Canopy Heat???

[stroh72]

So I am heading off AGAIN to chase a certain deer that has been giving me the slip. I will need to crash in my canopy in order to stay near the action. The nights will be close to minus 10. Other than the obvious jokes like a good bag or a hot woman does anybody have suggestions for a heat source. Completely aware of carbon monoxide fumes from propane heater just wondering what some tricks or tips may be out there. Thank you in advance.

[Shooter]

Just route the exhaust in....























Just to clarify I am joking

[SimilkameenSlayer]

a hot water bottle for your sleeping bag.

[charbrc]

The problem will not be keeping heat in but keeping the moisture out.

[betteroffishing]

5 or 10 hand warmers thrown into your bag should help a bit , get the adhesive ones and stick them to your shoulders , hips and toes. and have a hot cup of tea or milk just before bed , eat an early dinner so your not wasting energy digesting while trying to stay warm , sleep with a toque on and dont forget you do need fresh air inside the canopy . pad the inside of your bag with the next days underclothes, good luck to you on your quest.

[ianwuzhere]

big a$$ sleeping bag, wear the clothing you are going to hunt in the next day-this will help the uncomfort of changing first thing in the morning while its freezing..
a great idea i do is to heat up large amount of water before bed-just real warm not boiling- then pour it into a bunch of plastic water bottles. two lil 500ml ones -one for each boot- and wrap in blanket heating boots up for a while. put a couple warm bottles in your sleeping bag and cuddle the warm water bottles all nite- they will keep you warm for quite a while and warm up the bed before you get in..
-make sure all the caps are tight-dont buy the cheap water bottles=cheap caps on em..

-hope it helps and good luck searchin out the booner buck!!!

[The Dawg]

Good airmattress to insulate underneath you. Wear a toque, use a GOOD sleeping bag. Try Ians' trick with the hot water bottles.

[recoil]

If your truck is a full size with bench seat then i would sleep in there instead, start the truck up every couple of hours when you get chilly and let the heater warm you up, might cost you a few bucks in gas but it might be an option.

Or.. what i used to do was carry around a cheapy 2,000 watt mini generator and a small portable 120 volt electric 1000 watt heater (50% load) plus 100' of 14 gauge extension cord. Worked good but make sure you are not camped near others as they will kill you in your sleep. Insulate the crap out of your canopy otherwise your heat will quickly escape.

Nowdays for late season hunts i usually just motel it and split the cost with my hunting partner, we get up early and are in the bush at first light.

[sarg]

when i sleep in my canopy deer hunting i have a good 6" foam under me and a good bag, in the morning i light my lantern for a bit b4 getting out of my bag and it take the chill out of the canopy, but i did carpet the roof of my canopy the second year, works good for keeping the moisture out.

[Livewire322]

Are you road hunting? If not then make sure to sleep with only a base layer on... If you wake up super warm then the ambient temp will kick your arse... Especially if you sweat.

[Caveman]

Thick insulating layer beneath your sleeping bag. Off of the box of the truck is best. As someone mentioned moisture can be an issue, maybe not at -10 though.

[ianwuzhere]

folding cot inside the canopy works great- they are about $100 and comfy! Couple blankets on top, toque, pillow big blanket- whammy-dreaming about BIG bucks!

[Jagermeister]

Get an air space between you and the box floor. three 4X4s and a sheet of plywood or OSB, top that with your sleeping pad and at least a -20 deg F bag. Like Noahdog said, wear the toque and do not sleep in your clothing. Put you outer wear under you on the outside of your bag so that they are semi warm when you wake up. Make sure that you have good ventilation so that the moisture that you expel will carry away. If you do not have a suitable bag, then use two lesser ones and some heavy blankets or quilts. Try not to use any heater if possible.

[rides bike to work]

insulate your canopy then heat up a bunch of bolders in the fire and load them into a metal 5gal bucket with a shovel bring the buckets in the canopy it wil radiate heat for quit a while and keep the moisture out

[Big Lew]

I've slept overnight in minus 10-35 degree F often. An appropriate sleeping bag and insulation under you, as well as sleeping in a layer of clothing (long underwear is good) with your other garments, even your boots, inside your bag as well. If it gets down below minus 20, I don't sleep in the truck because the cold attacks from all around, including underneath. Almost lost a Brother once by Nations River in minus 35 degree F because he insisted on sleeping in the cab rather than with me on the ground. I scraped the snow down, layed down a tarp, put an opened old sleeping bag on top, and then climbed into my arctic bag, clothes, boots, toque and all. Had a good sleep, but when I got up and checked on my Brother, he was sitting up, fully clothed in his sleeping bag, with only his nose visible, and not responsive. It took a long time to get him moving and warmed up, and to this day, we both know that had I slept just a bit longer, he would have frozen to death.

