What's Cold Weather Camping?
This guide has been prepared by Troop 3 to camp in temperatures between -15 and 32 degrees Fahrenheit and to do so with comfort and allow Scouts to experience the beauty and excitement of winter outdoor activities. Now that's cold weather, but if the Scout is properly equipped, and mom and dad take some time to read this guide and discuss it with their son, we'll all have some safe fun. This Guide contains an equipment list and some tips for cold weather camping. Each event may require some additional items, but this is the basic list. If the scout packs for cold weather with these minimum items, he will be warm and comfortable.
WINTER CAMPING TIPS
Some tips to keep in mind when your troop takes on winter camping.
WINTER CAMPING EQUIPMENT
For cold weather camping, ski trips, or survival training sessions, Scouts must take extra care in preparing their clothing and packs. This list will assist in packing and deciding what to bring or wear. THIS IS A MINIMUMAL LIST.
This secret to staying warm is creating air pockets between the skin and the outside by adding layers of clothing. As you begin to sweat or overheat, you remove layers. During cross-country skiing or hiking activities you will overheat quickly and may end up traveling only in your light weight shirt. When you stop, the layers go back on as you cool down. Let's start by wearing the following:
CLOTHING TO WEAR
BEDDINGComfort at night is the difference between misery and fun. There are three sources of misery: dampness from sweaty clothes, cold air coming into the bag around the head, and the cold ground beneath you which robs away heat. A winter quality bag is needed (+5 degree or better, or a blanket inside a +15 degree bag). Inside the tent, you want to put down your ground cloth and then the closed cell ground pad which insulates you from the ground. You can add more insulation between the ground pad and the sleeping bag by opening up your jacket and putting it under you feet.
Sleeping in dry clothes is very important. Flannel pajamas, sweats, or another pair of long underwear are recommended. Clean wool socks should be used as well. These clothes should be used only for sleeping. It is recommended they be placed inside the sleeping bag and rolled with the bag for backpacking. The bag and ground pad should be securely tied to the pack frame.
INTO THE DUFFLE BAG OR BACKPACK
WINTER CAMPING TIPS
TIPS ON CLOTHING
TIPS ON BEDDING
OUTDOOR TIPS
TIPS ON FOOD
TIPS ON THE PACK (WHEN BACKPACKING)
COLD WEATHER HEALTH HAZARDS & FIRST AID
You should know the symptoms of frostbite and hypothermia. Both conditions are provided by being alert to the onset of a problem. More people die from hypothermia than any other cold weather condition. Frostbite can cause permanent damage, especially to toes and fingers.
FROSTBITE
HYPOTHERMIA
The simplest but most important concept in winter camping is to stay dry and warm. Life is like a fire, it needs a constant supply of fuel to keep burning. When the fuel is depleted, or gets wet from the environment, the fire will produce less heat and eventually go out. The same is true of your body. Hypothermia (exposure) is a dangerously cooled body condition. Wet clothing or contact with cold objects increase body heat loss. Your body's fire is about to go out. It is caused by a number of conditions, including exposure to wind and rain, body contact with cold objects, unusual exertion, and lack of food. Boy Scouts rarely lack food on campouts but the other conditions are commonly encountered. The most likely way a Scout will suffer from hypothermia is either being drenched by rain, falling into icy water, or going to bed with wet, sweaty clothing on in cold weather.
You can avoid hypothermia by following these simple rules:
SNOW BLINDNESS
Snow blindness is caused by reflection of light from the snow. It is prevented by wearing ski goggles or sunglasses which blocks ultraviolet light. If you become snow blind, bathe eyes with warm water with a wet cloth. Do not use eye drops. Keep eyes covered - do not expose to light. Improvement should occur within 24 hours. Do not allow the victim to be exposed to bright light or the condition will return.
SUNBURN
Since snow reflects ultraviolet light, you can get a serious sunburn. Use sunscreen or cover exposed skin.
DEHYDRATION
Camping in cold requires your body to use more water to produce fuel to keep the body warm. If you are active, such as hiking or skiing, you will sweat and lose water. You may not even realize you are getting dehydrated. The first signs will be the inability to spit and dryness in the mouth. Force yourself to drink a minimum of 3 quarts of liquid. That's three full canteens, or 12 cups of hot chocolate -- a lot of liquid. Adults and larger boys need four quarts. Drink and drink often!
DO NOT EAT SNOW
Snow should not be eaten because it uses more energy for your body to warm the snow than is worthwhile. Snow should be melted and boiled for 5 minutes to purify it before drinking. Water should be drunk while still warm. All snow should be considered impure. After boiling, it will taste flat because the air has been driven out of the water. You can improve taste by shaking the water in your canteen.
