Pro Tips

Guest Post: Building Your Shelter in Extreme Conditions

Last updated: April 19, 2022 by Canberk Koksal

Hey guys, what's up? Melanie here. Today we're here for a guest post by Angela Williams of thesurvivalcorps.com. She's going to give some tips on building your own outdoor shelter in wooded areas, the desert, at the beach and on the snow.

That can be necessary in some survival conditions (hope it won't though), or you might have just watched The Revenant and want to try building yours. Either way, hope you'll find this post helpful for you.

Mind you that this is NOT a super helpful, full of information type of post. It's just general ideas around building your own shelter.

Back to you now, Angela.

Thanks Melanie! Hello everyone, I'm Angela. Like Melanie said, I'll give you some tips while you're building your own outdoor shelter.

So as you know, unlike other animals, humans have an inherent need for shelter and there might be some situations that you didn't pack any tent. In that case, the only option would be to build your own.

If you'd like to read more about the importance of outdoor shelters, click here.

So, how do you go about building a reliable shelter outdoor that can offer you a secure and comfortable area to sleep and rest your back? Keep reading to find out.

Table of Contents

Building an Outdoor Shelter in Wooded Areas

Step 1: Find the right location

Step 2: Lay sticks against the backbone

Step 3: Pile debris over the lean-to frame

Step 4: Dig a fire pit

Building a Shelter in the Desert

Step 1: Find a good location

Step 2: Pile up sand around the rock outcroppings

Building a Shelter at the Beach

Step 1: Dig a trench

Step 2: Make a roof

Building a Shelter on Snow

Step 1: Clear your work area

Step 2: Dig a trench in the snow

Step 3: Mark the shelter for visibility

Step 4: Build a wind wall

Building an Outdoor Shelter in Wooded Areas

If you find yourself in wooded areas, the best type of outdoor shelter to build is a lean-to shelter. Interestingly, it is one of the easiest shelters to make in the wilderness. It provides you with sufficient protection from rain, wind and hot temperatures. It also provides you with a cover against wild animals. Follow these steps to build a lean-to shelter:

Step 1: Find the right location

Lean-to typically requires some sort of “backbone” against which the shelter will rest. The backbone can be fallen trees or boulders that act as a horizontal brace to lean brush or other sticks against. In fact, any sizeable stationary object can do. Alternatively, you can use some rope and a tarp (if available) to make a lean-to between two large trees.

Step 2: Lay sticks against the backbone

The second step is to place sticks to lean against the horizontal brace. Try to use sturdy sticks as they will act as the side wall of the shelter. Ensure you create enough space between the rods and the horizontal brace and the ground to give you enough room to crawl into comfortably.

You need to keep in mind that the larger the room in the lean-to, the harder it will be to keep yourself warm. Also, remember to keep your lean-to closer to the ground. The low profile will provide you with further protection from the wind, and it will not catch attention.

Step 3: Pile debris over the lean-to frame

Using leaves, moss, and grass build a wall around your shelter. Such debris will provide you with additional insulation from the elements. Any tiny forest debris will do as long as you can pack it tightly on the wall frame of your shelter so that wind will not blow it away. For extra insulation, pile more of the forest debris on the interior and floor of the lean-to.

Step 4: Dig a fire pit

If the area in which you build your shelter is too cold, you can further provide insulation by starting a fire on the side of your lean-to. Just make sure it is a reasonable distance from the shelter to avoid any accidents. Put a ring of stones around the fire-pit to put a stop to any spreading fires.

Building a Shelter in the Desert

The problem with a desert is that you will not find foliage and vegetation that easily. Thus you will have to make do with what you have. Follow the following steps:

Step 1: Find a good location

In a desert, you will need to pay attention to your surrounding environment to find natural shelters to offer you a way out. Search for rock outcroppings or caves that tend to form natural trenches. You can use one of the trenches as a base to construct from.

Step 2: Pile up sand around the rock outcroppings

The second step in building your own outdoor shelter is to pile up sand around the rock outcroppings you initially identified. The sand piles will provide you with further insulation from the environmental elements.

