r little heaters–candle in a can----etc—if u need to add a little heat at night–what r some light easy ways to add a little warmth----thanks—saftey is also an issue–please advise on this too!!!—thanks phil
wear a hat while you sleep
Or, better yet, a balaclava.
– Mark
A sleeping bag and a foam mattress.
Dogmaticus
Lantern
A small Peak 1 gas lantern will warm a tent up quite nicely.
Just don’t fall asleep with it on or put it anyplace where it will fall over.
Also make sure the tent is ventilated.
Swedish Bikini Team…
In my dreams…
FE
A woman.
candle Lantern
A couple degrees, not much.
If you want to stay warm, take a lexan bottle, aka nalgene, BPA or not. (hahaha) and put hot water in it and put that either under the small of your back or by your feet or wherever it feels cold and isn’t uncomfortable. it will probably be too hot for most cases outside of winter but it will keep you warm.
If you have a campfire, you can sort of do the same with hot rocks, just wrap the rocks in something rather than put it directly in your bag or so…
Jay
Second that
With my wife and I in a double bag I’m never cold.
With me in the single I get cold pretty easy 
All flame sources need to be vented.
Would that not negate the added BTU’s of the heater or candle?
I think a flame in a tent is a disaster waiting to happen. Dumb idea.
*Stay hydrated, within reason. (keep a pee bottle handy)
*Eat some carbs before turning in. Not chocolate. Complex carbs.
*Hats or balaclavas are great ideas.
*A sleeping bag suitable for the temperature range you camp in will keep a healthy person warm.
*Most importantly, GIVE UP ON THE IDEA OF WARMING THE AIR INSIDE THE TENT TO A "COMFORTABLE’ LEVEL! Its camping, fer cryin out loud.
Jim
Chemical heat packs
The chemical heat packs. Toss a couple in at your feet, one near the small of your back.
Keep some cloth between you and the heat pack. They get pretty hot but won’t catch anything on fire.
Do you use a ground cover?
Don’t take up any measurable space if you’re in a boat, but a ground cover with a bit of an R factor can make a big diff.
Staying warm in a tent
I had a Memorex moment a couple of years ago while paddling with an arctic explorer. We were talking gear and I asked what kind of stove did he use to stay warm. He looked at me like a madman and asked me what exactly would I burn in a stove in the arctic. Hummmm, no trees eah! So I inquired how they stayed warm in and he said it is all calories consumed and retaining that heat with a good sleeping bag. They eat calorie dense foods like fats with 9 calories/gram instead of carbs and protiens with 4 calories/gram. A good sleeping bag with a hat and/or good hood are the secret to retaining warmth. You can’t eat the same in the cold as you do in the warm pure and simple.
From…
Many years of camping & military training…
In colder weathers, you should use a good bag ( http://store.nexternal.com/shared/StoreFront/default.asp?CS=useg&StoreType=BtoC&Count1=611080348&Count2=528220772&ProductID=1397&Target=products.asp ). Wear as little as possible (this generates a warm air barrier (kinda ike an attic space in a house), a watch cap or balaclava are great since a mjority of the heat produced by the body are lost through the head (even while laying prone). Worry about warming the air in your tent after you wake up (so that you do wake up). Turn on your stove or lantern & lay in your bag for about 5-10 mins… This will take off the chill enough to tolerate getting clothed.
Ofcourse this is all suggested for winter camping. For summer… Quit being a pussy!
Paddle easy,
Coffee
yep
what coffee said except for the “P” word. A better bag is always better then a heater!! I personally like the “Wiggys” bags. Kind of heavy but I have used mine in -10 weather and was nice and toasty. In summer I use a Milspec poncho liner. Also what others have said about your head, keep it covered to keep warm.
Ditto, and wear socks to bed
Being well-fed and well-hydrated have more effect than you might think. I can think of occasions where, after eating a hearty meal, I literally could feel my body temperature rise.
Wear a balaclava and non-restrictive SOCKS to bed.
Is your tent the type that’s mostly mesh? Get a real double-walled tent instead. It’s much warmer.
If you have companions, share a tent to stay warmer, if you can stand the snoring. Having sex with someone is not necessary–just having another live body in there will help warm up the tent.
I’ve used a chemical heatpack (handwarmer) while carcamping. It seemed to generate moisture as well as heat, so I gave up on the idea of using one again.
Nalgene all the way!
Try filling a Nalgene bottle with hot water, put it in a sock, and toss it in your sleeping bag. Nice added warmth.
Cold weather tent camping
A mummy bag and a fleece liner. I second the hat & wool socks. A good pad to keep you off the ground. If car camping and weight is not an issue, I like to take some wool Pendleton blankets to throw over the top of the sleeping bag. A miniature Dachshund down by your toes always works well too! : )
tents are made of thin fabric
and offer very little, if any, insulation. Even if you heat a tent with some type of heater won’t retain very much heat.
To stay warm when camping…
-make sure the clothes you are wearing to bed are dry
-have some type of insulation (mattress pad) between your body and the ground.
-have some type of insulation between your body and the cold air.
-Invest in a good sleeping bag rated to the lowest temperature you expect to encounter. - Remember that the ratings are not exact, take into account of you are a warm or cold sleeper
-heat a water bottle and put it in a sock, then in your sleeping bag
-if you wake up in the night and need to pee go pee
-eat a snack before bed (I prefer Snickers bars)
-buy a good thermos, make coffee at night before you go to bed. Make sure the lid of the thermos is on tight and put the thermos in your sleeping bag with you. It won’t heat the bag, but you will have hot coffee first thing in the morning.
-wear a knit hat and a neck gaiter
-if your feet get cold wear clean, dry loose fitting thick wool socks in your sleeping bag
Since most of the cretins…
…already mentioned the best methods, I used to
have an old wool balnket that was exactly the size
of my tent’s floor. I put it down like a wall to
wall carpet and it kept the tent warmer by bunches.
I mean by bunches.
Of course when you are camping out of a canoe, you
can carry more than you can in a pack.
When that bottle of water gets cool,
dump it out the door and refill it with 98.6 deg water.2 birds …