REMEMBER, IN COLD WEATHER CAMPING YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE HAZARDS AND YOU HAVE THE ADDED RESPONSIBILITY TO KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR BUDDIES. TELL THE SCOUTMASTER IF YOU THINK ANOTHER SCOUT IS IN THE EARLY STAGES OF HYPOTHERMIA.
WINTER CAMPING TIPS
Some tips to keep in mind when your troop takes on winter camping.
- Fail to Plan = Plan to Fail
- Always bring a bit more than what you think you'll need – water, food, clothes.
- Make sure that you have a good knowledge of the signs of frostbite and hypothermia. You should be able to recognize it in others and in yourself. Tell someone right away if you or another scout is showing signs of cold-related problems.
- Stay hydrated. It’s easy to get dehydrated in the winter. Eat and drink plenty of carbs.
- Keep out of the wind if you can. A rain fly for a tent can be pitched to serve as a wind break. The wind chill factor can often be considerable and can result in effective temperatures being much lower than nominal.
- Bring extra WATER. It’s easy to get dehydrated in the winter. You aren’t visibly sweating, so you don’t think to drink water, but since the air is so dry, you lose a LOT of water through breathing. Drink lots of water!
- Bring extra food that doesn’t need to be heated or cooked. Granola bars, trail mix, etc.
- Keep a pot of hot water available for cocoa or Cup-a-Soup – these warm from the inside.
- Always eat hot meals (breakfast, lunch, & dinner.) Dutch ovens are the best – they keep the food hot longer. It doesn't need to be fancy DO cooking. Meals should be 1-pot meals to keep cleanup to a minimum. Don't get too fancy with the meals - it's hard to chop onions & carrots at -10ºF with gloves on. Prep all meals at home in the warmth of the kitchen.
- Shelter the cooking area from wind (walls of tarps, etc.)
- Fill coffee/cook pots with water before bed. It's hard to pour frozen water, but easy to thaw it if it's already in the pot.
- Remember C O L D:
C Clean - dirty clothes lose their loft and get you cold.
O Overheat - never get sweaty, strip off layers to stay warm but no too hot.
L Layers - Dress in synthetic layers for easy temperature control.
D Dry - wet clothes (and sleeping bags) also lose their insulation. - COTTON KILLS! Do not bring cotton. Staying dry is the key to staying warm. Air is an excellent insulator and by wearing several layers of clothes you will keep warm.
- Remember the 3 W's of layering - Wicking inside layer, Warmth middle layer(s) and Wind/Water outer layer. Wicking should be a polypropylene material as long underwear and also sock liner. Warmth layer(s) should be fleece or wool. The Wind/Water layer should be Gore-Tex or at least 60/40 nylon.
- If you’re camping in the snow, wear snow pants over your regular clothing
- Bring extra hand covering - mittens are warmer than gloves.
- Bring 2 changes of socks per day.
- Everyone must be dry by sundown. No wet (sweaty) bodies or wet inner clothing.
- Use plastic grocery bags or bread bags over socks. This keeps your boots dry and you can easily change those wet socks.
- Keep your hands and feet warm. Your body will always protect the core, so if your hands and feet are warm, your core will also likely be warm. If your hands or feet are cold, put on more layers, and put on a hat!
- Dress right while sleeping. Change into clean, dry clothes before bed. Your body makes moisture and your clothes hold it in - by changing into dry clothes you will stay warmer and it will help keep the inside of your sleeping bag dry. Wearing wool socks and long underwear (tops and bottoms) in the sleeping bag is OK.
- Put on tomorrow's t- shirt and underwear at bedtime. That way you won't be starting with everything cold next to your skin in the morning.
- Wear a stocking cap to bed, even if you have a mummy bag.
- Put tomorrow's clothes in your bag with you. This is especially important if you’re small of stature. It can be pretty hard to warm up a big bag with a little body, the clothes cut down on that work.
- Put a couple of long-lasting hand warmers into your boots after you take them off. Your boots will dry out during the night.
- Fill a couple of Nalgene water bottles with warm water and sleep with one between your legs (warms the femoral artery) and with one at your feet. Or use toe/hand warmers. Toss them into your sleeping bag before you get in. Some of the toe/hand warmers will last 8 hours.
- Eat a high-energy snack before bed, then brush your teeth. The extra fuel will help your body stay warm. Take a Snickers bar to bed and eat it if you wake up chilly in the night.
- Use a sleeping bag that is appropriate for the conditions. Two +20ºF sleeping bags, one inside the other will work to lower the rating of both bags.
