A Parent’s Guide
To Winter Camping
Winter
camping is one of the most advanced and challenging of outdoor adventures. It
will take your son into a magnificent frozen wilderness sparkling with snow and
ice. Temperatures are cold, and the usual watering holes, campgrounds, and
trails of summer are buried beneath drifts. On still nights a fragile, magical
beauty blankets the land beneath the dance of the stars, and when the weather
turns bad, howling winds and driving snow make a familiar meadow seem awesome and
alien as any arctic landscape. Living under such strange and demanding
conditions requires skill, experience, and the proper equipment, "...but
if ye are prepared ye shall not fear" (D&C 38:30).
Some
common misconceptions
Leather
hiking boots will keep your feet warm.
FALSE! The
snug fit of most hiking boots can limit the circulation of blood in the feet
especially if you're wearing extra layers of socks. Mukluks, booties, and over
boots with enough room to hold your foot and plenty of insulation and still
allow moisture to escape are much more effective.
Waterproof
clothing is ideal for cold-weather camping.
FALSE! To
keep you warm, your clothing must allow body moisture to escape. Moisture
trapped close to the body wicks away heat through conduction and evaporation.
Waterproof clothing is preferable only in wet rainy weather.
Sugary
and starchy foods provide sufficient cold-weather a energy.
FALSE!
Sugar and starch burn too quickly to keep you warm hour after hour. Foods high
in fat, complex carbohydrates, and protein release energy more slowly.
Drinking
liquids is not important on winter treks.
FALSE!
Cold air is very dry, and it draws moisture out of your body each time you
breathe. Winter temperatures may trick you into believing you're not thirsty,
even though your body needs plenty of fluids to ward off the dehydration that
can upset your metabolism and increase your susceptibility to hypothermia.
The worst
enemy of a winter camper is moisture! Wet clothing can steal body heat up to 25
times faster than when dry. You must stay dry to stay warm. There are three
main ways that clothing and gear become wet.
- Rain,
sleet or water on the ground (puddles, rivers, etc.): Gear can be protected
from rain and ground water by sealing extra clothing, sleeping bags, etc.
inside plastic bags. A Scout can protect himself from falling rain or melting
snow by wearing a waterproof poncho.
- Snow-covered
clothing or gear becomes warm, melting the snow: Packs taken from the warmth of
a van and placed in the snow can quickly become waterlogged. Again, to prevent the pack contents from
getting wet seal items inside waterproof bags. Also, bring a foam mat or
cushion to sit on so you don't sit directly on the snow. Not only will the snow
extract heat from your rear end, the snow can melt causing your pants to get
wet.
- Perspiration
and sweat: Body perspiration and sweat can soak your clothing just as
effectively as a rain shower. You can guard against this by using the layering
principle (described below), by not wearing waterproof outer garments (unless
it is raining), and by allowing body moisture to escape.
The
Layering Principle
The
essence of staying warm in the winter is having the proper clothing layers and
knowing how to use them effectively. The thermal insulation of clothing is
proportional to the thickness of the dead air space enclosed. The clothing is
not what is keeping you warm, it is the dead air. The key to providing this
dead air space is through having a number of layers of clothing. This allows
you to add or shed layers to increase (or decrease) your accumulated dead air
space as the temperature changes and/or as your activity level changes. Why not just have lots of layers on and
sweat? Remember, heat loss from a wet surface can be up to 25 times greater than
a dry surface. If you sweat and get soaked, you will lose heat much more
quickly through evaporation of the water. So, you want to control your layers
to be warm at your current activity level without sweating.
Clothing
Materials
- Wool
- as much as 60-80% of wool cloth can be air.
Even with water in the fabric, wool still retains dead air space and
will still insulate you. Wool is relatively inexpensive (if purchased at
surplus stores). However, it can be itchy against the skin and some people are
allergic to it.
