Winter Camping Supplies

If you are planning to head out into the great outdoors for an overnight trip this winter, you'll need to make sure that you bring along appropriate winter camping supplies. Camping during the winter months is a very different experience than camping during the summer.

Winter Survival Tips

There are many elements to camping in the wintertime that you need to consider when you're selecting your winter camping supplies. If you don't plan for the elements before you head out, you're liable to face surprising circumstances that could ruin the entire trip.

The first and most important thing to consider when planning for camping in snow and wind is your shelter. The sort of highly ventilated tents or pop-up trailers that you may be used to using in the summer will not suffice in very cold temperatures. Make sure to bring the following gear for your safety and comfort.

• 4-Season Tent: You want to make sure that you have a durable tent that can handle all seasons, like the Eureka Assault Outfitter 4, which provides vent covers, a strong frame, inner material that prevents condensation and outer material that offers thermal protection.
• Sturdy Tarp and Rope: Heavy winds promote the transfer of heat from inside your tent to the outside, so protect yourself from wind chill by hanging a large tarp between the trees on the side of the tent in the direction the wind is coming from.
• Setting Up the Tent: If you've never set up a tent in the snow, you're in for a special treat. Normal tent stakes will not work well in snow, so buy snow stakes or anchor down the tent by attaching cord to the stake loops and placing rocks or snow-filled freezer bags on top of them. Also, stamp down the snow under your tent as flat as possible to prevent any painful ice bumps when the snow refreezes. Read about setting up winter camping shelters for more excellent advice.
• Sleeping Bag: While they can be more expensive, if you plan to do a lot of winter camping, buying a cold weather sleeping bag should be a top priority. Also bring along an extra fleece liner as well as a large, warm blanket to lay over the sleeping bag.
• Cot: The smartest way to protect from the cold ground is to use a cot that keeps you elevated. However, if you don't have room for a cot, then make sure to lay down at least two ground pads.

While most experienced hikers know that it's important to layer your clothing even when you're hiking in the summer, this becomes even more critical when you're hiking during the coldest months of the year. You'll need to deal with your hiking gear in ways that you never had to think about during the summer.

• Frozen Hiking Boots: A common mistake for new cold-weather campers is to leave hiking boots on the ground during the night. The next morning, when you slide your warm feet into the boots, it'll feel like you're wearing ice shoes. An old hiker's trick is to stuff your boots into the sack that your sleeping bag came in, and then shove it into the foot of your sleeping bag overnight so that it doesn't freeze.
• Frozen Socks: Putting your clothes in your sleeping bag may create condensation that will make you cold, but in the morning you can shove your clothes into the warm sleeping bag just a few minutes before you're ready to get out.
• Walking Gear: The three essential pieces of gear that you should bring with you if you plan to do a lot of winter hiking. Snowshoes will prevent you from sinking in deep snow. Instep crampons are also critical on icy trails. Finally, hiking poles can also prevent falls during your cold-weather adventures.

You may look forward to cooking at camp, but once you get out into the frigid temperature, spending any time exposed to the wind and snow is usually the last thing on your mind. The following tips for cooking gear will help reduce the discomfort that comes with outdoor cooking.

• Soups or Freeze Dried Foods: The best meals for winter camping are those dishes you can make quickly in a single pot by adding boiling water. Most dried soup mixes are delicious and only require a few cups of boiling water. If you want something more elaborate, consider freeze dried meals which you can make by simply adding boiling water. Opt for meals that are high in carbohydrates to give your body lots of instant energy to keep warm.
• Water, Water and More Water: Cold air is also dry air, and this can quickly whisk moisture away from your body and make you dehydrated. Drink lots of water and prevent your water from freezing by adding flavor mix to it, which reduces the freezing point. Also, avoid using water filters since the water that freezes in the filter will destroy it. Instead, filter water through coffee filters into a pot and boil it for drinking.
• Cooking Fuel: Cold weather camping requires a lot of snow-melting and boiling water, so bring as much cooking fuel with you as possible.

The quiet solitude of a snow covered meadow or the amazing sight of the huge wind drifts along the sides of a cliff are often enough to get people coming back for more winter camping every year. If you plan well and bring the right gear, you can safely enjoy the wonder and excitement of the outdoors during the winter.

For additional information about winter camping, make sure to check out the following LoveToKnow articles:

• Winter Hiking Groups in New Hampshire
• Winter RV Camping Advice
• Winter Backpacking Lite
• Winter Hiking Gear

• National Parks Camping Guide
• Camping Sites in NC State Parks
• Buy Discount Camping Gear

• Nudist Campsites
• Lightweight Tent Trailers
• Cars That Can be Flat Towed Behind Motor Home
• Nude Camping
• Blue Book Values for RVs