COLD WEATHER CAMPING TIPS

Updated 1/9/06

1. Use a sleeping bag with a rating down to 15 degrees. If you don't have one of these, line your sleeping bag with either a summer fleece sleeping bag or a warm blanket.
2. Wear two pairs of socks. Outer socks should be wool socks. Don't wear so many socks that your boots are tight, though. That will just make your feet get even colder.
3. Bring a poncho or rain suit! It often rains in the wintertime here, and there is nothing worse than being cold and wet. ( It's a sure setup for hypothermia!) You will tend to sweat in plastic rain suits, so a poncho may be a better choice unless you get a pricey Gore-Tex suit.
4. Wear gloves and a knit hat. Baseball caps don't keep your ears warm. Hats also prevent you from losing a lot of body heat.
5. Bring a warm winter jacket! Nylon windbreakers won't keep you warm enough.
6. Wear loose layers of clothes. If it warms up, you can always remove a layer or two before you start to sweat. For best results, start with a polypropylene top and bottom as a base layer. If it's pretty cold, you'll want a synthetic fleece top and bottom (Polar Fleece). A wool shirt is OK, too, for a second layer. For an outer layer, choose a pair of nylon blend wind pants. Running pants are OK. Your jacket should be nylon, with some type of warm fleece liner. Zip-out liners work well.
7. Wear something warm beside jeans. Jeans by themselves are not warm when it is 40 degrees! Wear long johns/thermal underwear (preferably made of synthetic material or a polyester blend) with jeans. Fleece or sweats that are polyester blends are OK. DO NOT WEAR COTTON! Once cotton gets wet, it takes forever to dry and provides absolutely NO warmth when wet. Wet clothes help cause hypothermia!
8. At night wear your knit hat to bed to prevent heat loss from the top of your head. Better yet, wear a loose fitting hooded sweatshirt to conserve body heat.
9. Before you go to sleep at night, change your underwear and socks. Even though it's cold, your body still sweats, and the sweat is absorbed by your clothes. Clean, dry underwear and socks will keep you warmer and help you sleep better.
10. Use a camping mat/pad or thick blanket under your sleeping bag. This provides insulation from the cold ground. They'll keep you warmer than an air mattress or canvas cot, which will keep you surrounded by cold air all night.
11. Drink plenty of water! You can easily get dehydrated in the winter.
12. Drink hot liquids such as hot chocolate, hot soup, and beef or chicken bouillon. (Be sure they are on your Patrol's shopping list!) In really cold weather, eat a diet higher in fat than normal. Your body needs the fuel to keep you warm.
13. Bring along a second pair of shoes. If your first pair gets wet or muddy, you have a dry pair to change into. Bring along some plastic grocery bags to put the wet/muddy shoes in. Don't leave your shoes outside your tent.
14. Wear sturdy shoes, preferably some type of hiking boot.
15. Pack at least one complete outfit (pants, shirt, underwear, socks, sweatshirt) in a ziplock bag. If it rains, and your tent leaks, you'll at least have something dry to wear.
16. If it might rain during the day, put your sleeping bag in a large trash bag to keep it dry in case your tent leaks. Be sure nothing (pad, pillow, sleeping bag, duffel bag, etc.) is touching the tent walls.
17. Consider buying and applying Camp Dry (sold at Academy and other stores) or a similar product, which is an advanced polymer water repellent spray for both your tent and your shoes. Many experienced campers spray their tents and shoes annually, since any coating that may have been applied at the factory wears off after awhile.
18. Want warm clothes to put on in the morning? Decide what you'll wear the next day before you go to bed, and put them in your sleeping bag with you at night.
19. Keep your tent zippered/closed at all times. The local wildlife can get cold, too, and wouldn't mind sharing your warm sleeping bag with you.
20. Remember, NO food in your tent unless you want critters to come calling!
21. Use only flashlights in your tent. Do not use any fuel-burning lanterns, stoves, or candles. These are a fire risk, plus carbon monoxide poisoning can be deadly!
22. Keep busy and keep moving! Activity generates body heat to keep you warm.