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20 Tips: Backpacking, Hiking, and Outdoors with Children
Tahoe World posted a great review of the book “Monsters in the Woods: Backpacking with Children” (this link to Amazon.com) by Tim Hauserman. Though the book focuses on taking children backpacking and outdoors, it has even greater value when you consider that it’s really about getting children away from the TV and getting to spend time with their parents. The reviewer says the book is “an absolute delight” and will “inspire you to think about planning a hike or a short day trip sharing the surroundings with a child.”
I never actually went backpacking with my parents, but they did take me hiking and spent plenty of time with my brother, sister, some friends, and I on fishing trips and cabin-in-the-woods vacations. Those trips helped me be ready to take the next step to camping and backpacking on my own. What I learned on those trips and when backpacking also helped prepare me to survive life once I moved away more comfortably - when I arrived at college I was one of few students who could cook (on a stove or a hotplate) and knew what I didn’t need well enough to not burn through the credit cards buying “home living” accessories for my dorm room.
Invaluable whether you buy the book or not, the Tahoe World review includes the book’s list of “Twenty Quick Tips for Backpacking with Kids”. Whether you’re camping with children or friends remember tips #1, #6, and #11:
1. Don’t go too far, take it slow, enjoy the journey.
2. Explore, play, have fun —how far and where you go are secondary.
3. Sometimes it is the little things that can mess up a trip, so be sure everyone puts on sunscreen and reapplies it on a regular basis. Then keep children fed and hydrated.
4. Keep talking or play games while hiking to distract children from their potential misery.
5. Bring cards and a good lightweight paperback for a rainy day in the tent.
6. Quit the lesson while it is still fun.
7. Take a layover day at a nice lake.
8. Bring a friend. Our children love you but might have more fun with a friend.
9. Learn enough about backpacking and hiking to feel comfortable in the woods.
10. Don’t be discouraged after a tough sleepless night or when you cannot get things to work. Focus on joy.
11. Love the ones you are with, or at least learn from them. Watch experienced backpackers—copy them, as ideas are free.
12. Always leave an itinerary with a responsible party, and follow it.
13. Go on the Internet and find a star/satellite chart for the area you are visiting.
14. Be a parent, not a wimp. Be positive and supportive of your child. Deal with the situation and move on. Kids look to you for strength and fortitude, so fake it.
15. Tell bad puns and scary stories.
16. Understand that dirt is o.k. and it is part of the fun.
17. Do your part to protect the areas you backpack in.
18. When you put your bear canister away for the night, make sure to put it a good distance from your tent.
19. If you venture into high-altitude terrain and you live at low elevation, try to spend a day or two acclimating to the altitude before starting you trip. Take it easy the first day.
20. Laugh, giggle, guffaw, whoop, titter, and chuckle as much as possible.
via Two Heel Drive
Backcountry Brewing, Coffee & Tea in a Nalgene
This one isn’t on sale, but it’s pretty cool if you want a great $20 gift for a serious outdoors person (even if it’s just for yourself). That’s right, no more instant coffee or hard-to-clean, not-so-lightweight, bulky coffee pots in the backcountry when using this Press -Bot compact, french press.
Brew either coffee or tea in a 32-ounce widemouth Nalgene bottle by pouring hot water over the grounds or leaves and then inserting the folded Press -Bot into the top of the bottle. The only tricky part then is pushing the lock ring down to flatten the screen into place (I’d recommend not filling the bottle all the way unless you want to dip the tips of your fingers in for a hot bath). Let the whole thing sit for a few minutes and then slowly press the screen down. Enjoy!
What Waterproof Gear Ratings Mean
Ever wondered what those labels “5K waterproof rating” or “20,000mm waterproof coating” mean?
It turns out that even Gore Tex and similar waterproof membranes can soak through eventually. Those fabrics are typically rated to 20,000mm (or 20K, it’s the same thing). That means they can withstand at least 20,000 millimeters (about 66 feet) of rain over 24 hours. I did say “at least”, but a few hours under a high pressure hose could eventually soak through even the best membranes. The 5K or 5,000mm ratings mean the fabric can withstand 16-17 feet of rain over 24 hours.