- Use a bivvy sack to wrap around your sleeping bag. You can make a cheap version of this by getting an inexpensive fleece sleeping bag. It isn't much more than a blanket with a zipper but it helps lower the rating by as much as 10 degrees.
- Use a sleeping bag liner. There are silk and fleece liners that go inside the sleeping bag. They will lower your sleeping bag's rating by up to 10 degrees. Or buy an inexpensive fleece throw or blanket and wrap yourself in it inside the sleeping bag.
- Most cold weather bags are designed to trap heat. The proper way to do this is to pull the drawstrings until the sleeping bag is around your face, not around your neck. If the bag also has a draft harness make sure to use it above the shoulders and it snugs up to your neck to keep cold air from coming in and warm air from going out.
- Don't burrow in - keep your mouth and nose outside the bag. Moisture from your breath collecting in your bag is a quick way to get real cold. Keep the inside of the bag dry.
- Put a trash bag over the bottom half of your sleeping bag to help hold in the heat. A zipped up coat pulled over the foot of a sleeping bag makes an extra layer of insulation.
- Don't sleep directly on the ground. Get a closed cell foam pad to provide insulation between your sleeping bag and the ground. A foam pad cushions and insulates. The air pockets are excellent in providing good insulation properties. Use more than one insulating layer below you – it’s easy to slide off the first one.
- In an emergency, cardboard makes a great insulator. Old newspapers are also good insulation. A layer of foam insulation works too.
- Bring a piece of cardboard to stand on when changing clothes. This will keep any snow on your clothes off your sleeping bag, and help keep your feet warmer than standing on the cold ground.
- A space blanket or silver lined tarp on the floor of the tent or under your sleeping bag will reflect your heat back to you.
- No cots or air mattresses! Better to lay on with 30º earth instead of –10º air.
- Sleep in quinzees (igloos). These are warmer than tents since you’ve got an insulating layer of snow between you and the outside air, instead of just a thin nylon layer.
- If in tents, leave the tent flaps/zippers vented a bit, it cuts down on interior frost.
- Drain your bladder before you go to bed. Having to go in the middle of the night when it is 5 degrees out chills your entire body. Drink all day, but stop one hour before bed.
WINTER CAMPING EQUIPMENT
For cold weather camping, ski trips, or survival training sessions, Scouts must take extra care in preparing their clothing and packs. This list will assist in packing and deciding what to bring or wear. THIS IS A MINIMUMAL LIST.
This secret to staying warm is creating air pockets between the skin and the outside by adding layers of clothing. As you begin to sweat or overheat, you remove layers. During cross-country skiing or hiking activities you will overheat quickly and may end up traveling only in your light weight shirt. When you stop, the layers go back on as you cool down. Let's start by wearing the following:
CLOTHING TO WEAR
- Long underwear, tops and bottoms.
- Two pairs of socks for each day (light weight Dacron inner and wool outer).
- Thermal boots. If not thermal, then add another sock. Try boots on with three pair of socks.
- Trousers. Not jeans, they wick water and will shrink tight around the leg, robbing heat. Wool is recommended.
- Shirt. Wool or flannel with long sleeves and tail.
- Wool Sweater.
- Windbreaker or parka with hood.
- Watch cap or full face stocking cap.
- Wool inner gloves with waterproof outer mittens.
- Pocket knife TIED TO THE BELT WITH THE STRING.
- Handkerchief.
- Scarf.
- Ski pants (optional)
BEDDINGComfort at night is the difference between misery and fun. There are three sources of misery: dampness from sweaty clothes, cold air coming into the bag around the head, and the cold ground beneath you which robs away heat. A winter quality bag is needed (+5 degree or better, or a blanket inside a +15 degree bag). Inside the tent, you want to put down your ground cloth and then the closed cell ground pad which insulates you from the ground. You can add more insulation between the ground pad and the sleeping bag by opening up your jacket and putting it under you feet.
Sleeping in dry clothes is very important. Flannel pajamas, sweats, or another pair of long underwear are recommended. Clean wool socks should be used as well. These clothes should be used only for sleeping. It is recommended they be placed inside the sleeping bag and rolled with the bag for backpacking. The bag and ground pad should be securely tied to the pack frame.
INTO THE DUFFLE BAG OR BACKPACK
- Wool socks. At least two pair, one to wear, one to dry.
- Light weight Dacron socks - 2 pair.
- Extra pair of mittens.
- Poncho or raincoat.
- Toiletry kit.
- Chap Stick in an outer pocket of pack.
- One SOS pad for every day out.
- Matches in waterproof container with dry tinder (dryer lint).
- Plumbers candle. This is a 1 inch diameter candle that will burn for about 8 hours. Great for lighting up a snow cave or starting a very wet wood fire.