If you have a canvas, a poncho or any kind of liner, use it as your roof. Secure the edges of your liner with sand or rocks but make sure you leave enough room to allow you passage into the shelter.

In case you lack any material to use as a liner, try foraging for natural supplies. Use anything at your disposal to form a roof whether leaves, sticks, brush or other things. The reputation of deserts is that they are very hot in the day and very cold at night. This shelter will insulate you from such extreme temperatures.

Building a Shelter at the Beach

Natural supplies are readily available on most beaches including lots of sand, driftwood, some trees, and even small woods. Therefore, building a shelter is very easy.

Step 1: Dig a trench

Beach sand is loose and therefore easy to dig up. Dig a trench large enough to accommodate you and your companion if any. Build three walls around the trench using sand. Compact the sand ato the best of your ability to provide it with strength.

Step 2: Make a roof

Try to find large driftwood and lay it over the trench to serve as a roof. The beams should be able to lie comfortably and stable on the compacted sand walls. Find leaves, bushes, shrubs, and shrubbery and lay them on the pole to form a thick roof over the trench. Use additional foliage to cushion the floor of the trench to provide you with a comfortable bed.

Building a Shelter on Snow

Snowing conditions present many problems because of the freezing temperatures and at times the fierce winds. Thus a shelter is necessary. Here is how to make one:

Step 1: Clear your work area

Start the process by clearing an area that measures approximately 8 feet in diameter. Pile mixed snow on the cleared area until you achieve a height of about 6 feet. The mixing of snow from various areas and layers adds to the strength and stability of the pile due to differences in core temperatures. Wait for an hour or so to allow the snow pile to harden

Step 2: Dig a trench in the snow

Building snow shelter is challenging. Digging into a snow-covered ground can be difficult. You may need to find a tool to help you with the digging. A shovel does it well, but you may not access one. You might need to improvise.

Once you are sure the snow has hardened, dig a cave from a single side to the middle part of the pile. Just hollow the cave until there is room enough for you and your companion if any. Allow more space for comfort. Poke a few ventilation holes on the side walls of the cave to allow enough air to flow in.

Step 3: Mark the shelter for visibility

Find ways to mark the shelter for easy identification. This becomes important if it continues snowing. The additional snow can impede the shelter taking you back to the starting point. You can mark using ski poles, sticks or any other appropriate thing.

Step 4: Build a wind wall

The last step in building a snow shelter is to build a wind wall. A few feet outside the entrance of your sanctuary, make another pile of snow to form a wall. The wall will offer your shelter protection against wind and other snow from blowing in the direction of your snow shelter.

A proper shelter can offer you protection from weather and other elements. It can provide you with a comfortable place to protect yourself & rest properly.

Keeping in mind that human beings might not survive for more than 3 hours in extreme outdoor weather condition and honing shelter making skills in all kinds of environments can make a big difference in a survival situation.

Happy trails!

Checking a Hiking Backpack on a Plane

Last updated: May 31, 2022 by Canberk Koksal

how to check a hiking backpack at the airport

Will I receive my hiking backpack at the end of my flight? Will I get it in one piece? Will it pass through the ordeals of security check? What forbidden items, according to the airport’s security regulations, have I unknowingly packed inside my checked in hiking backpack?

Based on my (and the experiences of other unfortunate travelers'), I've gathered some pointers about how to check your hiking backpack and your gear (separating them could be a good idea in some cases) on a plane in order for them to go as smooth and incident free as possible.

In summary, before implementing these tips, do try taking your hiking backpack as a carry on as that's almost always down to individual staff as the regulations are mostly ignored. If it doesn't work:

Weigh your hiking backpack before going to the airport to make sure it's below the limit,
Either protect, wrap or cover it,
Surround the internal sharp and/or hard items with soft items,
Mark your pack,
Know what hiking gear you can & can't bring on an airplane.

Table of Contents

Always try taking it as a carry-on

Weigh before the go

Know how to protect backpack when checked as luggage

Having your pack wrapped

Hiking backpack airport covers

Don't forget to protect the pack on the inside!

