Winter Camping Tips

Camping in winter is much more challenging than camping in any other season. It takes much more effort and careful planning and it may not be the best time to go camping but it can also much more rewarding. It gets even better when you have snow and ice. If you're backpacking, you're going to be hiking much less and will be spending more time at camp due to limited daylight hours.

You're also going to need more gear and heavier camping and backpacking gear. Your clothes are going to be heavier, you will likely need a stronger and hence a heavier tent, a heavier camping mattress with better insulation and just about everything else. If there's snow and ice, you might need special equipment like crampons and ice axes.

One important rule to clothing in winter is to never wear cotton. Cotton absorbs moisture and when wet it loses all of its insulating properties. Cotton also takes a long time to dry. You should also try to minimize sweating. Snow on your clothes should be brushed off before it melts. If you can, reserve some clothing exclusive for sleeping so that you'll sleep warm and comfortable.

Also avoid using waterproof clothing that don't 'breathe' because you need to expel moisture and stay dry in the cold. Clothing in the standard 3 layer configuration will keep you both warm and dry. The first layer to keep moisture away, the second to keep you warm and the outer layer to protect you from rain and snow.

Synthetics are great as a near-to-skin layer because they wick away moisture and dry very quickly. It's a very popular material for sports clothing because of its wicking ability. Anti-microbial synthetics don't stink like normal synthetics do.

Wool is great for winter because it still retains some insulation when wet. Using wool socks, hats, mittens, shirts, underpants, etc are highly recommended. Wool shirts can also be a good base layer if it's not too thick that it becomes too warm and loses its ability to wick moisture. Wool is naturally anti-microbial.

It's important that you wear your clothing loosely so as not to constrict blood flow. This applies to gloves and socks as well. If blood flow is constricted, you may have trouble trying to keep warm.

Keeping your head warm is important in cold weather because your head loses heat faster than any other part of your body. Carry a wool hat or balaclava.

Your boots should be of oiled leather or plastic. Leather boots that are not oiled or boots made of fabric may absorb a little bit of moisture that can freeze solid.

Tents need to be tough especially when snow is involved. Not only does a winter worthy tent need to be able to keep out the cold, it also needs to able to withstand strong winds and shed heavy snow. It also has to ventilate well or you'll be sleeping on a puddle of water or even worst, if that moisture freezes, it will be snowing inside the tent even when there's no snow on the outside.

Winter tents are generally heavier than the average 3-season tent because they have more poles and use stronger material, which are often heavier. The poles should not be made of fiberglass because they shatter easily.

Your winter camping sleeping system consists of sleeping bag and camping pad. Some backpackers like to use quilts instead of sleeping bags. The tent can be part of the sleeping system as well because it can make a huge difference in the quality of sleep by keeping away the elements and keeping you dry.

Probably the most critical element of the sleeping system is your sleeping pad. If your pad is not good enough to insulate you from the cold ground, sleeping can be a problem. Heat is lost to the ground through conduction very quickly so it's important that you make sure that your camping pad is suitable for the ground in winter.

A sleeping bag keeps you warm by trapping body heat. It does so by creating a barrier of warm air which acts as insulation. A down sleeping bag is preferable to synthetic bags because they're lighter and warmer. However, synthetic bags are cheaper, easier to maintain and dry faster when wet. A hood can really make a difference but if your sleeping bag does not have a hood you can wear your hat or balaclava.

A camp stove is essential because it's almost impossible to build a fire when there snow all around. A hot meal or drink can help your body stay warm.

The stove is also used for melting snow so you can have water to drink when there is no other source of water. The air is dry in winter and dehydration makes you cold and may lead to hypothermia.

The type of food that is ideal for winter camping is high in fat, complex carbohydrates and proteins. Beef, beans, fish, cheese and peanut butter are some examples of food in these categories.