Even if you have gone camping many times before (Like me) you should listen to these tips (I didn't and was very cold last weekend).
1. Make sure ALL your gear fits you. I hadn't used my cold weather sleeping bag in about a year before I used it this weekend. It was too small and my shoulders didn't fit in the sleeping bag.
2. DO NOT USE a survival blanket (Like the one I reviewed) unless you are really in a survival situation. I did and my sleeping bag was very wet for the entire weekend.
3. Bring microspikes or a similar kind of crampon. I actually remembered these on my trip and almost everyone else on the trip didn't. I was able to walk on the ground (A huge sheet of ice) without slipping.
4. Have a mummy bag style sleeping bag for winter camping. These are a lot better for winter because they have a hood to go over your eyes. If you go camping a lot you will generally have 2 types of sleeping bags, a mummy bag for cold weather and a different one for warm summer weather.
5. Bring a sled. There are huge hills at or around almost every campsite that are great for sledding. Sledding is fun.
6. Don't bring a phone or other electronic unless it is for communications and communications only. Using phones for entertainment and non-emergency purposes takes away from the experience. Also: an alternative is that only 1 or 2 adults/parents/guardians get to bring a phone.
7. Bring hand warmers or fire or both. You will get cold. Trust me.
8. Bring board or card games. You will have free time and this is a fun way to spend it, especially at night.
9. Bring at least one knife, hatchet, and/or saw. You will need it to cut various sizes of firewood. I also recommend bringing large pieces of firewood so you don't have to take the time to collect large dead trees and cut them up.
10. Bring some way of boiling water. You will want hot chocolate, tea, coffee, or something warm.
1. Make sure ALL your gear fits you. I hadn't used my cold weather sleeping bag in about a year before I used it this weekend. It was too small and my shoulders didn't fit in the sleeping bag.
2. DO NOT USE a survival blanket (Like the one I reviewed) unless you are really in a survival situation. I did and my sleeping bag was very wet for the entire weekend.
3. Bring microspikes or a similar kind of crampon. I actually remembered these on my trip and almost everyone else on the trip didn't. I was able to walk on the ground (A huge sheet of ice) without slipping.
4. Have a mummy bag style sleeping bag for winter camping. These are a lot better for winter because they have a hood to go over your eyes. If you go camping a lot you will generally have 2 types of sleeping bags, a mummy bag for cold weather and a different one for warm summer weather.
5. Bring a sled. There are huge hills at or around almost every campsite that are great for sledding. Sledding is fun.
6. Don't bring a phone or other electronic unless it is for communications and communications only. Using phones for entertainment and non-emergency purposes takes away from the experience. Also: an alternative is that only 1 or 2 adults/parents/guardians get to bring a phone.
7. Bring hand warmers or fire or both. You will get cold. Trust me.
8. Bring board or card games. You will have free time and this is a fun way to spend it, especially at night.
9. Bring at least one knife, hatchet, and/or saw. You will need it to cut various sizes of firewood. I also recommend bringing large pieces of firewood so you don't have to take the time to collect large dead trees and cut them up.
10. Bring some way of boiling water. You will want hot chocolate, tea, coffee, or something warm.
Having copious amounts of hot chocolate in the morning is definitely a huge boost. I highly reccomend playing cards, as they are small, light, and have a multitude of different games you can play. Good and helpful post!
ReplyDeleteVery useful... I love how you explained everything.
ReplyDeleteI feel as if I do not have the skill, nor determination to camp in the winter. Summer camping is awesome, but winter camping takes a lot of guts. I am very impressed at the amount of experience you have.
ReplyDeleteI really like this but I could never camp in the winter because I get cold really easily and I would just freeze out there.
ReplyDeleteNot sure I would like winter camping although I imagine the landscape to be quite beautiful especially the night sky!
ReplyDeleteIf I camped in the winter, which I would never, this would be very useful. Good job with the detail.
ReplyDeleteNice post I just had a friend who went Winter camping!
ReplyDelete