Bushcraft

5 Ways on How to Insulate a Tent for Winter Camping

In a perfect world, every tent would come with the right amount of insulation already installed and ready for camping. Sadly, we don’t live in a perfect world, and insulating a tent yourself can save you a lot of money!

Some tents already come with some insulation, but it will depend on what kind you purchase. The point of this article is to help with options to insulate your own tent without having to purchase another one. That being said, you may still have to get a new tent if you plan on camping somewhere with a very intense climate. As the climate gets colder, you start to approach the need to just get a better tent instead of spending 2 hours trying to insulate an alright one.  

How does tent insulation work?

The theory is the same as insulating your house, you want to reduce the amount of heat that can be transferred from one material to another, eventually escaping to the outside. This can be achieved in a few ways from ensuring greater light absorption from the sun to reducing heat already in the tent from leaving. 

You could also bring a small heater, but the large struggle here is making sure as little heat leaves the tent as possible. Not many people realize it, but the human body produces a sizeable amount of heat, so just doing as much to keep that heat in can keep you warm through the night if you have a small enough tent. That being said, if you’re camping in the extreme cold, you may want to look for tents specifically built for harsh winter climates. 

5 Tent Insulation Options

1. Cover the tent with a Thermal Blanket

The hot air in your tent will rise and try to escape the tent. Putting an extra barrier between you and the outside world will help keep the heat in, especially when that barrier is a large enveloping insulator! A thermal blanket is a perfect solution to this as it will help trap heat. A nice plus to having a thermal blanket is that it will also act as a wind barrier and help stop the wind from wicking away the hot air your tent is absorbing.

If you have a 4 seasons tent, you probably won’t need this for most cold weather camping, but this is nice to have if the temperature dips low enough where the tent can’t handle it anymore. 

2. Line the roof and walls using insulating fabric

This is the same thing as insulating the outside but from the inside. You can use a thermal blanket here as well, but the reason it wasn’t mentioned first is that it can be a little annoying to do depending on the tent size. Trying to secure the material to the inside becomes tedious, but does help keep heat in a little more than putting it on the exterior. 

Some additional materials you can use are what would usually be seen in a thermal sweater. A smooth layer covering the wall or roof will help keep more heat in!

3. Tent flooring material

While heat may rise, you can lose a lot of heat just from contact with the floor. The ground isn’t exactly the most comforting and is far from warm when camping in the cold. A simple solution here is to add insulation to the ground! There are blankets made just for camping in tents, but even some rugs or other materials will work better than nothing if you’re trying to save some money. 

The thermal blanket that was mentioned above for covering the outside of the tent will also work well here as a floor mat. 

4. Opt for a smaller tent

Get a smaller tent! This one may seem obvious to some, but it’s not the first thing campers think of when looking for tent insulation options. The whole point of insulating is to reduce the amount of heat that can leave your tent. If your body heat is only producing so much comfort, then a smaller tent will reduce the amount of space you need to keep warm. 

Is it nice having a larger tent to move around in and use for storage? Of course, it is, but warmth is the real comfort you’ll want when sleeping outside, not extra room.

5. Buy a Tent Heater

A somewhat more obvious solution is to just create more heat!

Insulating a tent is still important to stay warm while camping, but producing more heat is another option that can work just as well. I’m sure some people may ask, “isn’t that a fire hazard”? The answer would be yes if you just buy a normal heater and stick it in a tight space. However, there are specially made heaters for portability and use in tents. Mind you, you’re still personally responsible for how you use these heaters. It doesn’t matter how “safe” a heater is if you set it right in front of a pile of clothes or other flammable materials. 

Other insulating options?

Are there any options I missed here that you want to add? Please comment below and let me know!

If not, I hope this list helps keep you warm when camping!

Also, check out our captions and quotes page for some nature Instagram captions!

5 Best Bushcraft Gloves for Camping and Hiking

Looking for the best bushcraft gloves to protect your hands during those intense outdoor adventures? Look no further, the following list covers the best outdoors gloves on the market to keep your hands safe.

While every glove won’t protect your hand from every scenario, because of the material some gloves are made of, they’ll perform better for certain tasks. Overall, you’ll find at least one on this list that is the best bushcraft glove for what you want to do. 

What Makes a Bushcraft Glove?

What people look for when they want a solid bushcraft glove is durability and flexibility. You need a glove that can withstand a lot of hard work in harsh environments but still be dexterous.

Sadly, there aren’t a ton of gloves on the market made specifically for bushcraft, but there are a lot of outdoor work gloves that easily meet the requirements of a solid bushcraft glove. 

While gloves aren’t always the first thing people think of for outdoor adventures, I highly recommend adding a pair to your camping checklist, you won’t regret it!

Common Glove Types for Bushcraft

Some of the common glove types to use for bushcraft are leather work gloves, mechanics gloves, and even gardening gloves. These are made to be durable doing rough work and are made to protect your hands. 

Top 5 Bushcraft Gloves

Custom Leathercraft 160L Contractor Gloves

Named a contractor glove for a reason, these are perfect for heavy outdoor use. The synthetic leather is mixed with a textured Syntrex microfiber palm and fingers for better grip.

On the back of the gloves are layers of spandex and neoprene for improved durability and a flexible fit. These are a go to for not just contracting, but also bushcraft!

Hestra Fält Guide Leather Gloves

Named after Lars Fält a leading survival expert, these gloves are great for outdoor work!

Whether that outdoor work is dealing with the rigors of camping or needing protection in the garden, these are some great leather work gloves!

Wells Lamont Hi-Dexterity Leather Work Gloves

Made from tough pigskin leather to protect the palm from abrasion and punctures. These outdoor bushcraft gloves are an affordable option that provide a decent amount of flexibility and breathability.

As someone looking to buy bushcraft gloves, these would be a solid choice if I was looking to save money.

Hestra Skullman Outdoor Work Gloves

Hestra offers a lot when it comes to outdoor work gloves and even cold weather snow mitts. These specifically offer a bit more protection around your wrist do to the extra length, making them a slightly better option for working with weeds, thorns, or any other dangerous plant life. 

While there are a lot of options on the market, these are fairly comfortable depending on size and are a great option for most bush craft activities. 

Wells Lamont Leather Work Gloves with Wrist Closure

Wells Lamont is another popular brand for quality work gloves. These basic versions of cowhide outdoor gloves are perfect for any hard work that may hurt or harm your hands and you want to make sure you’re safe. 

The gloves also come with an adjustable wrist strap to ensure the glove stays on your hand and all debris stays out. 

More Outdoor Fun and Gear!

There are plenty of items I could recommend if you plan on camping or hiking, but that’s beyond the scope of this article as we’re just here for gloves.

I’ve written a nice guide on what to bring hiking if you’re planning a trip and even have some awesome gift ideas for hikers!