Mark your pack

Pay attention to what we backpackers can and can't bring on a plane

Conclusion

References

We aren't going to discuss the likelihood of getting your hiking backpack accepted as a checked baggage or not since that's always down to (1) weight limits of your airlines (there are no regulations that apply to all airlines) and (2) the airline staff. Weighing your pack is the only precaution you can and should take.

Always try taking it as a carry-on

The first advice I always give is, although seems somewhat counter intuitive given the topic, to avoid checking a hiking backpack whenever possible. If you can bring it as a carry-on, do it.

They keep telling you through the speakers: “Keep your luggage in your presence at all times”. At all times!

But seriously, the sad fact is that luggage do get lost when travelling by plane. No matter if it gets lost for good or you eventually retrieve it (like I did in my unfortunate case) - the hard-planned trip is pretty much ruined unless you have the mindset of a monk.

Some airlines are more lax when it comes to the size of your luggage, some are more rigid, while others change their regulations every couple of months. So there are no regulations.

As a maximum carry-on size, most airlines draw the line at 22x14x9. Read more about it here in best carry-on backpacks review.

Knowing their specifications beforehand is a must if you'll go down this road. You don’t want to be “that guy” in front of the check-in desk that goes on the roller-coaster of emotions of removing items from his overweight or overstuffed luggage, placing it on the scale, removing it again, putting on another pair of jeans and perhaps one or two sweaters, placing it on the scale once more, only to hear that still no go.

Sure there are different situations you can’t avoid packing big. Or certain items you can’t dispense of and can’t really carry with you on the plane (e.g sharp tipped trekking sticks). You could try sending your gear up ahead, using express shipping. Perhaps doesn’t completely solve your “gear getting lost” issue, but somewhat reduces it, as you actually have more control over the cargo’s whereabouts.

Thinking of investing in a travel insurance can be a good idea as well. However, you should pay attention to its coverage span as most travel insurances cover loss items up to a very limited level according to Vovidi.

But if you still have to check it in at the airport, keep reading and take a look over the next couple of lines.

Weigh before the go

As you know, unlike carry-on baggage; weight is more important than size when it comes to checked baggage.

If you’ve found yourself in the pickle described above or if you travel quite often and still find yourself paying the extra-fee for overweight baggage, perhaps save up some of that money and embarrassment by investing in a luggage scale such as Tarriss Jetsetter Digital Luggage Scale w/100 lb capacity | Price not available.

Note that although your luggage scale has nearly 0.2 lb of accuracy, while the airport’s are not that precise. So, perhaps leave some margin of error around that idea.

If you’ve planned with great care and thought about all the ways that you could pack light, that means you packed only the “can’t do without” items. But what if your luggage still exceeds the max accepted weight, how do you choose which of those essential items you dispose of?

First option is leaving out the items you'd prefer purchasing newer ones at your destination.
Second is wearing the heaviest items during your flight. This can make a huge difference if you're heading to a cold destination so you've a lot of heavy clothing to take with you.

Know how to protect backpack when checked as luggage

This is a must not only because the airport & airline staff aren't gentle to luggages and packs at all, but also conveyor belts can do a lot of damage to your pack (especially to straps, belts, zippers and buckles).

Carefully protect your backpack’s straps, tie them together, cover them at any cost, and make them less of a target. For example, you can pull the waist strap backwards and buckle it around the backpack, on the other side of it. Another tip I find useful is tying the two separate shoulder straps together and hence providing the luggage handlers one sturdier strap to grab, protecting your straps in the process.

Some other packs like Farpoint 40 provide stow-away harness, which is a great feature to have in this case. This one is a travel backpack with a lean towards hiking backpack, though. Which is why this feature isn't offered by most high quality hiking backpacks.

Secure the zippers the best you can as well. Most backpacks have that small, extra fabric material along the zipper’s line that you can use to hide the zipper underneath. We take zippers for granted that we easily forget their importance. Until your items start falling from your broken external zippered pocket, you don't realize their value. If you prefer always being prepared beforehand for these type of failures, you can also think of investing in Zipper Rescue Repair Kit | $13.95 before your trip just in case.