Thanks to Backcountry Bob over at Backcountry.com for the explanation. Check out Bob’s article “What’s the deal with these waterproof ratings?” for a more detailed description than I wrote.
Flying Anywhere? - Official TSA List of Permitted and Prohibited Items
I’ve been traveling a lot lately and it’s really nice to check the TSA’s official list of permitted and prohibited items before catching a flight.
Inevitably it helps to already have things packed right when I’m late for an early-morning flight and can’t afford to get pulled aside and delayed. But, it’s also helpful to print out a copy of the list and carry it with you, as I found out on a recent layover in a smaller city’s airport. … maybe that TSA screener was having a bad day, but they were giving me a hard time about carrying on items that were listed on that official list up there. One look at my printed copy though and they let me keep going.
Choosing Good Hiking Boots
What’s more important for a backpacker, good hiking boots or a good sleeping bag?
It can be argued both ways (endlessly), but … Even if you’ve been watching Survivorman, notice that he’s always wearing at least a decent pair of boots or shoes. Good footwear is that important.
That’s why this boot-picking guide by the St. Louis Dispatch is a great piece for beginning and exerienced backpackers. One thing to remember is that the article gives great advice from professional boot-fitters - but doesn’t specifically recommend that you should do the same. In my experience, no matter how experienced you are with camping gear get a second opinion when your own feet are involved.
One other useful thing: Don’t trust the shoe sizes printed on the outside a box. Some European boot companies don’t accurately convert their own shoes sizes to American sizes, use a good shoe & boot size conversion table as a second opinion. Likewise, every brand’s sizing is different, so go based on feel and the advice of a boot-fitter with experience fitting that brand.
Link credit: Thanks to the Two-Heel Drive hiking blog for the original link
Make Your Tent Last - Tent Care and Repair Tips
Here’s a great article on tent care and repair from GetOutdoors.com. They focus on things that a lot of people forget or just don’t know about, like preparring a new tent so it will last longer and repairing the tent in the field. I do have two things to add though:
- …after watching how easily and quickly tent fabric burns - I don’t like their idea of using a lighter to warm duct tape up so it will stick to the tent better. Since duct tape always leaves that sticky goo behind and just doesn’t stick well to wet fabric - it’s well worth the $6-8 price to pick up some tent repair “tape” from a gear shop. This stuff is usually ripstop nylon with adhesive on one side. To get the best seal, cut two matching pieces big enough to cover the hole and apply one to each side of the tent fabric.
- I’ll add to their point about airing out a tent after every trip. ALWAYS air it out - no matter how rushed or tired you are. Mold and mildew can ruin a tent (or make it so smelly that you can’t live in it). When tent fabric is wet long-term it weakens the waterproof coating on the fabric. You can end up scratching it or even peeling chunks of the coating off the fabric just by pulling the fly out of the stuff sack.
Carry Tent Poles Outside Your Pack to Save Space & Weight
Seeing an Outdoor Research tent pole bag at REI marked down 61%, to $3.83, reminded me of an easy way to save pack space and cut some extra weight on backpacking trips. Tent poles are some of the only backpacking gear that isn’t collapsible or, like a cooking kit, stuffable with other gear. The best thing to do with hard-to-pack items like that is to strap them outside your pack. Strapping tent poles to the sides of a pack is tough, since most packs don’t have the right pockets or straps on the sides to keep poles from poking through or snagging on branches. A tent pole bag can easily be strapped to the outside of a pack and keep them protected from damage.
No direct links to REI products, so click & search for item # 676412 to pick up the bargain.
Perfect Backpacking Pillow - from a Wine Box
For all the attempts at making a good camping pillow - none that I’ve seen has ever been compact and comfortable. All of the ones that compact well end up too soft or flat and barely work at all once my head is on them. The rest are so big that I may as well try to carry a full-size pillow in my pack.
