I agree that sleeping with less clothing keeps you warmer, but one trick I've found is to put some clothes in the sleeping bag with me, just kind of off to the side. In the morning, the clothes will already be warm and easier to wear.

Even for people who never plan to do winter camping, an awareness of some of these things would be helpful for people who lose power during a winter storm and suddenly find themselves "camping" in the cold inside their homes. Thank you.

In regard to the hot water bottle I learned something that may be applicable to others too. I am not a particularly cold guy at night so I don't need a lot of heat but I do like placing hot water in a thermos, it will leak warmth only a little so it provides minimal warmth over a very long period. Sometimes I place teabags or some fruit in the bottle before going to sleep and in the morning I still have a warm tea or other beverage to drink and get that heat directly in my body to be ready for the day. I hope someone gets some use out of this

My personal favorite tip for cold-weather camping is when you do get to camp and set up, pull your sleeping bag out and let it loft up BEFORE you get in it. Compressed down doesn't insulate well. It's something small, but can decrease that discomfort of getting into a frozen sleeping bag.

As someone who does quite a bit of cold weather camping (I live in Finland so if I don't want to just stay inside half of the year I have to) I can confirm that this is some solid advice. From now on when I go out in the cold weather with less experienced cold weather hikers I will show them this video first. Imo you went over all of the most important tips to staying comfortable while sleeping in the cold.

I've been watching this channel for maybe a year or so and all I can say is this is what the "internet" was supposed to be all about. Dunno how the rest of y'all feel but unbiased opinions/commentary are really refreshing! Thanks for posting!

Camped in -20 F ( -29 C ), in norther Michigan once. Hand warmers were very helpful. Things I learned; batteries don’t work that cold so flashlight very dim. Face gets cold from breath condensation freezing to any fabric. If you bump your tent it snows inside like a snow globe. Water in containers freezes from top down so store upside down or keep some water in sleeping bag. Going to bed at 7 pm cause its been dark for 2 hours wakes you up at 3 a.m. if you want 8 hrs sleep, so plan on sitting at a fire at 4 in the morning 😂 but had fun and made for good adventure story. Didn’t know to tap down snow with snowshoe’s and then wait for 30 or so minutes to set tent otherwise have very lumpy sleep, or could shovel down to ground I suppose.

Hi I am a traveller and I travelled in Siberian mountains. In this video everything is all right, simple, correct and no bullshit. It is difficult to find the same in KZfaq. People trying to look as very cool servivers but there is a difference- to look or to be. Thanks.

On cold mornings, I like to have my stove, water and oat meal next to my bag so I can boil water, make a hot breakfast and digest it an hour before I get out of my bag. It's a total game changer IMO!

Glad to hear u bring up hand warmers. I leave this experience on videos like this. I survived a winter in New England, homeless, living in a tent with hand warmers and a sleeping bag. I used 2 at a time, and usually woke up once in the night to change them out. So about 4 a night. With the dark times we are going into, I hope this helps someone. Obviously the #1 point is trying to not to get in that situation, but even for those in a house without power, the bag + hand warmers kept me alive. I put them inside socks, then put one around my calves, and the other up by my chest. Be safe everyone.

Twenty years in the Army, taught me much of you've said, except for some the newer products that weren't available to me. Sweat kills!! well said. No matter how cold and uncomfortable, I alwaysundressed before getting in sleeping bag.

I am from Sweden and in extream cold (when using both foam and air sleeping mats) we use to fold the foam sleeping mat in half and put it in line with the upper body, because it is over that area you are heaviest and need most isolation from ground.

As an avid winter person, the only thing I would add is that the sweating thing is also vital for when you're out and about. You will play the layer game and it's crucial to learn. The cheaper your clothing generally the more of an expert you have to be at the layer game. The colder it is the better you must be at the layer game. It's easy to practice this walking around your neighborhood in winter or in a relatively safe and reasonably close location to heat or shelter. You can pretty easily practice with your clothes and gear before getting out into real winter conditions to see how well it fairs and see how the layer game works if you've never done winter hiking before. Also, good wool socks are 100% worth it.