Coming down to another small, overlooked piece of equipment: Buckles. They're also exposed, and having them damaged would affect the hip belt and external compression straps of your pack. Like zippers, you can think of investing a pair of buckles Sea to Summit Field Repair Buckle | No products found. before your trip just in case.

Having your pack wrapped

A good alternative option is to wrap your hiking backpack. You might not have seen this often, but almost all the airlines & airports I've been to provide this service and I strongly recommend it if you can't take the measures above. If you don't know what I'm talking about, here's what it looks like:

Hiking backpack airport covers

My best recommendation, however, would be the hiking backpack airport covers. They basically cover your pack (duh) and hence you can stop worrying about arriving to the airport even earlier to wrap it or taking precautions above to protect it.

Plus, you actually own an item instead of paying for a service each time you'll travel with your hiking backpack.

Osprey's Transporter LZ Backpack Cover also has a top carry handle.

You can basically go for anything you'd like, but besides durability and firmness; packability into its own carry case is important because you'll be traveling with one more item now. Another thing I'd pay attention to is adjustable shoulder strap(s) as you walk A LOT in the airport even though you don't really notice it at times.

Osprey's Transporter LZ Backpack Covers offer both of these features (Plus: Stow away shoulder strap) with a few nice to haves such as lockable zippers and ID card holder (although I never use these stuff). To protect your pack, base is reinforced and fills the bill.

Most popular thing about it is its All Mighty Guarantee, though.

Recommended sizes for pack volumes are as follows:

Small Size: < 50 L
Medium Size: 50 - 75 L (90% of us)
Large Size: > 75 L

905 Reviews

Osprey Airporter Backpack Travel Cover

Size medium designed for packs 45 - 75 liters
Protects backpacks when traveling or checking in...
Compact duffel to carry extra gear
Large lockable zipper opening for easy loading
Comfortable stow away shoulder strap

You can also see it on REI: https://www.rei.com/product/887944/osprey-airporter-lz-medium

I'd definitely check it out when looking for a hiking backpack airport cover.

Don't forget to protect the pack on the inside!

Cover the sharp items inside your pack with clothes or other soft fabric, so they don’t rip through the backpack. Again, sharp tipped trekking poles are a good example.

According to TSA, you can't take your trekking poles as carry on, but you can take them as checked baggage.

Same goes for hard items or objects with non-rounded edges. Surround them in clothing doesn't only protect your pack from them, but also protect them from the harsh conditions your pack is exposed to during the loading/unloading to and from the plane.

Also, knowing how to pack a hiking backpack for traveling and/or backpacking is crucial for this step.

Mark your pack

Hiking or not, whenever you’re traveling, mark your backpack/luggage, so that you don’t grab the wrong one and/or, someone else accidentally grab yours especially if you’re using the wrapping tip and/or you have a common looking pack with a typical color.

If you're worried about your valuables stolen and would rather invest in an anti-theft backpack, check out the review of the best anti theft travel backpack out there.

You can basically mark with anything you want. I just tie a cord with an easily distinguished color.

Pay attention to what we backpackers can and can't bring on a plane

Read the allowed and forbidden items lits by TSA specifically for backpackers very carefully, as it holds out traps for the uninitiated. For instance, camp stoves are allowed. Great. Easier cooking.

But! Camp stoves fuel? Forbidden.

So, propane based fuel, camping fuel, burning paste and gel fire starters are prohibited.

One of the most intriguing tips I got, as to how to overcome this, was to replace any kind of fuel with vodka. Makes sense as you indeed can check-in vodka, if in its original, proper sealed wrapping. For extra security measures, you can use a special travel pouch to protect the bottle and seal it in the event of leaks. Plus, if you aren't a serious hiker it makes a great party starter, in addition to being a great fire starter!