A tip I found recently recommends taking the bladder from a box of wine (yes, boxed wine has a good side) to use as an inflatable pillow. It’s both light and compact when deflated, but when inflated and wrapped in a fleece jacket it can be as puffy as needed to be comfortable.
This tip is from the Reader Tips section of the Sept. 2005 Backpacker Magazine, by Chad Anderson in Tucson.
Don’t Forget the Packfly Raincover (and How To Make a Durable Trashbag-Pack Cover)
Nobody enjoys it, but getting one day’s clothes wet while hiking in the rain doesn’t spell the end of a trip. On the other hand, getting a whole pack full of clothes can spell the end of a trip. Pack flys (aka raincovers) are an expensive accessory after dropping $200+ on a big pack, but they’re well worth the investment. The fitted shape around the shoulder straps makes it more comfortable and easier to manage than a tarp or trashbag while hiking during a downpour. Right now: this Osprey raincover packfly is less than $25 (31% off) and eligible for free shipping at Altrec.
If you have to use a trashbag: Buy the heavy duty lawn and garden-type bags. They really hold up to sticks and brush better. Then, take at least one whole bag and one fitted bag on the trail. The whole bag is used to cover the pack completely at night and the fitted bag is used during the day while hiking. Make a fitted trashbag by cutting a U-shaped hole just big enough to let the hipbelt and pack straps out (from the open edge, about 2-3 inches narrower than the straps and 2 inches shorter than distance from pack bottom to where the straps connect). Line the edge of the U-shaped cutout with duct tape to keep it from tearing while it’s being used.
Wet Boots? How to Dry them Quickly & Safely
On a long enough trip everyone’s boots end up wet at one point or another. Once a boot or boots get wet it can make for miserable day hikes and even worse suffering when backpacking with a heavy pack. …actually, boots may not get wet on desert trip, but in that case it’s inevitable that some small desert animal will climb into someone’s boots during the night and give them a heart attack in the morning.
To dry boots quickly/overnight, remove the laces and pull the boot tongue all the way out of the boot. If the tongue won’t stay out use a stick or something to hold it out. Boots without a tongue to pull out should be gently held open with a stick. Place the opened boot under the tent vestibule and not inside the tent, or without a vestibule cover them with a t-shirt or thin fabric. The inside of a tent is always more humid than the outside, and unless it’s the middle of summer morning dew can re-wet boots that aren’t covered up by the tent fly or t-shirt.
During the daytime, wet boots should be taken off and opened up (laces removed & tongue out) at every stop longer than 30 minutes. Both after long stops and during shorter stops - change socks. A sock change will protect your feet from the friction of wet boots and the new pair of socks should be more dry than the ones that were in the boots during hiking.
For really wet boots or during times of constant rain, it is worth pulling plastic bags over regular socks or waterproof socks (also VBL socks at Amazon.com
Costco Membership - Getting Warm and Dry and Snagging a Cheap Meal
Costco warehouse stores are all over the western US and they’re convenient places to head for during bad weather. During some college (and college drop-out) road trips I was pointed at these by a couple who was drifting around the western US and Canada to do some climbing and living in a pickup bed camper. Being warehouse stores with few staff, smelly backpackers aren’t usually chased out and the dry, climate-controlled indoors are a welcome relief from cramped cars and tents. Costco also runs gas stations in their parking lots that are often the cheapest fuel in small towns, by a nickel or more per gallon. Don’t forget about stocking up on bulk “luxury-camping” foods for days base camp, especially if you’ve flown into an area with nothing but pre-packed dehydrated meals.
Not only do they offer low prices on bulk Ramen noodles, Costco always has a concession stand with plenty of off-the-ground seating. Plus, the concession stands always have sizable roofs and are often inside the warehouse (great during freak snowstorms). Not to mention that they serve a huge slice of decent pizza for about $1.50. If you’re really scrounging for grub, search for free food samples in the store. I never found a reliable schedule for samplings, but local, long-term campers and climbers can usually pinpoint the best days and times to pick up free, hot samples and salty snacks.