Great advice! One more tip - Luke is correct, before crawling in your sleeping bag, take off your outer layer of clothing, like your field shirt and pants, to let your sleeping bag do its work. Except don't leave your shirt and pants you will be wearing tomorrow laying out in the cold tent. Lay the shirt and pants out flat, on top of your air mattress, and under your sleeping bag. That will add another thin insulating layer under your sleeping bag to help retain body heat and also results in a nice warm shirt and pants to put on in the morning!

Great tips. My contributions... - I've been cold in a truck and warm under just a tarp. The difference? Tarp was a confined space which slowed down loss of heat. Shelter size makes a huge difference. - Use a heat source. Be mindful of wind direction and distance not only to avoid smoke, but to avoid embers burning holes in synthetics. - Don't forget to erect a wind break if needed. - Use a moisture barrier on the ground such as painter's plastic. - Consider how you'd stay cool in summer and do the opposite. Everything from site selection to insulation, moisture, weather, fire prep, to wind need consideration in order to be comfortable. -Understand how insulation works and fails. Know how to capitalize on pros and cons of natural vs synthetic material. Choose wisely and use layers appropriately.

I’m not a big KZfaq fan anymore, but I love this channel and your honesty. Please don’t sell out to manufacturers. Stay honest and objective sir.

Awesome tips, Luke. After 60 years of backpacking world wide experience is key to survival. At almost 75 I am a van lifer traveling throughout our nation. Your tips also apply to us who camp in our vehicles and even to those who experience lengthy power outages in our homes. Proper preparation is vital.

Best piece of advice is to "test your gear"! It's hard to go on adventures continuously, but it's easy to grab your pack and sleep in the back yard.

As always, Good job of explaining. Remember the bag does not warm you. Your body heat warms the trapped air in the bag so the smaller the space the less air to heat. The most important job of the body is to preserve the vital organs. If your body temperature drops all the warm blood will be diverted to the vital organs. Only excess warm blood is diverted to the fingers and feet. Think of your extremities as the radiator fins that cool an engine. When you over heat exercising remove your gloves, don't uncover your head. Your brain is a vital organ. Let your radiator fins (fingers) cool your body. If your fingers and toes are warmish you are taking care of your core. Just don't get too toasty. The ideal way to inhale warm air while in a sleeping bag would be through a fur ruff like on a mountain parka which creates a warm dead air space. The body expels one pint of water during night. That is two cups (one pint) If you are overheated and sweating you can easily add another two cup of water. Four cups is a quart of water in the down of your sleeping bag. A damp bag is a cold bag. I have designed my modular sleeping system so when I roll over it expels small amounts of warm moist air keeping my bag dry. Don't forget to shake out the down for maximum loft, before you climb in. Turn the bag inside out in the morning to hang to dry.

7:00 as an MD I have to say that the body will not divert energy to your urine to keep it warm.. By the time any fluid in your body becomes urine it's already heated to your body temperature and it will in fact help preserve warmth. However it is good advice to go pee when your body tells you to because holding in urine for too long can cause damage to your bladder and kidneys as well as bother you and prevent you from falling asleep.

One additional piece of gear has proven very effective in keeping me warm. I use a flannel sleeping bag liner. I place the hardwarmers between the flannel liner and my sleeping bag.

Great video - I lived in the arctic and did multi day camping trips but still found some great tips here - good job mate! My favourite tip - keep on top of your hot water situation. Always have hot water in a thermos, even if you aren't going to use it until the morning - if things go wrong and you get super cold overnight heating up some tepid water is way quicker than melting snow for fresh hot water, and a hot drink and hot food can save your life! Keep posting mate 👍

I have 40 years of outdoor experience and work at REI. This video is awesome. The details you go into are perfect. I couldn’t have said anything better and agree with all you said.

Not sure if it’s been mentioned in the comments below & it may be common sense. But if you’re going to use the metal water bottle trick make sure it’s a single walled bottle. Most these days are double walled & the heat will never get to your body. It only stays in the bottle like it’s designed. Can be harder to find the single walled ones these days. Just my 2 cents 😉

Great, comprehensive content. I’m an experienced winter camper and have camped in some pretty crazy (-35C) temps in northern Ontario. Checked out your video to see if there was anything else I should be doing to stay warm, but you covered all the bases. Thanks for putting my mind at ease. Definitely good info for non-campers as well!

I have an sol heat reflective tarp, and i use it as my footprint for my tent with reflective side up. Helps big time.

