Outdoor Adventures Blog

Winter Wonderland

Talk to regular campers and hikers and you will most certainly hear complaints about poison ivy, mosquitoes, thick brush, dry creeks and crowded campsites. Yet, you will also hear just how much they enjoyed the experience in spite of all the discomforts.

Here is my latest challenge! Winter Camping… perhaps your most memorable experience if done properly with a bit of pre-planning. Consider the advantages. No brush, no leaves means great views. You can literally see forever through the woods providing an abundance of “Kodak Moments” of wildlife and scenery. If you are fortunate enough to be around snow-covered terrain, the opportunities are even better for photo opps. Just the lack of mosquitoes and other pesky critters makes the outdoors, in Winter, my personal favorite.

If your biggest concern is the cold, let me assure you that, unless you have a zero tolerance to cold, you can remain as comfortable, if not more so than you can in the summer. With the proper outdoor gear and a few “know how” tips, you can enjoy the experience and brag about it for years. After all, you will still be among a small, elite group of adventures that have risked the elements in search of true outdoor adventure! At least that is what they will believe, and why in the world would we want to tell them any different…

The first measure in pre-planning is having the proper gear. If you don’t have a four-season tent, you will will want one. The main difference in a four-season versus a three or less season tent is the amount of ventilation provided. In Winter or cold temperatures, your body heat and / or portable heat source is your savior. Thus, you want it to stay inside the tent and close to your body. Most four-season tents are also low profile for two important reasons. First, to keep the heat down low, close to you for added warmth and second, to keep the wind from having a large area of wall to blow against. To dispel a myth that four-season tents are heavy or bulky, most are actually lighter weight  due to their compact size. The materials are somewhat stronger but not much thicker. It’s not like the walls in a four season are insulated or anything like that. Or are they? Maybe there are some that are insulated, but that’s a whole other sort of Winter camping, that we may want to do later, if you’re so inclined to mountain climbing or interested in expeditions. For our purposes, we’ll stick to basic Winter camping. One such tent that has been proven excellent by many professionals for it’s lightweight and durability is the Eureka! K-2 XT 4-Season Expedition Tent at approximately $370.00. Another excellent tent for the more budget minded adventurer is the Eureka! Wabakimi 2 Performance Backpacking Tent ideal for cold weather camping priced at about $160.00.

The next piece of gear essential for Winter camping comfort is a quality sleeping bag. Make sure that the rating is adequate for the temperatures you will be experiencing. Always opt for a higher rating that you need as a buffer. By higher, I mean lower… For instance, if the temperatures are expected to be at or above freezing, select a sleeping bag rated at or below freezing. Down insulation is fine for dry climates such as Utah and Colorado, but synthetic is the preferred choice for damp climates such as Maine, New Hampshire and anywhere along the East Coast. Size is also important. Too big and you will be wasting a lot of body heat, too small and you will be uncomfortable and claustrophobic. The right size is determined by how you fit inside with clothing on. Leave sufficient room for extras such as spare clothes, socks and anything else that you would like to stay warm overnight. Yes, I did say clothes! Another myth is to not wear clothes when sleeping in a sleeping bag. This is incorrect… Wool, “long-johns”, or any other moisture wicking clothing is great and will dramatically increase your comfort while sleeping in cold weather. A quality mat is often overlooked. The main cause for discomfort when camping, regardless of the season is a hard floor. The mat not only softens the platform for sleeping, but also prevents the cold from the ground seeping into your bones! A quality mat by Outdoor Research priced at less than $40.00 weighing less than 2 pounds is the perfect “base” for comfort.

Now for a heat source… There are two schools of thought here. One is to have two separate sources, one for cooking and one for heating. My thought is to have one unit that can function as both. Lightweight and versatile is the Vapor AF All Fuel Expedition Stove by Brunton. At a mere 16 ounces and with the ability to burn any fuel, this little unit will provide heat for any need such as cooking or a quick blast of warmth. If a regular heater is desired, be careful with your choice. Not all heaters are fume-less, so care is needed to insure safe heating in an enclosed tent. Personally, I have managed well in even sub freezing temperatures by body heat alone and well suited gear.

Now for the tips that I promised… Number one is a fuel source for the body. I learned this back during my scouting days. Butter… real butter, not the “I can’t believe this is not butter” type, not margarine… BUTTER! Stop it! I’m not joking! This is very important, now listen (read). In cold temperatures, the body needs fuel. Fat and calories in the human body are fuels. With todays’ diets, most of us do whatever possible to eliminate fat thus when in the cold, we have very little fat to burn. Bring along enough butter to have a tablespoon at every meal. For breakfast, add it to your eggs, oatmeal or biscuits. At lunch add it to your soup and at bedtime add it to your hot chocolate. You will thank me later for the heat source it provided to your body.

Did you know that snow is a natural source of insulation? Now you do… I grew up in the Northeast (Maine actually). I always noticed that

Snow Insulation

in the coldest of Winter, I was always much more comfortable when the snow was falling than not. I thought I was crazy so obviously, I never asked about it thinking everyone else would think I was nuts. Again, in scouting, I found out why… Snow actually absorbs the moisture out of the air. After all, if it wasn’t snowing, it would be what? Correct, raining. Why do I even mention this? Because, if you are fortunate enough to have snow you can use it to your advantage. Much like the igloos in the Arctic and Antarctica, you can construct a modified version by digging a recessed pad for your tent. By constructing a six inch deep pad, you can increase the warmth inside your tent by up to 15 degrees on average. This will vary based on wind conditions. Of course, the deeper you go, the more insulation you will have, in turn, increasing the temperature. Of course, in order to construct the pad you will need the proper gear. I would highly encourage anyone planning a Winter camping excursion to carry a tool kit such as a Compact Multi-Function Shovel. A shovel can come in handy in a number of ways whether out camping, hiking, climbing or any outdoor related activity if for no other reason than survival.

So give Winter Camping a shot, I’m sure you’ll agree that the experience was well worth it. Not to mention becoming part of the “Elite” group! Happy Adventures…