Cold Weather Camping?

Question

I'm going cold wether camping this January. I've gone a couple other times with friends and froze my butt off, but still had fun. This time, I'm going with my Venture Crew and I don't want to look like an idiot. ANY tips and advice that I can compile and add to my barely sufficient knowledge of cold weather camping would be welcome! Please tell me about gear, routines, whatever.
Thanks!

Answer 1

1. Change all of your clothes before going to bed. Clean, dry clothes will keep you warmer.

2. Get a space blanket...the one with silver on one side and blue or orange on the other...put this silver side up on your tent floor. It will help reflect the heat back to you.

3. Get a closed-cell foam pad. It is more insulating than an air matress or Therm-a-rest.

4. Wear a knit cap to bed.

5. Layer up! Get a good set of wicking long underwear for a base layer. Use fleece for a midlayer. Wool is good too. Waterproof/Breathable Nylon shells make a great outer layer.

6. Wear a synthetic liner sock and a wool or wool blend outer sock. NO COTTON!!!

7. Drink warm liquids. Hot Cocoa, Tea, Coffee, Hot Cider...mmmmm!

8. Mittens! I wear lightweight liner gloves under a synthetic mitten shell...I'm never cold.

9. If I'm really cold at night I pop a few Hand Warmers into my sleeping bag...but I've only done that once.

10. Pitch your tent somewhere where you have a windbreak. If you have snow, and no natural windbreak, make a snow wall to block the prevailing winds.

11. Keep that fire going!

12. Good insulated boots. Not too tight. You want dead air...that's what keeps you warm.

13. Eat Carbs. When winter camping I eat a lot of pasta. Oatmeal and Bagels for breakfast. Pancakes are a bad choice because clean-up at 32 degrees is a bummer. Eggs freeze.

14. Put a Nalgene of warm water in your sleeping bag at night...make sure it's closed tight...It will keep you warm for a while if need be...plus, it won't freeze overnight so you'll have enough water to cook breakfast if everyone in your crew puts 1 quart in their sleeping bag.

15. The Sleeping Bag...If you don't have a sleeping bag rated below +20F, then you can always supplement by adding blankets or another sleeping bag. A few years ago the temp dropped below 0F on a trip. I stashed my +20F mummy bag inside a rectangular shaped sleeping bag. That worked well. I'va also shoved a mylar space blanket in my sleeping bag..that didn't work as well. I eventually got a -20F rated sleeping bag. I used it more often than I thought I would.

Answer 2

I have been a couple of times, and you have some good advice so far. Make sure you have a good knit cap, or several, large amount of heat escapes from your head.

The most important single thing for me was a good pair of cold weather boots. They always made the difference for me. Others in the group were freezing with cold feet, and I was toasty warm in my Sorel Caribou's. If there is snow on the ground this will be even more important. A good pair of boots wont be cheap but are well worth the money. If you keep your feet warm and dry, I guarantee you will be much happier.

You will also need a good cold weather sleeping bag, I prefer the mummy style if its going to be cold.

Good luck and have fun.

Answer 3

Amy,

You've gotten some great advice so far.

Several layers and a warm cap that can be pulled down to cover your ears. Also wear a thick scarf to cover your neck and throat.

Despite all the scientific advances, it's still pretty hard to beat a down sleeping bag designed for mountain use. Just make sure it doesn't get wet. I keep a cover on mine to protect it.

I also learned to wear two pairs of socks - a thin pair of cotton socks to wick sweat away from your feet, and a pair of thick wool socks for warmth. Carry an extra pair of the wool socks inside your clothing somewhere so you can change socks if the ones you're wearing get wet. Then, put that wet pair inside your clothing so your body heat can dry them out.

Drink warm fluids, coffee, tea, hot chocolate. Hot meals are wonderful when it's cold out there. You drink cold fluids in the summer to cool your body down. Don't do that in January when you're trying to keep warm! Warm stuff only!

Amy, with some common sense about keeping warm, I think you're going to have a great time! Go for it!

