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Winter Camping

Planning, Gear, and Best Practices

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Resources

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Resources

https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/NorthernTier/pdf/2018_19_Winter/CWLT_Participant_Guide_2019.pdf

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Look for accredited and reliable resources for information on best practices

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Planning your adventure

Know what is ahead, Be Prepared!

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Planning your adventure

  • Winter runs from Dec 21 to March 20
  • Cold evening and night temperatures typically start creeping in during October
  • We are often “cold weather camping” rather than truly winter camping
  • Conditions change quickly in transitional seasons

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  • Note the temperature differential between Lubbock and Taos
  • Weather may be very different where you’re headed, especially when climbing elevation in transitional seasons

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Common Injuries

Make them less common…

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Common conditions

  • Dehydration
    • Makes it difficult to regulate temperature, promoting hypothermia and frostbite
    • Body works harder when cold, increasing urine output
    • Coffee and teas promote dehydration
    • Headache, dizziness, irritable, thirst, dark smelly urine
  • Frost nip / bite
    • Superficial, partial thickness, full thickness
    • Pale, waxy, molted skin
    • Rapid warming prefered

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Common conditions

  • Sunburn / Snow blindness
    • Burning of the skin or surface of the eyes
  • Burns
    • Open flames
    • Hot liquids

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Hypothermia

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Mechanics of heat loss

Biology and thermo-dynamics

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Losing Heat

  • Radiation – Direct heat loss
  • Convection – Moving air
  • Conduction – Contact
  • Evaporation - Perspiration
  • Respiration – breathing out warm, moist air

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Losing Heat

  • Radiation – Direct heat loss
  • Convection – Moving air
  • Conduction – Contact
  • Evaporation - Perspiration
  • Respiration – breathing out warm, moist air

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  • Someone slept on the ground where the bare oval is below the canopy. This is an example of poor insulation between their body and the ground.

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Mechanics of heat production

Biology and thermo-dynamics

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Generating Heat

  • Basal Metabolic Heat Production – output from basic body function
  • Shivering – involuntary response
  • Work / exercise – don’t over do it

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C – O – L – D

  • Clean – snow, dirt, oil clog dead air space eliminating loft
  • Overheating – don’t sweat!
  • Layers – Wicking, warmth, wind
  • Dry – don’t sweat, dust off snow, change clothes

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Layers

Not like an onion

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Wicking

  • Get moisture away from the body
    • Tops
    • Bottoms
    • Underwear
  • Wool
  • Polyester

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Warmth

  • Loft
  • Dead air pockets
  • Down
  • Fleece
  • Synthetic down and blend

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Wind

  • Shell
  • Water / wind resistant
  • Raincoat
  • Winter coat
  • Keep the windchill out!

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Going to Bed

Harder than it sounds…

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Preparing for Sleep

  • Get completely warm
  • Hot water bottles
  • Go to the bathroom!

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  • Someone slept on the ground where the bare oval is below the canopy. This is an example of poor insulation between their body and the ground.

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Sleep System

Isolate your body from the ground

Image shows a 3season air pad isolated from the ground via a standard closed cell pad.

Note R values on sleeping pads

R values are cumulative

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Shelters and Gear

The cool part

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Down vs Synthetic Insulation

Down

Synthetic

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Three Season vs Four Season

4Season

3Season

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Liquid Fuel Stoves

Pump on fuel bottle allows fuel pressure to be maintained at altitude and in cold weather.

Canisters can lose pressure and become unusable.