Just two warnings, a membership isn’t required for the concession stand, but making purchases requires a $45 annual membership and they only take cash or Discover cards. Still, here’s a coupon for a $10 gift certificate when you sign up for the Costco membership.
Surviving a Wet Sleeping Bag
Do all you can to keep your sleeping bag dry and air it out daily. …sure, we’ll get to the info on what to do when a sleeping bag is already soaked, but the smartest thing you can do is to keep your bag dry - or dry it out promptly.
A few simple things can make life more comfortable before a sleeping bag even gets wet. Before the camping trip even starts, setup and check your tent before longer trips to make sure it doesn’t have seam leaks or a torn floor. Hitting the tent with a hose for several minutes or setting it up near a sprinkler is a good idea. Unless you’re planning on camping in hurricane-force winds, make sure the water is falling on to the tent and not spraying at the ground and then splashing inside. Second, carry a sleeping pad on every trip. Putting insulation between you and the ground is the single most important thing to do in even moderate temperatures - especially if your sleeping bag is too wet to use at all. Finally, at every chance you get: drag the bag out of the tent, turn it inside out, and hang it up or lay it out somewhere dry. Even if you’re not sweating in the bag, skin does breathe and the insulation gets damp. Over the course of a week or more if that dampness doesn’t get flushed out the extra moisture can chill you in the bag at night and the bag’s insulation will not loft (”puff up”) enough to insulate well. Even if it’s raining, turn the bag inside out while you’re in the tent. Especially if it’s raining, make sure to keep the bag away from the tent walls and condensation drips. Easy enough? …when you’re cold and stuck inside the tent all day it’s even harder not to stay inside the bag all day long. The extra moisture in the bag if you stay in all day, can make for a cold night once the sun goes down. If you sleep in wet environments often (i.e.: the Pacific Northwest) then consider a synthetic fill bag a down bag with a DriClime or similar waterproof, breathable shell fabric.
(this article is an expanded excerpt from our article: Staying Warmer in the Sleeping Bag you Already Have)
Once you do get your bag wet or damp there are very few things you can do to fix it. The most obvious method is to take a long break during lunch-time or during any breaks between rain showers. Pull your bag out and don’t just lay it out - shake it out and swing it around to get the air moving around it. Be careful to keep it from touching any puddles and stay near the tent if it still looks like rain may hit again. A half-hour break to “auto dry” your bag this way can dramatically help a synthetic bag and will even dry out down enough to make it useful after a good soaking. Without a chance to get a bag reasonably dry during the day, take a few minutes before sleeping to decide your best way to get through the night. A sleeping bag with synthetic insulation can be wrung out (gently, to not tear the insulation) enough to sleep in during moderate temperatures. Down bags are a big problem once the insulation starts to clump, only “auto drying” the bag will make it use as anything more than a blanket.
Once your sleeping bag is wet - it’s time to think about survival. The severity of a wet sleeping bag depends on the temperatures outside. In some warmer temperature ranges sleeping with extra clothes on is just as good as having a dry sleeping bag, in other temperature ranges a wet sleeping bag can be life threatening.
Near-Freezing Temperatues (20°-40° F) are the Most Dangerous:
In near-freezing temperatures the water in even a synthetic bag is dangerous, in a down bag it’s sometimes best to abandon using the bag altogether. Unless it gets below freezing the water in either type of bag will still evaporate and can steal enough body heat to make you hypothermic. Hopefully, at those temperatures you’re carrying a good sleeping bag and decent top and bottom insulation layers. Put them all on before bed and turn in a little early. Do not get inside your sleeping bag. Either open it up and use it like a blanket or don’t use the bag at all. If you have a tent-mate with a dry bag, try to figure out how to share it with them. Assuming that you can find enough warmth to fall asleep the odds are that you’re going to wake up in the early morning when it gets really cold (the coldest hours are from 3am - sunrise). That is why it’s good idea to go to bed early, to get some sleep in before it’s really cold. In the worst case scenario stay awake all night and avoid hypothermia. Make sure to eat something overnight to keep core temperature up. Grab some sleep the next morning once exhaustion sets in, and once it’s warmed up slightly.