One other important one a lot of people get wrong is to make sure the tent is well ventilated. A lot of people close up all the vents thinking it will make the tent feel colder due to air movement but in reality it just traps moisture and cripples the sleeping bag’s insulation.

5:49 YES Plastic will react with HOT Water... I was having bad stomach problems.... couldn't find anything wrong... then I realized for awhile I had been using PLASTIC Spoons in my HOT Coffee... I stopped and immediately my stomach was better... I never COOK with anything Plastic... I only use Glass, Wood, Cast Iron etc... You might be asking yourself... why is a 68 year old woman watching this... I am getting ready to move into my Vintage Travel Trailer (50 years old) and remember the times when I lived up in the Mountains of New Mexico (US) how cold it could be... I thought I needed a refresher course so I'm watching your video. This is just incase something happens... and in life... anything can happen... Thank you for sharing this great video... You may have saved a life...

Great advice! Too often I see people adding layers of Cotton clothes to stay warm. However I also use the Phrase “Cold Killer Cotton”. When you sweat and most will at some point it absorbs the moisture and then will chill you possibly to the point of Hypothermia. I use Merino Wool almost exclusively in winter. And the hand warmers, definitely earn their keep. Stay safe and healthy!

Back in the 80's when I first started to do a lot of winter backpacking in some very cold mountain areas out in the northwest US, it was very popular to use vapor barrier liners inside a winter bag (basically big waterproof nylon bags with drawstrings you'd pull tight around your upper chest). The idea being that as you sweat as you slept, as everyone does, it would keep the water vapor from wetting the layers of critical insulation of your bag. This was especially needed if you had a down bag as they just lose it if hit with moisture. And there was some thought that as moisture level roses within that vapor liner your body would decrease the amount of sweat. Of course you had to minimize the clothing you wore to bed, I would just wear a layer of polypropylene long underwear. I remember this being a game changer in terms of increasing the comfort level of the various sleeping bags I used. A few years later I added a flannel liner also. Still use both if it's going to be below 20 F .

Pre-heat your bag. When you get in, the warmth will carry you thru that initial chill and keep you from the urge to put more layers on.

Sound advice. I just came back from a camp where I took gear that was under-gunned for the conditions. Nobody got hurt but lets just say its the first time I have had to bust out Mylar space blankets in a few years. We went expecting 10c, and we got -2c with rain, sleet and snow. I now realise that so many truisms exist for a reason. Ground contact. My main pressure point was my hip and I could feel the cold ground sucking heat out of me. I had to stuff my door mat under my hip area to insulate that point Moisture. Radiating outwards from my face, condensation formed on every surface, including my bedding, tent inner and electrical devices. Hot water bottle. You are right, between the legs. I stuffed mine down by my feet and found i couldn't manipulate it without literally getting out of my bag. Wet clothes. Strangely, wet clothes actually dry a bit even in cold conditions. So leave them aside and dont take them to bed. Hats are godly. I didn't take gloves, didn't need them, but gear for your head and face is amazing for keeping you warm. My biggest take away is that there is a load of advice that you regularly hear but you ignore: You lose heat through your head Zips and closures on your bedding leak heat Moisture and damp diminishes insulation Cold ground leaches heat out of you Mylar blankets are insanely effective at keeping you warm..... and condensing moisture... This might sound crazy but actually going camping where things got bad actually made me experience this stuff for real, and it was incredibly useful. I could literally feel where the zipper was on my sleeping system because it was a cold area. There is something to be said for going out at least once, in under-rated gear, and having a bad night just so that you can see where your weakest points are.

I have 2 extra tips. - turn a down jacked into a foot-bag. Keeps the feet nice and war. - use a big microfibre towel to cover the sleeping bag. Kept me warm many times, when sleeping under the stars.

If you're in a cold-weather situation where your boots will get wet, take a sleeping bag with some extra length in it so you can put your boots in a drybag at the bottom of the sleeping bag when you go to bed. If wet boots freeze overnight they can be impossible to put on. Also, the hot water bottle is a good idea if water is going to freeze overnight even if you don't need it to keep warm - you'll want liquid water for breakfast.