[Hunterguy]

Near the action, action doesnt start til shooting light, 7:30 stay in a motel, get up early ready for a long day in the bush. Nothing worse than struggling with the elements in late season hunts. Seventy bucks, good sleep, shower, if you get up at 6 or 5 in the morning you can be a lot of places by first light.

[Barracuda]

1 inch styrofoam closed cell hard under you plus your foam mattress plus a couple of dogs (3 if its a really cold night) and blankets. dont worry about condensation as it will just ice up on the canopy

[Ioneth]

How about one of those catalytic propane heaters?

[Gateholio]

If this was a hiking or mountaineering or ski touring forum, this would get laughed at :) Sorry, not trying to be rude, so don't take it that way.

If you have a truck wiht a canopy and you intend on sleeping at your truck, then use the canopy for what it's designed for- dry storage of your gear! And you can take a huge amount of gear with you, as you dont' need to backpack it in!

Take a tent. Stomp down the snow for a place to put the tent. Any tent will do, really, even a crappy Canadian Tire tent. If it's - 10 it wont' rain, worst that can happen is that you have to wake up half way through the night and knock off snow from the inside if it is really dumping snow...

Put down a good sleeping pad (or multiple pads/blankets, since you have almost unlimited space in your truck) and use a good sleeping bag (and if your bag sucks, use extra blankets or another bag, again,as you have lots of room in truck)

You will perspire during the night, so you can use a vapor bag (another word for clammy sweat bag) or just throw on a light cotton t-shirt and ligth fleece pants or cotton long johns. This will absorb your sweat in the bag and keep you comfy. Don't wear this stuff for hunting, just sleeping.

Keep your inner (first layer) hunting clothes inside your bag so they are warm when you wake. When you come back all sweated up, take your first layer off and dry them out before you put them in your bag.

If you want, In the morning, light up a lantern or little propane heater inside the tent to warm up the tent a bit and get changed into your warm hunting gear inside your bag. As you stated, be careful off too long exposure to the fumes, and fire of course. PS propane doesn't work great in the cold, so keep that in mind. If you dont' have a heater/lantern, then just put on inner layer and jump up fast and get out of the tent and gear up! :)

The problem with using the canopy as a bed is that you can't take as much gear, you gotta organize it every time you want to go to bed, and worst of all, you will breathe and sweat and turn it into a wet cavern. At the very least, you can take your stuff out of the tent for a few minutes, smash off the frozen condensation, wipe it out and replace your stuff after.

I've slept in really cold weather in a tent and I am still alive. Snow caves are downright cozy, but take deep snow and lots of work. :)

Keep your canopy as a DRY storage (heck you can take a new set of clothing for every day of hunting if you want, and keep it dry!) and sleep in warm comfort in a tent , or even as Big Lew says, under the stars.

[Gateholio]

Near the action, action doesnt start til shooting light, 7:30 stay in a motel, get up early ready for a long day in the bush. Nothing worse than struggling with the elements in late season hunts. Seventy bucks, good sleep, shower, if you get up at 6 or 5 in the morning you can be a lot of places by first light.

Better option if you are near a motel! :)

You can hunt harder after a good sleep and shower!

[Fella]

Make a platform as suggested before, and if you're not too picky about cleanliness, put a thick layer of sawdust down. Sawdust acts as an insulator, so at least you'll fend off some of the cold coming from beneath your truck box. Sleeping bag with a fleece blanket or down duvet over top would work pretty well too.

[Ry151]

Crappy tire sells 12v electric heater that I wired a 7 pin connector to feed of the truck battery (I have dual batteries) through the trailer wiring. I sleep on an air mattress and a good sleeping bag, just before getting up I turn the heater on and away I go. Works ok but don't kill the truck battery or your screwed

[Gateholio]

Hunters always seem really tied to their trucks. Much more so than other outdoor enthusiasts.

