The holidays have passed, the new year is upon us, and many of us are already giving up on our resolutions (Is it February yet?). Many more of us already need a vacation. Why wait until summer? We don’t need warm weather to enjoy a cozy getaway. We need to prepare differently. Many families are taking this time, in the frigid cold and amidst ice storms, to get into the wild spaces and enjoy some hot tent camping. They say that opposites attract, and why shouldn’t they? When you hear about freezing winter nights, don’t you want to stay as warm as possible? When the cold hits, seek the warmth. That’s what’s hot this winter, and this guide will help you set up your hot tenting trip and keep your family warm while having fun in even the harshest conditions.
What is Hot Tent Camping?
It’s a good question, and it has an obvious answer once you know. Fundamentally, it’s camping in a hot tent. Makes sense, but it’s a little more specific than that. Hot tent camping is the practice of camping in a durable canvas tent equipped with a wood-burning stove to maintain a warm, shirt-sleeve temperature inside, even when it is freezing outside. Unlike 3-season nylon tents, a hot tent is made of canvas and is heat-resistant. It allows for a chimney pipe to vent smoke safely, turning a cold, wintry shelter into a comfortable, heated cabin. Proper canvas tent brands, such as White Duck Outdoors, come equipped with a stove jack built with the intention to fit a stovepipe and allow venting for your tent wood stove. This is the only way to set up a tent, and in the winter, this tent can be as comfortable as your bed at home, even when the snow is raging.
It should be noted that not all tents are created equally. You will be hard-pressed to make yourself a comfortable hot tent in a dome tent. It is possible…sort of. But you’ll end up crouched over a small Bunsen burner flame with your back aching and your gloves still on. The idea of hot tent camping is that you can stand up and move around; it is a taste of luxury when the outside storm is raging on. Inside, you’ve got a hot tent wood stove with dinner warming on the cooktop and the kids off to one side playing card games. It is the ideal way to spend a proper winter vacation.
It’s Canvas or Nothing
There are dozens of types of tents on the market that all serve many purposes. Of course, there is some overlap in these categories, but there are some that stand out, for obvious reasons. If you intend to head deep into the backcountry with everything on your back, it doesn’t really matter what the weather is; you want to be as light as possible. For that, you’ll want a synthetic tent with contractible poles that fits nicely into a backpack. This is the absolute opposite tent you’ll want if you want to take the family out in the middle of winter. For this purpose, consider an 8-person tent or a 10-person tent. It seems like a lot of tents, but the truth is, family camping isn’t about getting down to the bare necessities of the experience. It’s okay to have extra room, a location for games and eating, another for splitting wood and keeping up on the fire. With a large canvas tent, this is possible.
Why Canvas Wins
When properly constructed, a canvas tent is durable enough to stand up to nearly any type of wind, rain, or other inclement weather. The sturdy pole construction also provides plenty of headroom, and in certain models, canvas tents can be equipped with an awning. This is a great idea to use as a secondary mudroom. Everyone has a place to get out of the nasty weather and take their shoes and coats off before coming inside the hot tent.
Consider some other benefits when selecting a family tent:
- Insulation: A rain fly is a cover over the canvas material that acts as a second, insulating layer that keeps moisture off the outside of the tent. This way, water does not penetrate the material, and the hot air inside the tent does not condense against the cold air outside.
- Breathability: In the winter, the durable fabric freezes, and the tight knitting still breathes while providing an insulating layer. If you are counting on some stormy weather, a rain fly is always recommended.
- Ceiling Height: With the vertical walls, canvas tents provide a tall ceiling. Unlike a synthetic 3-season tent, a six-foot person can stand up in a large canvas tent, allowing for more room and better comfort.
Also, don’t forget the stove. When you’re setting up a hot tent in the winter, you need a stove. How else are you going to perform the hot part of a hot tent? Canvas is resilient enough to withstand some high heat, which is necessary when running a stove pipe through the stove jack. With an entire family in the canvas tent, a decent-sized stove will heat a pretty large area. White Duck Outdoors has a new line of Anchor Stoves that come in 4 different sizes. Considering that, it doesn’t matter how big the party gets; there is a stove out there that has you covered.
The Family Matters
For some, getting into the backcountry is a way to get away from the stresses of life and, in some instances, people. For others, getting away is about bringing the whole family along and finding out what everyone has been up to in their crazy lives. Mothers and fathers live in the same house as their teenagers and don’t know what they’re up to. Sometimes, little ones don’t get a lot of time to express themselves in today’s busy lifestyle. Gearing up for a hot tent in the middle of winter, with the whole family, is the best way to break down those barriers and get everyone on the same page. Even if it is only for a weekend.
For winter camping, you’re not going to find a horde of crowds lined up paying fees at the campsites. Oftentimes, you and your family will be the only ones out there. This immediately presents a different kind of psychology for the children and the parents alike. When no one is around, people let their guard down. They feel safer and more relaxed to be the most genuine version of themselves. This makes it much easier for the family to connect.
The winter also provides a unique set of circumstances. Surviving, even when it is in a decked-out canvas hot tent, is a little more difficult. Gathering wood is tougher, and dealing with the setup requires more patience. It is not a walk on the beach. This kind of calculated difficulty builds camaraderie among family members. It’s a way for everyone to tacitly strengthen their bonds.
Good for the Body, Good for the Brain
Studies have irrefutably shown that being outside triggers psychological responses in our bodies that help reduce stress. Nothing more than that. Just getting outside. It says something about the wild spaces and about our culture when just stepping outside immediately releases some of our built-up stress. To take it a little further, according to Jason Hunziker, MD, and Chief of the Division of Adult Psychiatry at the University of Utah Health’s Huntsman Mental Health Institute, spending at least 120 minutes a week outside in nature can drastically improve health and overall well-being. For those who are listening, getting into the wilderness is a good thing.
The hard part is that we tend to ignore this impulse during the winter. We put aside the desire to get out at the thought of being uncomfortable or risk losing a weekend of good sleep in a cold forest. This doesn’t have to be the case with hot tent camping. Furthermore, according to Dr. Hunziker, winter camping can alleviate symptoms associated with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and the blues by fostering greater exposure to natural surroundings. Other studies have also shown that getting immersed in nature can also enhance cognitive abilities, creativity, and focus. At this point, there is no real reason to stay inside during the winter.
The Science is behind it: Get Out!
For those folks in the Western states like Idaho, Wyoming, and Colorado, getting into the mountains in the winter is a pretty common ordeal. Growing up near the backcountry means that people spend most of their time in the backcountry, regardless of the season. But this isn’t the case for everyone around the country. Those in the Northeast in New York or Massachusetts often get tied to the city or suburban life, but it doesn’t have to be this way. The beautiful part about living in the United States is that every state has beautiful outdoors and the ability to get out with designated campsites.
This is not the last winter of your life; there will be dozens more. Considering that, get out there now and continue to get out there next year and the year after. Don’t wait for summer. Check out what White Duck Outdoors has to offer, get a good quality cold weather tent, and put a tent wood stove right in the middle of it. Your family will be warm in the worst storms, and the bonds you continue to grow will never feel stronger. Your health will improve, and your memories will be galvanized. Find your place outside, in any season.
Love camping in the cold with my regatta bell tent and wood stove. Just an added note – you go through a lot of wood and need to restock every 2-3 hrs through the night (your body will wake itself up). However, there’s something weirdly mentally satisfying about this that makes you feel good in the morning.