Definitely the very best channel for anyone doing anything to do with camping, he doesn't go on about pointless things & stays on subject. Thanks for the tips sir, I'll definitely be using them as I'm thinking of moving into a tent permanent so ANYONE with any advice out there it would be greatly appreciated 😉

My favourite "emergency" tip: Put your clothes around your sleeping bag. For example, if your feet keep getting cold, you can zip up your jacket and put the lower end of your sleeping bag in it. It can be tricky to keep everything in place and properly planning ahead is always the more solid solution, but sometimes it gets colder than you thought or you just made a mistake, happens to the best of us. And in those cases you need to make due with what you have at hand.

A positive mental attitude is arguably the most important tip.

Good info. Don't forget the chest zipper pocket. In winter here in the Idaho woods I always sleep in my light puffy down jacket and like many jackets it has that zipper pocket on the chest which I always use for a hand warmer packet. Even if I have hand warmers in my socks I always have one in the chest pocket too. It really makes a difference. Also, in this video I might have stressed more importance of getting R-value underneath you. Even if you do everything else right if you are letting the ground zap heat from your sleep system you will be uncomfortable and it will be hard to adjust for that during the night. The best winter bang-for-the-buck for improving your sleep system is to invest in R-value underneath you. Keep up the good work Luke!

This guy just gave a life saving advice while out there in the wild in freezing temperatures. Bravo 👏

Hello 👋 Luke, a big thank you for sharing the life saving tips. All the best to you, Susie and your family. Stay safe out there. 🤗

Used to do a lot of winter backpacking. Isometric exercises inside the sleeping bag always helped me. Great video. :)

Lots of good tips, Luke gives good advice. Once I used an inadequate sleeping pad when the temp got down to 20f. I was miserable all night. Then I got a Thermarest X-Therm which is very warm and solved that problem. I usually take a thin foam pad in addition to the X-Therm in case it springs a leak, but it has been surprisingly durable. It’s a little noisy but I would rather be noisy and warm than quiet and cold.

Experienced a few awful Autumn(Fall) & Winter nights camping in Arctic Canada, Rockies & Scotland. But soon learnt from past mistakes. Several of your cold weather camping tips I was already aware of eg. bottle for urinating into, snacking before sleep, keeping mouth & nose clear of your bag, change into dry base layers & socks before sleep etc. and can confirm their usefulness. That’s the thing about bushcraft & wilderness survival. You can’t know it all & we learn something new everyday. Another great, instructive video. Keep up the great work guys!

One of my favorite videos of yours yet. I’m taking a group of Scouts winter camping in the White Mountains this December and I’m showing them this video as part of the training for it. Outstanding content and equally awesome delivery and explanation. Thanks!

Awsome video, I do a lot of long duration winter campouts. One thing to also remember is that sleeping bags do have different ratings. There is the survival rating and comfort rating make sure you are looking at that when you get your bag. -20 degree (survival) vs -20 degree (comfort)

6:02 If the lit is “super tight” while the bottle is filled with very hot liquids (water, coffee), you may have a super hard time opening it again later on when the metal has cooled down, espacially in winter. Just put it tight enough so it doesn’t leak.

i really appreciate the temperature given in centigrade on the screen for us across the pond. great vid as usual friend

These are fantastic tips.. Thank you!

Great advice. My little trick for winter camping is make a mattress on pine bows to lay on. Nice and warm and cozy soft layer between you and the ground. You can even cover yourself with them for extra warmth.

Great video. Something I will send new people that want to go winter camping with me. Just spent 2 nights under a tarp at -30c (-22F) and was super warm at night. I have a -9c winter bag inside a 0c bag with my Canada Goose parka zipped up and slid over my footbox on the outside. Baffin boot liners go inside my bag with a hand warmer in each. One goes to the feet and one in between me legs. Works like a charm.

My favorite winter warm tips as well. Keep them coming! Thank you.

Excellent tips Luke! I know because I've used them during my Winter camps. Strength & honor.

Good video. Contains almost everything I teach my troop of Scouts. I use a couple of Nalgene HDPE bottles (the only rated for boiling water) inserted into an old sock. I also have several rolls of reflectix for my boys to use as a bottom layer under their sleeping pads. It is dirt cheep at Home Depot (or any other building supply store) and can be layered for additional insulation. +1 for also being really light. I personally use two 24 x 72 inch pieces side by side to insulate the bottom of my tent so I can "spread out" a little bit as I get ready for bed at night and get ready for the day the next morning.

