Introduction to Winter Camping

I know, I know.  Many of you are cringing at this premature appearance of the dreaded “W” word.  For many people, winter, with the possible exception of the holidays, is a time of longer commutes, not enough sunshine, bulky, annoying jackets, and dirty, dingy snow.  That, dear readers, is a genuine tragedy.  Winter has the ability to transform the environment as surely as does any other season, but there seems to me to be something especially magical about what the season of death’s cold and snow can do to a landscape.  If you don’t believe me, try going to sleep in your tent one night, and awakening to find the entire world blanketed with a fresh, undisturbed layer of crystalline snow.  It is truly like emerging onto another world.

Already, I can hear your protests.  It’s too cold in the winter.  The snow gets everywhere and makes everything wet and uncomfortable.  Winter gear is so heavy and cumbersome.  Hiking through snow is way too much work, not to mention dangerous.  It’s not that I don’t like the winter, I just don’t want to camp in it – I’d much rather spend it curled up in a sweater by a gas fireplace with a good book.  Or the classic “I like winter, as long as it’s below the thirtieth parallel.”

If you are truly dead set against winter camping, then I’m afraid that you’re a lost cause.  However, if you’re someone who thinks that the image I described above sounds like something you’d like to experience, but you’re not sure where to begin, then you’ve come to the right place.  As the season progresses, I’ll be posting gear recommendations, techniques, and tricks that will help ensure you can continue to enjoy the outdoors in this under-utilized part of the year, without sacrificing fingers, toes, ears, noses, comfort, or any other extremities.  You can also ask any questions you might have using the contact form.

There is an enormous amount of detail about winter camping, and we’ll go into all of the similarities and differences between winter camping and regular camping, as well as the specialized gear you might want to obtain (camping gear is an excellent thing to put on a holiday gift list).  For now, here are my top five rules for comfortable winter camping:

1. Layer
2. Stay dry
3. Layer
4. Eat extra food
5. Layer