Using A Hot Water Bottle To Stay Warm

**OneClick** · 06-22-2015, 09:05

Originally Posted by sophistihip

I tried this method last fall and I wasn't a huge fan. Having the right gear, setup properly, eating right before bed, I feel like with the water bottle or not, you're going to be cold come morning if you're not prepared. If you are, as you should be, you are going to sweat early on in the night. I guess it's handy if the temperature drops precipitously, but I usually have my eye on historical lows and prepare for them, instead of just hoping for average lows and lugging around the nalgene. I guess either way I'm carrying the wait, but fiddling with the bottle and sweating was too much trouble for me.

I would like to think most or all people are using the hot water bottle for supplemental, but non-essential, heat. You can choose to boil the water or simply warm it up depending on the temps and your preference.

Toes always seem to be the first thing getting cold. It's much appreciated when it's -7° outside. Even with down booties, those toes and feet can still get chilled. The hot water guarantees they'll stay warm, and heating up 60° water in the morning is much easier and fuel-efficient than heating up a slushy 34° water!

**Dux** · 06-25-2015, 19:09

Boiling up water can take up a bunch of time depending on what method and containers you are heating with. There is no way around that. But hey, enjoy the fire while you're there and accomplish other camp tasks as you go. Not really wasted time if you use it wisely.

With hot water bottles I have no trouble regulating the heat to avoid sweating. I find that a quart Nalgene filled to the brim with just shy of full rolling boil water in a cozie made from two layers of Reflectix is still putting out useful heat eight hours later. Even in single digit weather. An interesting observation is that when I have set a cozied Nalgene on the ground it was cool in the morning while those inside with me were still noticeably warm. Always nice getting into an already warm place to sleep when there is frost on the trail.

As far as weight goes, for me it is stuff I already have along. Strain then boil or filter then boil is my norm for resupplying water. Since it is already hot, easy enough to slip it into a cozie then into the sleeping gear. Cook in Nalgenes while hiking a trail by adding just short of full rolling boil water to pasta sides, Rice-a-roni, dry rice, couscous, etc. No effort warm meal hours later. People have run Nalgenes over with trucks and not had them leak. For me, Nalgenes are too useful to not have some along.

1-4 cozied hot water bottles has turned the tide of many a frigid night from barely tolerable to toasty warm and very comfortable.

**bkrgi** · 06-25-2015, 19:23

Originally Posted by sophistihip

I tried this method last fall and I wasn't a huge fan. Having the right gear, setup properly, eating right before bed, I feel like with the water bottle or not, you're going to be cold come morning if you're not prepared. If you are, as you should be, you are going to sweat early on in the night. I guess it's handy if the temperature drops precipitously, but I usually have my eye on historical lows and prepare for them, instead of just hoping for average lows and lugging around the nalgene. I guess either way I'm carrying the wait, but fiddling with the bottle and sweating was too much trouble for me.

Maybe that's just a Florida thing....

Having the right gear and all is crucial ..Agreed and a must for cold, no skimping at all or your going to regret life quick.

But having that Nalgene Hot water bottle as one climbs into a very cold Hammock, wrapping one self into all that Downy goodness and having that instant heat off the Bottle warm everything up quick is pure bliss

It is one luxury that is so worth having on them cold frigid nights and so easy to do to me its a must.

**Wkerber** · 06-25-2015, 19:32

Down here in SC what I do is....oh, that's right, I don't really need any of that to get me through my 30 degree overnight low temp with my 20 degree HG Underquilt.
Just poking fun. When I lived in Indiana and use to ice fish and duck hunt, we'd put the chemical hand warmers in the cuff of our jacket or shirt against the underside of our wrist. Kept your whole body warm and toasty as it would warm your blood and thus internal core temp.

**cougarmeat** · 06-26-2015, 18:31

If you don't want the bulk of the Nalgene bottle, using those "Hot" bags (open the packaging - not the bag itself - and shake) you can buy, usually in the winter (great price if you get a box at Costco; much higher if you impulse buy at the sporting goods counter) will put some "startup" warmth in the sleeping bag or top quilt..

**CanGnu** · 06-27-2015, 00:49

Love this one. Nights can get into the single digits during opening weekend trout fishing.

**KiwiMark** · 07-04-2015, 16:11

I'm doubtful of the need to use a hot water bottle to warm your core unless you don't have good quilts/insulation. But for your extremities where the blood (and body warmth) flow isn't as great, this could be a good solution. For cold feet or cold hands a bottle of hot water could be absolutely the best thing ever!