If you have been camping in the past, you would know that the cold can actually sneak up on you when least expected. I mean it can be quite warm during the day but as soon as the sun starts hiding behind the horizon the jackets come on.
So if you want to show the cold who’s boss on your next camping trip check out my list of staying warm techniques which are not only simple but super effective.
If you are a novice and this will be one of your first trips into the outdoors than something you should really take into consideration are the clothes you will be wearing.
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#Do not wear cotton
First of all, you do not want to take clothing which is made up of cotton. This includes jumpers shirts, pants and very importantly underwear.
The reason for this is that if you get wet while wearing cotton, cotton it will absorb the moisture and hold it for long periods of time.
What this means is that the water within the cotton will become increasingly colder and colder the longer you have it on you, which in turn will lower your body temperature.
And this can become a huge problem as the longer you have these clothes on, the colder you will become. This could lead to hypothermia which is deadly if prolonged.
And in the middle of the wilderness, this is something you do not want to experience.
A good replacement small cotton is a wool, polyester or duck down.
#Layer your clothes
Now that you do not have cotton clothes, consider layering yourself like an onion.
By that, I mean put multiple layers of clothes on. By doing this you store air pockets in between the layers which in turn warm up.
As they warm up they keep their temperature and in turn keep you warm.
On top of your layers, you can put on a windproof jacket to make sure that no air from the outside can disturb your cocoon of warmth.
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Have you got tips to keep warm in winter? Let us know in the comments below to get them featured on this page.
#Wear a scarf and hat
The head loses quite a lot of heat due to the fact that blood vessels are close to the surface. That is why it is super important to wear a warm hat which will keep your head warmer.
Also whilst at it put on a scarf. in your neck, you have large arteries which carry warm blood to your brain. By keeping them warm or more protected from the cold you will stay warmer for longer.
#Don’t Sit Down
A simple way to make sure you stay warm while outdoors this is basically do not sit down when he can stay upright and move around from side to side.
The more you move the warmer your stay, that is why one of the body’s natural responses to cold is to shiver.
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#Pee before you Zzzzz
Before you go to sleep make sure to urinate.
The reason why its effective is that that if you store the urine inside your body it has to be kept at a constant body temperature which in turn means it’s using energy which could be otherwise be used for warming you up.
#Get yourself the right sleeping bag.
Now it might seem that sleeping bags have a few different designs.
They can be rectangular or mummy shaped, but something you might not know about is that sleeping bags may also be designed for males or females.
The reason behind this is that females bodies tend to have a higher priority for their reproductive and inner organs. This is due to evolution. For thousands of years, women would usually stay in a camp where it was warmer.
On the other hand, men would go hunting and didn’t have the comforts that the women had in camp.
So, in turn, most males are better suited for camping then females and because of this companies have created sleeping bags for both genders.
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#Eat high energy foods 
At any point during the day make sure you have some high energy snacks which you can snack on.
If you keep your metabolism going it will continually warm you up. I usually do not recommend this before you go to sleep, as it is the perfect time for your body to repair itself, but if you were cold grab a snack and warm yourself up.
If you are interested in finding out which high energy foods and snacks you should take with you camping check out this post on high energy foods for winter
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#Do some exercises in your sleeping bag.
I know this might seem counter-productive as you are probably trying to go to sleep but the way that sleeping bags work is that they use your heat to warm up. They reflect and keep the heat inside the sleeping bag. They do not warm up on their own
If you exercise within the sleeping bag, this heat your body produces will stay there for much longer which in turn will keep you toasty throughout the night.
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#Get a mattress or barrier between yourself and the ground.
If you touch the ground at nighttime it will most likely be cold. That is because it does not retain heat very well.
When you lie on the ground, it will actually start absorbing your heat which in turn means you will become colder much quicker.
Use grass leaves and twigs or mats and air mattresses to separate yourself from the ground and on top of that sleep more comfortably.
#Do some exercises in your sleeping bag.
I know this might seem counter-productive as you are probably trying to go to sleep but the way that sleeping bags work is that they use your heat to warm up.
They reflect and keep the heat inside the sleeping bag. They do not warm up on their own
If you exercise within the sleeping bag, this heat your body produces will stay there for much longer which in turn will keep you toasty throughout the night.
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#Start a fire 
Obviously going camping in a way means that you will be enjoying the warmth of a fire.
But if you haven’t lit a fire in the cold before, you might actually be surprised at how much harder it can be.
Check out this list of fire starters that can help you start a fire in no time
#Fill up your water bottle with warm water.
Before going to sleep warm up water in the kettle and pour it into your drinking bottle. Make sure it doesn’t melt the plastic and that it is not hot.
Once the bottle is full close it up and place it at the bottom of your sleeping bag.
As mentioned before the sleeping bag reflects your heat and keeps it on the inside. By placing a warm water bottle on the inside means that it doesn’t require your body temperature to warm up.
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#Don’t Sit Down
A simple way to make sure you stay warm while outdoors this is basically do not sit down when he can stay upright and move around from side to side.
The more you move the warmer your stay, that is why one of the body’s natural responses to cold is to shiver.
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