# Keeping Warm, Warming/Insulation for squats in the winter



## ReturnTrip

Me and my buddy are squatting this house in north jersey for a bit and its been snowing and we both have sleeping bags that are way too small for us (mine doesnt even zip) we both layer on clothes really hard and we've thought of putting a towel near our door so a draft doesnt come in (by the way theres a large hole in the roof from a fire years ago so it snows inside just not the room we sleep in haha)..in a nutshell its fucking cold. you can see your breath in our room with all the doors closed, Any suggestions for super awesome warmness aside from the dumb idea of lighting any fires?


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## dime

*Keeping Warm*

sew up the zipper


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## spoorprint

*Keeping Warm*

mattresses or mattress pads so you don't loose heat by conduction through the floor.
space blankets under the sleeping bags.


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## ReturnTrip

*Keeping Warm*



dime said:


> sew up the zipper



yeah i was thinking about that..the sleeping bag only helps so much though


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## dime

*Keeping Warm*

leave jersey


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## finn

*Keeping Warm*

Layering clothing is fine, but it shouldn't be tight, since the point is to trap air between the layers. If you're desperate, you can stuff newspapers or paper napkins (quieter) between the layers. For your room, carpeting (as long as it isn't moldy) and cardboard are your friends. Carpeting for the walls and floor, cardboard for your bed/tent. You can stuff newspaper under your door, so you can use the towel for other things.


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## Dmac

*Keeping Warm*

try to keep dry. if you work up a sweat durring the day and do'nt change into dry clothes and socks you will have trouble staying warm. the space blanket mentioned earlier really, REALLY, helps. also try pulling a trash bag over the foot of the sleepingbag, it does help to keep the feet warmer.


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## Shoestring

*Keeping Warm*

*You and your buddy need to double up!
After finding carpeting and cardboard and placing this on the floor, y'all need to sleep next to each other and this way you both will have two sleeping bags on top of you each.*


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## Ravie

*Keeping Warm*

shoestring has the right idea. i always find me a cuddle buddie. adds like 10 degrees. but dime is right too. go somewhere warm...dur.


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## Turtles

*Keeping Warm*

If there's a Trader Joe's or some kind of grocery store near u go behind it and see if they have any shipping blankets they work well with one on the bottem and one on the top


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## ReturnTrip

*Keeping Warm*

will do..thanks everyone.

About the leaving jersey thing..i totally would and im going to this summer but im like tied down with my band around here and i'd feel bad about going. if i wasnt in the band i'd definitely leave because it fuggin SUCKS here


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## Dmac

*Keeping Warm*

if you think it sucks in jersey, stay away from nebraska!:chug:


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## bote

*Keeping Warm*

get a big cardboard box, like for a bike (bike store should be able to give you one) and stuff it with crumpled up paper around your sleeping bag. I guarantee you'll toasty, cardboard and paper insulate real well. Oh yeah, like others said, lots of layers underneath you.


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## steelcitybrew

*Keeping Warm*



bote said:


> get a big cardboard box, like for a bike (bike store should be able to give you one) and stuff it with crumpled up paper around your sleeping bag. I guarantee you'll toasty, cardboard and paper insulate real well. Oh yeah, like others said, lots of layers underneath you.



does that fair pretty good in the winter? I have to remember this trick for next freeze


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## Samson

*Keeping Warm*

where in north jersey?


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## ReturnTrip

*Keeping Warm*



Samson said:


> where in north jersey?



Maplewood near Irvington


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## Dmac

*Keeping Warm*

as said before, double up. most mititary bags, have room for two, it can save your life. if you use cardboard, old carpet a,d blankets, put half under and half over you, and zip the two bags together, it makes a big difference on a cold night.


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## finn

*Keeping Warm*

Also, there are some late night stores with a microwave oven. You can buy a little something to cook up but stick your nalgene bottles full of water inside (but unscrew the lid so it doesn't explode) along with it and let it cook until little bubbles start forming inside. And then screw the lid, shut wrap the bottles up in a hoody or something and throw it in your bag, then when you get to your sleeping spot you have a nifty source of warmth that will last a couple of hours.

PS. Do not overdo it! You do not want your bottle to warp, which it will if subjected to too much heat for too long!


