Transcript Winter Camping

WINTER CAMPING
Various ways to improve your winter camping experience
By Tyson B, Louella P, Randy R & Braedon A
Clothing
Articles of clothing to wear and to avoid, various types of boots and
gloves, and vapor barriers
Clothing Required
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Toques
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Mittens (NOT gloves)
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3 layers (base, mid, outer)
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Insulated boots
Layers
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Base – right up against your skin. Should be snug, but
not too tight to keep free movement. Quick dry material
in order to keep moisture away from body
Mid – your insulating layer. Also removes moisture, but
mostly keeps body heat trapped against your body
Outer – made to reduce the effect of cold from wind,
water, snow, and other elements
Boots
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Wear GOOD wool socks to keep out the cold,
plus neoprene as a base layer to trap heat.
Have boots that are water proof and have
some kind of insulation. Hiking boots can work,
but only if they can hold out moisture and keep
your feet warm.
Vapor Barriers
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The body is always perspiring, despite the lack of
any actual physical activities. This is a waste of
water and causes rapid dehydration. A vapor
barrier is a layer that keeps those vapors against
the skin, tricking your skin into thinking that you’re in
an area with high humidity, slowing down your
perspiration rate, conserving water and slowing
dehydration
Shelters
Snow shelters, how to sent up a tent in snow, and
ground preparation
Snow Shelters
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Igloo
Igloo
Requires more specialized types of snow conditions. Snow needs to be pre-hardened and
made into blocks, but can last a long time if built properly.
Snow Coffin
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Snow Coffin
Hole in the ground dug just barely large enough to crawl into and fit yourself in. Keeping the
snow tight and packed around you will keep the heat from leaving, keeping you warm. Usually
used for one night only.
Quinzee
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Quinzee
Not unlike an igloo, but with much less effort and work put in. Does not require ideal snow
conditions and can be built by packing instead of layering bricks, but trades in difficulty to
build with stability. Does not last long and is prone to break under harsh conditions.
How To Set Up A Tent In The Snow
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Pack down the snow where you plan to put
your tent first. This helps with the “leave no
trace” method by melting away the evidence
of your campsite and makes sure you don’t
melt a hole into the snow during the night,
because when it refreezes it will make sleeping
very uncomfortable.
Ground Preparation
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Dig a hole about 1 to 2 feet deep before setting
up your tent if you think wind will be an issue. It will
keep you protected from the worst of it.
Tie your tent down to rocks, trees or large logs
because finding a place nearby thawed enough to
get your stakes into the ground might take a while,
unless using ones made specifically for winter
grounds.
Cooking
Where to cook, what to sit on, different types of
stoves, water issues, and washing dishes
Where to Cook
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Make sure to cook out of the wind, because at these
temperatures it’s already hard enough to keep a
fire going.
Building a snow wall around your fire pot is also
useful for avoiding snow and/or wind doesn’t slow
down the time it takes to cook your food
Canister Stoves
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Canister stoves are a problem during winter
camping trips because the cold air
decompressurizes the propane and makes it much
less useful in terms of cooking abilities. That’s why,
if you do bring a canister stove, it is just as
important to keep this warm as your water bottle.
Use the same methods to keep it warm (bottom of
sleeping bag, armpit)
What to sit on?
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Sit on anything that can keep you warm, away from
the snow, but you can deal with getting wet. Can
even be your bag if need be
If you don’t have anything on you that you want to
get wet, and have the skill to do so, do the Asian
squat 
Water
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Water WILL freeze easily unless kept somewhere warm.
Spots like these include the bottom of your sleeping
bag or even your armpit.
Keep your water bottle upside down, so that when it
does freeze it will all be at the top (now the bottom) of
the bottle and away from the lid.
Takes over 20L of melted snow to make a single cup of
drinkable water, so make sure to bring your own supply
Doing the Dishes
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Use dishes as little as possible; eat meals out of
bags whenever possible.
All that should be used in a meal is the utensils
needed for the meal.
Boil water in the pot )if used) immediately after
cooking to prevent things from caking on to the
bottom of the pot.
Sleeping
Sleeping bags, mats, washroom breaks, and what to
do if a tent member is cold
Sleeping Bags
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Make SURE to bring a bag capable of surviving
freezing temperatures!!!!
If you think you might be cold, be sure to bring extra
blankets to put over your sleeping bag. Sharing a
blanket with someone is a good idea because it helps
share your body warmth with each other.
Foam mats are better than the blow up ones in this
case. However, both can be brought if the person should
find it necessary
Washroom Before Bed
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If you don’t go to the washroom before going to
sleep, your body expends extra energy keeping
your urine warm which could be used to be
keeping YOU warm. Going to the washroom right
before going to sleep keeps your warmer in the
long run and prevents you from having to get up
in the middle of the night.
If You Should Wake Up Cold…
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DO NOT try to just ignore it, hypothermia is a
serious issue.
Wake up your tent members so that they can help
make you a fire. Stay by the fire for a long time,
possibly until morning.
Wake up the teacher so that he can make sure that
you’re alright and stay by the fire with you.
Bathroom (instead of outhouses)
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Leave No Trace; Do not just throw away toilet
paper when you’re done with it. Keep it and put it
into a baggie so that it can be disposed of later.
If toilet paper is not available, snow can work as a
replacement if need be.
Have a designated bathroom area and a system so
that people know if it is being used
Camp Fires
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Keeping a single fire going is preferred over
having several because it’s easier to tend to, can be
made larger, and forces everyone closer together
providing more warmth.
Fires should range in size depending on situations. If
there are several people who need it and are able
to keep it alive, make it large. The less people that
are there to keep it controlled, the smaller the fire
should be.