Shelters in the Cold

[twosticks]

A simple question. When your out hiking in the cold, say 40 and below, do shelters do a better job of keeping you warm than a tent? I would think you'd be warmer and by default more comfortable in a tent. Thanks.

[Gray Blazer]

I agree. Be sure you don't set your tent up in the shelter.

[Alligator]

I find my tent to be warmer in the winter when it is all closed up. If the panels covering the mesh panels are open, most of the heat escapes.

If the air is still and the mesh left open, there is little difference between the shelter and tent.

For a tent with open mesh and no way to close it, a rainfly will block some of any wind, thereby leaving you somewhat warmer.

If it's not too cold, I prefer the shelter for the space. Usually it's all yours. A ground cloth or rainfly can be used as a wind break.

[hikerjohnd]

Tent is warmer - No air circulation around you (above and below), smaller space for your body to heat. While I like the simplicity of the shelter (nothing to set up and take down), in the cold, I use my tent.

[Lone Wolf]

A simple question. When your out hiking in the cold, say 40 and below, do shelters do a better job of keeping you warm than a tent? I would think you'd be warmer and by default more comfortable in a tent. Thanks.

Absolutely not. A tent by far is warmer.

[Rhettamus]

i like the shelters when its frosty outside, i hate breaking the tent down when everything has a thin layer of ice on it. when hiking near plum orchard i stayed in the shelter and another hiker stayed in his tent and it rained then turning to a heavy snow, and he left his tent there and headed towards springer.

[Footslogger]

Biggest problems with the shelters when it's cold is wind/draft ...and I ain't talking about fart baseball here.

A tent should block most or all of the wind so all things considered (provided you have the correct clothing and sleeping bag rating) a tent should be more comfortable.

'Slogger

[Toolshed]

I agree a tent is absolutely warmer in many circumstances.
However, there are 2 circumstances that stand out that I might be inclined to think otherwise..... Since you are also speaking of damp cold and not just freezing cold, I like a shelter then (especially when it is raining) since it keeps you up off the damp ground - even though you remain dry in either event.

I also appreciate a shelter for the warmth that comes from the state of mind of having a secure shelter around you and being able get up and move around without being too cramped and still stay dry, in the event it is very wet out - It sucks to get wet when you are peeing ot pooping and then have to crawl back into your tent and get dry again (or carefully shed your wet articles of clothing - A day or two might not be bad but after 3-4 days of wet cold weather, a shelter is a very nice luxury.

[twosticks]

Good point about the wet cold. I hadn't thought of that one. It would suck to have to get warm all over again. But, if it's raining/snowing/generally wet outside, the air is going to be moist as well and make everyting in the shelter wet, so you would pobably stay dryer and wamer if you were in a tent.

[Just Jeff]

...I like a shelter then (especially when it is raining) since it keeps you up off the damp ground - even though you remain dry in either event....

If the shelter is raised off the ground and the wind can blow underneath, it can be colder than a tent - for the same reason that bridges freeze before roads.

Getting off the wet ground is definitely a good thing, though. Especially in a hammock...

[twosticks]

Getting off the wet ground is definitely a good thing, though. Especially in a hammock...

I knew hammocks would come out eventually.

[neo]

my hammock is warmer and way more comfortable than a tent or shelter neo

[vipahman]

Tent is warmer - No air circulation around you (above and below), smaller space for your body to heat.

And pray tell why are you heating up the tent with body heat.

Tent wins on warmth without a doubt but loses on condensation which is an important consideration in freezing temps. With condensation, there's just more to manage in a tent. I've slept in a shelter down to the single digits in blizzard conditions and have been as warm as I can be.

[saimyoji]

And pray tell why are you heating up the tent with body heat.

Hmmm....Do you have a better way of warming up on a cold night?

Wait, I'd rather not know.

[StarLyte]

Well you sure as heck can't warm up in a hammock. Sorry Neo, Medicine Man.

You need a tent, and you need body heat.

It's that simple.

[vipahman]

Hmmm....Do you have a better way of warming up on a cold night?

Wait, I'd rather not know.

I thought the point I was making was obvious. One warms the sleeping bag with body heat and not the tent. The tent stays ventilated to prevent condensation.

[saimyoji]

I thought the point I was making was obvious. One warms the sleeping bag with body heat and not the tent. The tent stays ventilated to prevent condensation.

Yes of course. Note to self: Mind out of gutter.....

[Footslogger]

I thought the point I was making was obvious. One warms the sleeping bag with body heat and not the tent. The tent stays ventilated to prevent condensation.

====================================

Maybe it's mincing words here but "ventillation" and "draft" are different in my mind. Air movement, or ventillation, is healthy and is what reduces condensation. A draft is synonomous with wind blowing through your tent and across you while you sleep.

The walls of a tent prevent/inhibit draft and a well ventillated tent allows air movement.

'Slogger

[peter_pan]

Well you sure as heck can't warm up in a hammock. Sorry Neo, Medicine Man.

You need a tent, and you need body heat.

It's that simple.

Starlyte,

You are certainly wrong on this point...."40 and below" is a piece of cake with just my normal three season gear in a hammock.... Could easily put together a hammock system for a winter weekend in under a 14 pound base weight...say under 20 full up, with food and a qt of water included....fully capable of single digits, possibly even negative temp numbers.

I'm sure that Medicine Man and Neo could also be quite comfortable at a piece of cake standard of "40 and below" that started this thread.

Pan

[Alligator]

Can the hammockers maybe stick to the Straight Forward guidelines ?