Do you love camping but hate how cold the nights get?
Are you looking for ways to extend your camping season?
Years ago I tried camping when it was colder, and I was miserable. Despite how nice my sleeping bag was, it couldn’t handle the cold night temperatures.
So I did some research and found how to increase sleeping bag warmth.
Increasing a sleeping bag’s warmth is easy if you know what to do. Try these tricks for a warmer night camping:
- Fluff The Sleeping Bag
- Add A Thermal Liner
- Give The Bag A Wash
- Wear Flannel Clothing
- Prevent Heat Escape By Wearing A Hat
- Eat Well
- Wear Socks To Keep Heat In Your Feet
- Get Your Body Temperature Up
- Avoid Moisture
- Add Layers On The Outside
Look ahead for more details on these tricks and some cold-weather sleeping bag recommendations.
Table of Contents
10 Tricks For How To Stay Warm In A Sleeping Bag
In this section, we’ll go into a little more detail on how to increase the warmth of your sleeping bag. These will help make your sleeping experience better when the weather gets chilly.
You may also want to read about space heaters in tents.
Affiliate links ahead. We may earn a small commission if you buy through the link at no extra cost to you!
#1 Fluff The Sleeping Bag
The down in sleeping bags works best when it’s spread evenly throughout the material. Over time, the down will get clumped in one place or another.
When it’s clumped up like that, it won’t retain heat evenly in your bag, and some may escape.
In fact, this is one of the main differences between cheap sleeping bags and quality ones. High-quality sleeping bags have special designs to keep the down from gathering.
If you notice your sleeping bag looks lumpy, rub it and shake it to fluff it up and redistribute the material.
#2 Add A Thermal Liner
Some sleeping bags aren’t designed for frigid weather, but you can make any sleeping bag work a little better in the cold by adding a thermal liner inside it.
This will be like adding more down. There is more material to trap the heat and keep you warm at night.
This CrescentGuard Sleeping Bag Liner will make your sleeping bag a lot warmer. Plus, you can take it in and out depending on the temperature.
You can even use it to sleep by itself (although it’s not very cushion-y on its own).
#3 Give The Bag A Wash
Oils and moisture can get into the sleeping bag and cause it to lose some of its heat-retaining ability. So giving the sleeping bag a wash can make a big difference.
Washing can also help to break up the clumps in the down.
Follow these quick steps to wash a sleeping bag:
- Put the sleeping bag in a pillow case.
- Wash on gentle with warm water.
- Dry in a dryer on its gentlest setting with dryer balls or tennis balls.
- OR dry outside in the sun while shaking out the filling every 25-30 minutes.
#4 Wear Flannel Clothing
It goes to reason warmer clothing will keep your sleeping bag warmer too. This is the case although it may feel colder at first when you get in the bag.
Sure, wearing fewer clothes will heat the bag up faster, but you’ll also be losing heat the whole night. Put on some thicker clothes for a whole night of coziness.
#5 Prevent Heat Escape By Wearing A Hat
LiveScience found we lose 7-10% of our body heat through our head. Even in the most extreme cold-weather sleeping bags, your head will be exposed somewhat.
You can limit this heat loss and stay warmer in a sleeping bag by wearing a tight cap such as a beanie. I like my OZERO stocking hat (and it comes in different colors for you fashion-conscious people).
#6 Eat Well
Believe it or not, eating well before getting into your sleeping bag actually makes your sleeping bag warmer too.
When you eat, your body temperature rises as part of the digestion process. If you eat some high carb meals, your body will give off noticeably more heat.
#7 Wear Socks To Keep Heat In Your Feet
Along the same lines as covering your head, you should also cover up your feet when sleeping. This will help your body keep the heat in.
Even though your feet are inside the sleeping bag, you still need to wear socks. This will keep your whole body warmer.
#8 Get Your Body Temperature Up
It’s all about that body temperature. You want your temperature up, and you want it to stay in your body.
If you can heat up the sleeping bag faster too, that’s just a plus. Take care of both of these by doing a little exercise such as jumping jacks or push-ups before getting in.
A little exercise will get your body warmer, and then the sleeping bag will heat up better too.
Note: Don’t do a workout! If you begin to sweat, you’ll actually begin to lose heat.
#9 Avoid Moisture
Moisture is the enemy. Whether it’s snow on the outside of the bag or sweat on the inside, keep it out!
Make sure your clothes are dry before going into the sleeping bag. Make sure all moisture on the ground is away from the bag.
#10 Add Layers On The Outside
Depending on your sleeping bag and tent, you may notice you either feel colder beneath you or above you. You may, in fact, feel both.
If you feel cold underneath, either sleep on your side or add an extra layer below you by using a blanket or jacket between you and the ground.
For those feeling cold from above, you can also add a coat or blanket on top.
Quick Cold-Weather Sleeping Bag Recommendations
Of course, all of these tricks work well for upping the warmth of your sleeping bag. But if the bag itself isn’t suited for cold weather, you may never be satisfied.
So here are a few recommendations for sleeping bags which can handle the colder weather better than the average product.
Affiliate links ahead. We may earn a small commission if you buy through the link at no extra cost to you!
Coleman North Rim 0 Degree Sleeping Bag – This is a moderately-priced sleeping bag for those looking for a good balance of quality and price.
It’s a mummy-style bag which means it’s meant to fit and seal around your entire body keeping the heat inside.
This bag allows for the heat to ventilate well, and it’s pretty light. It won’t slow you down much.
Omnicore Mummy Sleeping Bag – This Omnicore sleeping bag costs a little more than most sleeping bags, but it’s rated to handle down to -10° F temps.
As a mummy-style bag, it seals around your body while still allowing for the air to circulate and heat your whole body.
It uses a multi-down system to provide layers of heat-retaining insulation. On top of all this, it also has great durability and will last awhile.
NORSENS Sleeping Bags For Adults Cold Weather 0 Degree – This NORSENS sleeping bag is affordable and durable. It’s rated to handle 0° F weather, but it works well for other seasons as well.
It keeps you warm when it’s cold, but that’s about it. This isn’t the sleeping bag for hardcore winter campers, but it’s a good way to start getting into camping in the colder months.
Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed learning about how to increase your sleeping bag’s warmth. With these tricks and a good sleeping bag, you can extend your camping season and have a ball.
Did any of these tricks surprise you? Hop down in the comments and let us know.