Wool maintains most of it’s insulation properties even when wet, so it makes a good choice for a mask. On a somewhat related note, they use special immersion suits on some ships for surviving in cold water after abandoning ship. The suits have a system that captures the wearer’s breath to keep the suit warm, while also keeping them dry. The suits don’t hinder the wearer nearly as much as older “gumby suits” either, wearers can still move and perform tasks while wearing it. Wearers can even remove the gloves if necessary and heated cuffs will help keep the hands warm. They pretty much remove the threat of hypothermia in all but the coldest waters (In testing, subjects were immersed in 32 degree water for 24hrs 15min before the test was ended. The test subjects said they weren’t even cold). I’m surprised they haven’t made something similar for cold-weather camping.

Very straightforward and priceless advice from experienced people like yourself. Thank you for sharing.

Top class tips. Best, clearest advice on the net for this stuff, going to use these tips on my freezing sail boat. Peace be unto you.

Great episode! Hope I do not have to sleep outside in winter, but if I do..:) Trousers for the winter is another good subject for next episode. There is so many to choose from.

All excellent tips. So far, I have been warm down to 17 degrees in a hammock. My tip for cold-weather trips is try to find a place out of high winds, especially when in a hammock. I had nice rocks and rhodies to block the wind. I woke up to a beautiful morning of sunshine and snow-covered woods in Cranberry Wilderness, WV. Your tips apply to many situations that folks might find themselves in. Good stuff.

Excellent info, as always. TY!

Thanks for a great informational video. I'm planning a cold weather camping trip in the next week or 2. Glad you did this video. Thanks be safe.

Great video! If you do another part, could you talk about other difficulties of cold camping? Things like preventing your water or boots from freezing, how to best deal with tent stakes and frozen ground/deep snow etc.

Hey guys I just wanted to thank you. I know it may seem a little silly but I was recently hospitalized and to say my nights since have been a little trying is an understatement. Every night when I get into bed I put on one of your videos and either let the trips keep me focused on something I love or let your hiking lull me into sleep. Maybe your reviewing trails and gear, but your also offering comfort. In God's name, please keep up the great job!!

All great tips Luke, thanks so much!

I have lots of camping experience and I leaned so much from this video. Thanks

Thanks Luke for these important tips on keeping warm and dry in cold weather camping. This actually needs to be stated more often as there is an increasing number of people who don't possess the common sense to properly protect themselves in these situations. Better to be safe than sorry.

The tip about moving and doing exercises w/o sweating right before bed - use isometric exercises. They are basically slow flexing of any muscle group. I use these when I'm hunting and sitting for hours in frigid temps. You can do isometrics w/o much movement and warm specific muscle groups.

Bro, I just want to say, thank you so much for this. These things are so helpful, and I will always remember them. I liked, and left a comment to hopefully help u out. Good stuff man thank you so much.

Thank you Luke these were great tips..

Along with the high fat and calorie food aspects, red meat is going to be one of the best things to incorporate for several reasons. The sock/ clothing layers while sleeping is a very important point, there is a contrast with how we have to do this in a Military/ Winter Warfare application for obvious reasons, but that is some sage wisdom-- change your socks folks! Great video and points brother!

My pupper is my personal heating pad. 😂 She is small enough to fit nicely in my sleeping bag. I completely agree … I usually have her sleep between my legs and it definitely help. 🐶

Thank you, you answered all of my questions. So glad I found your channel.

You explain things really well. Thanks.

"You sweat, you die" Les Stoud (I think) Thanks for sharing Luke. Love winter time adventures! Stay safe brother!

One key point that Luke overlooked is to drink something warm (not coffee or cocoa, both have caffeine.) Non-caffeinated tea is best; Chamomile or mint or lemon, are a few examples. I drink pine needle tea, especially in the winter, before turning in. The vitamin C is really good for energizing the body for the long, cold, night, and the warmth does two things: 1. Calms the body and relaxes it for sleeping. 2. Helps the body produce additional heat to keep you warmer throughout the night.

Best video explanation I’ve seen until now about winter camping sleeping

Thanx hope these tip help me this weekend.

