Camping is an outdoor activity that relieves you from the stress of daily lives by letting you get in sync with the nature. Beautiful sceneries, trekking, setting up camps, collecting firewood, telling stories around the campfire, various games, and stargazing. Feeling united with nature with the best of your pals is a truly amazing experience.

You can indulge in various activities on your camping trip but campfire is like the heart and soul of the trip with all the games, singing and dancing that can take place around it. But, the trend has been changing recently. More and more people are getting inclined towards camping without a campfire and with the onset of fire bans, it seems like a great idea.

If you are also planning to go camping without a campfire, you should know how to keep yourself warm without it, because that’s what its basic purpose is. Keeping in check the natural processes through which your body loses heat is the way to keep yourself warm without a campfire.

Direct Contact and Conduction:

Conduction or transfer of heat by direct contact. Doesn’t matter how many layers you are wearing but if you are in direct contact with cold ground, your body will lose heat. I prefer using a sleeping pad or an insulated sit pad while sitting. A camp chair is also a viable option as it breaks the direct contact between your body and ground.

Tackle Radiation with Extra Layers:

Our bodies naturally dissipate heat in the form of radiation. Adding more layers adds insulation to minimize the heat loss in the form of radiation. Just covering your head without adding extra layers on the other parts of the body won’t work as we lose body heat from every part of our body almost equally.

Rain Gear to Blow Convection Away:

This is the transfer of heat through air. The blowing wind can easily take your warmth away even through a fleece. Putting on rain gear helps this cause, as it is designed to block wind-driven rain and also excels at keeping wind out.

Gender Specific Gear:

The female body loses heat more quickly than the male body, which is why women's sleeping bags have more insulation and specially calibrated temperature ratings. Their feet and hips lose more energy, so it is better to use clothing like down skirts, jackets that cover the hips, or thicker socks for an extra layer to prevent heat loss.

Keep Dry to Prevent Evaporation:

I believe that dryness and warmth are almost similar because if you are damp, the moisture will evaporate, lowering down the body temperature. Keep a set of dry clothes for sleeping and always make sure that you change into a set of dry clothes before you hit the bed.

Tips for Building Heat

It is often more helpful to keep rebuilding your body heat rather than trying to prevent losing it. There are some ways you can do it on your camping trip:

Be Proactive

Do some research about the place you are going out to, prepare for slightly colder temperatures than what the weather forecast is telling you. It is better to carry a bit of extra load than being cold on the campsite and falling ill. Be self-aware. Some people always remain warm while some run really cold, so adjust your gear choices accordingly.

Add Extra Calories

Snacks like candy bars, peanut butter and warm non-alcoholic drinks like hot cocoa help in fuelling the body furnace. Keeping yourself hydrated also helps as the fluid is used by our body to burn fat and produce heat.

Indulge in Activities

Being active keeps the body warm but sweating makes your body loose heat. So, maintain a balance, do some physical activities like take a walk or play some games to keep your body active and warm.

Keeping yourself warm, even without fire, is easily done if you keep the above mentioned things in mind. For food you can carry a camping stove and for entertainment, well remember, sometimes gazing up at the galaxy and contemplating your place in the universe can be a wonderful experience.