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## ReturnTrip

*Keeping Warm*



finn said:


> Also, there are some late night stores with a microwave oven. You can buy a little something to cook up but stick your nalgene bottles full of water inside (but unscrew the lid so it doesn't explode) along with it and let it cook until little bubbles start forming inside. And then screw the lid, shut wrap the bottles up in a hoody or something and throw it in your bag, then when you get to your sleeping spot you have a nifty source of warmth that will last a couple of hours.



thats actually pretty rad


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## Beegod Santana

*Keeping Warm*

get a bunch of the hand warmer things from home depot or somewhere (they're only like $.69 and are really easy to steal). Get two winter caps, put one on, then throw a warmer or two in the other then slide it on. It'll keep you toasty as you drift off to sleep. I forget how much exactly but a huge amount of your body heat escapes through your head. Also, make a simple stove and drink lots of tea. Another trick is to go to a laundry mat and throw your sleeping bag in the dryer for however much a quarter gets you right before you go to crash. Try rigging up a hammock indoors to stay off the cold ground and throw a fleece blanet under you. Then there's always the option of lining the walls with old blankets and then getting yourself an propane heater. A bit of a fire hazard, but my friend had a set up like that going all last winter in vermont and did fine.

Hope this helps


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## Umbraperagro

*Keeping Warm*

Crank your diet full a' spicy foods, drink ginger tea, eat raw, or semi cooked garlic on everything, mustard seeds. All that will move your circulatroy system into action a whole lot, helps your extremities stay warmer...
fireball whiskey???? I dunno...


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## finn

*Keeping Warm*

Alcohol is actually bad because it makes you feel warmer without actually warming you, it just send blood into your capillaries and flushes your skin, making you lose heat faster. It'd be okay if it had a fair amount of calories like stout, but not whiskey.


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## ReturnTrip

*Keeping Warm*



finn said:


> Alcohol is actually bad because it makes you feel warmer without actually warming you, it just send blood into your capillaries and flushes your skin, making you lose heat faster. It'd be okay if it had a fair amount of calories like stout, but not whiskey.



Yeah we haven't really gotten drunk to keep warm or anything. We use it more of a distraction to how cold it is.


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## Angela

*Keeping Warm*

I've thankfully never tried to winter in Jersey but it could get well below zero windchill temps with single digit air temperatures even down in the mountains of North Carolina and I always stayed nice and toasty layered up in pair of heavy weight unionsuit long underwear(sometimes two sets on top of each other) and stuffed into a cheap zero degree sleeping bag from Wal-Mart. And yeah don't use alcohol to stay warm, it's nice to take your mind off the cold you just don't want it too far off the cold. Too many folks have been found dead from exposure that way, when they had a lot to drink and then just layed down/passed out in the snow.


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## theefixeated

*Keeping Warm*

I squatted an outdoor camp through a Montana winter. cold as fuck, had a fire sometimes till the smoked rolled the I-90 and got me busted on old trespassing tickets. my Savior was waxed boxes sandwiching regular cardboard/thousnd mile paper etc.etc. 
On crazy blizzards my hammock with a sleeping bag which is a light bag wrapped in a blanket like a cocoon with a tarp strung over the top cold, but certainly not what it could have been


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## arice

*Keeping Warm*

hot water bottle in the sleeping bag has gotten me through vermont winters... reppin' jersey, good luck to you.


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## Wolfeyes

*Keeping Warm*

I've said it here recently, but styrofoam packing peanuts make great insulation, businesses throw them out all the time, and they're light.

Plus, if it matters to you, you get eco-friendly points for reusing something that doesn't biodegrade.


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## sleep

*Keeping Warm*

Try keeping a catalytic hand warmer in your bag they work pretty good. The only problem is they sometimes leak or smell like lighter fluid.


The Zippo Hand Warmer will probably be the easiest to acquire.

http://www.zippo.com/products/handWarmer.aspx?bhcp=1


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## dirty_rotten_squatter

*Keeping Warm*

Ha ha, I saw this thread and directly under this one was "warm ideas for sleeping in winter"...When I'm outside and am too cold to bear it, I stuff my clothes with newspaper. It makes great insulation. That and layers. Maybe you guys could cuddle, just for body heat, haha j/k.


