{"id":2358,"date":"2020-10-01T21:59:25","date_gmt":"2020-10-01T21:59:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.packitgourmet.com\/blog\/index.php\/2020\/10\/01\/winter-camping-is-a-great-way-to-see-more-nature-and-fewer-people\/"},"modified":"2020-10-01T22:10:33","modified_gmt":"2020-10-01T22:10:33","slug":"winter-camping-is-a-great-way-to-see-more-nature-and-fewer-people","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.packitgourmet.com\/index.php\/2020\/10\/01\/winter-camping-is-a-great-way-to-see-more-nature-and-fewer-people\/","title":{"rendered":"The Do’s and Don’ts of Winter Camping"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The trails are devoid of human life, animals wander freely through the woods, and snow falls soundlessly on the treetops\u2014it\u2019s wintertime in the great outdoors. But despite the sparkling vistas, uncrowded trails, and the beauty nature offers to hikers in this time of the year, many never experience the wonder that the fourth season offers because of one tiny detail: the cold.<\/p>\n

What most people don\u2019t know is that a little know-how, the right equipment, and simply wearing multiple layers can help with the challenges of camping in the winter. With some planning, you\u2019ll easily stave off frostbite, sleepless nights, and never-ending shivers, all while enjoying beautiful natural sights.<\/p>\n


\nDON’T FEAR THE COLD<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cWinter is one of the best times to be outdoors,\u201d says Tayson Whittaker, winter camping enthusiast, and founder of outdoor gear and clothing company Outdoor Vitals. He cites seclusion, wildlife activity, and the peace and quiet of a landscape covered in snow as some of the reasons you\u2019re just as likely to find him setting up camp in the snow as next to a field of spring flowers.<\/p>\n

To him, it\u2019s easy to explain why more people aren\u2019t outside, experiencing the magic of seeing a herd of elk feeding amid freshly fallen snow: \u201cIt\u2019s plain and simple fear\u2014fear of being cold, of doing something they haven\u2019t, of the unknown, of the hypotheticals,\u201d Whittaker says.<\/p>\n

But to be fair, there are plenty of hypotheticals regarding cold that would deter someone from camping in the middle of winter: frostbitten extremities, feet that won\u2019t thaw, a chill that never abates, nights spent awake and shivering in a frosty tent, wet gear, and worst of all, hypothermia. Whittaker has personally suffered through most of these situations, but he says preparation can make it easy for anybody to avoid them.<\/p>\n


\nCHOOSE THE RIGHT GEAR<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
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Photo by Popular Science<\/figcaption><\/figure>
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While warm temperatures rarely require hefty sleeping bags or insulated sleeping pads, winter temps demand you be familiar with your gear and what it can handle. But fear not\u2014this doesn\u2019t necessarily mean you have to spend a lot of money on new equipment. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to reinvent the wheel,\u201d Whittaker says. \u201cA lot of times, you can take the gear you have and stretch it to work in that forth season.\u201d<\/p>\n

Start with a warm enough sleeping bag for the temperatures you anticipate. (Keep in mind men\u2019s and women\u2019s bags are rated differently, since women tend to sleep colder.) If you don\u2019t think your current bag will do, you still might not have to shell out several hundred dollars for a new one\u2014you can often spend less than $50 on a sleeping bag liner or a backpacking quilt and layer the bags.<\/p>\n

But that\u2019s just half the battle. A sleeping pad designed for winter is what separates you from the frozen ground, so it\u2019s also of the utmost importance. Choose an insulated variety with an R-value (an insulation rating used from everything to sleeping pads to the fiberglass you stuff in your walls) of at least four, or simply stack an inflatable pad on top of a closed-cell foam pad for extra insulation from below.<\/p>\n

Next, mind your tent: \u201cMake sure you have a shelter that can handle a bit of a snow load,\u201d Whittaker says, warning that if it can\u2019t, the entire structure could cave. Four-season tents are designed to handle harsh winter conditions and the extra weight of snow, but they are expensive and less commonly stocked at your local outdoor retailer. A three-season shelter will do the job, too, as long as it\u2019s freestanding. But Whittaker recommends avoiding single-wall tents or semi-freestanding tents that don\u2019t have sturdy frames, since they are more likely to bow and collapse under a few inches of build-up.<\/p>\n

As for boots, opt for an insulated pair. If they have removable linings, keep them in your sleeping bag at night so you don\u2019t have to put your feet in cold boots in the morning. You can also keep your boots in a zip-top bag inside your sleeping bag to prevent them from freezing in extra cold temperatures.<\/p>\n


\nKEEP EVERYTHING DRY<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
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Photo by Popular Science<\/figcaption><\/figure>
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Wet gear is often the first sign that trouble is on the horizon. That\u2019s because if your jacket, sleeping bag, or boots get wet in the winter, they won\u2019t dry out as quickly as they would in warmer weather. In fact, if temperatures are below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, they\u2019ll freeze before they dry.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why keeping everything as dry as possible is crucial. And that goes for clothing and gear alike. These are the maxims you need to abide by:<\/p>\n