The Clever DIY Camping Heater That Will Keep You Warm In Your Sleeping Bag All Night

For chronic underpackers and the habitually unprepared, shivering in a tent because you didn't pack extra bedding is just part of the camping experience. Or, maybe you packed everything plus the kitchen sink, but somehow forgot your extra blankets right by the garage door. These things can happen, and if they happen to you, this DIY camping heater hack will be a game-changer.

Once the temperature drops, simply fill a bottle with hot water and use it to warm up your sleeping bag. However, there are a few water bottle design details you need to pay attention to. First, under no circumstances can the bottle have a loose top. Otherwise, you'll wake up wet and even colder than you were before. Next, it can't be a thermos or another type of insulated bottle that keeps heat in. You also want to choose a fairly large bottle with more surface area to transfer heat.

This is an especially good hack if your feet tend to get cold at night or if you have poor circulation. While both glass and plastic water bottles can help you warm up, a metal bottle will keep you toasty for longer. Avoid pouring boiling water into your bottle because it could damage the material or potentially give you a burn. Also, it's crucial to remember that once you fill a plastic water bottle (single-use or reusable) with hot water, it's no longer safe to drink from due to chemicals leaching from the plastic. That's it — now you've learned a DIY camping hack that will instantly improve your outdoor adventure.

While the DIY camping heater will warm you right up, there are other ways to stay toasty during a camping trip. This one might seem counterintuitive at first, but you'll stay warmer if you wear one or two breathable base layers inside your bag. A good sleeping bag is designed to amplify your own body heat, so wearing tons of layers will actually prevent the sleeping bag from doing its job as efficiently as possible. However, you should always wear a dry hat and scarf to protect the parts of your body sticking out. 

As your feet are furthest from your core, they get chilly quickly. Create insulation in the bottom of your bag by lightly packing clothes around your feet — again, not too many layers. You can also stack clothes between the foot area of your sleeping bag and the tent floor. This layer of extra clothing creates a barrier between your feet and the cold, hard ground or sand.

Even with minimal gear, you'd be shocked by how many MacGyver-esque solutions campers come up with in a pinch. There's a simple pool noodle hack that can keep a tent safe and even a way to use a kid's toy to make a tent unbelievably comfy — it's all about thinking outside the box.