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## 614 crust

*Keeping Warm*

If you have to piss, piss in an empty bottle and keep it in your sleeping bag with you.


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## Wolfeyes

*Keeping Warm*

Another option if you're all set on food, befriend a stray dog. Preferably a larger breed with a thick coat. It'd be a mutually beneficial relationship. The dog gets a steady source of food and a roof over it's head, you get a living heater.


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## Mama Dragon

*Keeping Warm*

when i'm winter camping, i like to either microwave some potatoes, or wrap them in foil and stick them in the dying campfire. Then I take the super hot baked potatoes and shove them into the bottom of my sleeping bag. They hold the heat forever, and they make a tasty breakfast.


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## hg14

*Keeping Warm*



Turtles said:


> If there's a Trader Joe's or some kind of grocery store near u go behind it and see if they have any shipping blankets they work well with one on the bottem and one on the top



the shipping blankets seems good to me, I'll try it


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## stove

*Keeping Warm*



Mama Dragon said:


> when i'm winter camping, i like to either microwave some potatoes, or wrap them in foil and stick them in the dying campfire. Then I take the super hot baked potatoes and shove them into the bottom of my sleeping bag. They hold the heat forever, and they make a tasty breakfast.



That's a pretty good idea!

But I'm guessing melted cheese might be tricky...

I usually rock a double sleeping bag (one inside the other), with two 30 deg bags I'm good down to 0 (F), or further.


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## nuckfumbertheory

*Keeping Warm*

man, I am feeling for you out there right now in this mess. i can't imagine being out right now w/ no fire going. I up in NNJ until the end of the month If you need anything let me know. I probably got a few sleeping bags I can give you or if you need some stuff to start fixing up your squat a bit, I can probably get you a hammer / nail and some wood.


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## matthew

*Keeping Warm*

I would buy or steal a heater element that connects to large propane tanks. Then either buy or steal propane tanks. I'd look for them in backyards under grills.


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## finn

*Keeping Warm*



Mama Dragon said:


> when i'm winter camping, i like to either microwave some potatoes, or wrap them in foil and stick them in the dying campfire. Then I take the super hot baked potatoes and shove them into the bottom of my sleeping bag. They hold the heat forever, and they make a tasty breakfast.



Keep in mind though, that doing this might make yourself smell like a meal. Not a big worry in a lot of places, but places with rats may lead to holes in your bag and I wouldn't even think about doing that outside in bear country.


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## smellyskelly

*Keeping Warm*

get naked and cuddle.


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## boucaneer

*Keeping Warm*



ReturnTrip said:


> Me and my buddy are squatting this house in north jersey for a bit and its been snowing and we both have sleeping bags that are way too small for us (mine doesnt even zip) we both layer on clothes really hard and we've thought of putting a towel near our door so a draft doesnt come in (by the way theres a large hole in the roof from a fire years ago so it snows inside just not the room we sleep in haha)..in a nutshell its fucking cold. you can see your breath in our room with all the doors closed, Any suggestions for super awesome warmness aside from the dumb idea of lighting any fires?


 

if the sleeping bag does'nt do up then the zipper teeth might need respacing. look closley at the zipper teeth and see if there out of wack.

the teeth need to be equal spaces apart. insert a small metal type object inbetween the teeth and try to move and work them so the spaces are all the same.

if the teeth are fine and the zipper pull is stuck, it might be salt corrosion wich looks like a white/green powdery build up., get some rubber gloves and a small brush and some detergent and boil a kettle.

put a small amount of detergent onto the white/green corrosion and place in a wash baisen, pour the hot boiling water onto and through the corroded zipper and scrub with the bush.

do both sides, front and back and maybe do it twice to remove all the corrosion. when cool engough to handle pull the zipper pull realy hard and it should come lose. you will see some more corrosion where the zipper had been, repeat the process untill all corrosion removed.

failing that you might be able to source some velcro and use that to hold it toghether, if you can only get a little bit of velcro, space it out along the zip line.

otherwise sew some large buttons and string/cord loops for button eyelets along the zip line would work.

i hope that helps.

i sound like a zipper nut dont i?


