Taking the Mrs.

[Hank Outdoors]

I have done what I can to make fair weather trips as comfortable as possible for my wife. Toilet, annex, heater, extra pillows and blankets. These are all great for bathroom, changing and bed times but, what have you all done to keep your better halves warmer and less irritable around camp as the weather turns colder?

 

[brien]

We're in the desert so our coldest mornings are usually still somewhere around 30F, nonetheless, when we're out adventuring I always get up early and have a freshly made hot cup of tea ready for her when she wakes up.

 

[Hank Outdoors]

We're in the desert so our coldest mornings are usually still somewhere around 30F, nonetheless, when we're out adventuring I always get up early and have a freshly made hot cup of tea ready for her when she wakes up.

Same here...As soon as I hear her moving in the RTT the burner gets turned on!

 

[Steve]

Here are a couple of previous threads on the topic:

Overlanding and the Significant other....

Significant Other

 

[Jim SoG]

Dance naked like a fool.......She laughs and forgets her toes freezing off for a few minutes.

Jim

 

[Overland A Far]

A dilemma faced by many of us! We went through a number of rigs (RRT, expedition trailer) before I finally found something that works. A compact camper (working on the off grid set up now)! Getting on in years the ladders and lack of insulation were wearing thin. If she is warm and can sit comfortably to read she is happy - with sunshine even better. I look after all the camp duties and we set up a portable shower tent for the porta potty and shower when we are staying for more than a night. A compact ultra light 10' X 10' screen shelter for shade and bugs helps too. I like to stay busy so keeping camp in order and doing a lot of the cooking does not bother me and YES hot coffee ready when she wakes up and cold beer and rum fixings for the afternoon and evening!

 

[Jim SoG]

"YES hot coffee ready when she wakes up and cold beer and rum fixings for the afternoon and evening!"

Dude your a keeper!
LOL

Jim

 

[David C Gibbs]

Funny question, great post. My Mrs., has been through a lot. One of the reason she no longer wants to sleep on the Ground.
* Climbing out of tent to fix the Tarp, in Mono Winds in Yosemite Valley on New Years, woke up to 4 to 5 inches of snow.
* Renting a Hotel room, so we could dry out the Tent at a Laundry, after 2 plus weeks in Oregon rain.
* Multiple versions of Cuddle-duds, Socks, moisture-Wicking underlayers.
* Mud baths in Napa, in January, returned to campground in Lake Co.
* Ice-cold Showers at a Truckstop, after 3 days in the Oregon Back-country , in August.
After 36 years of marriage, I'll do anything to keep her in a Co-pilots Seat. She actually Wheels the LC, better than I have, all the Rock-rash on the 88-62 Series LC, are mine.
DG

 

[MOAK]

Wow,, my better half is very low maintenance. The only thing she dislikes is extraordinary hot weather. Once the mercury gets up over 92 degrees I too am more than willing to head for the mountains. Otherwise, cold is cool. We've camped in 10 and 15 degree nights on the Colorado Plateau, Gila NF, and the Grand Staircase for 4 weeks on end. Back packed the Painted desert with 15 degree nights, and been in pouring rain from the Gaspe' Peninsula to the Great Smoky Mountains, to the Rocky mountain deluge of 2013. Her only request now is a portable water heater so we don't have to rely on our solar shower or having to heat water up over the stove.

 

[Jim SoG]

Funny question, great port. My Mrs., has been through a lot. One of the reason she no longer wants to sleep on the Ground.
* Climbing out of tent to fix the Tarp, in Mono Winds in Yosemite Valley on New Years, woke up to 4 to 5 inches of snow.
* Renting a Hotel room, so we could dry out the Tent at a Laundry, after 2 plus weeks in Oregon rain.
* Multiple versions of Cuddle-duds, Socks, moisture-Wicking underlayers.
* Mud baths in Napa, in January, returned to campground in Lake Co.
* Ice-cold Showers at a Truckstop, after 3 days in the Oregon Back-country , in August.
After 36 years of marriage, I'll do anything to keep her in a Co-pilots Seat. She actually Wheels the LC, better than I have,
all the Rock-rash on the 88-62 Series LC, are mine.
DG

Oh man I can not let my Mrs read this.......Your rough on your woman....LOL

Jim

 

