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[Deleted User]

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ariarnia

i dont know if you have kids? 

ours are 10 and 11 and every year its a big treat when its cold to make hot chocolate and popcorn on the stove. no oil or butter needed if the corn is fresh enough (it keeps years but after a bit its dry inside so the oil then helps) just dont load in to much and make sure its a pan with a lid (glass is best so you can still watch the corn jump) 

that and a deck of cards or board games is engouh to keep them busy until bed. 

[Deleted User]

Hi,

what happens during the night when one needs to the loo, and a long walk to the toilet, just pee outside tent (on carpet) just like real camping?

matelodave

Deleted_User said:

frugalmacdugal said:

Hi,

what happens during the night when one needs to the loo, and a long walk to the toilet, just pee outside tent (on carpet) just like real camping?

That's up to you. In the video I'm talking about it was a life-threatening situation made fun for the kids by smart and imaginative parents. Depending on how cold your house is you adapt it to fit your situation. 

The point is, if you can't keep the house warm enough for the kids to be comfortable you can set up a tent in which the air will heat up quickly simply from body heat. What the kids do in the tent is up to you and them. But kids love dens so it's something you can use to your advantage.

In the video they all slept in one room. The kids were each in little one or two man tents with sleeping bags and despite bitterly cold temps in the room the kids were all toasty warm in their little tents. Most people won't be facing temps that cold, but even so - you adapt the idea to suit your situation. You could use it for sleeping if it's very cold, or just to create a warm play area for during the day.

I found this article whilst looking for the video. It provides lots of other ideas to turn the cold crisis into a fun adventure for kiddies:

https://mybackyardlife.com/indoor-camping-activities/

Use your imagination!!! 

Unfortunately there's not a lot of imagination about nowadays, if people aren't spoon fed and told what to do, how to do it and when to do it then they seem to go into panic mode.

You have to wonder how some people manage to breath and walk at the same time without diagrammatic instructions. There's no use in using words of more than one syllable or sentences of more than three words because of limited attention spans.

Just look at the thread about Dangerous Smart Meters if you want evidence that its really hard to educate stupid

ariarnia

tents are great. we camp regularly including in cold weather (admittedly not sub zero) with the kids its a novelty for them. and there was a long thread on here not long ago about a kind of blanket fort made of pvc pipe that could take a person in a chair and a tv that was a bit out here but would work for the people it would work for. 

tents i always think the problem is condensation. and if it encourages people to stay still not move around. and older people actually getting in and out of tents (the ground is a long way down some mornings ) i can't help but think a one man tent for 20 or a big walk in tent for a few hundred. that cash could probably be used better insulating the one room with blankets on the curtains or draft excluders or sealing cracks. i dont know. the advantage of the smaller space but also more 'normal' and less damp. 

but thats a problem with a lot of the heat the person ideas. they will never work for everyone but for those they do work for then its great having the ideas somewhere easy to find.

[Deleted User]

Why buy a tent when you can build a den using PVC pipes, spare mattresses and wood?  Perhaps make it just the right size for a chair and television?

Hmm, hang on, haven't I heard that somewhere before?

ariarnia

Deleted_User said:

I'm just thinking of mums with primary school age kids sitting around the house freezing cold. Like you say, you need to move.

Imagine putting up a largish popup tent (or making one by draping blankets etc over chairs etc) and making the kids a den to play in all day. Pop their toys in - maybe even a little electric space heater thing (50w). Modern tents have mesh vents to deal with condensation. You could even throw thermal blankets, duvets etc over the tent to trap in more heat.

For little ones it's a bit like putting them in a playpen, but keeping them warm at the same time.

For night time if people simply don't have heating and you're now in survival mode you can put a tent on the bed - get pets and kids all in the same bed with you. Toasty warm!!

that i'd be a little worried about. i think the bbc had something about that being a bad idea recently (same article as the tea light heaters?)

TheGardener

Although I appreciate these are desperate times - the problem with tents is condensation and that just makes everything damp and mildewy. Playing in a blanket tent during the day is fine - sleeping or spending a lot of time in an actual tent in a cold room will just get damp. 
The heated throws are great - but need gentle handling in our experience to keep working - The instructions on them are clear that you shouldn't lie or sit ON them. Kids probably wouldn't be that gentle with them and it would stop working quite quickly. I think this is why some of the major retailers you would expect to sell them  - don't. There would be too many 'returns'. 

TheGardener

Deleted_User said:

TheGardener said:

Although I appreciate these are desperate times - the problem with tents is condensation and that just makes everything damp and mildewy. Playing in a blanket tent during the day is fine - sleeping or spending a lot of time in an actual tent in a cold room will just get damp. 
The heated throws are great - but need gentle handling in our experience to keep working - The instructions on them are clear that you shouldn't lie or sit ON them. Kids probably wouldn't be that gentle with them and it would stop working quite quickly. I think this is why some of the major retailers you would expect to sell them  - don't. There would be too many 'returns'. 

I'm not suggesting living in a tent full time! LOL 

But rather than having your kids sat in a cold lounge huddled under blankets and unable to move and play you can create a small area inside the lounge that will a) keep much warmer than the rest of the room with body heat at all and b) can be heated safely in a multitude of ways. 

Actual popup tents are one option (and nowadays they have ventilation built in). Creating an enclosed area with blankets etc is another. If an electric blanket or throw doesn't seem like a good fit for your kids then consider other options for safely heating small spaces very economically.  There are plenty of options including hot water bottles or those little disks that you heat in the microwave that stay hot for hours. 

Focus on how you CAN make life better rather than looking for reasons why you can't and your whole world changes for the better! xx

My kids are way past the 'playing and toys' stage and I appreciate your positivity. But as a camper for many years (too poor to pay for hotels  ) I'm very familiar with the condensation in tents - with or without vents. 
Being positive is great - not pointing out the potential risks is reckless. It's not about being a killjoy - it's about being safe and pragmatic.