Apparently more people than ever before are trying out winter camping. 8^)
As a companion piece to Rule Of Law's excellent post, Cold Weather Tips for Protestors I'd like to share some of the winter camping tips I shared with my Boy Scout troop years ago. I always told them that they were camping with Mr. D, it was going to be cold and wet, Be Prepared.
1) Moisture is your best friend and worst enemy in the winter. Stay hydrated, your body is spending a lot of energy keeping you warm. With your runny nose, you'll be breathing thru your mouth a lot more than normal. Both increase your body's need for water, so drink up.
But don't get any on you. Wet shoes and clothing are going to wick the heat out of you.
Even if you stay dry, you will perspire out about a quart of water a day. Most of that is going to to be absorbed by your inner most layer of clothing. While your normal routine might be to change the inner layer in the morning, in winter camping, change it when you get into bed, that way you have dry clothing on when you start to sleep. You won't be wasting any energy trying to warm up wet clothing, you'll be warmer and more comfortable.
Read on past the orange scribble
2. Sleeping bag. Yes, a zero degree bag would be nice. High tech ones are expensive, low tech ones are BULKY. You could get by with a 3 season bag with a couple of modifications:
* Get a couple of layers between you and the ground. A plastic sheet will keep moisture from wicking up from the ground into your bag. A separate layer, a wool blanket, a thermal pad or even a layer of newspapers will break the thermal link between you and the ground. Avoid air matresses, not only can they deflate when you least expect it, they become a layer of cold air fixed under your sleeping bag.
* If your sleeping bag comes with a carry or stuff sack, once you're in it, stuff the end of the bag, including your feet into the stuff sack. It'll help keep your feet warm.
* Line the inside of your bag with tomorrow's clothes. It'll work as insulation, and you won't have to put cold clothes on in the morning.
* Only wear enough clothes to be comfortable, too much clothing and you start sweating. Now you're hot and wet, and soon you'll be cold and wet
* Wear socks (preferably wool) to bed and have a wool watch cap available. Keeping your head covered retains heat and keeps you feeling warm. If the hat has enough of a cuff, you can pull it over your face and breathe through it, keeping your face warm while you sleep.
* Consider a couple of space or rescue blankets with the silver Mylar side. Place one under you shiny side up and the other one over you with the shiny side down. It could help reflect the heat back on you. Or the crackly noise from the plastic could keep you up all night. (YMMV)
* When you get the chance during the day, open the bag up to the sun and let it air out, it'll also get out some of the moisture the bag absorbed over night. If the bag get wet, look for a large capacity dryer at a laundromat or find a pal with a dryer near by. Wash and dry the bag per the manufacturer's instructions every week or so.
3. Failing to have a decent sleeping bag isn't fatal. Just a bigger problem. You'll definitely want the plastic sheet or tarp under you. Check out army surplus stores for wool blankets, they'll keep you warm even if they get wet.
* Again, get a couple of layers between you and the ground. A plastic sheet will keep moisture from wicking up from the ground into your blanket. A separate layer, another blanket, a thermal pad or even a layer of newspapers will break the thermal link between you and the ground. Avoid air matresses, not only can they deflate when you least expect it, they become a layer of cold air fixed under you.
* Consider a couple of space or rescue blankets with the silver Mylar side. Place one under you shiny side up and the other one over you with the shiny side down. It could help reflect the heat back on you. Or the crackly noise from the plastic could keep you up all night. (YMMV)
* You're living up close and personal with nature. Wash the blankets every week or so in hot water. It'll kill most of the micro-organisms that have colonized your blanket.
4. Try to get some cover over you. A tarp or a sheet of plastic will keep the wind out and the rain off. If you can turn in into a tunnel or a wedge, your body heat can warm the small volume of air in it slightly above the outside air. If you can get the luxury of a tent, put the plastic sheet I mentioned earlier under the floor of the tent to keep water out. Make sure the edges of the plastic are under the tent, otherwise it will funnel water into the tent.
5. If (when) your shoes get wet, stuff dry newspaper into them. The paper will absorb the moisture out of the shoe lining. Course you have to keep the shoes covered during the night.
Other things to consider
A poncho -- Cheap water cover, can also be used to cover your sleeping quarters or used to build a hasty lean to.
Hats -- Not just the watch cap I mentioned earlier. Consider a wide brim hat, it will create a hole in the rain around your head, with a poncho and a wide brim hat, you don't need an umbrella to stay dry (take that Seattle PD). A baseball type cap will work to keep the sun and rain out of your face, but won't do much for the rest of your head.
Wool vs. cotton. Wool will keep you warm when you're wet. Cotton won't. Wet blue jeans are a pain. Consider other clothing options.
That's my experience.
Consider this an open thread and feel free to add your own comments and experiences.