[Jim SoG]

Wow,, my better half is very low maintenance. The only thing she dislikes is extraordinary hot weather. Once the mercury gets up over 92 degrees I too am more than willing to head for the mountains. Otherwise, cold is cool. We've camped in 10 and 15 degree nights on the Colorado Plateau, Gila NF, and the Grand Staircase for 4 weeks on end. Back packed the Painted desert with 15 degree nights, and been in pouring rain from the Gaspe' Peninsula to the Great Smoky Mountains, to the Rocky mountain deluge of 2013. Her only request now is a portable water heater so we don't have to rely on our solar shower or having to heat water up over the stove.

Just bought and got in the mail our portable water heater and pump, the wife gave me "the look" once see seen it.....YEAH!

Jim

 

[FitzRoy]

traveling thru Namibia in winter was tough. Bought a down comforter for the roof top tent to keep the peace.

 

[JimInBC]

We ground camp. have gotten her a New mattress, a liner for the sleeping bag that increases the lower temp range, she is not good to -5c. an ensolite foam pad under the mattress. Blankets, I like having blankets, they are nice watching the stars. sunrise etc too. She now wears a toque when she sleeps. her favourite pillow.

Coffee for her when she peeks her head out of the tent. A smaller tent when it is colder. It keeps the heat in. Though I go back and forth on this as the colder weather is also the rainy season, So, I like the bigger tent in case it is driving rain and we need a place to hang out.

I have been out to -25c, love to snow camp. But this is something I am pretty sure I will do alone more than with the whole family. Though my son is showing the same love of snow.

 

[Cpol]

Good luck Iam on the same boat trying to get her ready for what ever happens

 

[Jim SoG]

"She now wears a toque" is that Canadian for a beenie...LOL

This actually is very smart you lose a ton of body heat thru the head, even a simple ball cap works if needed.

Jim

 

[Craig M]

I have done what I can to make fair weather trips as comfortable as possible for my wife. Toilet, annex, heater, extra pillows and blankets. These are all great for bathroom, changing and bed times but, what have you all done to keep your better halves warmer and less irritable around camp as the weather turns colder?

Buying her the right gear was all it took for me. The first time we camped below about 60 degrees (F) she wasn't prepared and just had average street clothing and tennis shoes. It got down to the 40's and she was in the truck with the heater, thinking about driving to town and getting a hotel. After the first night we drove to the nearest decent sized town and got her good boots, wool socks, nice synthetic base layers, a nice down jacket, warm(er) beenie and gloves, and she was good to go. Oh, and a cuple of packets of the 'hot hands' for good measure. :p

Followed later with a good zero degree bag, etc..

That was about 10 years ago and I now have had her hammock camping down into the 30's without complaint. She's even only using a top quilt and under-quilt now, when she used to require her big sleeping bag and some extra blankets! lol

And she had never even camped in a tent when I met her 12 years ago (was always a city girl).

 

[basecamphawk8984]

When we winter camp, I lay down a few different layers for flooring in our prospector tent (tarp, reflective underlay foam, and foam tiles), this keeps us all cozy and the dogs warmer when the stove goes out. We have camped in -40C without an issue. Our preferred sleeping bags are the mountain Hardwear -17c bags, plenty warm for her, and mine is a -15c version of the same bag, with a liner depending on how we feel at that time. A must are our thermarest self inflating pads that we use all year long, with the addition of a winter thermarest roll out pad as a bottom layer. No issue with drawing heat using that combination.

 

[Craig M]

When we winter camp, I lay down a few different layers for flooring in our prospector tent (tarp, reflective underlay foam, and foam tiles), this keeps us all cozy and the dogs warmer when the stove goes out. We have camped in -40C without an issue. Our preferred sleeping bags are the mountain Hardwear -17c bags, plenty warm for her, and mine is a -15c version of the same bag, with a liner depending on how we feel at that time. A must are our thermarest self inflating pads that we use all year long, with the addition of a winter thermarest roll out pad as a bottom layer. No issue with drawing heat using that combination.

Just a side note I thought funny.. I just googled -40 Celsius to see what the Fahrenheit equivalent was.. And it's -40.. Haha. I guess that's one temp where you don't even need to specify!