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## runawaymachine

*Keeping Warm*

I realize it has been a while since Return Trip was squating that house in NJ but here's my .02.

You can lose heat 3 ways. Through convection, conduction, and evaporation. 

Cunduction has been well adressed here with insulating yourself from the floor and using other insulation(I like the packing peanuts idea). 

Convection is when you lose heat to circulating air. You could prevent this by putting that towel at the bottom of the door and or fixing the hole in the roof. If you could surround yourself with stuff to keep air from flowing past you at night that would help too. Even if you are inside a house bulding a 'fort' out of boxes or something will help, and don't forget to put a roof on your fort.

Evaporation is the one most people do not consider. When you sweat(even when it's cold) you lose heat when your body heat is used to turn liquid water into a vapor. You can prevent evaporation with "Vapor Barrier Clothing"(google that). A vapor barrier is simply a non permiable layer that you keep close to your skin. Idealy you want a VB bag made out of coated nylon(Tyvek works great and is easily liberated from construction sites) then strip down to your base layer and get inside. Since you want to sleep in your clothes you should find yourself a sweat suit made out of a tight weave material(or line your clothes with Tyvek), were this sweat suit as your second layer(you need a base layer to hold the moisture). You will sweat a little as always, but then the VB will capture that sweat and keep your skin moist. If your skin is moist then you will stop sweating. This will help retain heat and H2O.

DO NOT put the vapor barrier over all of your clothing you will get your clothes wet and you will get cold. This is the crux of using things like a space blanket.

DO NOT let yourself get wet inside the VB. Moist is good wet is not. If you find yurself sweating too much you need to ventilate or remove the VB.

DO NOT forget to shower. Since you are trapping your own sweat next to your skin you will get funky fast.

I find a simple VB to be as effective as a second sleeping bag, and they are small and light to pack. I hope everyone stays warm this winter, it's a cold one since the ice caps are melting.


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## CaffineIrene

*Need some advice on insulation and heating my squat*

hello, my friends and I recently started setting up a squat in a northern city where its still very cold and snowy. Our room in inside a medium sized room surrounded by other huge rooms. It was once a big factory or something. The room that my partner and I sleep in is fairly small with a few little holes in the wall but nothing major. Oh yes, it has a door and no windows. My question is what is the best way to insulate my space? would nailing cardboard to the walls help at all? we might sleep in a tent in the room with a buncha blankets and what not but it could sti9ll be pretty cold. 
I mean I was thinking of building a little brick fireplace or something but I'm not sure as the whole smoke thing might kill us so i might just do that in our more "common area"
This is going to be a more permanent squat also (i know i'll see some of you in the warmer weather!)

Also what are some cheap ways ya'll know how to make stoves ( i have access to a buncha free bricks btw) I know about the penny pocket stove and just plain ol fires work nicely but something a little more reliable would be best. 

and electricity...how could I make it happen when the place i live in is not wired for that shit? I'm a poor young lady so keep that in mind. I guess i don't need it. I am pretty excited to be using my survival-primitive skillz again


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## Wolfeyes

*Need some advice on insulation and heating my squat*



ArrowInOre said:


> ...If you are planning on setting up any kind of heating source, keep in mind that no matter what the source is, you HAVE TO HAVE A PLACE FOR THE EXHAUST TO GO. Be it fuel, or fire...SO you might want to actually consider using an outter room so you can have proper ventilation. I have seen what a fume killed body looks like, UNPLEASANT TO LOOK AT, must be far more so to feel...best of luck...



Don't forget the other end of the equation. If you're using combustion for heat, don't forget to also let fresh air in. Hypoxia(lack of oxygen) is no fun. Been there done that, bought the t-shirt... Plus, if you don't pass out/die from lack of oxygen, and manage to open a window, you run the risk of flash fires, also no fun...


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## logan714

hot rocks and sand


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## tallhorseman

In Oak Ridge, New Jersey...awful state...there is an RV park, I lived there for a few months. In this RV park are/were several unused RVs that would make good squats. When I lived there the park owner was trying to find someone to haul them off. I believe the place is called Oak Ridge RV Park.

