Top 10 Winter Camping Tips
Just because the temperature has dropped doesn't mean that you have to stop venturing into the great outdoors. While chilly, winter environments are still beautiful, and places that are often incredibly busy during warmer months might be practically empty. Winter day hikes and other short forays still require some additional preparations, but once you decide to spend the night out, you need to be prepared for the cold conditions. To make sure you're as prepared as possible, we've rounded up our 10 Tips for Winter Camping that will help you stay warm and comfortable.
Proper Footwear
You have probably heard the saying, "Take care of your feet, and they'll take care of you," and that is very applicable to winter camping. Even if it isn't particularly wet, your socks might get wet from sweating during exertion, or absorbent materials in your boots can hold moisture. Then, when you stop moving, that moisture pulls heat away from your heat. The first step in preventing this situation is to wear good wool socks. They can be a wool blend, but regardless of the model you land on, they should insulate when damp and help pull that moisture away from your feet. The other half of the equation is your shoes or boots. Footwear with a waterproof membrane like Goretex can be great, but it can also breathe poorly. Full leather boots that are properly treated with a conditioner like Sno-Seal will remain mostly waterproof while letting moisture escape from the inside.
Sleep Socks Can Save the Day
On a similar note, when it's time to turn in for the night, an extra pair of socks, preferably of the warm and lofty variety, can be what makes or breaks a good night's sleep. Even if the socks you wear throughout the day seem dry to the touch, they hold residual moisture. Changing into a pair of fresh socks right before you get into your sleeping bag or hammock will keep your feet significantly warmer than the not. Bonus Tip: You can take this a step further and add some down booties over those sleep socks for extra toasty toes.
Boost Your Bag
If your sleeping bag or quilt feels awfully cold when you first get in it, you can try a couple of these tricks to warm it up before you turn in for the night. The first is a couple of handwarmers, or something similar, at the foot of your bag. These work off a simple reaction when exposed to oxygen, so all you have to do is open the pack, wait until they start to feel warm, and toss them into the bottom of your bag. Alternatively, you can boil some water, pour it into the appropriate bottle once it's cooled a bit, and make sure the lid is tight. Place this bottle into your bag near the foot section, and it will provide some extra warmth for up to several hours, depending on the bottle and the ambient temperature. A quick word of caution, though: make sure the bottle and lid are rated for hot liquids, and don't pour them in right after they're at a rolling boil.
Mind Your Batteries
Just like we need some help in the cold, lithium batteries can suffer poor performance in freezing conditions if they aren't kept warm. If you plan to use your cellphone, a camera, or even an SOS location device, be sure to keep them as warm as possible. You can store them near your body under a layer or two during the day, and at night, toss them in your sleeping bag. Alternatively, you can add a HotHands to a padded camera bag to keep your batteries ready for the next day.
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Layer Up So That You Can Cool Down
If you're out in the cold and taking part in aerobic activity, you can warm up quickly. The problems start when you stop hiking, chopping wood, etc., and you cool back down. The best way to fight off this chill and avoid overheating is to layer appropriately for the temperature and the activity. Personal preference is also a big part of layering, but the basics remain the same for most people. Start with a breathable base layer; merino wool is a great choice, and then select a mid-layer. This can be another layer of fleece, a higher-weight wool, or even a lightweight down or synthetic puffy. This mid-layer can be long sleeves, but a vest is a popular option that cuts down on bulk and keeps your core warm. Then, top it off with an outer layer that matches the conditions. If it's wet, a hardshell is a great option; if it's dry but very cold, another insulating layer might work. This gives you two options to add or shed and keeps you from sweating out and catching a chill.
Sleep Well
No matter if you're sleeping under a tarp, on a cot, or in a tent or hammock, insulation is exceptionally important while winter camping. And while a good quilt, sleeping bag, or blanket over you is needed, you can't overlook what's under you. You lose heat in a couple of ways while sleeping. Convection is heat loss to the air, and when you're in a cot or hammock, it applies to the air under you. Even if you're in a sleeping bag, the loft provides the warmth, so the compressed insulation under you does no good. That's why a quality under quilt in a hammock or a sleeping pad under a cot is important. If you're sleeping on the ground, conduction heat loss is the enemy, and once again, a good sleeping pad will prevent this. When shopping for a sleeping pad, look for an R-value of 4 or more if you plan to use it in the winter. You can also put a foam pad under an inflatable pad to boost it's heat retention.
Stay Attached to Your Tools
If your winter adventure takes you into deep snow, a dropped piece of kit could be gone before you know it. Implementing lanyards for fire steels, flashlights, and other necessary items is a great way to make sure you have them when you need them. For items like your knife or hatchet, long, brightly colored lanyards will keep you from losing them in the snow or even in fallen leaves or tall grass. The idea of a lanyard can also be applied to your gloves if you need to remove them frequently for tasks requiring high dexterity.
Rewarming Plan
No matter if you're on a day hike, an overnight camping trip, or an arctic expedition, you should have a plan to get warm again if everything goes wrong. Ice gives away, a water bottle bursts in your pack and soaks your back, or a misstep can put your face first in a deep snow bank. In all of these scenarios, you should have a way to dry and warm as quickly as possible. This could be a total change of clothes, an easy-to-use firestarter, or a combination of both. Regardless of what you decide, be sure you have a way to get warm in an emergency situation.
What's Cooking
One of the most popular fuel types for backpacking and camping stoves isn't particularly fond of cold weather. Isobutane has a boiling point of 11°F at sea level. When the temperature drops to this level, the isobutane vapor turns into liquid, which causes a drop in pressure in the canister. When this happens, the stove can be very difficult, if not impossible, to light. Some stoves allow you to attach the canister upside down so that the fuel can flow as a liquid, but if you don't have a stove with that capability, you still have some options. The first is to put the fuel canister underneath a couple of layers of clothing until it can warm up a bit. Or we've seen some handy canister coozies that you put a HotHands underneath the canister and warm it up a bit. If you're shopping around for fuel for your isobutane stove, you might notice that different brands of canisters offer slightly different blends of propane, butane, and isobutane. For cold weather, it's best to use a canister with as little butane as possible.
Warm Up From the Inside
When planning your meals for a winter camping trip, be sure to consume more calories than you would need on a warmer-weather trip. You're not only fueling your body for your chosen activity, but your systems are working harder to keep you warm the entire time you're out. Also, consider a dinner that's high in protein to give yourself a little extra boost going into the night. Proteins are more difficult for your digestive system to break down than carbs, etc., and this will generate a bit more heat through the evening and night.