Ed
www.enjoyrvtravel.com

Answer 4

1. Dress in layers. Wear a wicking layer (long underwear), an insulation layer (fleece tops and bottoms), and an shell layers (water/wind proof). You might want to add a down jacket to the insulation layer if it's really cold. Remember...cotton kills (if it gets wet it has NO insulative value).
2. Wear a hat. Most of your body heat is lost through your head.
3. Eat a lot - the food will help fuel your body to produce it's heat.
4. Sleep wearing your hat and clothes for more insulation.
5. Have an extra pair of gloves to trade out if your first pair gets wet.
6. Sleep on a foam mat. This will help to insulate you from the cold ground.
7. Have a hot drink just before going to bed.
8. If you have to pee during the night, try to use a pee bottle instead of exiting your tent (this is easier for guys than females, though). It takes a lot of effort and energy to get dressed and leave the tent and be exposed to the cold to urinate outside. Just make sure your pee bottle is leakproof and marked well (you do NOT to accidentally drink out of it!).
9. Stay clean and dry. This helps to keep you warm.
10. Drink lots of water.

Check your Venture handbook.

Answer 5

Alcohol and winter camping do not mix! Making you feel warm and actually being warm (core temp) are different.

Keep well fed and well hydrated. Try not to wear cotton, as it will not keep you warm at all if even a bit wet from persperation. Wear polypropaline long underwear top and bottom. LAYERS. wool is tops in my book. poly or nylon long sleeve shirt, or microfleece (or light wool), followed by another button down wool shirt. Optional wool sweater or fleece. A weather/water resistant shell.
you'll want wool pants or wind block fleece with a wind or snow pant over that.
Wool socks with poly or silk liners in your boots. Bring plenty extras! wet equals discomfort, hypothermia and worse. Layers are so that you can keep warm, but also so that you do not overheat and sweat through your clothes. When you are hiking, skiing or snowshoeing you'll want to activly shed layers and add them when you start to cool.
you'll want a hat or two, windblock feece or wool. Something that has plenty of coverage. If your jacket and hat together leave ANY of your neck exposed, wear a scarf. You would be surprised how many people I have seen that complain about being cold do not have shirts tucked in or necks covered. Keep all air leaks shut.

Mittens are better than gloves in my book. I bring a few pairs, and have liners in each.

Plan on getting wet, but try really hard not to. Brush off accumulated snow before you get in the tent or shelter.

As for shelter. One common mistake is to bring a tent that is too big. You want to heat as little space as possible. Keep it as cozy as you can! When I sleep in snow huts I barley leave any extra room, just enough for minimal gear and another person if the case may be. snug and tight.

I also never sleep in the clothes I spend the day in (if I can help it). In extra cold weather this does not always work, but down to 10 below zero (Farenhiet) I try to strip to a clean pair of long underwear, wool socks, and tight fleece hat to sleep in. I ALWAYS keep these rolled in with my bag. I also try to keep inner layers of clothes for the next day in the bag with me for extra insulation and also so they are warm when I want to put them on. Use a good sleeping pad! I am a minimalist, but I will use a thermarest in the winter when I can. Nothing is worse than getting the heat sucked out of you from the frozen ground (other than getting wet).
You want circulation in the sleeping area if you can. Enough so that your breathing during the night does not get your gear soaking from condensation. In a snow hut it is a simple as a small hole poked in the roof . In a tent leave a window zipped down a touch. You'de be surprised what a pair of sleeping people can output in terms of condensation.

Obviously burning things in your tent is a bad idea. I hear of extreme weather expiditions where people make supper or tea in the tent, but this is only when no other option is open (in my book).

bring extra warm clothes and layers, eat well and drink alot of water. Plan ahead and keep your feet warm and head covered. Alcohol is a bad idea. Brings blood closer to the surface of your skin and you can loose core temp while feeing flasley warmer.

have an awesome time. winter camping is a very nice way to get out and enjoy fovorite places in a new light,

Answer 6

Willie D's (first answer) advice is as pro as it gets. I rode a bicycle across the Rockies and the Sierras and utilized many of those methods to great success. No hand warmer for your sleeping bag at night? Boil a potato, put it in a sock, put that in the other sock of the pair, and put that in your sleeping bag with you. It will keep you warm (hot) most all night, you'll have warm socks in the morning, AND a potato for breakfast!

Answer 7

just as every one has stated has gave great info. as for me I love going camping hiking ect... I have several full military issue of cold weather clothing that I take with me on my trips every thing but the military stove and tent of course. but that is all I take with me when I go
You can go to the Army Navy Supply store and get every thing you need for your CW clothes

Answer 8

Build a quinzhee if there's enough snow, at Tapico we always build these little dandies, best protection you can get from a shelter in my opinion.

Answer 9

Dress for it. Bring something waterproof. Layers. Alcohol makes you feel warmer.