Transcript Winter Camping - Prince George Secondary School

Issy
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Amanda
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Hat + balaclava - a lot of heat is lost through the head
Layers – Long-johns, coat, and outer shell
Dry socks – a thin liner sock under wool (extra pair in case one gets wet)
Mittens preferable to gloves – inner mitten with outer shell can be
layered – gloves useful for dexterity (extra pair) idiot strings prevent
gloves from being lost in the snow
Layers: Base layer, insulation layer, and an outer shell – layer up in the
morning and before activity remove layers until you feel cool but not
chilled
Wool, fleece, polypropylene
Warm hiking boots or winter boots with an insulated layer and gaiters
will help keep snow out – insulated boots (rubber/leather with layer of
wool), plastic mountaineering boots (wool/felt/closed foam insulation –
easy use with snowshoes), high gaiters (keep snow out of boots)
Vapour barrier: clothing item which prevents the movement of sweat
away from the body (worn close to skin) Vapour barriers should not be
used directly against the skin because moisture on skin leads to heat
loss. Polypropylene or another hydrophobic layer between the skin and
the barrier should be worn.
Snow cave – can
be dug into hill.
Dig entrance
upwards so that
the door is below
sitting level. Keep
ventilation.
Quin-zhee – place an upright marker
to mark the center. Tie a cord out to
the marker and draw a circle. Pile
loose snow within marked circle –
don’t compact snow. When size is
achieved allow it to compact
naturally. Entrance should be away
from incoming weather. Install vent
in roof.
Pack down snow underneath tent
Must have ground sheet
Bring extra poles and pegs in
case they break/get lost in snow
Keep your boots in your sleeping
Snow pit – can be created by creating a
trench in snow down to ground level.
Should be longer than your body and
3-4 feet wide. Line the bottom with
insulated material. Roof can be made
of skis and poles or overlapping
boughs and sticks, then covered with a
tarp and loose snow. The doorway will
be a tunnel to the side. Use ventilation.
If possible the entrance should be
lower than the level of the trench to
keep cold air at the entrance.
bag to prevent freezing
Place the opening of the tent facing
downhill
Place the tent 90 degrees from the windwill avoid build up of snow drifts
Igloo – snow must be good
consistency to pack into
blocks. Blocks are cut and
stacked in ascending spiral.
Snow is packed into open
joints
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Water bottle can be kept upside down to prevent
cap from freezing – can be kept in jacket to prevent
freezing
Cook behind wind break, such as a hill - keep
stove in jacket 30 minutes prior to cooking / keep
in sleeping bag overnight
Keep your camp near a water source so you don’t
waste fuel on melting snow Don’t eat the snow! It
will waste energy and make you colder
Sit on the inside of your tent to keep warm
Wash your dishes using snow
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Bring extra blankets along with your heavily
insulated sleeping bag to add warmth
Be sure to bring a sleeping mat to separate
the cold ground with your body
Go to the bathroom before you go to sleep- It
takes more energy to keep your urine warm
If someone wakes up freezing make sure they
stay warm and hydrated
Biowaste should go near the surface of the
snow to speed up decomposition
 Substitute snowballs for toilet paper
 Go at least 200 feet away from camp
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Make several small controlled fires away from
trees and tents – this will make more people
warmer than just having only one big fire