Winter Camping Gear
Primary objectives Be prepared Buy the proper gear
Be Prepared How prepared is prepared? When you are camping at any temperature below freezing in the middle of the woods, there is no substitute for overpreparing Do you homework Camp your first time with PPBSA Op Zero Take Wilderness First Aid
Buy the proper gear Winter camping is not and does not have to be expensive You probably already own some of the basic gear Many times you can borrow gear Especially the younger Scouts as they are growing and the clothing year may not fit next year. Your Troop may have a supply of hand me down gear Remember there is no difference in the clothing for men or women
Here a few examples of reputable online and brick and mortar sources for gear
You have heard this before, but Dress in layers Winter underwear Nylon liner and socks Ski pants or bibber Long sleeve shirt Vest Jacket Head liner Hat You can always adjust your clothing when the temperature rises Overdressing can make you sweat, sweating can make you wet, and wet make you hypothermic
The most important rule is.. Absolutely No Cotton anything But, also be careful around fire in your synthetics
Type of Winter Clothing Materials 1. Wool - derives its insulating quality from the elastic, three-dimensional wavy crimp in the fiber that traps air between fibers. Depending on the texture and thickness of the fabric, as much as 60-80% of wool cloth can be air. Wool can absorb a fair amount of moisture without imparting a damp feeling because the water "disappears" into the fiber spaces. Even with water in the fabric wool still retains dead air space and will still insulate you. The disadvantage to wool is that it can absorb so much water (maximum absorption can be as much as 1/3 third the garment weight) making wet wool clothing very heavy. Wool releases moisture slowly, with minimum chilling effect. Wool can be woven in very tight weaves that are quite wind resistant. 2. Pile or Fleece fabrics - is a synthetic material often made of a plastic (polyester, polyolefin, polypropylene, etc.). This material has a similar insulative capacity as wool. Its advantages are that it holds less water (than wool) and dries more quickly. Pile is manufactured in a variety of different weights (thicknesses) offering different amounts of loft and insulation. This allows for numerous layering possibilities. The disadvantage of pile is that it has very poor wind resistance and hence a wind shell on top is almost always required. 3. Polypropylene and other Hydrophobic fabrics - polypropylene is a synthetic, plastic fiber which offers dead air space and a fiber which cannot absorb water. The fiber is hydrophobic so it moves the water vapor away from the source (the body). Polypropylene layers are extremely effective worn directly against the skin as a way of keeping the skin from being wet and reducing evaporative heat loss. As the water moves away from the body it will evaporate, but each additional millimeter of
Gloves and Mittens Synthetic or wool gloves trap body heat and still allow a maximum of hand flexibility. Mittens will keep your hands warmer than gloves of the same weight because your fingers are together and can share the warmth. Bring 3-4 as gloves and mittens get wet and a buddy may not be as prepared.
Headwear Hats Vary greatly from traditional ski hats to bomber hats Can be synthetic or wool If synthetic or wool must be tightly woven to break the wind Bring 2-3
Headwear Balaclava Known as a headliner Can be polypro or silk Can cover the face exposing the eyes and nose Bring 2-3 as these do get wet and a buddy may not be as prepared.
Footwear Must be waterproof At a minimum be mid calf in height Have a thick sole as you will be standing and do not want the cold to penetrate Must have a removable liner Spray the laces with silicone to waterproof
Underwear Referred to as Baselayer Must be polypro or silk Varies based on temperature Lightweight: Cool to moderately cold conditions. Midweight: Moderately cold to cold conditions. Heavyweight: Cold, frigid or blustery conditions Must be a snug fit to keep in the warmth Can be mid thigh shorts if you are warm in nature
Socks Best rule to follow is the same for summer Liner to wisk the moisture and a heavier sock for warmth Best rule to follow is that of summer There is new technology for socks where the wool is engineered Socks also range in degree of cold (light, medium or heavy) Socks also have padding based on activity
Outwear - bottoms Pants or bibbers Style varies based on each individual Bibbers provide greater warmth and some have extra insulation in key areas Must be water resistant and a synthetic shell. Carhartt is a heavy denim impregnated material that is wind and water resistant. Basic ski gear work
Outerwear Parkas, Jackets, Vests Depending upon the temperature, wind gusts, etc. will determine whether to wear a vest, jacket or a parka Vest - when it is cold but no snowfall or wind gusts Jacket - when it is cold, snowing and there is little to moderate wind gust Parka when it is cold, snowing and significant wind gusts. Jacket and parka may come with a attached or detachable hood Must be water resistant and a synthetic shell. Carhartt is a heavy denim impregnated material that is wind and water resistant.
Sleeping
Sleeping Bags Use a two sleeping bag system. Bag #1 (3 season bag) is a mummy bag and bag #2 (zero degree bag) and is rectangular. The 3 season mummy bag is inserted in to the zero rectangular bag essentially making the sleeping bag system significantly warmer The bag material must be synthetic because these will dry faster in the event they get wet There are -20 degree bags but these are very expensive. Place a ground cloth and closed cell pads under the bag. Pine bough's are a good additional layer
Sleeping Remove all clothing worn during the day as this increases the chance of hypothermia Try to sleep in your skivvies if you can tolerate it Leave the fancy jammies at home probably cotton Wear a hat to keep your head warm. This hat should only be for sleeping Put the clothes to be worn the next day at the bottom of the bag Tuck your boots so that the uppers are under the bag Any wet clothes e.g. gloves or hats should go between the two bags to dry out.
Women & Winter Camping Cold Weather Camping Suggestions for Women Bras and underpants should be made of a material that wicks moisture away from the body. As with all parts of the body keeping dry keeps one warm, but moisture wicking bras will help prevent chapped skin. The best bras wick moisture and protect from wind. Undergarments that we have found helpful include Coolmax, Patagonia Capilene, you can find moisture wicking undergarments in most camping goods stores. Cotton sports bras and everyday bras with seams and lace are almost guaranteed to cause great discomfort while cold weather camping - Females and males both need to remember to take off EVERYTHING that they sweat in during the day at night.
Women & Winter Camping If you have your period use tampons not pads. Pads are made to hold moisture which is just going to chill you faster and be very uncomfortable. Tampons can be burned in a campfire, bring small paper bags to put used tampons in, and then place in the fire. Tampons and applicators can also be packed out, small colored plastic bags work well for disposal. Keep your personal parts clean. Dress properly in layers to avoid overheating. Sweat, combined with poor hygiene makes good homes for fungi (yeast infections). Babywipes work well for personal hygiene (if kept warm, in your pocket).
Women & Winter Camping For in the middle of the night everyone male or female will have "Pee Bottles," for women either a wide mouth bottle works (although splash-back problems can occur), or a simple kitchen funnel can allow for a small mouth bottle to be used.
What else??? Powder Lip Balm Sun Tan Lotion Lotion Sunglasses Ski googles Head lamp Extra batteries Hot hands, feet and body pads Snack bars Fuel bars Dried Fruit Camera Compass Reflector
Now that you have all that gear, how do you transport it Sled Toys R Us $14.99 Great for towing the gear when trekking through the snow Drill extra holes on each side to secure the gear to the sled The sled is used as the door to the quinzee
Storing your gear Dry bags are your best choice to keep your gear dry Dry bag vary by size as there are there are individual dry bags for each category of gear transported