A Primer on Winter Camping: An Introduction

When I say camping you say: "Oh my gosh I love camping it's pretty much the best thing in the whole world when are we going what should I bring seriously I'm quitting my job to go live in a tent." Seriously though if you're not convinced on why you should go camping, read my post on the 7 reasons why you should go camping.

What are some of the things that you associate with the word camping? Some people think of tents and campfires and s'mores while still others think of hiking, fishing, boating and the other glories of camping. But what people don't think about...is the winter. It's really quite a bummer that there are only a few "good weather" months out of the year in places like New York, Colorado, Alaska, and other outdoorsy states. Over the next week and a half I will uncover the fundamentals of winter camping in a 3 part series. Today's post will introduce you to the basics. The next 3 posts will dive further into the topics we touch on below.

Winter camp in the snow above lower Blue Lake,
 Sneffels Range, Colorado – October. (Photo Cred: Jack Brauer)

You're probably skeptical of winter camping and think that it's a feat reserved only for "the extreme" outdoorsman. I must tell you that you're being ridiculously ridiculous. Winter camping is a completely different experience in the winter than in the summer. Nature's landscape is quite different in the winter time. You see the Snow-capped mountains, the evergreen trees, sprinkled with white, and you feel the crisp cold air in your lungs. There are great reasons to go winter camping, just like there are great reasons to go summer camping. David Sweet offers a few great reasons to winter camp in his blog post, like how we can expect NO crowds, NO dirt, and NO bugs. On top of those things, you can eat more because you burn calories faster and fellow campers don't smell as bad and let's be honest, it's always a good idea to walk on ice. What more do you need?

THE BASICS

• When planning a winter camping trip, pick a realistic destination. The Swiss Alps probably isn't a great place to go unless you are a seasoned, winter camper. Don't choose a place where there's a good chance of an avalanche. They're real. They happen.
• Once you've picked your destination, be sure to check the weather forecast to make sure you avoid a cold-front that might be on its way in.
• When packing the necessary gear, people usually don't put enough thought into food. Don't cheat yourself out of good food. Always, always make hearty meals. It makes the trip much more enjoyable. And bring plenty of snacks!
• Always let a family member and friend where you are going.
• Try to read reviews on the place that you choose to go to and talk to people who have been there if at all possible.
• It's always a good idea to carry cash with you just in case there are unexpected costs.
• Make a checklist of things you need to bring (i.e. read my upcoming posts in this series). But for now, I will give you a short overview of the things you will be needing to plan a great, winter camping expedition.
• Always plan to have your plans changed. Things will never go exactly according to plan and that's okay. Go with the flow and enjoy yourself!

There are a few basic things that we will cover over the next 3 posts: Tent/bag/pack, clothing, and accessories. Below, you will find a primer on these things that will hopefully get you excited to read the rest of this series.

TENT/SLEEPING BAG/BACKPACK
You're going to need a tent. A tent is probably one of the more important things to have when you go winter camping...because snow and wind. People have tried to camp with the standard 3-season backpacking tent, but they don't fare too well. The 4-season tent will be able to withstand stronger winds and heavier snow if it happens to snow while you're on the expedition. Stay tuned on my text post that will help you find the best tent.

When deciding on what kind of bag to get, the general consensus is that you should buy a bag rated at 10°F colder than the coldest temperature you expect to encounter. Speaking of cold, it can take a while to warm your sleeping bag with only your body heat. Boil some water, seal it tightly in a container of sorts, and put it in your sleeping bag prior to hittin' the sack. Be sure it's sealed though, no one likes a wet sleeping bag...also this could cause hypothermia, resulting in death, and nobody wants death.

A good backpack is only an absolute necessity when you will be hiking a lot. The point is not to break your back while trekking around a forest or mountain - so if you know you will be hiking in a ways to reach your destination, invest in a good pack. I would recommend investing in either a lightweight 65-Liter pack (with lash points to strap down your bulkier items with) or a deluxe 80-liter pack (also with lash points).

CLOTHING

(Gif: via)

There are several fundamental guidelines to keep in mind when dressing yourself for the winter camping trip if you don't want to freeze your little tush off (for those of you with a big tush, you should also keep to these guidelines). Despite what pop-culture tells you, a winter onesie and 4 sweaters is not how you should keep yourself warm. I will go into further detail on some of these guidelines in my future posts on winter camping.

ACCESSORIES
I don't want to beat around the bush with you on this one...you're going to be bringing a lot of gear and accessories with you. You'll need cooking accessories/utensils, flashlights, sanitation kits, a first aid kit, a portable GPS, a portable shovel, fire-starting supplies, a repair kit/tools, sun protection, it would be excellent to have a portable water purification system, and a few other things that we will talk about at a later point in this series on winter camping. But don't worry, I hate packing too heavy so I will keep it to the bare necessities.

Now that you're primed on the basics of winter camping, be on the lookout for Part 1 of this series!






BONUS: Hiking destination for the New Yorker

(Photo: via)

Anthony's Nose Hike (Camp Smith trail) is a trail about an hour north of Manhattan. From the top, you will find yourself overlooking Bear Mountain state park and Bear Mountain Bridge. This trail is just over 6 miles long (total) with an elevation of 900ft. It's accessible via the Metro North Train out of Grand Central Station. Take this to Manitou and then walk 0.5 miles south via Bear Mountain Beacon Hwy. If you've never taken the Metro North, read my review on Breakneck Ridge. This post will give you an idea of what to pack and show you how to navigate the Metro North - Manitou is simply 2 stops before Cold Spring. If you finish this hike quickly, you can always cross Bear Mountain Bridge (located close to the Camp Smith trail head) and camp on Bear Mountain. However, camp overnight at your own risk as the camp grounds are technically closed through May 14, 2015 (just do it, it will be fun and adventurous).