Winter Camping Zoe and Tyson

Clothing Wool Fleece good insulation Down Extra socks – you need warm feet Base-layer – wick away moisture, keep insulated Mid-layer – something to strip Outer-layer – windproof and water resistant + good ventilation Fleece socks to keep your feet warm Insulated boots – rubber or leather Gaiters – keep snow out of your boots Mitts: better than gloves- have an inner layer as well as an outer shell

Shelters Brush Shelters - brush is usually still accessible during the winter Snow Shelters - igloos, snow coffins, quinzees, etc. Teepee - easy to setup in the winter Caves – dry and out of the wind Brush - made from available branches and brush Trees - fallen trees provide a frame-work for a shelter

Cooking Use pad under stove to slow down heat transfer Always use heat reflector, windscreen Compressed gas doesn’t work well in the cold, an hour or two before you think you’ll need it stick it in your jacket Bring some of your lunch into your sleeping bag this way it can thaw out Utensils – don’t bring anything metal

Food You need lots of carbohydras: trail mix, nuts, and hard candy Avoid taking fresh food: exception – cheese, butter, meats Bring mostly cereal, pasta, rice, wheat, oatmeal, baked goods, freeze-dried goods Breakfast should be relatively easy and quick but enough to last you a while End your day with a hot drink

Water Water: dig a hole in lake or stream, melt snow-put a tiny bit of water in the pot before melting snow, try and do it over a fire so you can conserve fuel Winter Solar Collector: in spot that will be sunny for several hours, dig out depression 2 feet across, 1 foot deep. If possible line depression with foam pad – insulation of some kind Spread a trash bag forming a shallow dish pan In depression pack clean snow

Water Continued Personal water: have a water bottle with a wide mouth so the lid doesn’t freeze shut If you don’t have a wide mouth water bottle keep it upside down in some insulation Water purification: – Boiling for 3-5 minutes – Filtration

Sleeping Keep hydrated during the day to keep warm Go to the bathroom before you to sleep! Go to bed warm Fluff up your sleeping bag Have a good insulating pad beneath you Wear a hat Wear a balaclava or scarf to bed Avoid overheating and go to bed dry Use layered sleeping system – bivy sack, liner

Potty Do your business just below the surface – speeds up decomposition Walk away from camp, don’t do it close Don’t want to pack out your TP? Well then use some packed snowballs Use separate gloves for crapping and cooking

Campfires Bigger is not necessarily better Don’t build it under a tree – you silly goose Put it in a hole – dig, dig! Protects it from elements of the Mother Nature!