How to keep warm in camper trailer in winter?

We have found that polar fleece material instead of a doona really works well. Have camped many times when the temp was well into the minus, with no problems except getting out of bed. Also the canvas holds the body heat in.

Dave

Thanks for that Witchdoctor!
I just had a quick look around and the biggest one I could find was 150x130 cm. Do you know a place, that sells bigger ones?
Rainer

Hi Rainer,

This has been the subject of much discussion on another forum and while the chat has centred on heaters etc the one BIG suggestion made - and I agree - a good beanie for the head. A wool underlay under the bottome sheet helps no end and we even place newspapers under the mattress when there is frost outside.
We use the Mink blankets which are light but very cosy.

Kevin J

Good queen sized double sleeping bag rated to -5, and of course some one to cuddle :-))
Other purpose of the 'other' is to warm the bag before you get in.
We toss a coin to see who looses and gets in first on a cold night.
Coldest I have camped is -15 deg C at about 2000 metres, and great with another sleeping bag over, we have a spare sleeping bag we take to throw over on really cold nights, doona or blanket would do.
And a blanket under too helps a lot. Mattresses can be cold things, being just a big pocket of air, whether spring, foam or blow up. Foam may be warmer, but hot in summer.

Oh, and try and keep warm until you get to bed, and not too much alcohol, unless you get to blotto.

And this from a Queenslander, where are those southern suggestions?

We take hot water bottles camping, and with the purchase of the coleman hot water on demand it makes it all the easier. We have used them in tents for ages and the kids don't complain either.

Hi,

We have a really good quality doona on the bed that is great even in the coldest conditions. On top of that we rug up well and wear beanies on the old scone and ugg boots on the feet. Mightn't make the worlds best fashion statement but they are great.

This seems to work well for us.

Everyone knows you 'spose to head north for the winter to avoid this dilema!!

andrew

another really good addition to the ideas offered is top quality wool long johns and top - they REALLY help.

We went to Ray's out door emporium and purchased 2 Roman "Swag Bags" they are a large sleeping bag.

We then zipped the 2 together to form a sleeping bag that more than covers a queen size bed. Not restrictive at all and it is WARM! Does take a bit of space though unless you really scrunch it down. We lay it over the top of all the gear in the car so it does not really matter but if you have a whole family you might be pressed for room and will have to roll it really tight.

As it is so large it does not feel like you are in a bag, more like a big doona top and bottom, but it still stops heat escaping from the sides.

Were $99 each but we went during a 24.5% off sale so paid a reasonable price.

Muddy and Judy

Fill up your camp oven with coals from the fire and place in tent on a couple bricks or piece of fibro,. Warm as toast. If you are worried about fire buy a battery operated smoke detector- cheap cost for peace of mind.

G'day

Before using any type of combustion heater (gas,hot coals etc) in a confined space may I suggest a Google on the words Carbon Dioxide and Carbon Monoxide.

The life saved could be yours...

Regards

Paul

OK ,you can all start laughing now , way way back in time when I was a member of the green machine [none of that cant see me camo uniform back then] to keep warm in the cold and wet scrub , pantyhose !!! yes pantyhose with a stategic hole cut in the area required ,,,better than long johns / less weight /quick to dry / cheap / easily replaced / and oh ever so comfy !!!!!

We spent 3 months (June-Sept) in WA - CSR and all the desert NPs - in a KK and cold wasn't much of a problem. A good, and I mean good, doona (feathers/down, not synthetic) and a soft warm wife works wonders.
Most of the time I didn't need a shirt top or similar, and my head has as much hair as a bowling ball and I don't own a beanie so heat loss from the head never was an issue.
SWMBO doesn't drink, so that (sort of) limits my alcohol intake, and in any event when the Scotch wears off you're colder than before (by the way, it took me years to realise it, but I now know that it's sleep that causes all the turmoil in the morning - I'd go to bed after a night on the p**s feeling great but wake up crook, so it just had to be the sleep that caused the problem - but I don't recall that being a problem.
Wifey, on the other hand, seemed to wear everything she had to bed (but maybe that was her way of ensuring an uninterrupted night's sleep :) ).
DB

We got a kero heater to take the chill out of the van/tent and have hot water bottles in bed. Keep yourself warm before you hit the sack and wear good socks and a beanie.

If you have a campfire, take one of the rocks that was beside it and wrap it in newspaper and a towel and take it to bed - lasts longer than a hotwater bottle.

Mike

I'd be wary of any combustion heating in a confined place too! (approved or not!!)

Of course it's only by trial and error that they finally DIS-approve of them, isn't it! :o

How about a good quality 'butterfly-zip' sleeping bag??
You fully unzip it and use it as a double doona style covering!
(takes up much less space than a doona)

I used mine this way in a Central Deserts trip over winter some years back.
-5°C most nights and I was raising a sweat!......My nose got really cold though!

Make sure your warm before you go to bed. Try a Cockle Warmer. Works wonders especially with the girls.

Thank you very much for all your suggestions.
Rainer

small invertor and an electric blanket works wonders

good beanie on the head, feather down quilt (doona), opened sleeping bag over the top and wear jumper, socks to bed