Animal repellents usually exceed limitations of active ingredient allowed on flight, even if it’s for the pack in the belly of the plane. Insecticides aren't allowed either. Insect repellents, however, you can have, taking into account the liquid limitations when in carry-on bags, of course.

Conclusion

All of these tips came from the vast experience of people who underwent these situations (including myself) and found out the hard way that they had to come up with some ingenious ways to avoid such inconveniences from happening again. As Warren Buffett says, "It's good to learn from your mistakes. It's better to learn from other people's mistakes."

Hope this article was helpful for you to understand the best practices of checking in a hiking backpack. Happy trails/travels!

References

Smart Thinking: What to Do If You Get Lost Hiking

Last updated: April 19, 2022 by Canberk Koksal

Hey guys, what's up?! Hope everyone is doing great because my favorite hiking season is here (I know some of you guys are like me...), and we're hitting the trails!

John Lewis; the blogger, survivalist and outdoor enthusiast of Epic Wilderness is with us for a guest post today. He'll mention some of the most important things to remember when you get lost hiking. Don't forget to take notes AND to pray you won't ever need those notes.

Getting lost while hiking is one of the biggest fears most hikers have. To best prepare for such a situation, you must get the necessary skills, information and gears to navigate your way back to safety. In terms of necessary gears, check out my site for additional information.

Table of Contents

Basics

Time to bring out those topographical maps

Use nature to navigate

Get your GPS out and navigate back to safety

Conclusion

References

Since we are blessed with technology, we can try and learn up all how to effectively use modern technology and take advantage of them. This includes rangefinders and handheld GPS receiver. Now, there are around 30 satellites orbiting the earth, ensuring that the reading of your device is accurate.

Throughout this post, I will first introduce some things to do when you are lost, some traditional ways to find your way back and how you can use modern gadgets. Here are some tips on what you can do when you are lost in the mountain or forest!

Basics

No matter what tools you have, if you do not have your basics right, the probability of you getting back on a trail would be low. Here are some guidelines you can follow to improve your chances of surviving.

First, you should ‘stop’, which is basically keeping your cool and staying put. Instead of complaining about the situation you are in, it’d be better to put your attention towards solving the problem at hand rather wasting energy on blaming yourself.

Also, if you walk any further when you are lost, it would most probably make you harder to find by rescuers as compared to staying put. The only exception is that you have strong reasons to trudge further. However, it is usually the case that you will be clear on where you should go only after you stop awhile and reflect.

Next, you can start strategizing how to get back to your trail. You must take note of landmarks that are present along the way. Even if you start walking around, you need to find a way to recognize how you can get back to your initial position.

"Wait, I remember this trunk!"

Only when you are clear, observant and have a good plan, your rate of success of making it out alive would be much higher!

Time to bring out those topographical maps

Sometimes, going back to the most basic ways of navigating can save your life! It is not practical to solely rely on your GPS to navigate since we cannot know what will happen, especially when you are hiking outdoors. If you understand how to read a map and navigate effectively with it, you have an edge as compared to hikers who do not possess this skill.

Map reading requires you to be able to visualize a 3-Dimensional picture of the area in your mind. Only when you can do such visualizations and you have a good sense of direction (by using a compass for example), only then you can navigate with a map efficiently.

However, bear in mind that most topographical maps are outdated and what you see on your map may be a bit different from what you see in real life. Nevertheless, it is one of the most basic ways of navigating which every hiker should master!

Knowing your orientation would be tricky as well and most people usually require a compass to be capable of telling their orientation. The only thing to be cautious of is that the ‘magnetic’ north of the compass may be affected if you are near another magnetic field, rather than working with the magnetic pole. You can also buy a compass which has clinometer which allows you to measure the angle of a slope or luminescent markings which helps you read the compass at night.

Use nature to navigate

Didn’t bring anything to help you navigate? Don't worry because you still have an option. Navigating using nature would also mean navigating using your surroundings.

If you resort to this option, those basic rules would apply. Primarily, if you are on a trail, try to stay on the trail. However, if you are unable to find any other way, follow a stream or a drainage downhill because they usually lead to a road.