Super-Freezing (0° F & lower) Temperatures, Soaking a Bag is Unlikely
Sub-Freezing Temperatures are Nasty, but Survivable
Below freezing (below 20° F) temperatures are a different story than the warmer temperature ranges. Water in the sleeping bag will freeze and frost-up, even when you are inside the bag. Frost in the bag is good and bad. It’s definitely not comfortable or particularly warm, but so long as the insulation can loft before the water inside freezes enough heat can be trapped to get through the night. It’s difficult to completely soak a bag when all the water is frozen, try not to spill the coffee. In the event something like that does happen - wring synthetic out immediately and then lay it out to loft; gently squeeze out down and then lay it out while gently shaking it. These steps will allow the bag’s insulation to puff somewhat before it freezes and the puffiness will trap heat. In cases where a bag isn’t completely soaked this temperature range actually gives some leeway for only a damp bag. In general a sleeping bag can be used as normally, just add a few layers of clothing to yourself to keep moisture away from the skin and even throw a layer of dry clothes over the bag to slow evaporation.
Staying Warmer in the Sleeping Bag you Already Have
In an ideal world we would all own 3 or 4 sleeping bags, and the weather would always stick to the forecasts so we would always be able to take the right bag on any trip. The way it really works - most of us get one, or maybe two, bags to use and we only have best-guess weather reports. The following tips can help to make that one bag that you have to work with more comfortable outside of its real-world temperature range.
Cold and warmth in a sleeping bag are pretty simple, though what you can do to adjust them are limited. The three things that make you colder in a sleeping bag are: 1) temperature, 2) airflow, and 3) water (yes, three simple things & nothing ingenious). There are two things that work together to keep you warm, 1) heat from your body, and 2) insulation that traps body heat. Based on the factors above every person will find a different real-world temperature range for just one model of bag. (When I write “real-world temperature range” I intend to mean the range of outside temperatures where a sleeping bag doesn’t leave you chilled or make you sweat.) The comfortable temperature range varies widely from the manufacturer’s rated temperature, plus it changes based on the conditions of weather, your body, and the sleeping bag itself.
Airflow:
In order to be warmer while sleeping we need to focus on just the things that can be controlled. Of the three things that make you cold, with the exception of flying to exotic locations, only “air” and “water” can be controlled. “Air” means both the air moving around outside, through the tent, and inside the sleeping bag. “Water” means both sweat from your body and any condensation or wet spots in your sleeping bag. Of the body heat and insulation that keep you warm, both are under your control.
Controlling outside air flow can be done by your choice of tent and where you place the tent. In areas prone to high winds and storms a 4-season or a 3/4-season “convertible” tent will make a big difference. The lack of mesh netting in a 4-season (or zip-over covers in a 3/4-season) tent stops wind from blowing through the tent and keeps the inside of the tent much warmer than it is outside. Unless you’re camping on a ledge that’s far from just about anything else flat - where you place your tent can help with airflow as much as the type of tent. Placing the tent behind man-made or natural wind breaks will reduce the air hitting and blowing through the tent. Wind breaks include stone and dirt walls in some developed areas (especially in high-altitude areas like on-mountain camps in Teton National Park), trees and heavy brush, boulders, hills, and even snow drifts in the winter. If you are using a wind break, pay attention to the winds in the evening; they’re usually different than morning and daytime winds.
