Outdoor shower - 35* and no alternatives!

Knottie1472396842

Long story short, we anned a baby Bonfire for next week based on the almanac saying warmer than usual weather this fall. It's held true every weekend so far, but all of a sudden next week's forecast went from a high of 45-50* to a high of around 35-38*. Originally the plan was using a tent with some sides (it isn't fully enclosed) patio heater, a few fires and space heaters in the detached garage to have a warming space and place for food.

Now the question is, how do we keep people warm enough and happy for a few hours outside in this weather? Inside is not an option. Small house and some construction going on. 

kaitlynmpereira

I love this idea! I've done a couple where I put out a basket of blankets for people to take and use as needed and I highly recommended serving hot drinks. Crock pot hot chocolate is always a crowd pleaser and is very inexpensive. Holding a warm cup usually helps people beat the chill. Another thing to think about would be putting out hot hands or some other type of hand/foot warmer. Keeping everyone busy helps keep the mind off the cold. Good luck! Sounds like a ton of fun!

merostomata

Sounds super fun! Most event companies will rent out more heavy duty heaters (the kinds at restaurants, etc.) so you could consider that for extra warmth if your own heaters might not be quite enough. And serving warm beverages definitely goes a long way (cider, hot toddies, tea etc)  . I’d also give people a heads up in advance it will be outdoors if you haven’t already, so they can bundle up. All of the ideas from @kaitlynmpereira are perfect! Sounds like you’ll be set since the 30s is chilly but not *that* cold.

skilouise

Will the inside of your house be accessible at all, such as for people who need to use the restroom? Even if you can't have the entire party inside, it might help to have a small area that a couple people at a time could use to warm up if they get too cold.  

Knottie1472396842

Thanks all! Glad to see other people are okay with this - when I searched topica online, I got tons of things about 50-60 degrees being too cold and I was like, no these must be Southerners posting these because that's a nice day :-). My family thinks we are crazy, but I didn't think it was that cold either. We are midwesterners after all! I have been gathering all the blankets in the house to put out and a neighbor is loaning us a gas heater for our tent. 

Inside will be accessible for the bathroom (the one that isn't under construction) but we just can't have everyone inside together because there are parts for the bathroom (glass door, toilet, vanity, etc) in the dining room and we have just one small living room. We will make do! I am all over the hot drinks... Am now thinking maybe have some alcohol (whiskey warms people up nicely) might be needed to keep the adults happy and warm.