This is a subject that has really hit home for me. The tiny house is no ice box but can get pretty cold. With the plummeting temps keeping warm inside is a real problem. Having the right cold weather gear is important. Running the heaters, a small electric one and a small kerosene, all the time is not possible. The Kerosene is being saved for especially cold nights. The electric one gets ran in short blocks of time. Usually in the morning. The sun warms up the house enough during the day time.
How do I make it through the nights and evening time? What cold weather Gear do I use to make life more survivable and comfortable? Let me share with you what I use.
Cold Weather Gear For Sleeping
I like to sleep in colder temps. Usually 60°F is about perfect for me. I would say that last night the temps dropped below 40 in the loft. Even with my preference for cold sleeping temps this was too cold. I awoke early in the morning too cold to sleep. Not freezing just uncomfortable cold. I use wearing underwear only. So no layering before bed.
I was using the green patrol bag from the Military Sleep System (MSS). I made a mattress of two camping sleep mats. One self inflating and a ridgerest closed cell foam one. With a blanket on top for more cushion. After waking up I pulled the black bag from the MSS on top of me. The warmth increased immediately. I went back asleep right then. If you don’t have a MSS go get one. It is one of my most vital pieces of cold weather gear.
The outside temps were in the low 20’s. With all the insulation in the tiny house it did not get anywhere near that cold. I awoke to a chilly house but not so cold I could see my breath. Having a south facing house with big windows and great insulation is great.
Usually I sleep in my hammock instead of the loft though. For staying warm in the hammock I have a few other methods. I love electric blankets and pads. I’ve slept on some cold nights with my poncho liner underquilt and electric blanket. The problem with the electric blanket is it shuts off after a few hours. You will be nice and toasty while the house is still cold.
Wool Clothes
When not asleep I need to stay warm. Wool is one the king of my cold weather gear. Wool socks, wool blankets, wool beanie caps. Wool is the king. During the winter months I only wear wool socks. Usually a few pairs. My feet get very cold. I’m seriously considering getting electric socks. As it is when using the standing desk I put down a wool blanket and the heating pad. You can feel the heat radiating up through you warming you up.
My beanie cap is always on my head in the cold months. Losing heat through your head is a real problem. If I can keep my feet and head warm the rest follows.
To Layer Or Not
Layering is preached as the holy grail in the survival world. While there is some merit to the layering system. I disagree. I feel much more comfortable with good layers over more layers. As in my feet are more warm from one synthetic sock and one thick wool sock over 7 pairs of cotton socks. Yes I actually wore pairs of cotton socks.
Make sure you layer wisely. If one big coat will keep you warm by all means use that. Warmer layers are better than more layers all day long. Don’t be like the kid from A christmas Story that couldn’t even lower his arms from too many layers.
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Hi James,
Here’s a ‘Hot Tip’ for people who experience ‘cold feet’. Cold extremities is generally caused from poor circulation. One of the tricks I used when I lived in the Boundary Waters Canoe area of Northern Minnesota and exposed to extreme cold environments was to sprinkle a small amount of ‘Cayenne Pepper’ in my boots. The Cayenne pepper causes dilation of the small blood vessels in your feet and creates a warm tingling effect. But this little trick will help keep your feet warm in cod weather. (this also works with a very small bit of Cayenne pepper sprinkled in gloves or mittens… just be careful not to rub your face or eyes)
+1 for cayenne pepper to warm your feet…
And +1 for wool socks- Merino wool socks. I dropped $15 on a single pair of merino hiking socks, and cried…until I wore them on a cold day hunting in West Virginia. Worth every penny.
And what you layer is almost more important than how many layers. The reason they say “cotton kills” is it doesn’t wick moisture away from your body. Since water is 25 (or so) times more conductive to heat than air, you can see how damp socks can quickly cause grief. Thus the great results from Merino wool socks. Some of the synthetics are also great aids in maintaining dry (and therefore warm) feet.
A large portion of your body heat is lost through your head, so a cap is always a great idea. Again, something that wicks moisture (sweat) away works best.
And look into getting some sort of thermal mass. Soapstone is world class for this. Use any means to get it warmed up, then it radiates heats for hours keeping you warmer longer.
Hope this helps, Brother! And remember, you can dress up for cold weather, bur start taking clothes off to try to deal with hot weather, and eventually the cops get called…
Peace,
db
Working as a diver, even in Florida, I’ve learned a bunch of tricks to keeping warm.