Controlling airflow through and inside the sleeping bag starts as soon as you are picking your bag out from the gear store. Extra space inside the bag allows air to flow around your body and steals heat away by allowing evaporation to happen more quickly. Ideally a good sleeping bag would fit very closely to the body and the only air space would be inside the insulation. To get as close as possible, try to get a bag that is shaped and sized to fit your body. Check the “girth” measurement of bags and try to get the one with the smallest girth that you find comfortable. Also, “stretchable” bags like some from Sierra Designs and Mountain Hardware incorporate elastic into the diameter of the bag so that it will move with you. I’ve heard raves about these bags from most people who’ve used them, but the one complaint tends to be durability in the synthetic insulation versions. Since down isn’t a continuous material it doesn’t break down when the bag is stretched and twisted - stick with down for a “stretchable” bag. Even if you already have a bag that doesn’t fit - just add some filling. An extra pair of fleece pants and some long underwear will fill up extra space and keep extra air from flowing. I tend to move around a lot and have found that the extra clothes in the bag also reduce the chances of rolling onto my side and ending up on a cold zipper. Whatever you do, don’t wear ALL the extra clothes. Too much “stuffing”, whether you’re wearing it or just using it to take up space, inside the bag will compress the bag’s insulation and keep it from trapping as much heat.
Bag-length is important for warmth too. Extra length in the foot box means that your feet, usually the coldest and one of the sweatiest parts of the body will cool very easily. Too little length will compact the insulation under the soles of you feet and reduce the amount of heat that is trapped by that insulation. Too much length is a problem that’s easily solved by stuffing a fleece jacket or the next day’s clothes into the bottom of the bag. Especially in the winter, having some warm clothes and water that isn’t frozen is a must every morning. Personally, I try to buy every bag so it has 3-6 inches of extra length. In warm weather the extra space is nice because it allows some cooling air around your feet. Just remember to always fill that extra space with clothes any time the temperature drops.
Water: (this section has been revised with more detail: Surviving a Wet Sleeping Bag)
As anyone who has gotten a sleeping bag wet knows, water has the most dramatic effect on warmth of any one thing.
If you sleep in wet environments often (i.e.: the Pacific Northwest) then consider a synthetic fill bag a down bag with a DriClime or similar waterproof, breathable shell fabric. Since we’re discussing the bag you have already - do all you can to keep the bag dry. First, setup and check your tent before longer trips to make sure it doesn’t have seam leaks or a torn floor. Second, carry a sleeping pad on every trip. Putting insulation between you and the ground is the single most important thing to do in even moderate temperatures - especially if your sleeping bag is too wet to use at all. Finally, at every chance you get: drag the bag out of the tent, turn it inside out, and hang it up or lay it out somewhere dry. Even if you’re not sweating in the bag, skin does breathe and the insulation gets damp. Over the course of a week or more if that dampness doesn’t get flushed out the extra moisture can chill you in the bag at night and the bag’s insulation will not loft (”puff up”) enough to insulate well. Even if it’s raining, turn the bag inside out while you’re in the tent. Especially if it’s raining, make sure to keep the bag away from the tent walls and condensation drips. Easy enough? …when you’re cold and stuck inside the tent all day it’s even harder not to stay inside the bag all day long. The extra moisture in the bag if you stay in all day, can make for a cold night once the sun goes down.
Once you do get your bag wet or damp there are few things you can do to fix it. The most obvious method is to take a long break during lunch-time or during any breaks between rain showers. Pull your bag out and don’t just lay it out - shake it out and swing it around to get the air moving around it. Be careful to keep it from touching any puddles and stay near the tent if it still looks like rain may hit again. A half-hour break to “auto dry” your bag this way can dramatically help a synthetic bag and will even dry out down enough to make it useful after a good soaking. Without a chance to get a bag reasonably dry during the day, take a few minutes before sleeping to decide your best way to get through the night. A sleeping bag with synthetic insulation can be wrung out (gently, to not tear the insulation) enough to sleep in during moderate temperatures. Down bags are a big problem once the insulation starts to clump, only “auto drying” the bag will make it use as anything more than a blanket.
In near-freezing temperatures (20°-32° F) the water in even a synthetic bag is dangerous, in a down bag it’s sometimes best to abandon using the bag altogether. Unless it gets below freezing the water in either type of bag will still evaporate and can steal enough body heat to make you hypothermic. Hopefully, at those temperatures you’re carrying a good sleeping bag and decent top and bottom insulation layers. Put them all on before bed and turn in a little early. Do not get inside your sleeping bag. Either open it up and use it like a blanket or don’t use the bag at all. If you have a tent-mate with a dry bag, try to figure out how to share it with them. Assuming that you can find enough warmth to fall asleep the odds are that you’re going to wake up in the early morning when it gets really cold (the coldest hours are from 3am - sunrise). That is why it’s good idea to go to bed early, to get some sleep in before it’s really cold. In the worst case scenario stay awake all night and avoid hypothermia. Make sure to eat something overnight to keep core temperature up. Grab some sleep the next morning once exhaustion sets in, and once it’s warmed up slightly.
