Camping and Backpacking GEAR thread

I look at it this way.. your body has already warmed the urine in your body when you created it. It takes minimal caloric consumption to keep it at body temp. But, how much body heat are you losing when you do go pee? You're basically taking BTUs right out of your body in seconds. Interesting debate, actually. Nobody really has the empirical data on it to prove one way or another.

The consensus seems to be that it doesn't take hardly any energy to maintain a full bladder's temperature (it's deep in the pelvis and not susceptible to cooling off since it's not directly exposed to cold). However, going pee does remove mass from your body that you no longer have to maintain at temp. Both cases have their points, but it's a wash and a negligible difference.

 

Hydration is a huge factor in sleeping warm. Not drinking before bed so you don't have to piss is counter intuitive.

 

Lol, the compromise is to pee in a gatorade bottle and keep it in your sleeping bag to keep you warm.

 

I piss when I want to piss, and have never truly felt a temp difference.

Eat some protein before bed and you'll stay warm. Jerky and whiskey... say goodnight.

 

We have a winner.

 

You can stay hydrated without drinking a lot of fluids right before you go to bed...
I'm not saying not to stay hydrated; I'm saying to take it easy on the fluids during the hour or so before you go to sleep. As in "don't down a beer and then crawl into your bag"

 

But any experienced alcoholic outdoorsperson will drink until they barf but then chug a 32oz bottle of Gatorade right before bed to aid in the next morning's recovery. Having to pee at night then becomes inevitable if one is truly to evade the dreaded morning hangover while packing up camp syndrome.

 

Believe average is if from 18 to 33 during that time around that area.

 

Touche.
Although most of the ones I know who are packing in bring hard liquor instead of beer. more kick for less weight.

 

What's your bag rated for? You want one that's rated at for at least 10 degrees, for those temps. Zero would be better.

 

I didn't say chug a beer before bed, but there are tons of people who camp in sub freezing temps who drink a full Nalgene before bed, they also wake up to piss if need be.

If you're camping below freezing, pay attention to EN ratings. If a bag isn't EN rated, and it just says it's good to 10 degrees, or 0 degrees, add 30 degrees to be realistic.

 

My bags a 3 season bag. So its not rated low at all. Its -1 degrees Celsius bag EN 27 degrees F. I know buying a bag would be the best but, I just don't have the funds to buy one right now with xmas around the corner.

 

North Face Founder Douglas Tompkins Dies In Kayaking Accident In Chile
One of the biggest environmental activists. Will surely be missed.

 

You could rent a bag from a local REI, or if your stature allows it, supplement with a second three season bag that you cocoon yourself into.

 

Wow... That really sucks

 

I saw that. Always sad to see another pioneer go, but glad to see they lived a life of what the loved!

 

Bummer that he is gone as he did a lot for the outdoor community. Though TNF is one in the long list of companies that is pro limiting OHV travel through some of the greatest off road areas in our country so I will continue to not purchase their products.

 

Yeah, not really his company any more. He has not owned it for quite a while now.