[Whonnock Boy]

I am with Gatehouse. Sleeping in the truck you are surrounded by the ambient outside temperature. When sleeping in a tent the surface temperature of the ground is somewhat more stable and warmer than the outside air. Your body heat will even heat the ground somewhat acting as an insulator. I have attempted to sleep in the box of my truck a couple times at temps. of -10 only to be awoken from the cold. I had no choice but to vacate to the cab and start the truck to reheat. This was with a pile of foam mattresses as bedding. This is probably the reason why ungulates choose to sleep on the ground, and not in the trees. :-D

[hunter1947]

I was in my canopy in -20 temperatures I took a 20 pound propane bottle with a heater that goes onto it I only used it to get the chill out of the canopy first thing before I got up and just before I go to bed I cracked the window a few inches on both windows ..

You can't keep the heater going for a long period of time because it will produce carbon monoxide ,I let my heater go for about 5 min in the morning and about 5 min before I went to bed.

Make sure you have a 4 inch foamy under you and a couple warm sleeping bags with a tyke this will keep you warm at night..

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/00616.JPG (javascript:;)

[Nimrod]

As Gatehouse said backpackers and back country skiers would find this discussion amusing.
the ground is better than a truck bed, spent may nights either in the truck or on the ground with a ridge rest and a therma rest for ground padding and a good -25 down bag and always slept great, toque is mandatory. For years slept in a small tent ,preferred, or if I was lazy or couldn't find a good spot would use the goretex bivi sack on the ground to -28 ( getting out of a bivi to pee in sub zero is a interesting experience, usually avoid it until it become critical then you almost tear the thing apart trying to get out) if your making a fire find some nice flat smooth rocks of good size and put them in the fire , take them out before bed and wrap in a towel , put one at your feet and a big one for snuggling, you'll never sleep better.
Ultimate is of course a wall tent with a cot and the wood stove, like a hotel room in the bush sepecially this time of year with more dark than light in the day....so good!

[LYKTOHUNT]

Like others have said one of the biggest problem in a canopy is the condensation,it can literally rain inside the canopy unless you have some insulation on thr roof

[new hunter]

I know this will get everyone screaming about how mec is anti hunting etc , and I have no interest in debating that one all over again , but .
Check out there winter catalogue when it comes out soon it will have a ton of winter camping products for backcountry skiers that you could use for next year including arctic rated sleeping bags and bag liners .
If you don't want to deal with them you can use them for a list of potential products and then buy them from a different supplier .

[Ferenc]

For a sleeping bag I use a Woods 5 star....rated to minus 40....have gone this route before many a times in the peace river country hunting late season...just a note these bags are heavy but do the trick!!!!....and for sure as every one has mentioned wear something over your head!!! if you plan on covering the country as this happens during deer season I would scrap the tent idea...just more to worry about... and clean up if thing go sideways as this can happen in minus 30 weather .... just my opnion....Good luck!!

[lilhoss]

Olympian catalytic heaters
http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/product/olympian-wave-catalytic-safety-heaters/1630
I also put a base sheet of Blue Sm insulation,at least 2 inch,under,and a good sleeping bag, as has been said above.Make sure you have a small lighter or something to warm up your canopy door locks,had mine "freeze up" one time,even though they weren't locked,the built up moisture had me in until one of the "crew" poured some coffee on from outside.:-D

[kendoo]

As Gatehouse said small tent as canopys & truck cabs seem to attract the cold. A therma-rest is 10 times warmer than a air mattress. Also 15 hours of darkness is a long time to spend in a canopy. Good luck on a big buck.

[stroh72]

Thank you for all the replies. Motel idea not gonna cut it in this location but has been my go to in the past for other spots. Reflecting back through the years I don't known if I've ever slept well In my canopy and that includes summer time..going for my tent, wool blanket on the bottom, thermarest and 4 inches of foam add some duvets and my flannel sheets I should be ready for 14 hours of darkness. Now if the deer cooperates we will have a happy ending.

[roymil]

yeppers...............the tent is by far the best

[guest]

get a rip roaring fire going with a tarp to deflect heat, sit, stand and even dance around it before bed time as 14 hours of flat backing it is nasty.

Good luck to ya

Been there done it !

CT

[shaydog65]

I slept like a baby in -5 temps in my tent this season. I think you've got the right idea with all these posts. I wore a balaclava, merino wool base layers and stuffed my bag with my next days clothing. I pittied my camp mates who slept in reclined captains chairs for 4 nights, never having a chance to straighten their backs out.