In the daytime, you can utilize the sun to navigate. As for night time, you can learn to rely on the stars and constellations for navigation. You can rely on the Polar Star, one of the brightest stars in the sky to find the true north. To find this Polar Star, you can first search for the Big Dipper. The two stars that form the right-side Big Dipper’s cup, when it’s lined up, would directly point to the Polar Star.

Celestial navigation is easier with a sextant.

You can also consider doing a makeshift compass. Basically, you will need a large leaf, a compass needle and a magnet to build this. The first step is to rub your magnet against the needle for nearly 30 times to ensure that it is magnetized. Later, put the needle on the leaf which is placed on top of a pool of water. Give it some time until the needle repositions itself to point from North to South.

Get your GPS out and navigate back to safety

There are two main parts I want to discuss about navigating using a handheld GPS receiver: (1) I'll talk about how ‘scouting’ can help you reduce your probability of getting lost (and increase the probability of getting back on track when you are lost) and; (2) I'll talk about how navigational aids can be your lifesaver.

Concerning ‘scouting’, it is a practice where you observe the surroundings of the route you are hiking before actually doing it. First, you need to use a computer and utilize internet resources such as Google Maps to explore your route. Mark those places which interests you and the route which you must take.

After marking down those locations, transfer those waypoints into your handheld unit. These waypoints are a convenient for you to navigate especially when you are hiking on foot. If you abide by this practice, the probability of you getting lost while hiking is lower.

Concerning ‘navigational aids’, they are an equipment which you can equip with your handheld GPS receiver or you can use it in isolation. Since GPS receivers are only made with radio signal receivers and a logic chip, it would not be capable of sending out your location. This is where the navigational aid would come into the picture to help send out your location.

There are two common transmitters which are used, namely the Personal Locator Beacons and the Satellite Messengers. Personal Locator Beacons (PLB) are only used in severe emergency situations. When your PLB is activated, it sends out an emergency signal which is picked up by the Worldwide Satellite System, which sends the message to the appropriate Rescue Control Center which has the task of dispatching a Search and Rescue Team to assist you.

As for Satellite Messengers, they allow you to communicate short text messages and your location to your family or friends. Casual hikers should bring along a Satellite messenger or equip it with your GPS. Satellite messengers rely on 2 commercial satellites rather than the military network utilized by the PLB.

Conclusion

Exploring different options you have while you are lost would be your best bet for survival. It would be wise to learn up survival skills too, such as being able to make a survival shelter or survival fire when you need one. When you are hiking up, the temperature will decrease which makes your body warmth a really important factor for survival.

If you have any thoughts you want to share, feel free to comment below!

Turn your phone sideways for a much better table display!

References

Topographic Maps. Wikipedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topographic_map
Celestial Navigation. Wikipedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celestial_navigation

Catch More Z’s: 10 Tips to Sleep Comfortably in a Tent

Last updated: April 19, 2022 by Canberk Koksal

Ryan Alston · April 2018

If you've ever been to gym, you probably notice that after a good night's sleep you feel amazing - motivated and stronger. The other days you feel lazy, weak and demotivated.

When you're in the classroom or busy with your job, after a night with a quality sleep you find your creativity, comprehension and persistence regenerated.

That's because a very large portion of how our body and mind functions on a given day is highly dependent on our sleep quality the previous night.

That's why it's crucial to get a quality sleep, and it's even more crucial to get a quality sleep while hiking to enjoy our time outdoors to its fullest.

And although sleeping in a tent will always be less comfortable than sleeping in a bed, there are things that you can do to improve your sleep quality.

Experiment

As the study conducted by University of Colorado in 2017 [1] concluded, sleeping in a tent once in a while can actually be beneficial and help you arrange your circadian rhythm [2] as melatonin hormone [3] produced a few hours earlier than it does at home due to the absence of artificial light.

For some people sleeping in a tent for a few days can be the answer they're looking to improve their overall sleep quality.

We highly recommend you to implement at least some of these 10 tips to sleep better in a tent.