A friend of mine fixed one up and used it for a storage trailer.

Off subject, but oh well, sue me.


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## Rancho

Sand absorbs and retains heat if you can find some nice dry sand and get it toasty if you can put it in your sleeping bag(in bags of course) then it should keep you toasty for a good long while


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## Yell

make a bivvy sack with space blankets. BAM. problem solved.

(heres a quick thought. instead of sleeping in the bag. use one sleeping bag as a bottom blanket. then you and your friend sleep next to each other. put the top sleeping bag unzipped and over you. make a bivvy sack that would fit you both. with space blankets. it will insulate the heat from both of you.)


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## Earth

Don't be afraid to do some hustling and get yourself a heater / fuels 

We've been using kerosine heaters for years to heat non-heated spaces,
man it works like a champ and burns super super clean, just make sure
your space is not air tight......

One cat I know goes the propane route, but I don't know enough about that.
I got a small propane heater in the back of my old van that uses those small
camping cylinders, and that throws out a whole lot of heat for a couple of
hours or so...............


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## Dead horse

Pan handle for blankets, if your like "spare blankets" people are gonna help, blankets are easy to get. and ya like some people above said, sew the zipper up, cuddle with a partner of a dog, GET THE FUCK OUTTA WHERE YOU ARE, get off the ground somehow, I'm just checked into a Salvation army, its greasy as fuck but its just till i save up the money for an Arctic Tent and a wood burning stove then I'll be wilderness squatting..Remember, you can't drink the water if its frozen


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## TheUndeadPhoenix

*Need some advice on insulation and heating my squat*

NO FUCKIN SQUAT FIRES!

I've heard of tons of squat fires. Unless you plan on cleaning the chimney or have a fuck ton of ventilation (IE Open warehouse with the windows busted out) and a big ass concrete slab under it, don't do it.*
*


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## wildboy860

somebody mentioned packin gblankets from trader joes, well you can get similar wool blankets that will keep you warm as well from the back of u-haul trucks, they're almost always onlocked and usually cointain a blank or a few. also a good place to sleep ina pinch.


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## dprogram

Local fire departments will usually give you free wool blankets if you ask nicely.


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## whaleofashrimp

card board..and staple guns..layer that shit on the wall


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## Kadidlehopper

'Seal' a room and build a few terracotta pot candle heaters, a small hobo rocket stove could work too if you slap a brick under it and a few around the sides to encapsule it and chimney it out the window, a small fire in a room isnt that dangerous as long as you dont act like a fucking moron and take the proper steps in setting it up, dont leave it unattended, and have a water bucket AND heavy blanket/carpet to smother the whole thing if shit goes arry. 

A stove this size would never burn all night, its all about storing radiant heat. But this is a technique that I used back in the fridged northern ontario winters [-40 motherfuckers, thats _real_ cold.] if your complaining about the temp in minus teens, get a better fucking bag and some cardboard.

also, its all about layers, wicking layer [underarmour etc for sweat], insulating layer[wool for wet warmth] and wind layer [do I even need to explain this?]


Terracotta candle






radiant hobo stove





'ultra' radiant brick stove


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## finn

I forgot to mention that pallets can be used for insulation, as a framework, once you stuff them with something- newspapers for indoors, plastic bags for outside. Bags of packing peanuts are good, though not too close to wooden pallets, since the bags will catch on them and tear.


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## finn

Okay, its starting to get cold again, so even if your boots are super warm, take them off when you're sleeping in the cold- DO NOT SLEEP WITH BOOTS ON. The reason is blood circulation, if your toes don't get enough, they will be frostbitten, warm boots notwithstanding. Also, when you sleep, do not be on the floor if you can help it- because cold air sinks. Also, the floor is cold. Sleeping on cinderblocks is an improvement.


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## roadbike

Hit a MEC (or similar shop) up and get one of those reflective emergency blankets/bivvies. They also have them in emergency kits for cars sometimes at Walmart or whatever and are pretty small and easy to pocket from either way.

Use it over your sleeping bag along with whatever mattress/cuddle situation you work out. Keeping yourself off the floor will do you wonders for keeping you from losing body heat.


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## todd

get a dog to sleep in your bag


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