[sceddy]

A couple of year ago I went for a late hunt. I stayed in a hotel one night, drove in early , then planned to stay in the canopy for one ore two nights. I hunted all day, built a big fire hung out at camp and drank some rum to numb the noodle a bit. My plan was to put a space heater in the back to take the chill off. Generater usually lasts about 4 hours so I thought it would fine. Well that night it went down to minus 31, generater didn't work worth a shit, and my truck barely started in the morning. Good thing I had warm bag and blankets. I woke up at 5 am, waited in my truck till light, went for a hunt and left that night. I would have been screwed if my truck didn't start. One thing a guy told me once was that when it's really cold, I have a diesel, put a small cook stove under your oil pan, take the oil cap off and start warming.

[BromBones]

get a rip roaring fire going with a tarp to deflect heat, sit, stand and even dance around it before bed time as 14 hours of flat backing it is nasty.



That's my preferred way as well. One small tarp on the ground if there's snow, another above for a lean-to, and a fire just at the edge. I'll cut two or three small (~6'') logs and lay them within arms reach, and keep pushing them into the fire during the night. A stack or rocks opposite the fire will reflect some heat back to you as well. Much warmer than a tent and you dont feel stuck in the dark on those long winter nights.

Just gotta watch where you setup - if you're under heavy spruce or fir timber and there is snow built up on the limbs, your fire will warm things up to the point that the snow starts coming down in heavy clumps and either keeps you awake by splattering on your tarp, or puts your fire out. :)

[mijinkal]

Here's what I learned from my daughter's girl guides and I do it every time I tent camp on the cold:
When you have a fire at night, heat up a few softball size rocks in the fire. When it's time for bed, take them out of the fire, wrap them up in a crappy towel, and put them at the end of your sleeping bag. Most rocks will stay warm all night and will keep your sleeping bag nice and toasty. Your feet will make love to the rocks all night and you will sleep like a baby.

[peashooter]

Buy a camper, turn the furnace on and pour a stiff drink and wait for the sun to come up and shoot a mega buck, then post pics on Hbc.

[elkdom]

I was in my canopy in -20 temperatures I took a 20 pound propane bottle with a heater that goes onto it I only used it to get the chill out of the canopy first thing before I got up and just before I go to bed I cracked the window a few inches on both windows ..

You can't keep the heater going for a long period of time because it will produce carbon monoxide ,I let my heater go for about 5 min in the morning and about 5 min before I went to bed.

Make sure you have a 4 inch foamy under you and a couple warm sleeping bags with a tyke this will keep you warm at night..

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/00616.JPG (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:;)

IF YOU drift off to sleep , while using one of these man-killers and you will NEVER wake up! :shock:

easy to drift into a DEEP sleep! once you are WARM and Relaxed after a long days drive or hours of hard exertion or walking !

if you want a good rest and dont wish to pack a huge amount of gear ? get a good canvas tarp12'x12'to cover you and wrap you and your sleeping bag, a sub-zero sleeping bag, make your bed on the ground, you can get a good sleep and you WILL awaken in the Morning, and you will save someone calling the RCMP and the CORONER ! to investigate your demise !:mrgreen:

[Ferenc]

Buy a camper, turn the furnace on and pour a stiff drink and wait for the sun to come up and shoot a mega buck, then post pics on Hbc.

Now thats the way...Good one peashooter!!!!

[swampthing]

I use a great big sleep bag with a mummy bag inside it. Its the morning while getting up that heat is nice. Thats when you can use a propane type heater. Keep a window or two open all night to avoid icing inside.

[Gun Dog]

An air mattress is a poor insulator. The air inside will cool to minus something and the water vapour from your sleeping body will condense on the surface soaking your sleeping bag. A platform lifts you off the steel body and lets you store stuff underneath. A good foam pad, a good sleeping bag and a catalytic heater to warm the space in the morning works fine. Don't run the heater overnight. Wear a touque if you're still cold.

[jetboat jim]

http://www.mrheater.com/product.aspx?catid=41&id=338

mr buddy heater......used one for years.

[steepNdeep]

I used to camp in my truck canopy. I built a 2x4 frame up to just below the bed rails, sheeted it with plywood & cut a trap door near the cab end. I covered it with carpet & slept on a 6" foamy in my sleeping bag. I've slept in -25'C weather & it was fine. Good sleeping bad is the key. I never used a heater.

