Morocco’s winter isn’t much of a winter.  It’s more like two months of a day in late autumn.  Whether you’re in Fes, Rabat, Tetouan, Essaouira, or elsewhere, the weather is almost cold enough to consider putting on closed-toed shoes, but not quite cold enough to do so.  Of course, this varies at different parts of the day, or if it’s raining, but all in all, the weather is manageable without very much in the way of heavy winter wear.

And even in the hotels, except for in upper price ranges that match average hotel prices in the States and Europe, central heating does not exist.  In fact, you are lucky to find any form of heater at all in your room, let alone a bathroom if you don’t pay enough money.  Instead, there are heavy blankets on your bed and a second or third set in the closet or armoire.  This is the response to colder climes in a place where the expense of gas requires that it be manually turned on for a hot shower.

As a result, it is the responsibility of the individual to keep themselves warm enough throughout the night.  And for those of you that have spent time in the woods – whether camping, backpacking, hiking, or whatever else – you will know that there are specific tricks to make sure that you stay warm while sleeping.  These include, but are not limited to, changing out of the day’s clothes into drier ones, wearing non-cotton clothing, changing socks and underwear, going to the bathroom before getting in bed, and so on.

My favorite of all, however, is the burrito wrap.  First introduced to me on a search and rescue training weekend back in high school, the burrito wrap turns you into the filling and the space blanket, tarp, and sleeping bag into a warm tortilla shell.  Everything is tucked in nice and tight, such that you are fully contained in the burrito and able to sleep in a snug fashion.  With these layers blocking the possibility for warm air to escape – or cold air to get in – you create a way for your body to stay warm while winds or rain howl around you (not applicable in a hotel necessarily, but you get the point).

Burrito wraps in the outdoors – bedsheet formation in the indoors – are great.  The only downside of a well-constructed bedsheet formation, using comforters and blankets instead of sleeping bags and tarps, is the trouble it gives you after you open your eyes.  There you are, all snug and well contained within your roll of cloth, when all of a sudden, it’s the morning.  The day calls and things must be done, especially since that whole thing called time is limited and what not.

I like my bedsheet formation.  It gives me something excellent to look forward to at the end of the day, when I can crawl into a nice pouch of warmth and settle in for the night.  It is comforting to know that my little haven from the lack of central heating that Morocco presents is with me no matter where I go, so long as bedsheets cover the bed and blankets grace the closet.  It may be easier to head over to the thermostat and crank up the heat, but the ability to create warmth for myself despite external conditions is not only gas-saving, but also more satisfying.  With any luck, my application of the bedsheet formation will remain with me for some time to come.