Cold Weather Camping

Cold weather camping doesn’t have to be a disaster. Fall
and winter can be among the best times to camp and hike.
Camping at these times means fewer people, no bugs, little humidity, and incredible scenic climaxes unavailable at
other times of the year. Coping with the unsettled weather
of fall and winter, however, requires changes in gear, foodstuffs, and outlook.

I’m always amazed, when late fall and winter come in, how many otherwise avid outdoor enthusiasts desert the wild world. Sure, it can be cold. More to the point, the weather can be very unsettled; frosty in the morning, but balmy by noon. Freezing rain, snow, biting winds can all be part of the equation.

The trade off, however, is that cold weather camping let’s you enjoy some of the most dramatic times of the year. Yeah, that falling snow last night threatened to collapse the tent. But if there’s anything as awe-inspiring as new fallen snow blanking the woods in the bright sunlight, with a deer pawing the ground right outside the tent door, and 20-foot icicles glistening off the drip lines of a nearby cliff, I don’t know what it is.

If you try cold weather camping using the same gear you used in the summer, however, you’ll likely be cold, wet, and generally uncomfortable. Not a quality outdoor experience by any means. Prepare for conditions, though, and you’ll stay warm, dry, and happy that you came.

As you might expect, clothing is the key to enjoyable cold weather camping. Now, more than any other time, layering is the way to go. The trick is to use just enough non-binding layers to keep you warm and dry, but not so many that you overheat. Do that, and you can suffer hypothermia even while bundled up, because your sweat will chill your body.

The basic clothing system, at any time, consists of three layers. Next to your skin you want a lightweight covering that wicks moisture away. When I first started camping and hiking, fishnet underwear was the choice. Nowadays, either silk or polyester is the way to go.

The outer covering is windproof and water-resistant, but still breathable. There are many materials being used for such outerwear, with Gore-Tex the most well known.

What you put between those two garments will determine how comfortable you remain while cold weather camping. What you’re looking for are several layers of air-trapping material that create the perfect thermal barrier between you and the elements. By and large, this means either down or synthetics, with polyester fleece being the number one option. Fleece is particularly better during wet conditions, because down loses its insulating properties when wet, but fleece doesn’t.

Perhaps a discussion of how insulation works is in order. No clothing, by itself, produces warmth. Rather you want to create a layer of dead air, trapped in the fabric. Your body heat raises the temperature of that dead air, and, so long as it doesn’t get wet, or the entrapped air escape, you’ll stay warm. The thicker the layer of trapped air, the better the insulating value.

However, a single thick layer means you lack thermal control. A thick fleece covering suitable while you sit around having breakfast might be too warm when you start hiking. So, by using several thin layers, you can remove or add layers as necessary to maintain comfort.

It’s important, however, that the layers be relatively loose fitting. Otherwise, as you add layers they will bind against each other, and squeeze out the trapped air. Net result: You’ll be cold, even though wearing two or three layers. Keep that in mind when you put together a cold weather camping kit. Successive layers should be one or two sizes larger than you normally wear. And, unless you’ll truly be facing extreme conditions, so-called “expedition” weight fleece is unnecessary.

For my own cold weather camping clothing I start with polyester long handles. Over that goes a thin layer of fleece. As necessary, I add either a second layer of thin fleece, or a micro-fleece shirt and pants---or even both. Over the whole goes a windsuit.

Notice that everything mentioned so far is a man-made material. The only natural fiber that provides the necessary characteristics is wool, which we’ll get to. Experienced cold weather campers operate by one credo, though: cotton kills. Cotton is totally unsuited for cold weather camping.

Wool is a suitable material. It can create a perfect air-trapping layer, and retains much of its insulating properties when wet. Unfortunately, wool tends to be bulky, is uncomfortable next to the skin, and can be expensive.

Where wool really shines is with socks and hats. As with the rest of your body, two thin layers of wool socks are better than one thick one. And it’s a good idea to carry spares, so that you can swap them out if they get wet. Wet wool socks will still retain insulating values. But they can cause foot problems, such as blisters.

Do not neglect a hat. As much as 20% of your body heat can be radiated away through your head. Indeed, we used to advise newbies, if your hands are cold, put on your hat!

Speaking of hands, they too (like all extremities) can be a source of heat loss. Your body’s natural function is to protect the brain, and it will happily divert heat from everywhere else to keep the brain warm. So gloves make a lot of sense. When you don’t need dexterity, mittens will actually keep your hands warmer than fingered gloves.

Once your clothing needs are met, look to your other gear. You may think it’s romantic to sleep under the stars, wrapped merely in a sleeping bag. And sometimes that will work. But when it gets really cold, a tent makes all the difference in the world. Your body heat, alone, can raise the temperature inside a tent by as much as 20 degrees. Keep in mind that you’ll be pitching that tent on ground which might be wet, frozen, or snow-covered. A footprint adds to the insulation value, as well as protecting the tent during cold weather camping. If one isn’t made for your make and model, you can improvise with black plastic. Cut it to the shape of your erected tend, making it two-inches smaller all around. Then bind the edges with duct tape. You want the footprint to be smaller than the tent floor, otherwise you create a bathtub effect, and water will flow under the tent instead of around it.

Your standard tent pegs might be unsuitable for cold weather camping, especially in snow. Instead, make a set of deadfalls. These are long pegs (at least 12 inches, and 16 is better) that you lay sideways and cover with snow (which you freeze in place), dirt, or rocks. Basically, the same system you’d use camping in sand.

Your sleeping bag is as important as your clothing. Avoid, at all costs, those cheap bags sold in department stores. The filler is mostly chopped scraps, often of cotton or other unsuitable material. Instead, figure out your budget for a good quality three-season bag, and add at least 10% to that.

Because everybody sleeps differently, sleeping bag temperature ratings are mostly manufacturer’s fantasies. But a high-quality three-season bag will work for almost everybody except during really extreme conditions. If you find your bag chilly on a particular night, just add some of your clothing. Chances are, however, if you do that you’ll actually sleep too warm.

As with clothing, either down or synthetic fill makes the most sense. Good goose down bags are incredibly expensive, though. And if you’ll be camping in wet conditions (almost always the case in winter) they lose their insulating qualities. Synthetic fills really are better.

It’s a good idea to fluff up your bag at least an hour before using it when cold weather camping, to create the dead-air layer. And remember, its insulation works just like clothing. So you might find it a little chilly when you first climb into it. But your body heat will warm it up quickly.

What, when, and how you eat when cold weather camping can also have a serious effect on health and comfort. But we’ll save that discussion for a future article here at The Outdoor Sports Advisor