For heat you could use a converter plugged into your lighter & small electric heater, but it will drain your battery quick. Propane heaters give off a lot of moisture & it will rain inside your canopy. I used to sit in the cab or at the fire to warm up...

It worked fine... You can see the frame to the right of the pack:

http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4114/4908210453_430595e807_b.jpg

[f350ps]

I was in my canopy in -20 temperatures I took a 20 pound propane bottle with a heater that goes onto it I only used it to get the chill out of the canopy first thing before I got up and just before I go to bed I cracked the window a few inches on both windows ..

You can't keep the heater going for a long period of time because it will produce carbon monoxide ,I let my heater go for about 5 min in the morning and about 5 min before I went to bed.

Make sure you have a 4 inch foamy under you and a couple warm sleeping bags with a tyke this will keep you warm at night..

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/00616.JPG (javascript:;)

Wow Wayne, I'm not sure I'd share that info with the world! K

[tightgrouper]

Burning propane does not produce carbon monoxide(CO), it makes carbon dioxide(CO2). This is why they use Propane in forklift in plants and warehouses. Gas and diesel produce Carbon monoxide. There is a big difference although both can kill you just the same. The difference is that carbon monoxide takes up oxygen spots on your bloods hemoglobin. when these spots are occupied by C0 it take 10 times longer to remove it from that location because your body(blood) id's the co molecule as usable oxygen and has no reaction to other than silent suffocation. This silent suffocation can be accompanied with symptoms of drowsiness, headache, nausea but if you are sleeping or fall asleep and continue to take on co molecules your toast! The cumulative effects of this are deadly and silent.
The body uses the presence of co2 as a trigger or indicator to breath harder or more and spots in the blood cells taken up with co2 are easily replaces with an oxygen molecule. CO2 is also the product of our respiration.

Never the less DO NOT mess with propane heaters for the same reasons.

Just sayin,

I have probably left out some details feel free to step in.

[reach]

What tightgrouper said. To clarify, "burning propane does not produce carbon monoxide(CO), it makes carbon dioxide(CO2)" when properly ventilated.

If the oxygen level drops due to inadequate fresh air supply, any combustion/catalytic heater will produce increased amounts of CO instead of CO2. I would not consider using any heater unless it's exhausted to the outside (e.g. wood stove, RV furnace) or has a low oxygen shutoff.

My sister died by using a propane heater in a confined space, so I know this from first hand experience.

[kuva]

Here is the way I do it in a canopy. Set your truck heater to floor heat. Plug off one vent with a cloth. route dryer hose from vent into canopy. Get a automatic starter for truck. Set alarm for midnight wake up hit start on the truck, instant heat. Just make sure you have no exushat leaks and you have a hose from the end of your exhust running away from your truck about five feet. The automatic starter will shut the truck off automactic, you just have to make sure its long enough to warm up the sleeping area. The pressure of the blower motor SHOULD help keep any remaining euasht from entering inside the truck. For extra safty have CO alarm.

[Gunner Staal]

You guys MUST check out the Exped Synmat and Downmat air mattresses. Far superior to Thermarest. Yes they are air filled but far out perform Thermarest in warmth and comfort. One easy motto to go by here.....If its too cold to sleep in your tent, its to cold to sleep in your truck. Tent all the way. All of the metal and plastic in your vehicle just transfers that bitter chill. You will be surprised at the difference in temperature between the inside and outside of your tent. It will be 5 degrees warmer. Gatehouses comments are so very correct, hunters will build a damn fort in the back of their trucks spending hundreds of dollars on heaters and generators and every other gadget in the world. Way to attached to our vehicles.

[green machine]

insulate your canopy then heat up a bunch of bolders in the fire and load them into a metal 5gal bucket with a shovel bring the buckets in the canopy it wil radiate heat for quit a while and keep the moisture out

this works really well. we did this in our 25 ft 5th wheel on thankgiving just to see how it works and it diid keep the chill off. of course it will be different story at -10 and in the back of a truck. i would line the inside of the canopy with thermal bubble wrap and use one of those foil blankets aswell. another idea is use a cott as stated earllier but also put the hot rocks under the cott then the heat will radiat up right to you.