Below freezing (below 20° F) temperatures are a different story than the warmer temperature ranges. Water in the sleeping bag will freeze and frost-up, even when you are inside the bag. Frost in the bag is good and bad. It’s definitely not comfortable or particularly warm, but so long as the insulation can loft before the water inside freezes enough heat can be trapped to get through the night. It’s difficult to completely soak a bag when all the water is frozen, try not to spill the coffee. In the event something like that does happen - wring synthetic out immediately and then lay it out to loft; gently squeeze out down and then lay it out while gently shaking it. These steps will allow the bag’s insulation to puff somewhat before it freezes and the puffiness will trap heat. In cases where a bag isn’t completely soaked this temperature range actually gives some leeway for only a damp bag. In general a sleeping bag can be used as normally, just add a few layers of clothing to yourself to keep moisture away from the skin and even throw a layer of dry clothes over the bag to slow evaporation.
Body Heat:
Your body, the heat source that makes the whole sleeping system warm can be helped along several ways to save or make more heat inside the sleeping bag.
The most important time to think about body heat is before getting into the sleeping bag. Two simple things keep you warmer. The first is eating more, because metabolism turns up for a few hours after a big meal and higher metabolism means the body produces more heat. Make sure that dinner is your biggest meal of the day and don’t hesitate to have a hot drink before turning in. Alcoholic drinks don’t count, they are a negative for warmth because they move heat away from the body core and slow metabolism down. The second thing to do before turning in is a few jumping jacks or some mild running in place. The extra exercise helps to warm up the body and the extra body heat “fills” the insulation in the sleeping bag with heat. With the sleeping bag saturated with heat early in the night it takes much longer for the outside chill to set in.
A few last adjustments help keep heat under the covers if the sleeping bag can’t quite do it. Aside from the extra layer or two of clothing that was previously mentioned, a stocking cap helps trap a lot more heat than just the bag’s hood. The bag’s hood is the biggest vent for heat unless the draw cord is cinched completely shut. Since most of us don’t like to breathe through a pinhole the hat over the head traps even more heat than the bag’s hood. Personally I like to carry a balaclava or ski mask instead of just a stocking cap. In very cold weather breathing through the thin layer of fabric those provide seems to be warmer & easier than trying to get the hood closure just right. In a freak cold-spell when you don’t have a hat, try wrapping a t-shirt over your head. In addition to wearing a hat or balaclava, pull a t-shirt over the top of the bag (down to the shoulders, just like putting it on while already “wearing” the bag). The t-shirt over the top also helps to seal out the coldest air, but doesn’t restrict air enough to become uncomfortable to breathe through - I’m sure everyone remembers pulling the sheets over their head as a child and not having any trouble breathing.
Body heat is saved by the air that insulation traps; the least air is trapped wherever your body weight compacts insulation. Save more of that heat by adding a layer of insulation that will not be compacted between the sleeping bag and ground. Even the best inflatable sleeping pads compact slightly with a body on top of them. Add a layer of fleece in the small of the back (the kidney area can lose the most heat to the ground if you sleep on your back) or even empty your pack and slip it underneath. Try putting the pack under the sleeping pad if it’s too lumpy to sleep on otherwise. In the worst conditions and in areas with trees, or if you puncture your sleeping pad or use it as a broken-bone splint, stuff leaves under the sleeping bag to insulate yourself from the ground.
In summary, be creative when out with a sleeping bag that doesn’t quite cut it. Use everything at hand to trap more heat or even put off sleeping until it warms up enough outside that hypothermia will not be a problem.