it was pretty cold in here the other day.

i NEW this thread was going to appear today. my wife wanted to keep the windows open even though it was cold as fuck.. havent turned the heat on yet but bought oil yesterday cause the price is low for now.

I'm a pussy when it comes to cold so I already turned mine on.

Ran the gas fireplace for about an hour in the morning a few times but that's it.

any suggestions for camping and not freezing to death at night (besides sleeping bag/blankets obviously)? i was considering getting a small propane heater for the tent but I dont know if thats dangerous. used to camping in the summer so this is a new one for me.

Small CAT heaters are OK if you ventilate your sleeping space, but yeah you gotta be careful or death. I use one in my portable ice fishing shelter and haven't died yet.

If you're hiking in, a good wicking base layer is always key. Dry = warm.

I'm going camping in a week or two and will be using a ground cover with a -25 degree bag. I've used that thing on the side of the mountain with a tent cut into the snow pack in northern VT during february. it rules and its awesome.
The best thing right now is a propane power catalytic heater:
http://www.coleman.com/product/2000004165#.VhCOepeBlwg

also, piss before going to bed, keep your clothing in your sleeping bag, get yourself off the ground (air mattress rules for this)

Another trick is to put some near boiling water in a water bottle and throw that in the sleeping bag with you (keep it between your legs to warm the blood circulating through your femoral artery for maximum effect).

Also, if it's really cold in the winter I'll typically put my boots in a stuff sack and throw them in the bottom of the sleeping bag. It sucks to wake up and your boots are stiff/freezing. Other than that, just make sure you're dry, on a sleeping pad with a good R-value and in a bag rated to temps low enough for the conditions you're in.

Winter hiking is way more fun than Summer hiking. Almost nobody is out there and the views are even more epic.

I agree. Plus, you burn so many calories. Put a stick of butter in everything. The other weird thing is that you can do 10+ miles in the summer hiking all day. In the winter you push through hardcore and do 2.5 miles, but are exhausted.

mornings like this make me want to turn it on. below 55.

My cat slept on my feet last night, still nice and toasty over here.

I ended up instead getting some insulated floor pieces for the tent and will get a nice sleeping bag with fleece plus blankets.

also i've heard a good trick is to heat some large stones by a the fire pit and then wrap them in blankets to put in the tent after they cool down a bit.

I mean it should work, but you don't need all that extra stuff. I sleep outside or in a minimalist bivy in the winter while ice climbing or hiking and really all you need is a good sleeping pad, a good sleeping bag rated for lower temps, and maybe something to block the wind and weather. In the winter that can be a snow wall or snow cave if you don't feel like carrying a tent and don't anticipate getting stuck in a large storm. Might be something worth considering if you decide you like cold weather camping and want to make it a regular thing.

I turned on my heat to shower in the bathroom the past 2 days.

I just came back from Pittsburg. Snow squalls all weekend and 18 degrees this morning.

The heat is on, on the street
Inside your head, on every beat
And the beat's so loud, deep inside
The pressure's high, just to stay alive
'Cause the heat is on