[scoopy]

I slept in my canopy near Tulameen 2 Sundays ago. Me and the dog climbed in the back with a coleman cat heater and ran it every 2 hours as it was -11 when I woke in the morning. The damn dog woke me up every time it got cold and whined until I fired up the heat. My canopy is ALUMINUM!!! not good for retaining heat, but if you insulate with 1" blue foam it would help a lot. My sleep was terrible, I froze all night, I literally had icicles on the inside of my canopy, and the dog was pissed. I did however wake up early, walk into the bush, and drop a big buck that morning. TOTALLY WORTH IT!!!!

[WaderGator]

Me and the woman tried camping last New Years. We loaded up the back of the truck with a big fat air mattress about 5 blankets on top of that and another 5 blankets on top of us. It was absolutely freezing! i couldnt believe it. I knew sleeping under the canopy isn't the warmest way to go but it was actually shocking how cold it was. I think it will be reserved for summertime only. As for being clothed while sleeping in a sleeping bag. Its a terrible idea. I spent years sleeping in my gear (boots included sometimes) thinking it would keep me warmer just to wake up moist and freezing in the morning. It all changed when I had a conversation with a CF search and rescue technician and he informed me that they wear as little as possible when in their sleeping bags even in arctic conditions. Im sure nowadays with base layers like underarmour you could probably get away with that but for me its all about boxers and a quality mummy bag, toque and a wool blanket over top.

[ROEBUCK]

I wear A pair of thick hiking socks thermal long pants and my coldgear under armer top and chamois shirt
inside my sleeping bag and under a duvet cover on a mattress.
with my spaniel .
put the cat heater on before bedtime and i sleep just fine. turn off cat heater before sleeptime.
not a problem in subzero temps

[nature girl]

Have a candle burning it does help a little. I burn one in a jar. Just make sure it wont get knocked over.

[Big Lew]

Have a candle burning it does help a little. I burn one in a jar. Just make sure it wont get knocked over.
As I stated earlier, if traveling by vehicle in bitterly cold conditions, I do alright sleeping on the ground using good insulation and an arctic sleeping bag, but if I have a tent, I'll use that, and like "nature girl" suggests, I light a candle lantern (2 if it's really cold) I hang them low from the roof. (best to use thin wire rather than string) You would be surprised how effective they are....consider that Eskimos only burned a small blubber-oil lamp in igloos and snow caves which kept them from freezing to death in colder conditions then we'll ever experience.

[Sleep Robber]

An electric blanket hooked up to a Honda EU1000i Generator/extension cord works great, never cold, ever !!!! Make sure you fill it up with gas before you hit the sack and your good for at least 5 hours of great sleep. The thing is so quiet on economy throttle that you can hardly hear the thing running anyways.:mrgreen:

The hot rocks work great too, I even wrap a few softball sized ones in a double wrapping of aluminum foil and toss them right in the fart sack itself. Good long johns, a toque and a pair of thermal socks is all you need when you go to bed. Remember, if your head and feet are warm, basically everything else is too.:-D

[dabat]

I can vouch for the hot rocks....they work. A couple of soccer ball sized ones on the bottom of the truck(protect the truck itself from the heat) and a couple of smaller ones in the bag. Still a little chilly in the morning once you get out of the bag, but bearable.

[brian]

Thickest foam mattress you can find/ pack in your truck. I would argue that Insulation under you is more important than insulation on top of you. But Gate is right, metal conducts heat away from you. So you are better off packing a tent and and sleeping on the snow (with a good thick foamy under you).

[bosca]

I have spent some evenings in my dads homemade canopy in some pretty frosty temps ...We just ran the propane Lantern for while before bed and again before getting out of the bag.
Unless your canopy Is air tight I think it would be safe to run a small catalytic propane heater....I have used it in my tent trailer which is not much different.
Not sure...just some suggestions.

[brexton bum]

Sleeping on a cot or just a simple air matress is not a good idea. You want a thick foamy or one of those thrmarest style matress's underneath you thick as you can get or afford, there not cheap. Convection is the killer. Still air slows down heat transfer,moving air speeds it up.You could buy a 300$ down sleeping bag rated for minus 20, sleep on a cot and still freeze .You would have 6 inches of insulation on top and about 3/4 of an inch on the bottom.Camping in osoyoos one summer purchased a nice big air matress cot for the wife and me, man it was cold we froze .Had lots of insulation on top nothing below.And don't compress your down sleeping bag with a heavy wool blanket use a lighter fleece one.

