How to keep warm camping

Daydreaming about your next camping trip? Don’t let the upcoming cold stop you from getting out on the road – campervan and motorhome holidays are great at any time of year. There’s no need either to be nervous about the practicalities of staying toasty on a winter camping trip, as there are so many ways of keeping temperatures high. Here’s all you need to know about how to keep warm camping!

10 tips on how to keep warm camping

1. Hire a van with heating

The golden rule for winter camping? Ditch the tent. That’s because insulation and heating is the most effective way to keep warm while camping. A robust heating system in a well-insulated motorhome, campervan or caravan means it’ll stay toasty warm in all weather. Not sure where to search for your cosy van? We have plenty to pick from, such as thisluxury caravan in Selby, above.

2. Wear layers and bring extra clothes

How to keep warm camping is about what you wear as well as about a cosy van. Thermals and long johns are well worth the investment to wear under jumpers and trousers, as they’ll keep you toasty when outside too. Wear a hat to keep body heat high.

Remember that for winter camping, keeping dry is as important as keeping warm – as ourhow to make camping more comfortable guide points out, UK weather can be… less than ideal. Make sure you always have enough clothes with you to change into if you get soaked outside – at a minimum, this should be a thermal or heat-trapping undertop, a warm jumper, thermal leggings or long johns, trousers and thick socks. (Trousers rather than jeans dry more quickly if needed.) Also remember cosy indoor footwear as well as thick socks, such as fleece-lined slippers.

3. Don’t wait until it’s cold to add extra clothes

Add an extra layer to your clothing – or wrap up in a blanket – as soon as the temperature drops. Don’t wait until you’re already cold, as this will take longer for you to warm up again. When it comes to how to keep warm camping, it’s all about staying warm rather than getting warm.

4. Bring a hand warmer or heat pack

Gloves and mittens help protect hands, but they’re not much good if the air is cold first! Hand warmers or heat packs are effective and inexpensive, such as this set ofhand warmers for under £7.

5. Lay out your clothes for the next day

A top tip for how to keep warm camping: put your clothes for the next day out before you go to sleep, so you can scramble straight into them on a cold morning and get the kettle and heating on. For maximum effect, tuck the clothes into the bottom of your bed, to be kept warm all night by your body heat.

6. Plan food and drink

Higher calorie food will help keep you warm while winter camping, as will hot drinks such as tea and coffee. Go for high-fat and high-protein foods rather than high-carb, especially at night, as these will keep you fuller and warmer for longer.

Think creatively too when considering how to keep warm camping with what you eat and drink – how can you adjust your normal meals to stay warm? For example, wine drinkers could mull a bottle of red on the hob or camping stove instead of having their usual, while a “Sunday roast” could be adapted into a warming stew.

7. Bring a high-tog duvet…

If your hire van doesn’t include linen, bring high-tog duvets to keep all beds nice and warm on a cold night. 15 togs is the highest rating and means you won’t get cold in the middle of the night; you could also opt for featherdown or duck down duvets for maximum warmth.

How to keep warm camping made even easier: bring sleeping bags with sleeping bag liners and use these in bed.

8. Bring a hot water bottle

Go back to basics and pack a hot water bottle. This little guy will go a long way, trust us. All you have to do is heat up some water on your camping stove, fill it up, make sure it's secure and get toasty! Plus, take it with you for some extra warmth outside.

9. Avoid heat escaping from windows

Double glazed rather than single glazed windows are more effective at keeping heat in. But how to keep warm camping if the windows in your chosen hire aren’t double glazed?

It’s easy to improvise by keeping curtains closed or adding insulated covers on windows to reduce heat loss. If you normally drive to pick up a hire van so have plenty of packing space, window covers are a great option to add to your camping packing list.

Hire a van for your autumn or winter camping trip

Now you know how to keep warm camping! And it’s even easier when holidaying in a motorhome or campervan, which really can be perfect for camping in all seasons.

We have plenty of vans set up for winter trips: for example, you could leave the city with campervan hire in London; explore Snowdonia or the Brecon Beacons with the help of our campervan hire in Wales listings, or hit the North Coast 500 or Edinburgh and Glasgow in winter by looking for campervan hire in Scotland. Not sure where to go? Our winter road trip in the UK guide has lots of inspiration.

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