insulation, stones will be warmed up in 7 hours. However, you will need experience and skill in order not to get burned. It's also important to remember that you can't just put bare rocks at your sleeping place and expect instant changes. The trick is to wrap the stones in cloth so that the warmth stays indoor. The more stones you have, the more heat you can generate. Spread the stones in as many places as possible around the bivouac and enjoy the warmth!

4) Additional improvised natural means

Of course, you can use outdoor solar lighting where applicable, but it’s not so consistent and reliable. To increase the temperature or keep your place heated, you can also use snow. On a firmly established tent, a dense layer of snow is applied on all sides, except for the exit. Due to its structure, the snow mass will prevent warmth from escaping outside. Similarly, you can use grass, leaves, spruce branches. If you are on the ice of a reservoir, heating can be provided with the help of a light cloth taken with you. It can be fixed, for example, with rigid clothespins. A double layer will create an air gap and effectively protect the indoor space from weathering.

5) Portable devices and heaters

Nowadays, you can find campings which provide access to electricity almost everywhere. This means that you can now use more than just outdoor and natural heat sources. A good solution is to run an extension cable into the tent and connect a portable oil heater. This device is safe and easy to use, however it must be left on as long as you need warmth due to the heat dissipating quickly after a power outage.

Heating can also be obtained from various outdoor gas stoves and burners. For example, you can use propane heaters: many of them automatically turn off when they detect that the oxygen level drops below a certain level. Therefore, a propane heater can be a convenient device for indoor use. Almost all stoves are portable and very light, so it won't overshadow your camping gear in any way.

Also a common type of portable device is a gas heat exchanger. Its basic principle of operation is to supply gas to the burner, due to which the exchanger body warms up, and the combustion products are removed through pipes outside the tent. But this method of heating is difficult and dangerous to use, so it is necessary to carefully approach the choice of the manufacturer! When using gas heaters, remember to ventilate your sleeping area. Combustion products must be systematically removed from the tent.

Catalytic heaters are designed to warm up a few large places, but if not left for a long time, they are suitable for campsites. Powerful devices do not emit harmful impurities. But on hiking trips, they can be a burden due to their size. Please note that in frosty weather, gas tends to compress. When choosing portable devices, give preference to those that contain liquefied gas.

In addition, you can prepare for your trip in advance and contact our specialists at RMB Outdoors. We offer a huge selection of tents for cold weather. They are double-walled and made from innovative materials with durable performance to give you maximum protection from snow or rain. Also you can buy heated carpets to be the most prepared tourist! Depending on the number of people in your company, we always provide you with the best options for camping!

Safety precautions: accident prevention

We have already analyzed a lot of indoor and outdoor heating methods. As you can see, using each of these methods can be quite risky if you don't follow the safety precautions. Therefore, we recommend that you adhere to the following rules:

• Before installing even the simplest-looking heating device, you must carefully study the instructions from the manufacturer.
• Even the presence of weak ventilation is the key to the rapid removal of combustion products and the elimination of their harmful effects on health.
• The surfaces of the heater must not come into direct contact with the surrounding objects in order to avoid ignition and fire.
• The stand under the heater must be exclusively made of non-combustible material.
• In order to avoid accidents, it is not recommended to leave heated devices running during sleep, if they are not intended for this.

High-quality and safe heating of a tent without a fire in autumn or winter during camping, as well as in any other case (hunting, hiking, expeditions), is quite possible with proper use of the device you have chosen in strict accordance with the instructions, its full serviceability, a certificate from manufacturer, and compliance with safety regulations! Outdoor activities always carry certain risks, but this is not a reason to refuse them at all! Especially if you are preparing for camping with real professionals, for example, with our company.