winter tent

I want to purchase a winter tent while they are on sale. I live in Florida. I own a Kelty Gunnison 2.1. I seem to only get the time to go camping on the coldest days of the year in FL. The temps are usually between 25-40 degrees. I am always cold. I am looking for a winter tent that will keep me warm (and my 3 year old son). I plan to use it only in FL and Georgia so I dont need huge snow protection. Can anyone tell me a tent that seems to keep the inside warmer? Thanks, Dennis

A winter tent will do a better job of keeping out wind or wind-blown snow by having fabric where a three season tent has bug netting, but this will not do a very efficient job of keeping the air inside of the tent from reaching the same temp as the air temp outside the tent. Yes, some of your body heat will be trapped inside if the air is still and this will have some effect, but it is unlikely to make as much of a difference as you seem to want.

Winter tents are not designed so much for warmth as for sturdiness in high winds or under heavy snow loads.

Tents provide wind protection but no insulation. In other words, a winter tent by itself will not keep you warm. Even if you had a yurt, with double walls and insulation between, it would have to be heated inside. Unless you're going to be where there are lots of snow and high winds, you do not need the weight and expense of a four-season tent. A four-season tent is designed primarily to hold up under winter blizzard conditions. I doubt you need these features in Florida. If you completely block off all openings in the tent, you'll end up with condensation inside which causes its own problems.

Your primary heat source, unless you have a fire or a stove (neither of which you want close to the tent for safety reasons) is always your own body. You therefore need sufficient insulation next to your body to keep the heat close! The extra insulation needed for cold temperatures comes from your sleep system and your clothing. You need a warmer sleeping bag, a warmer sleeping pad and warmer clothing. That's where you should be spending your money.

Other ways to keep warm are to force your body to generate more heat. This of course happens while you're doing vigorous exercise. You've probably noticed that while you're hiking in cold weather, you often have to remove layers to keep from sweating. (Do try to avoid sweating because you don't want your clothing to get damp!) Of course once you stop moving, pile on the layers immediately to prevent that extra heat you've generated from escaping.

A good jog/brisk walk/jumping jacks at bedtime will get your body generating more heat to help warm up your sleeping bag. Quite a few people also use a hot water bottle inside the sleeping bag (make sure it won't leak--this is one place where a Nalgene, heavy as it is, is useful). Chemical hand and foot warmers can also be used. Be careful that none of these are so hot as to cause burning, especially around young children.

Technically the process of keeping a constant body temperature under varying conditions is known as "thermoregulation." Here is an article that explains its relationship to backpacking, how your body loses heat and how to prevent this heat loss.

Thanks for the info. I am trying to find a way to make it more comfortable for my 3 year old. I am scared to use a heater since he rolls all over. He has a play tent that I got at Walmart. When I play with him in it, it always gets way too hot inside. I was just wondering if there was a well made tent that will do the same thing in winter.

Definitely don't want to have a heater, although you can consider a chemical heat pack inside his sleeping bag (probably stowed in a soft pack to not directly contact his skin).

Very generally, double-wall tents with minimal bug netting in the inner tents and rainflys that reach close to the ground will be measurably warmer than typical three-season tents that maximize ventilation. The air inside will also be more still, lessening convective heat loss.

The tradeoff is more condensation, possibly soaking the tent walls and even raining on you.

It's a balance. Staying warm at night begins with a good dinner, warm, dry clothing, a warm sleeping bag and an insulated pad. The tent's job is to protect you from the elements--by itself it can't keep you warm.

Good luck!

"The tradeoff is more condensation, possibly soaking the tent walls and even raining on you"
common problem here in Australia and I suppose in a lot of other places too.
Folk shut themselves inside a smallish double wall tents with fabric inner.
Because of body heat and exhalation the warmer air hits the cold fly and it condenses there. That starts to raise the humidity level inside getting your stuff (sleeping bag and clothing) damp. Then you get cold...
Better to get some air movement and try to keep your stuff dry.

OM has pretty much said it all. Unless you get a canvas tent with a wood stove like some winter campers use in very cold weather (- 30F) or so, you want to dress warm, have a good bag and pad under it and eat a lot. For a little one, I would think keeping him warmly dressed and well fed would be more important than anything else. Make sure he has good footwear, a fleece or wool beanie, and warm gloves or mittens. He's not going to generating a lot of heat hiking like an adult would, so make sure he has a warm jacket and probably insulated pants. Fleece pants work well. I have a pair myself. If he winds up looking like the Michelin Man, he's probably good. Chocolate and a hot drink before bed or if he likes them, part of an energy bar like a Clif Bar or Powerbar. You'd be surprised how well that works in cold weather.

Yeah, I agree that OM has covered it. If it we're not for the 3 year old I'd also tell the OP to look into a "Super Shelter", but campfires and tent heaters are just too risky when you have a toddler to keep safe.

After visiting some homeless camps recently in a wind storm, I can tell you that a dome shaped tent with strong poles thats not too high and has few flat sides, will flap less and be less drafty. A drafty flaping tent is much "colder" than a quiet tent. I would shoot for a tent just large enough to suit your needs (not too tall) and then you may want to use additional ropes to tie out the windward side of the tent.
Jim

No better tent testers than the homeless! Ive known a few and most opt for Simi framed walls and tarps, probably depends on the area.

As all others have said, the problem isn't your tent (unless also very windy perhaps). Why don't you tell us what you are using for sleeping pads and bags, because those most likely are the problem.

Another point to consider with respect to keeping warm in a tent is to use the smallest tent that suits your needs. I've found that using a pup tent for 3 small children and me kept us warm while people in travel trailers complained about being cold. Same for my hammock and a family in a tent-trailer. A smaller space means less air to warm up. You may also find that if you share a sleeping bag with your child, you will each be warmer.

Good Luck!

CamperMom

A smaller tent may work in some situations but can also be counterproductive.
Theoretically you can warm up a smaller space , however on the practical side it can also mean that you fill your tent with more moisture .
We perspire/exhale over half a liter a night.
That has to go somewhere. If the night is still or you are all zipped up a smaller fly will be wetter than a larger one because that is where the perspiration condenses.
In the worst cases it will drip on you at best in a small tent you will get your sleeping bag wet at one or both ends and possibly the sides by pushing the inner against the fly.
In any case as I already mentioned, because you are generating wet heat (steam) you end up getting your gear damp.
At high temperatures, say 80f and above, humidity makes us feel warmer than it is, at low temps , between 60f and 20f or so, high humidity makes us feel colder.