Table of Contents

1- Find a flat and soft ground

2- Mind the sunrise direction

3- Stay warm inside the tent

4- Stop drinking anything at least 4 hours before bed

5- Stop drinking caffeine at least 8 hours before bed

6- Bring earplugs

7- Wear dry clothes

8- Avoid overdressing

9- Bring pillow

10- Prevent insects

1- Find a flat and soft ground

In our daily lives we always sleep on our soft, flat beds, so we're unaware of its importance on a quality sleep.

If you're not able to find a flat surface, simply pitch your tent on the minimally inclined surface. Align your sleeping pad with your feet facing downhill.

If you're not able to find a soft surface and you don't have a sleeping pad, consider laying some pine needles beneath your tent for a softer base.

2- Mind the sunrise direction

We all know this feel...

Don't get me wrong. When I'm camping I love waking up at 6 am to watch the sunrise. But if I'm too tired, went to bed too late, or have other plans for the next day, to get a better sleep I always make sure the sun will not hit me in the morning.

Simply choose a tent site accordingly and/or bring eye mask.

3- Stay warm inside the tent

If you pack a heater, use it.

If you don't, learn how to heat a tent without electricity before you hit the trail.

A great tip

When I was in Gothenburg, Sweden a few months ago, I stumbled upon some very cool hand warmers in an outdoors store called Naturkompaniet. I've never actually used them but people are very, very pleased with most hand warmers. I'd definitely recommend thinking of investing in one such as HotHands Hand Warmers on Amazon. You can obviously place them anywhere you'd like while sleeping except your torso as explained before.

4- Stop drinking anything at least 4 hours before bed

Waking up in the middle of the night to pee interrupts your sleep cycle and lowers sleep quality. Whether you're sleeping in a tent or not, you might want to consider why is it happening [4] and what can you do about it [5]. For me, 4 hours is the limit to make sure my sleep won't be interrupted.

Nevertheless, I do prepare my shoes ready just in case as if I'll wake up and pee at night, and I recommend you the same.

5- Stop drinking caffeine at least 8 hours before bed

A study published by Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine in 2013 [6] observed the effects of caffeine taken 0, 3 and 6 hours prior to bed. What they found is that even before 6 hours, caffeine still has disruptive effects on sleep although the participants didn't notice its effect before going to bed.

For a better sleep, you probably would better stop caffeine intake at least 6 hours before bed.

I tried what works for me and figured that I sleep better when stick to a 2 o'clock caffeine cut off.

6- Bring earplugs

If you haven't slept in a tent before, I strongly recommend you to try sleeping without ear plugs because some people (including me) swear by it. It's always better than sleeping at home for me.

Looking for a 3P tent?

If you're looking for a three season, 3P tent, make sure checking out our Marmot Limelight 3P vs Tungsten 3P post. Yes, these are 3 person tents - which is, as always, perfect for 2 person and very tight for 3 person.

But I understand that sleeping with the sound of nature isn't for everyone. Just in case you don't like it, definitely bring earplugs to sleep in perfect silence.

7- Wear dry clothes

Hiking and camping require you to be active. Walking with your backpack, pitching your tent and unpacking can tire and make you sweat more than you think. You definitely won't be sleeping well with wet, stinky clothes, so it's important to make a habit of changing right before bed.

8- Avoid overdressing

Wearing a jacket or double sweaters inside the sleeping bag actually inhibits its ability of trapping sufficient heat inside and keeping your warmer.

Looking for a backpacking sleeping bag on a budget?

Check out the post of OutdoorEN for budget sleeping bags.

So instead, go for medium thick nightwear.

9- Bring pillow

If you haven't tried it before, you'd be surprised how uncomfortable it is to sleep without a pillow. A pillow doesn't provide your head a soft surface only, but it also adjusts your head height from ground to a level that you're used to and comfortable with.

Although inflatable pillows are perfect for camping and I highly recommend investing in one, there are [7] other creative ways to DIY.

10- Prevent insects

If insects freak you out, you must make sure not to see them when/if you wake up in the middle of the night. You can waste rest of the night awake trying to convince yourself that you can get rid of all of them only to end up completely sleepless and literally ruin your hiking/camping experience. We can't let this happen.