[jeff]

why not just leave a window open a crack and buy a little buddy heater.if no windows leave the canopy door open a crack

[brexton bum]

Because A : I would probably get some of that dreaded fresh air and B: The next critter that was within a mile would get one whiff and be all over me like those coons in my garbage.

[pete_k]

why not just leave a window open a crack and buy a little buddy heater.if no windows leave the canopy door open a crack
Not a bad idea.
But ABSOLUTELY ABSOLUTELY ABSOLUTELY buy at least one CO alarm with spare batteries. Read the instructions and TEST it.
Make sure your blankets don't block off the sensors.
This will help prevent you from waking up dead in the morning.

[NorthShoreX]

A 4 season tent and this http://ca.wholesalesports.com/storefront/sleeping-bags-mattresses/synthetic-bags/outfitter-sleeping-bag/prod238423.html

I've heard that if you hang some towels or blankets in a tent it helps keep the heat down lower near the sleeper. Never tried it, so I don't know if it works or not.

[hunter1947]

I never had a problem with condensation dropping on me when I used the heater in my canopy the reason why not is I only had the heater on for 5 min and that was long enough to take the chill out of the area ,same as for the evening before I went to bed 5 min on before bed time this was in temp of -30c.

[Fishhound]

A lot of good info here, when I stayed in a canopy in the cold I used to bring a couple of large long burning, non drip candles with me.

You would be amazed at how much moisture they will eat up and how much heat they will produce, just make sure you have adequate ventilation.

[bcbrez]

Bring the dogs in with you and if you have a fire wrap a bunch of the hot fire pit rocks in tin foil (shiny side in) and take them to bed with you. Just a trick my Nonna showed me, works awsome. Oh and use gloves when you grab the rocks to wrap them.

[frenchbar]

I never had a problem with condensation dropping on me when I used the heater in my canopy the reason why not is I only had the heater on for 5 min and that was long enough to take the chill out of the area ,same as for the evening before I went to bed 5 min on before bed time this was in temp of -30c.

-30 and sleeping in the back of the truck.....you are a tough hombre Wayne...not for me thanks

[hunter1947]

-30 and sleeping in the back of the truck.....you are a tough hombre Wayne...not for me thanks


Thats right up in Fort Nelson 1971 Nov 18th I remember..

[Salty]

I'll agree that sleeping on the ground is a better option but it can be done in a truck too. You need to be well prepared for either in cold weather.

A little off topic but a story from when I was young and stupid. Circa about 1981 I made a trip from Prince George to Vancouver to visit friends and party on some time off from working on the rail road to Tumbler Ridge. I left the big smoke one December evening to pull an all nighter and drive back up north. My truck which had been nic named Petunia by some gal, and it stuck, LOL was a 1966 GM 4x4 Panel Wagon. She was a good runner but I was lazy and didn't fix stuff, so it had no heater as the core leaked and I had bypassed it with the heater hoses. :?

Things were going well but it started to get colder than hell around Williams lake. I did a lot of skiing in those days so I was bundled up well and quite comfy. I was just before Clinton when she started hesitating and running rough. I new right away that it was probably freezing fuel lines and that some gas line antifreeze was needed. Made it to Clinton around 10:00 but that 1 horse town was locked up tight. Nothing open. I limped further north hoping to make 100 mile but it got worse to the point of being dangerous as I was only making 30mph.

I found a pullout and thought best to just call it a night as there was dick for traffic a cold sob to be hitch hiking in. No biggy. I had a big old foamy, carpet under that and a couple 3 good sleeping bags and lots of blankets. I bundled up and drifted off.

A few hours later I heard crunching footsteps in the snow and saw light from a flashlight. The flashling gets rapped on the driver's window and I hear 'RCMP, is anyone in there?' I yell ya I'm back here I'm OK just need gas line antifreeze I'll deal with it in the morning. Nope he thinks I'm nuts and asks me to get out. I unwrapp myself, kneel behind the bench seat and unlock the door. We talk a bit and he shines his light all around and sees I'm fine. He says thank god I thought I was going to pull a stiff out of here, do you know how cold it is, he asks? 43 below he says!

He was a really good shit and returned an hour or so later with some methyl hydrate and I was on my way. So sleeping in a cold truck can be done if you have the gear. Not the best plan though...

[quadrakid]

Copious amounts of overproof rhum.