- Polypropylene
and other synthetics - these are plastic fibers which offer dead air space and
cannot absorb water. The fibers are hydrophobic meaning they move water vapor
away from the body Synthetic fibers are extremely effective when worn directly
against the skin to keep the skin from getting wet and to reduce evaporative
heat loss. Synthetic fibers (such as Polarguard, Hollofil, Quallofil, and
Thinsulate) are often used in sleeping bags, parkas, and mittens. Tightly woven
nylon is an excellent outer material, providing good wind resistance while
still allowing water vapor to pass through.
- Cotton
- is not as good an insulator as wool or polypropylene. Cotton fibers are very
absorbent and can soak up lots of water. Wet cotton clothing can be much worse
than having no clothing at all! For this reason, jeans, T-shirts, and other
100% cotton clothing should be avoided, or at least waterproofed with wax or
silicone sprays.
- Down
- feathers are a very efficient insulator. They provide excellent dead air
space with little weight. The major problem with down is that it absorbs
water. The wet feathers tend to clump
and lose their dead air space.
Body
Clothing
- Head
- because a person can lose 50-70% of heat from their head, a good hat is
essential in winter camping. The adage - if your toes are cold, put on a hat -
is true. Wear a warm wool stocking cap over your head and ears. If your parka
has a hood, that will help insulate your head and neck as well. You can also
wear a scarf or a ski mask if additional insulation is required.
- Hands
- mittens are warmer than gloves. It is useful to have an inner mitten with an
outer shell to give you layering capabilities. Also, "idiot strings"
are important to keep you from losing mittens in the snow. However, gloves are
also essential in winter for dexterity, like pitching a tent or tying your
boots. Since gloves and mittens tend to get wet, waterproof them and bring
several pair.
- Socks
- one of the best systems for keeping feet warm is using multiple layers. Start
with a thin polypropylene (or other synthetic) sock next to the skin to wick
moisture away, followed by 1-2 pair of wool or wool/synthetic blend socks. If
they are too tight, they will constrict circulation and increase the chance of
frostbite.
- Footwear
- Because of their direct contact with the ground and snow, feet can get cold
very easily. There are several types of
boots that are suitable for winter camping, including:
- Insulated
Boots - such as Sorel
or "Mickey Mouse" boots. These are rubber or leather and rubber boots
that use a layer of wool felt to provide dead air space. These boots are often
rated from -20 to -40 degrees.
- Pac
Boots - plastic shell pac boots (or mountaineering boots) use inner boots made
with wool felt or a closed-cell foam insulation. These can be very warm.
- Mukluks
- one piece moccasins which reach to the knee. They are used with felt liners
and wool socks. The Mukluk itself serves as a high gaiter. Mukluks are very
comfortable, but they're not waterproof so they are best used in cold, dry
settings where water and rain aren't a problem.
- Leather
Boots - can be somewhat effective when used in conjunction with an insulated
overboot. They need to be much larger than normal to accommodate several layers
of wool socks. Additional insulation can
be added to boots by wrapping them in foam rubber or carpet pad and covering
them in plastic. The foam and plastic can be tied in place using rope or
string.
- Gaiters
- are essential for winter activity. Gaiters are waterproof or water-resistant
sleeves that extend from your boot to your knee. They keep snow from getting
into your boots and keep your socks and pant legs free from snow. Gaiters can
be made using a plastic or nylon material and string.
- Insulated
Booties - these are booties insulated with a synthetic fill and typically have
a foam sole. They are very nice to wear in your sleeping bag at night.
- Outer
Layer - it is essential to have an outer layer
that is wind proof and water resistant. It also needs to be able to be
ventilated. If a garment is waterproof, it cannot breathe (except for very
expensive high-tech materials such as Gore-Tex). A coat or jacket with an
attached hood is also helpful. One of the best approaches is to wear an outer
shell that can breathe and add a loose fitting waterproof layer such as a
poncho when there is rain or sleet. Your outer layer can be a ski parka, coat,
or jacket as long as it will block the wind. It doesn't need to be extremely
warm if you have enough layers underneath it.
