Winter Camping

You definitely need a little extra "know-how" when it comes to winter camping and backpacking. Let's start by covering what gear we need to take on Winter trips.

Extra Clothes

This one seems fairly obvious, but it is worth going over. Try to avoid Cotton clothing on winter camping trips since it takes forever to dry and it loses its ability to keep you warm when it gets wet. Instead you should wear wool or fleece, polypropylene, pile, and other synthetic materials. Once you have the right clothes you need to remember to dress in layers so that you can strip down if you're too hot. You want to avoid over-heating so that you don't get your clothes wet from sweating. And if you are too cold you can always add more layers. If all you take is one monster-sized parka, then you won't be able to fine-tune your clothing system to keep you at a comfortable temperature.

Tent

If there is snow in the forecast make sure you have a sturdy tent. Depending on how much snow there will be you might get by with a strong 3-season tent, but you are always better off with a 4-season tent just in case. 4-season tents usually have stronger poles and more of them to help support any snow on top of the tent. Tents with steeper walls are also a good idea. The snow will simply slide right off. And make sure your tent has vents. You will want to ventilate your tent (even for winter camping trips). Condensation builds up in tents, and in cold weather it will freeze. Keeping the vents open helps reduce the amount of condensation.

Sleeping Bag

Make sure your bag fits you correctly. If it's too big, then you will waste body heat keeping all of the dead air space warm. If it's too small, you will compress the insulation which leads to cold spots. Down Bags are usually more comfortable and lighter than other bags. But they lose some of their insulation properties as long if they get wet. If you think your gear may get wet then you are better off with a Synthetic Bag.

Sleeping Pad

If you will be pitching your tent on snow, then you may want to consider taking a closed-cell foam pad in addition to your self-inflating air mattress. They don't weigh much, they add a good deal of insulation, there is no risk of a leak or puncture, and they are very inexpensive. Air Beds are not a very good choice for winter camping. They are comfortable, but they do not insulate very well.

Stove

As much as I love canister stoves, if I am going on a trip in the middle of winter then I almost always take a liquid fuel stove. Canister stoves simply don't work as well when it's very cold. If you insist on taking a canister stove, then you may want to consider a Coleman Exponent X-Series Stove. They perform a lot better in the cold than other canister stoves do.

Lights

It gets darker a lot earlier on winter camping trips, so make sure you take a flashlight and/or a headlamp. I prefer a headlamp. It lets you have both hands free for cooking, setting up camp, reading, and doing anything else in the dark. Be sure to take spare batteries, too.

Miscellaneous

If there is going to be a lot of deep snow, then you will need cross country skis or snow shoes. You might also want to consider taking a small folding shovel to make wind blocks in the snow or to flatten areas for sleeping or cooking. Take sun screen, sunglasses, and lip balm. The winter sun and wind can be very harsh. And be sure to apply sunscreen to the inside of your nose. The sun reflects off of the snow right into your nostrils. If you are travelling where there is a risk of avalanche be sure to take an appropriate avalanche safety course before you go.

For winter camping trips you simply need to get a little extra gear or modify the kinds of things that you take with you, and you just need to be prepared.

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