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The heat is on

Much as spring feels like forever away right now, it won't be long until the days are getting warmer, evenings longer and the daffodils start poking their heads back through the earth.  However, even when it does reappear, a crisp clear night can leave you shivering in your camp bed.

It’s getting hot in here, so take off all your clothes … no seriously, don’t!

Nobody wants to have a cold bum whilst camping so we’ve put together our top 10 tips to stay warm whilst glamping!

With Spring being one of the most popular times of year to get married, and a busy time for us with weddings, hen parties, and groups and families glamping during the Easter break, you need to think heat.

We know that your Marquee, stretch tent or Tipi provider will advise you on how to keep your structure warm, but it’s when guests trundle off to bed is where our tips come in. We stay outside much later into the evening when we’re at an event than we would do at home, with the fabled ‘beer blanket’** keeping us snug. But at some point the beer blanket is going to come off, and when it does you’re going to know it.

For guests, glampers and hens alike 

Think in advance about what you want to pack. And when you think you’ve added enough clothes to your pile…. add more!

For weddings

Think about adding some advice to your invitations, or we can add some bespoke information to your guest booking page.

Below I’ve given you our top 11 tips (we like to be different). These come from over 20 years of camping, with a lot of those times during the winter, and the possible aid of a beer blanket. When I say I’ve been cold – I have been cold.

Beautiful Bells’ top 10 tips to keep warm camping this spring (ok it’s 11 as 10 wasn’t enough!)

  1. Layer up!! Less is not more where this is concerned. Multiple layers will keep you warmer than one thick jumper. They are easy to remove one at a time if you heat up, and easier to add as you get colder.
  2. Don’t until you’re freezing to put the next layer on. As the temperature starts to drop – start dressing.
  3. PJs – if it’s cold sleep in them! And your socks if you need. About half an hour before bed put them on under your normal clothes, that way they will heat up with your body heat.
  4. The trusty hot water bottle! Not just for when you’re sick and your mum is looking after you. Pack one. It’s worth the faff. Half the battle getting to sleep is the cold bed.
  5. If you’ve got a blanket, tuck it in around the bottom of your bed to stop you kicking your covers off.
  6. Hat? If it really does get cold I’ve been known to sleep in a trusty beanie hat. Most of our warmth is lost through our head so this keeps it in!
  7. Think about what you are wearing on your bottom half when you are sat around outside: leggings are great (and comfy) but not very thick. Put your jeans over the top of them.
  8. Make sure you’ve eaten! We all known alcohol thins your blood, do the right thing and feed your body.
  9. Campfire, campfire, campfire! If you are allowed one on your site then it will keep the chill off.
  10.  Warm drinks. Get that hot chocolate on the go!
  11. When you wake up at 3am, feeling a little bit hungover, a bit chilly and you really really need a wee – just get up and go. That cold, middle of the night camping wee urge will not go away. You will lay there for an hour feeling cold and miserable about life, and then you will eventually get up anyway. Just get it over and done with and get back to bed.

Just so you know

At the start of this year we ditched the airbeds. It was a big (and expensive!) move and we did this for 2 reasons:

Firstly we are trying to be as eco as possible, deflated air beds are made of plastic, which I can probably leave as just that. They are also unreliable (any company who tells you their airbeds are ‘super reliable’ is fibbing).

Secondly, they are cold. In order for your body to be warm you’re going to need to warm that air first. It will suck your body heat.

We moved over to camp beds, these are the same height off the ground as a normal bed, giving you ample storage underneath for bags, they are much easier to get in and out of. And then we added 5cm of memory foam – for comfort and for heat.

Katrina 🙂

** Please note we do not recommend or condone this type of blanket. Other blankets are readily available in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, makes and flavours.

 

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