10 winter camping rules to live by

Author: James Bishop - WisconsinGuide Magazine

Article:
My buddy Mike Langlois joined me on a frozen Wisconsin River
island above Tomahawk for our first winter camping trip.
Starting out it was 35°F, so for gear we had summer sleeping
bags and a canvas pup tent. What did we know? We were just 12.
That night a norther’ blew in from the Arctic dropping temps
into the minus digits. Had Mike and I geared for –30°, we could
have slept all night rather than jogging inside flimsy sleeping
bags trying to keep our blood solid. Luckily, this experience
did not turn me off winter camping. But it did teach me a
valuable lesson.

First rule of winter camping: Plan for the coldest possible
temperatures in your area. Whether it starts in October or ends
in April, winter can be brutal. The most important thing about
winter camping is planning. In the summer, make a mistake like
getting wet and you can survive. But get soaked at 20°, and
you’re in trouble.

Through trial, error and study, I’ve found camping at –10°F can
be comfortable with the right gear. And what’s not to like about
winter? No bugs and no need for food refrigeration – just the
challenge of surviving the elements.

Second rule: Winter camping begins with a good night’s rest.
Camping, as opposed to day-tripping, means sleeping outdoors.
Proper gear and proper preparation dictates the difference
between jogging in the bag or snoozing until sun-up.

I’ve now got a sleeping bag rated for –30°. The fill is
synthetic – if it gets wet it will still provide some warmth,
unlike goosedown. If there’s snow on the ground or in the
forecast, that bag goes with me. No snow, and I can get along
fine with my 20° bag.

Underneath me, I leave the snow. If there’s no snow, I gather up
dry leaves or grass. Atop this goes a vapor barrier. I use two,
one a large 8’x10’ plastic sheet and the other a 5’x7’
plastic/aluminized blanket.

These foil blankets, which can be purchased at most sporting
goods stores or through outdoor catalogs, reflect warmth toward
you and cold away from you. I generally take two and sometimes
three of these foil blankets with me on every cold weather trip.
Folding the foil blanket in half with one aluminum side down and
the other up, I tuck my self-inflating camp mat (commonly known
as a “Thermarest”) between the fold.

Third rule: To tent or not to tent? Your decision. Most any kind
of tent will generally keep the winter camper 10 to 20 degrees
warmer than going without one. They hold some body heat, prevent
wind from stealing precious warmth and keep snow off bags and
gear.

A number of manufacturers make four-season tents. They are
pricier than summer tents because they are made out of stronger
materials and have special air ventilation systems to prevent
frost build-up.

If you plan to buy a winter tent, get the next size larger. So
for two people, get the four-person model. You’ll need the extra
space. Winter sleeping bags are bigger and you’re wearing more
clothes.

With a sleeping bag to match conditions, however, tents are not
necessary in the winter. My coldest trip of –40° was on a
plastic mat with nothing but the stars above. Had it snowed we
would have pulled a piece of nylon over the top of us.

Fourth rule: Liquid intake is critical in winter camping. It’s a
white desert out there! Dry winter air saps internal water
reserves – especially while cross-country skiing, fishing, or
hiking. Drinking liquids will help keep you warm.

If your urine turns dark or if your body feels cold, you may not
be drinking enough. Unless I am away from base camp, I keep hot
water on the fire. Hot tea with a dried orange drink is my
favorite refresher.

On expeditions away from camp, I carry water in either a
wineskin-type bota or a plastic bottle. I place these under my
jacket in a pocket or on a shoulder strap where body warmth will
keep it from freezing.

Fifth rule: A good night’s rest depends on more than just a
sleeping bag. In the sleeping bag before shut-eye, I eat a candy
bar. The fat energy released keeps the body warmer and allows me
to sleep better.

Take off all clothes except long johns and socks and put them in
the bottom of your sleeping bag or stuff them in a sack and use
for a pillow. Shove your leather boots and water bottle under
your sleeping pad to keep them from freezing. I wear my mukluk
or pac-boot liners to bed. Body warmth inside the bag will dry
the felt.

Two twelve-hour chemical hand warmers placed in the sleeping bag
before going to bed warm it up, and once I get in the bag, I
move one to underneath my back and the other to my feet. I don a
wool cap and wool gloves and zip myself in. Winter’s elements
are now outside.

Sixth rule: The hardest thing about winter camping is getting
out of bed. Mornings will generally be the coldest time of the
day. Be it 10° or –20°, it’s hard to face the reality of leaving
a warm nest. While still in the bag, I drink from my water
bottle, eat another candy bar, stretch in place and start
putting on all my clothes. When my hands get cold, I grab the
hand warmers.

With a warm coat on, I swing from the bag and put on my boots.
The night before, I readied a pile of wood for the first fire of
the morning. I light it and enjoy my first cup of hot coffee or
cocoa while preparing breakfast.

Seventh rule: Prepare nearly all your food at home and make
twice as much as you normally eat. Regardless of how much I eat
on winter trips I always lose weight.

