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Winter Camping
 One
of the best reasons for going winter camping is that you avoid the
mosquitoes! Humans are braver than those tiny pests, thus we get
the better of them in the outdoor winter weather.
Shelter is one of the most important aspects to research before
winter camping. Three season tents may not be sturdy enough to handle
conditions typical of winter camping, such as high winds and the
snow buildup of winter storms. Typical camping tents are too ventilated
to provide enough shelter from a blowing storm.
But if you are winter camping in mild weather, three season tents
may work quite well. It depends on the temperature and weather conditions
which you will encounter.
When selecting a site for your winter camping, choose a spot that
is sheltered from the wind as much as possible. You can even hang
a tarp between two trees to help block nasty wind gusts from blowing
your tent down.
Winter camping is the ultimate for “no trace” camping,
because any signs of your site will melt away with the snow in the
spring. Thus, try to set up camp on the snow and avoid any vegetation.
Once you have chosen a good place for your winter camping tent,
pack down the snow before you actually set the tent up. Your body
will make an indentation in the snow if you do not pack it beforehand.
And that can become comfortable, especially if you want to change
your sleeping position.
If your winter camping trip ends up in a windy, exposed area, dig
a hole into the snow about one to two feet deep. By placing your
tent in this dugout, you will reduce the amount of wind that blasts
against it. This will also make the tent easier to get into!
In winter camping, tent stakes cannot be driven into the ground
because it is too frozen or the snow is too soft. Attach a four
to six foot cord onto each stake point of your tent, so you will
have more flexibility in attaching it to a nearby rock or tree.
So, you will definitely want to bring along a snow shovel to help
you fix a tent space and a kitchen trench when winter camping. For
the kitchen trench, dig about 2 feet deep and 2 feet wide. You can
sit on one side of the trench (on a winter camping pad), then place
your feet in the trench, and use the other side as a table top.
Sitting in a comfortable position will help quite a bit.
As soon as you have set up your winter camping site, put on dry
socks. Socks wet from hiking cannot keep your feet warm. And when
you take your boots off before bed, open them as wide as possible.
This will make it easier to put them on frozen in the morning.
You should always carry a closed cell foam pad along with you when
winter camping, to sit on at the site. Your body heat will quickly
escape when using the frozen ground or shelter floor as a seat.
Exercise a few minutes before getting into your sleeping bag. That
way your body will warm up a bit and make it easier to climb into
your sleeping bag and warm it up quickly!
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