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KEEP
YOUR SLEEPING BAG DRY. A wet sleeping bag is not only uncomfortable but
it is also less effective at keeping you warm. Wrap your sleeping
bag in a plastic garbage bag before you place it in its stuff
sack. Make sure you brush the snow off your clothing and boots
before you get into your tent. (A little whisk broom works great
for this.)
SPREAD OUT
YOUR SLEEPING BAG AT LEAST 1/2 HOUR BEFORE BED TIME. Give your sleeping bag
at least one half hour to fluff up before you get inside. The loft
of your sleeping bag is what helps keep you warm.
WEAR A HAT
AND SCARF TO BED. Heat escapes rapidly from your head. Wearing a comfortable
stocking cap is one of the best things you can do to keep yourself
warm while you are sleeping. Wrapping a scarf around your neck
will also help you retain your body heat.
CHANGE YOUR
CLOTHES BEFORE YOU GO TO BED. During the day, your clothes collect your
body's perspiration. If you go to bed in the same clothes you were
wearing during the day, that perspiration will cool your body off.
Put on dry clothes before getting into bed. Put on extra clothes
if it is extra cold.
USE A SLEEPING
PAD. The
greatest source of cold when you are sleeping is the ground,
not the air. Use a foam sleeping pad to insulate you from the
ground. An air mattress will not work. The more insulation the better.
In the winter, a half inch to an inch of insulation is ideal.
TAKE A HIKE
BEFORE YOU GO TO BED. A sleeping bag does not warm you. It only helps
you retain the heat that your body generates. Before you get
into your sleeping bag, get your internal furnace running by
taking a walk or doing a few jumping jacks. Don't work up a sweat!
That will only make you colder.
EAT A SNACK
BEFORE YOU GO TO BED. You need fuel in your furnace. Before you go to
bed, have a snack. Proteins, such as cheese, nuts, or grains,
are better than simple sugars. Proteins release their energy more
slowly than sugars, keeping you warmer through the night.
PUT TOMORROW'S
CLOTHES UNDER YOUR SLEEPING BAG. If you put tomorrow's clothes between
your sleeping pad and your sleeping bag, your clothes will be
warm when you go to put them on the next day. Plus, the additional
layer between you and the ground will help you keep warm.
USE A BLANKET
OR A SECOND SLEEPING BAG FOR EXTRA INSULATION. Increase the warmth of your
sleeping bag by adding a blanket or by double bagging.
SLEEP WITH
YOUR FACE OUTSIDE OF YOUR SLEEPING BAG. Don't cover your face with your sleeping
bag. Your breath contains moisture that will moisten your sleeping
bag and chill you.
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