[Fixit]

i like the idea to use hard insulation board!, blue or pink stuff...

id agree that you loose more heat through your backside as you lay on the ground/truck bed that upwards through the sleeping bag

[frenchbar]

Copious amounts of overproof rhum...

booze is a bad idea ..works for a couple hrs..then your screwed lol..i know ive tried it at 6000 ft in nov at - 20

[longstonec]

Gatehouse is right. Look up what people are sleeping in ski touring. No heaters or fires! ( unless sleeping in a hut )

[Gunner Staal]

Mountaineering equipment far....far...exceeds 99 percent of hunting gear. We as hunters generally use crap gear. Even the expensive stuff is generally heavier, less functional, less weatherproof and not as well made. Buy your backcountry gear at mountaineering shops....not hunting stores.

[troutseeker]

Gunner Staal would know, but he get's his gear for free...

[ufishifish2]

I don't know if'n you've got a gen set, but in January I took my camper on a bison hunt up to Pink Mtn. It was -36 when we got there. I plugged in my wifeys $50.00 heated blanket I bought her from London Drugs and slept super warm and comfy.
Good luck to ya!

[high and to the right]

I haven't heard of using an electric blanket but I like that idea. I lived in Alberta in the late 70's and camped close to a couple guys who were sleeping in their truck Canopy. The temperature took a dive and they fired up their hibachi charcoal BBQ to keep warm. They were both dead in the morning when their partners came to wake them to go hunting. I almost bought the farm that night too as my furnace stopped working in the camper so I turned on the burners to warm up. I was going to turn them off before going back to sleep but I was so cold and the sleeping bag was so warm that I slid back into it and went to sleep. I woke up in the middle of the night and felt like puking. I tried to get out of bed (the overhang over the cab) and fell onto the floor. I crawled to the door and opened it and the wind rushed into the camper and onto me. I was very dizzy and every thing was blurry. I noticed that the burners had gone out and thought that I was out of propane but what had happened is that they burned themselves out because of lack of O2. There were almost 3 casualties that night. I thanked God for sparing me - and froze the rest of the night without heat.

[gon_fishn]

A good bottle of scotch and oh ya a big fat chick

[Andrewh]

Sleeping on the ground is a much better option. As a backcountry skier/camping I have learned that the closer to the ground you can dig in the better. The snow/air surface temp might be -12* but as you drop down through the layers of snow, the temperature of the snow will increase Significantly. 20cm of depth and easily be a difference of 15* C...

Remember the ground stays very close to 0*C...just something to think about. Go get yourself a good 4 season tent and sleeping bag from MEC or another Backcountry gear outfitter, not a hunting shop.

[hunter1947]

Mountaineering equipment far....far...exceeds 99 percent of hunting gear. We as hunters generally use crap gear. Even the expensive stuff is generally heavier, less functional, less weatherproof and not as well made. Buy your backcountry gear at mountaineering shops....not hunting stores.


X2 Good point.

[brazen]

I'm too chicken to sleep on the ground, in the canopy I sleep under a pile of down, heated a pile of rocks, wrapped in a blanket, but careful, I had them first in some kind of cake pan, which did singe my undermattress cloth, but they are still toasty warm in the morning. I keep a fire extinguisher handy now. Wear a wool hat and polyester against the skin. Keep the windows open wide, piss before retiring and slop some glow in the dark paint on a bottle with a good tight screw cap for if you might need to relieve at 2 am. On awakening, I avoid bumping the roof with my head, open the tailgate, canopy door propped 45 deg up, light up a hobo stove, brew coffee, refill the fire can, mop the roof with a sponge. Yes, if different clothes are actually required come morning they should be warm in the bag with you. Once the coffee's down I'm ready to find where I stuck my boots and get going.

I like the dryer vent rig idea. I was trying to fit a good cardboard square between the cab & cap sliding windows, to get the back dried out while driving in the morning, kept jigging out of place.

I also wonder if a face ski mask was lined with silica packets if that would be an option as far as breath moisture goes. I also got some felt to line the canopy with, I think that will make a difference in the drip factor, but I'm not sure what glue to use to put in on yet. Had a headliner collapse last summer on me, in a white car, Okanagan...

PS That Little Buddy heater looks a lot safer than the hobo flame stove...and a reasonable size!

[CanuckShooter]

A couple of hot red heads should do the trick...just don't understand why everyone makes staying warm in a canopy so complicated??? KISS [keep it simple silly]

[oldkoot]

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