When it comes to the (hand) warmers, I have grown to appreciate the larger sized "body" warmers. The ones with an adhesive side that are made to stick to your base layer, and not directly contact the skin. I locate them a bit lower than suggested. At about the diaphragm, instead of just the chest. It keeps my whole core body temperature regulated pretty well, and can easily be removed, folded together, and slid down to my feet if I feel like my core temp is getting so high that it's going to cause sweating. It's also a good location for warming your hands, and can allow you to do work without bulky layers (or sweat) when setting up camp.

For cold weather camping, I pack a complete set of sleeping clothes. I have heard it said that a sleeping person will convert a pint of water into 'steam'. That water as a vapor is a lot of water that will make you very cold. If you sleep in your clothes that vapor will make you very cold in the morning when you get up.

Excellent. I did not know some of these things. Thank you!

So many great camping tips in one short video. Thanks!

I was out this weekend for a hot tent camping trip. The first night the temp was 0C and it had rained from the time we arrived at around 2pm until just before dawn. The second night the temp was -20C and it has snowed pretty much all day! So you have to be prepared for *everything*! We went through so many weather patterns this weekend, it was crazy! Thank goodness we were in a nice big hot tent and out of the rain. It was a fun weekend though! Except when I lost my phone in the snow...that kinda sucked.

Excellent tips, staying dry is truly the key to staying comfortable and alive. Having quick drying clothing is vital and knowing how to dry off. Thanks for the great tips. PS surplus Canadian Army cold weather sleeping system is amazing, solves the moist breath in sleeping bag problem. Check it out.

I wish I had see this video 40 years ago. I learned all this stuff the hard way. Great video. Very informative - spot on. Anybody that wants to winter camp should watch this video first, and then try it out in the back yard first.

Great advice. Thanks for sharing Luke!

Most bags are actually tested with clothing on. So a good reference for me is add 10F to its rating. Nalgene bottles work great for hot water or as a pee bottle. Great tips.

Wrap your ground pad with a emergency blanket (foil looking space blanket) with the solid side facing you. This reflects your body’s heat back to you. Also, in the BSA we were always taught to go in almost nude, underwear on of course. This allows your body to heat the space inside the sleeping bag, and not the small space between your clothes and you. I found this difficult in practice but does work. I would also kick to the bottom of the bag my fresh clothes for the next day. This way you get to Don warm clothes in the morning. As mentioned about the bag temperature rating, I found the rating will protect you but not necessarily keep you warm. For me I go with a 20 degree bag rating higher than what I will be in, that is if temps are consistent (use a Zero bag in 20 degree weather). I do get colder than some, so my $.02.

Haven't cold weather camped in years, good info thanks!

I have learned so much from you! Thank you for taking the time to help us.

I lay out my next-day clothes between my two sleeping pads. Adds another layer of insulation and the clothes stay warm. Avoids putting on sub-zero (Fahrenheit) base layers first thing in the morning.

I put hand warmers in an elastic belt that’s for heat or ice on your back. If you wear it with the hand warmers over your kidneys. Your kidneys have a lot of blood flow and it heats the arteries that run down your spine. I came up with the idea because I was using heat on my back and kept over heating. I found that at 45 degrees I could stand on my porch in a tee shirt, shorts and a pair of crocs with no socks for 30 minutes and even my feet stayed warm. Started using this method probably 15 years ago. Everybody I’ve showed this trick is still using it so I’m pretty sure it’s not just a pickle of my imagination. If you have kidney problems or an infection please ask your doctor about applying heat to the area before you try this.

I've missed your videos. Glad to see you again

Great video. Good call on the pad below your mattress. I use two sleeping bags (a 20 & 40 degree) in winter camping instead of just one extreme cold bag; seems to work the same, with more flexibility if it's not as cold as expected. Also keep your bedtime socks in a plastic bag to ensure they stay dry and I will put them in my coat by the fire to warm them up before bed. Another technique is to heat up rocks in the fire and then bury them in the dirt below your sleeping area.

Thanks so much for this video!!

As someone who grew up where it was very cold I appreciate how much you emphasized sweat = dead. Could save someone's life if they are in conditions they are not used to.

Love these tips and tricks videos!

Amazing Tips as Always, Well done, and thank you, Luke. I appreciate it.

Thanks for the tip Luke. I will remember this the next time it snows here in Napa California....

Great video and lots of fantastic info!!

Critically important information. Thanks.

Great tips...awesome video...freedom for all people...