An
example of layering
Start with
thermal underwear that are not too tight. Add a flannel shirt, wool trousers,
and a wool turtleneck sweater. Wear
polypropylene socks followed by 1-2 pair of wool or wool/synthetic-blend socks.
Add a jacket, wool cap, and heavy boots followed by gaiters. Wear wool mittens
or gloves with water repellent shells over them. Add a scarf, parka with a
hood, and water-repellent snow pants if needed. Keep layers loose. And
remember... don't wear waterproof clothing unless it is raining.
This is
just one possible layering scheme. You can substitute available clothing for
the different layers, provided that they are appropriate for cold-weather
camping (e.g. not waterproof or 100% cotton). If you have ski bibs, for
example, you could use them in place of the wool trousers.
Sleeping Bags
Sleeping bags for winter camping
should be rated to a temperatures lower than what you will likely experience if
you want to be comfortable. There are a variety of different fills for sleeping
bags: down, Primaloft, Microloft, Qualofill, Polarguard, etc. (Dry down is
warmer than synthetic fibers, but down is a poor insulator when wet and it
takes longer to dry than synthetic fibers.) Ideally, the bag should be a mummy
bag with a hood. A mummy bag concentrates the insulation around your body
without leaving large spaces for convection currents. You can augment your
sleeping bag if it isn't as warm as necessary. There are several ways to do
this.
- Put
your bag inside of another sleeping bag. Remember that you are trying to trap
as much dead air as possible. It won't help much if the outer bag compresses
the dead air out of the inner bag. When you insert the inner bag, put the
zipper on the side opposite the outer zipper, if possible. Adding a summer bag
over your mummy bag can add 15-20 degrees.
- Add
a wool blanket inside your sleeping bag (adds 5-10 degrees). Fold the blanket
in half and safety pin the edges to form a pocket.
- Put
your sleeping bag inside of a bivy sack (adds 5-10 degrees). A bivy sack is an
outer shell that you slip your sleeping bag into.
- Add
a vapor barrier liner (adds 5-10 degrees).
- Put
a foam pad on top of your sleeping bag, securing it with straps or ties.
Foam
Sleeping Pads
You need
to insulate your sleeping bag from the underlying snow. Closed-cell foam pads
or self inflating pads (like Therm-A-Rest) work well. Open-cell foam can be
used, but only if it is covered by a plastic sheet to keep it from absorbing
water. Your insulation should be at least 2 inch thick (two summer pads work
well). Avoid cots and air mattresses. They allow convection currents to
develop, which significantly increase your heat loss.
Sleeping
Tips
- Do
wear a stocking cap or ski mask to bed.
- Do
fluff up your sleeping bag before getting in to trap as much dead air as
possible.
- Do
bring your water bottle with you inside your bag. It will keep it from freezing
and it will be available if you need a drink. Caution: Don't let it leak!
[Hint: seal it in a zip-lock bag.)
- Do
loosen your boot laces and put your boots between your pad and sleeping bag to
keep them from freezing. It is almost impossible to put on frozen boots.
- Do
eat high-protein snacks before bed and during the night, if needed. Foods such
as cheese, nuts, and jerky make good nighttime snacks.
- Do
tighten the drawstring around your head and neck to prevent cold air from
entering your bag.
- Do
check on your buddy during the night to make sure that he is okay.
- Don't
wear any clothing to bed that is damp or which was worn during the day. Bring
dry sweats, a wool cap, and extra wool socks or insulated booties to sleep in.
- Don't
breathe inside your sleeping bag. Your breath will get your sleeping bag wet.
Did
you know that you own millions of acres of national parks, historic
structures, cultural artifacts, ancient forests, snow-capped mountains,
and clear blue lakes? Our public lands and waters belong to all
Americans and are waiting for you to explore them!