Plan easy-to-fix foods in disposable lightweight containers.
Aluminum foil makes cooking easy. At home, I’ll wrap
ham-and-cheese bagels or bacon in foil to cook on the coals or
over the grill. And for dinner, my favorite meal is bacon, meat,
onions, green pepper and spices wrapped in foil.

Ziploc bags also make preparing ahead easy. For breakfast, just
add hot water to a bag of cereal and dry milk. Or for dinner,
drop a zipped bag of frozen spaghetti into boiling water until
thawed.

Make sure to take along plenty of snacks such as candy bars and
trail mix to munch on for quick energy throughout the day.

Eighth rule: Keeping warm during the day depends on your
clothing. Technology has provided today’s winter camper with
more and better choices than cotton and wool. Polypropylene, a
synthetic fabric, holds little moisture and actually moves body
dampness away from the skin into outer clothes. I start with
polypropylene underwear tops and bottoms.

Next comes a wool or polyfleece shirt and pants. Synthetic
fleece has many of the same qualities as wool but must be
carefully used around a fire since it melts.

Wool and fleece are great insulators but fail to stop wind from
reaching the skin, so the next layer needed is a lightweight
wind jacket and pants. I recommend nylon or a Gore-Tex type
material which allows body moisture to escape while preventing
snow and rain from reaching the skin.

The last layer may be the most important. That’s the parka or
heavy coat. I recommend a synthetically filled winter coat that
goes to the waist or slightly below since a longer coat keeps
warmth in the body core where it is needed most.

All these layers trap body heat and moisture. They function best
when dry. Allow body moisture to escape by shedding layers when
physical activity demands.

One final note about clothing: Raingear goes on every trip with
me regardless of the forecast. Moisture robs heat, a loss one
cannot afford in the winter.

Ninth rule: Take care of your extremities with the proper hats,
gloves and boots. Seventy percent of heat loss can come from
your head, so a good hat must provide warmth and wick moisture.
I believe in being prepared and take a musher’s hat, wool watch
cap, fleece headband and fleece balaclava.

By taking three pair of wool-fingered gloves, I ensure there’s
always a dry pair. Chopper mitts with fleece mitten inserts are
used for extreme conditions and collecting firewood.

Footwear is as important as headgear. If your feet freeze you’ll
have a rough time getting home. Purchase the warmest and
lightest boots available. Buy them big enough for at least two
pair of heavy socks with room enough to wiggle your toes.

I take two pair of boots on every winter trip. One is a
lightweight mukluk good for –30°. Should these get wet, I can
switch to a pair of more waterproof pac boots with felt liners.
I carry an extra set of liners that can either go into the
mukluk or the pac boot. On several trips I’ve submersed one pair
of boots in water and had to switch.

Buy the best quality wool socks on the market. In fact buy four
pair and bring them with you. Wear two pair and keep two in
reserve. Wear them to bed, as they’ll dry out on your feet while
sleeping.

Tenth rule: Have fun! Lest you think winter camping is all work
and no play… What’s there to do for fun on a winter camping
trip? Plenty! Cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, hiking the
backcountry and ice-fishing to name just a few.

Ever play tennis ball golf? Get a few old golf clubs and some
new red tennis balls. On a wind-swept lake, plot out holes with
sticks or rocks. Hit the balls toward the holes. Make your own
rules.

My son and his gang of Boy Scouts shoveled off a hockey rink
every winter outing we ever went on. Kids without sticks used
snow shovels. They played from sun-up to sundown. We
scoutmasters put our ice fishing tip-ups a distance from the
field of play and refereed from the sidelines until a flag
popped.

One final word. Getting all this gear to a backwoods camp may
seem like a daunting task fit for only the most rugged
expeditionists. You do have to be in good physical shape to face
the rigors of winter camping. Unless you’re going to a drive-in
site, you may be hauling this gear several miles. I use a
plastic children’s toboggan that’s about four feet long and a
foot wide. I pile the heaviest gear on the bottom, cover it all
with a tarp and fasten it with bungee cords.

And of course, always let a friend know where you are going and
your expected time of return.

Properly planned for, winter camping can be one of the finest
ways to enjoy the beautiful landscape here in Wisconsin.

Comfort camping in the cold

Writer and outdoorsman James Bishop prefers the rugged approach
to winter camping, sometimes even sleeping under the stars
without a tent. He takes two or three foil blankets along on
every trip.

For those a little more fond of their creature comforts, Carl
and John’s Paddlin’ in Madison rents tents and wood stoves
suitable for winter camping. Space All Weather Blanket 5’x7’
blanket; 12 oz. radiates 80% of body heat back to you $11.95 at
REI 608-833-6680 www.rei.com 8’x10’ Snowtrekker tent suitable
for two people 3-day rental, $50 Carl & John’s Paddlin’
800-386-1299 www.paddlin.comFour Dog wood stove for heating and
cooking 3-day rental, $35 Carl & John’s Paddlin’ 800-386-1299
www.paddlin.com

For more on Where to go & What to do in Wisconsin, check out
http://www.WisconsinGuide.com