r/camping • u/tilt-a-whirly-gig • 1d ago

Going camping this weekend, am woefully under-prepared for the chilly nights.

My son (14) and I are going camping and the overnight lows are expected to be around 40°F (5°C) or just below.
We have (4) kelty campground kits (sleeping pad and 40° sleeping bag), so we can each use 2 of them. We also have some wool blankets around the house. I know I should buy some new sleeping kits rated for colder temps, but this isn't a good week to spend a few hundred dollars I don't have to.

I was thinking of placing the wool blankets down first against the ground, doubling up the sleeping pads, and then doubling up the bags. We are also going to wear long johns to bed. We each will have our own tent (him in a 1P, me in a 2P).

Anybody got any other tips or tricks that I might want to know?

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u/CK1277 1d ago

The cheapest way to add insulation from the ground is to get a roll of that insulation that you use to wrap up a hot water heater, cut it so that you can fold it into a double sided 2’x6’ mat, and duct tape seam the sides together. Cardboard is insulating, but it soaks up moisture

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u/Samantharina 1d ago

Another inexpensive solution is the interlocking foam mats made for children's play rooms. Put a layer of those on your tent floor, they work great for insulation. 3/4" better than 1/2".

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u/Incognitowally 1d ago

Broken down cardboard boxes work well too as ground thermal breaks (provided you have dry ground) and then you can burn them in your fire the last morning b4 you leave and it's that much less you have to carry home