For some, winter camping means renting a cabin with a fireplace to keep warm. For others, the more adventurous means preparing to go meet nature in a remote place.
Are you going to camp this winter and still don’t know how to prepare to go camping in winter? Well in this article we are going to explain 11 tips for camping in winter. We have drawn on our experience and the experience of other seasoned mountaineers to help you escape the cold and rain.
Winter camping tips for camping in winter may sound depressing, but it can be truly beautiful and a unique experience. It also requires that you have to carry more additional equipment than you would take to a summer campsite. When temperatures plummet and the snow begins to fall, you’ll want to be fully prepared for this adventure of winter camping. Planning is the most important step in preparation, so we want to help you make this process easier for you. Keep reading the article so as not to be left without knowing what advice they are.
Plan Your Camping Well
To get the most out of your winter camping, a good plan is very important.
When you decide to go camping and select your destination, consider your limitations and what your expectations are. Do you enjoy cold weather? Do not you mind getting wet during your camping? If not, consider going camping at another time with more moderate temperatures.
Take an inventory of the equipment you will need to take with you. Sleeping material, clothing suitable for the weather, or cooking utensils.
Check the prediction of the weather to wait before leaving. Even if you prepare for the worst possible scenario, it would not be very safe to be surprised by an unexpected storm during your camping trip. Remember winter storms can surprise you unexpectedly.
It Is Not A Good Idea To Go Camping Alone
Winter can be harsh and difficult. Make sure you have informed family and friends of your plans before you go camping in winter. Going with a group or with a friend can facilitate your adventure in case of becoming ill, injured, getting lost in someplace far from civilization. A lonely night can be tempting but also risky.
Wear The Correct Winter Gear
Make no mistakes when bringing your summer gear and gear when you go camping in winter. This can lead to a horrible experience while camping. You already know that your mission will be to escape the cold and rain. To be protected from the weather and low temperatures you will have to bring more material by expanding your usual equipment.
Secure Your Camp
Before setting up your tent you have to inspect the place where you are going to do it and if this is the ideal place to install yourself.
Protect yourself from the wind, make use of natural barriers, such as hills, trees, or if it cannot be used your windbreaker.
Think about the risks, try to avoid places that may pose a danger to your life. See risk of avalanches, landslides due to rain, falling damaged trees.
Orient your store entrance to the east. From dawn and during the day your tent will be more exposed to the sun. This will attract more heat and more light, thus helping to heat it more efficiently.
Bring Water And Stay Hydrated
If this is not a joke either, if you think that in winter you do not need to stay hydrated you are wrong. In winter the air dries more quickly and our body needs to recover from this dehydration with water. So do not be reckless and do not skimp on having enough water if the place you are going to does not have a drinking water supply.
Keep Your Body Temperature Warm
Frostbite and hypothermia are the real dangers of winter camping, although they can be easy to combat, we need to be prepared to be able to prevent them. Help yourself with these four recommendations.
Dress In The Right Clothes
Wool socks, warm boots, thermal underwear, gloves, briefs, and a warm jacket. Dressing in layers of clothing will help you regulate body temperature and trap the heat that it generates. Use indoor to outdoor:
A base layer with thermal clothing. The best fabrics to use for a base layer include merino wool for colder climates.
A layer of insulation that keeps you warm and traps heat.
An outermost layer of protective clothing should protect you from wind, snow, and rain, so choose a waterproof liner with a weather-resistant lining like Goretex. Down garments are great in dry climates, but down is not always the best option in humid climates.
Stay Dry
Water conducts heat better than air, so wet clothing will quickly lower your body temperature. Even exercising and sweating can make you dangerously cold. Remove layers of clothing slowly to limit perspiration.
It is also a very good idea to have spare clothes in case your clothes get wet. Above all, spare clothing, bring a spare hat and gloves, as you may lose any clothing during your camping trip.
Wet feet mean frozen feet, so leave your sneakers at home. Waterproof boots are a must when hiking through deep snow. If you are going to hike on a snowdrift, your hiking boots with some waterproofing treatment should be fine.
Build A Controlled Campfire
You can also keep warm by making a controlled fire. To make a fire, you first have to look at the potential fire risk around you.
Taking care of nature is the first thing, if you see that it is possible you have to look for dry branches, grass, or something that can ignite.
Building a bonfire in winter can be a difficult task, although it is not completely impossible. Bringing firewood is not a bad idea, since in winter it will be more difficult to find dry firewood.
There are elements such as fire starters to help us light the fire that can facilitate the task.
High Fat Food
The fat and calories that you can add to your meals help keep your body warm during your stay. During digestion, the body increases energy in the body and helps raise the internal temperature of the body, a process known as thermogenesis. This is because our body takes hours to digest high-fat foods.
For example, butter, try adding it to some meals while camping, or a good barbecue for dinner, meats are important sources of fat, so you have to eat them in moderation. Also, the intake of hot products before going to the will help you stay warm during the night such as a bowl of hot chocolate, coffee, or tea.
Take Extra Food
When a snowstorm catches you for days. If you don’t have enough food on hand it can make the difference between life and death. Make sure to pack enough extra calories that you can consume in an emergency. The energy bars survival can help in extreme situations. In addition, bring l atas canning could get you out of trouble in case of food shortages.
Learn Camper Skills
Camping in the cold winter can be a survival chore. Learning some skills will be fun for you.
Learn how to start a fire. This can be a difficult task on a cold, rainy day.
Assemble the tent yourself. It would be inappropriate to have to wait for someone to do it for you.
Boil water with your stove and fill a bottle with hot water. You can use them to c encourage your sleeping bag inside and roll it to distribute the heat. Make sure it doesn’t have any leaks and be careful not to burn yourself.
Vaseline
Cover exposed skin outdoors with petroleum jelly to avoid cold burns. The most exposed areas of the body are the face, lips, ears, neck, and eventually the wrists or hands, so you will be less prone to burns by wind and frostbite.
Take Advantage Of Lithium
Use lithium batteries in all your winter electronics. Not only does lithium perform consistently up to temperatures much colder than alkaline or NiMh (Nickel-metal-hydride) batteries, but it is lighter and lasts three times longer.
Enjoy The Beauty Of The Night
Long winter nights have their charm and magic, you can get the most out of them, for example reading a book in your cozy tent, or playing cards with your adventure partner, or simply and if the weather allows you to enjoy watching the stars.
You may also be interested in The International Fireworks Competition
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