Being out in the winter brings on new challenges, which calls for different ways of overcoming these challenges safely and efficiently during your trip than any other season. You must be prepared with appropriate gear, enough experience for the adventure you’re embarking on, and an adequate amount of research (area, weather and etc.). The list of my 33 winter backpacking and camping tips are bits of knowledge I have accumulated from experience, research and advice from other experienced outdoorsmen. However, this list does not contain everything you need to know (none the less a lot) and if after reading it there are any questions or other tips you have please comment and I will try my best to answer any questions.
1.) Take in about 4,000-6,000 calories a day.
– body burn more in winter to stay warm
– take foods you like, you’ll be eating a lot
+ Carbohydrates (50-60% of caloric intake) burn quick for fast energy.
-simple sugars (kindling for fire in body) ex. Chocolate and most candies
-complex sugars (sticks for fire in body) ex. Pasta and rice
+ Fats (25-30% of caloric intake) take the longest to metabolize, providing long term energy.
– These are the logs to the fire in your body
-ex. Pre-cooked meats, cold cuts and butter
+ Proteins (20% of caloric intake) are the building blocks of tissue (recovery and repair) and hold off hunger
– These are also logs to the fire in your body
– ex. Pre-cooked meats and jerky
2.) Drink 2-4 quarts of water a day.
– 1 quart = 32 fluid oz.
– Can always melt snow in a pot, but not pure snow, meaning you need to mix water in a pot with snow (snow won’t melt just on its own)
3.) Eat while moving (don’t take long lunch breaks) so you don’t cool down and need more layers when stopping.
– have food and water in reachable areas to avoid taking off your pack and stopping
4.) Cook dinner before dark (it’ll be much warmer).
– use a white gas stove, they don’t freeze
– don’t touch white gas bottle with bear hands it will be extremely cold since they don’t freeze
5.) Don’t sweat! Don’t shiver!
– keep taking off or adding layers when necessary so you maintain a comfortable temp. (you’re going to be doing this a lot)
6.) Don’t let any pieces of clothing touch the ground (ex. When taking off gloves put in chest area of jacket).
7.) Bring a thermos so you can have hot drinks on the trail or when you awake.
8.) Be very organized.
9.) Sleep with boots in sleeping bag and socks on thigh area (to dry).
– Put boots in bag (stuff sack) so they don’t get your sleeping bag or you wet
10.) Bring both gloves and mittens.
– mittens for warmth
– gloves for dexterity
– and both for a back up
11.) Use two sleeping bags to insulate yourself from the snow and or cold ground.
12.) Fuel plan on using 1/4 quart per day per person if you’re melting snow and 1/8 quart if not melting snow per person.
– Bring one extra day’s worth of fuel in case of bad weather (same goes for food)
13.) Do not eat snow. It can lead to hypothermia.
14.) Water can be stored in a pot overnight by boiling and then burying in snow (snow is a great insulator).
15.) Can store water bottles upside down to keep the mouth and cap from freezing. Also put vaseline around the mouth of the cap to keep it from freezing.
– use a wool sock to insulate water bottle and keep from freezing
16.) Stomp down snow on campsite area, use snowshoes if available then let snow sit for a few minutes.
– stomping snow will melt it a little, let it sit and freeze
17.) Cold temperatures decrease battery life, bring extras.
18.) Bivy sack adds about 10 degrees Fahrenheit to sleeping bag.
– no room for gear or bag bring cover for it
– never breathe inside bivy sack or sleeping bag it will create condensation and get wet
19.) Go to bed early (when sun sets it will be cold) and wake up late (sunrise will warm the earth).
20.) 3 ways to warm up.
– move
– eat
– layer up
21.) Eat a fatty warm meal with protein before bed; fats metabolize slower and will last longer.
– cheese will give you vivid dreams “Sweet dreams are made of cheese”
22.) Can lose up to 70% of body heat from head.
– old saying “If you’re feet are cold put on a hat”
23.) Don’t constrict the blood flow to feet/toes by wearing too many socks or tightening boots too much.
24.) Water mixed with something such as Gatorade will freeze at a lower temp.
25.) Be aware of signals your body is sending you.
– examples: shivering, mumbling, numbness, skin color
26.) When stopping add layer before you cool off too much (stopping long enough to cool down).
27.) You can cool off quicker than you can warm up.
28.) Be flexible in your route plan. If weather or other circumstances change, your route or trip may need to be cut short for safety.
– “sometimes you need to wimp out so you can wimp out again”
29.) Put extra layers inside sleeping bag in case you get cold at night. Also warm layers up in bag before putting them on in the morning.
30.) Put Nalgene with hot water in sleeping bag when going to bed, this will warm up any part of your body you need it to (ex. Feet).
31.) Keep food by you when sleeping (help you warm up) and a thermos in your sleeping bag in case you need a hot drink to warm up in the night.
32.) Wear a custom necklace with skin protection (for face or exposed areas), a whistle and any other small necessities (compass) on it.
33.) Know how to appropriately use all your equipment and know that it all works.
– test and check gear before going out. Always can look up how-to-use videos
Winter backpacking is a great experience with little to no crowds. This is brings more peace to your hike, but also more danger. Let someone know where you are headed (route plan) and when you plan to be back (day and time). In addition to this leaving your route plan under the seat to your car is a good idea. I hope you can all get out during this time of the year to safely and responsibly enjoy the great outdoors!