The easiest and most effective way to prevent them, in most cases, is applying DEET [8] on your skin. If you want longer protection, go with a repellent with higher percentage of DEET. There are DEET products out there up to 10 hours of protection from insects (NOT mosquitoes only).

3 Most Effective Ways to Heat a Tent Without Electricity

Last updated: April 19, 2022 by Canberk Koksal

In summary, for me, heating a few stones before bed by the campfire and using them as a heat source inside your tent is the most effective (and ingenious!) method of all. Additionally; also consider preparing a hot water bottle, minimizing inner tent volume, and maintaining the warmth of your tent once it's heated.

Now let's take a closer look at these methods.

1- Using hot stones

This one is a little pro tip, but done correctly, it can be very effective.

The principle is the same with heating water - unless it takes longer for rocks to be heated. But more importantly, it takes them even longer to radiate all the contained heat until they die out. As a result, you're kept warm longer.

Things you'll need:

A campfire
A few socks
A few fist sized rocks with smooth surfaces. Rough surfaces and sharp edges aren’t preferred because (1) they can cut off your socks as they'll be wrapping rocks and (2) when in contact with your legs, they would feel uncomfortable.

Place rocks 5-10 inches away from campfire depending on fire's size and magnitude. Turn them around every now and then to make sure the center is being heated from all the angles.
When rocks are just too hot to touch, you know the center is heated up to the necessary degree. It should take around 1.5 hours for them to be thoroughly heated.
Pull the socks on over your hand and reach all the way down to the toes.
Grab the rocks, turn the socks inside out and wrap them.
Place them wherever you'd like: 4 of them at each corner or all at the center of your tent, around your sleeping bag, or, if you're comfortable with it, even inside your sleeping bag, just like boiling water.

2- Preparing a hot water bottle

This would work best if you're planning to sleep in a sleeping bag.

Before going to bed, the last thing you're doing should be boiling water to prevent it from getting colder.

Once boiled and stored in a non plastic bottle, put it lower in the sleeping bag around your feet. Heated air around your lower body will diffuse upwards and keep your entire body sufficiently warm.

DO NOT sleep with anything hot around your torso

It can heat your torso too much - causing all the water in your organs to vaporize. Can be very dangerous for your kidneys.

DO NOT drink the hot water inside any plastic bottle. Not even when the water gets cold.

3- Minimizing inner tent volume

Less air inside will be easier to heat.

Use your current tent in smallest volume - or buy the tent with the smallest size - you can get away with.

4- Maintaining the achieved warmth

Although the purpose of this post is to give instructions about heating a tent without electricity, do not ignore the 2 additional tips below if you're mainly here for feeling warmer inside your tent.

Wanna catch more z's when resting?

Make sure checking out our 10 tips to sleep more comfortably inside your tent.

Eating before bed

Your body produces heat as side effect when it’s digesting food.

Since carbohydrates are digested faster, save proteins and fats for night time to ensure even longer heat production when you're asleep.

No drinking at least 4 hours before bed

This is the easiest tip to implement.

Let's say you heated inside your tent using the methods explained above. As you see, most of them aren't easy.

Unless you want all your hard work go down the drain, don't get out of your sleeping bag and tent at night to pee and let the warmth inside move out.

Obviously, this comes down to making sure you're not going to have to pee - so stop drinking anything at least 4 hours before sleeping.

Keeping your head warm

This one is self explanatory.

So many people focus on keeping their body warm and end up neglecting their head completely.

Your head is just as important as your body when it comes to feeling warm. Your body is already inside the sleeping bag, so never forget to wear a beanie while sleeping. If you don't have one, simply warp your head with whatever you have.

Conclusion

I'd prioritize the first trick (use of hot stones) above all else. It's my favorite one by far and works like charm. Simple too. Even simpler and easier to do than boiling water.

Also, maintaining the achieved warmth of the tent is crucial. I'd highly recommend paying a lot more attention to this too.