Staying Warm in the Gorge
If you are camping in the summertime throughout the Gorge, you may only need a light sheet or comforter as the nighttime temps tend to drop to the low 60s through July and August.
Since Red is open year-round for activities, you may want to prepare for colder climates. Throughout December and January, temps can drop into the low 20s. In order to best prepare you should follow these easy steps:
- Drink warm, non-alcoholic beverages before hopping into your sleeping bag. Alcohol dilates you blood vessels making it more difficult to stay warm.
- Eat a light snack. When your body is working to digest food, it naturally warms you by generating heat to sleep comfortably.
- Wear a hat. Keeping your head warm will help to warm your whole body. If you get hot in the night, it is easy to remove.
- Do a little light exercise. Not too much because you don’t want to get sweaty before bed, but just a little light exercise could help to warm you up. If you do a couple of light crunches in your sleeping bag, it will help not only warm you, but also your bag.
- Place a warm water bottle or thermos in the center of your body. When you keep your core warm, you are able to keep yourself warmer. You could also try place a bottle between your legs at your femoral artery.