- Flashlight with alkaline batteries.
- Mess kit with knife, spoon, and fork.
- 1 qt. water bottle or canteen.
- Metal mug.
- Nylon parachute cord (40 feet).
- 3 large trash bags, one for trash and 2 to pack clothes in to keep dry.
- Whistle.
- Sunglasses or ski goggles.
- Sun screen if there is snow.
- Small first aid kit.
- Compass.
- Small note pad and pencil.
- Scout book (optional).
- A Frisbee. It's great for scooping out snow and building a snow cave.
WINTER CAMPING TIPS
TIPS ON CLOTHING
- Wear clothes in layers which are loose fitting, trapping maximum dead air space.
- Avoid overheating by removing layers to prevent sweating. Sweaty clothes draw heat away from the body. After stopping an activity, let the body cool down and add layers back onto your body and you cool down.
- A wool cap is important because as much as 80% of the body's heat loss is through the head.
- Holofill II, Qualofill, Polargard, Wool, and Thinsulate are the best materials for winter gear and clothing.
- Mittens are better than gloves because your fingers can share the heat. A good substitute are wool inserts for gloves.
- Wear bright colored clothing. You can be found easier when you are face down in the snow.
- The best dressed camper wears an undershirt and pants, long underwear, wool shirt and pants, a wool sweater, a pair of wool socks over a pair of Dacron socks, thermal boots, a wool cap, mittens, and a wind breaker. No LL Bean parka with a 6 inch fill that keeps you toasty when you're inactive and sweats you to death when you're active. The secret is layers, layers, layers, and layers.
- If walking long distances, change into fresh socks at the campsite.
- Never sleep in clothes you wore during the day. Change into dry clothes for bed.
TIPS ON BEDDING
- If you don't have a good bag, consider taking two, with one inside the other. Or you can insert a wool blanket inside a sleeping bag.
- Shake your bag vigorously as you spread it out. Allow at least an hour to let the loft (the height of the bag caused by the fibers as they separate to create dead air pockets) return to the bag.
- Use a closed cell pad for insulation and a ground cloth to keep out moisture under the bag and ground pad. Additional insulation from the ground can be gained by placing your dirty clothes under the ground pad, and your opened jacket between the ground pad and the sleeping bag. You can also zip up your jacket and stick the foot of the sleeping bag inside, keeping your feet warmer.
- Do not cover your sleeping bag with a plastic cloth, poncho, or tarp. The sleeping bag must breathe to let body moisture escape. Covering the bag will cause water vapor to condense and you will be chilled in your bag.
- Don't close up the tent completely. Leave vents open to circulate air and remove water vapor from your breath. With two boys in a closed tent, ice will form on the ceiling of the tent if it is not ventilated.
OUTDOOR TIPS
- The buddy system ALWAYS applies in snow and rugged terrain, day and night. Whistles are carried by at least one of the buddies.
- Keep moving to stay warm, this includes while standing around the campfire. Move your feet to keep good circulation. Move your toes frequently, and don't expose your bare skin to the elements unless necessary.
- Always try to take shelter out of the wind, even if just behind a tree. A 15 mile-per-hour wind at 5 degrees is the same as -25 degrees, a condition frequently found at many ski areas.
- Never have open flames (candles, stoves, Sterno cans, or heaters) in your tent. Fire will kill you faster than the cold and nylon can burst into flames. In a properly vented snow cave, a single candle can be used for both light and heat.
- Know the signs of hypothermia and frostbite and watch out for your buddy.
- Keep your canteen in your sleeping bag at night so water does not freeze. Make sure the lid is on tight before placing it in the bag.
- Your boots will freeze at night. Be sure to either place them under your sleeping bag so they won't freeze, or make sure they are opened up so you can get your feet in them in the morning. Do not put them inside your bag.
- Use snow to your advantage. It is an excellent insulator and can make a windbreak. Pitch your tent so the door is perpendicular to the snow drifts so that snow will not drift into the door.
- Compacted snow makes an excellent shelf or chair, but please sit on an insulating material so you do not get wet or cold.
- Depending on outside air temperature, your body heat may melt the snow beneath the tent. Be sure that the snow is well compacted before pitching the tent, or you will find yourself settling into a pool of water. Use your ground cloth on the inside of the tent to keep dry from snow melt.
TIPS ON FOOD
- You burn more calories in cold weather. You will need to consume approximately 5,000 calories per day when in the cold. You can either carry lots of your favorite food, or switch to foods high in carbohydrates and fats. Plan on eating 50% more food on a cold weather campout. Pastas, rice, and sauces with margarine make excellent meals for cold weather. Trail mix with nuts, raisins, and chocolate chips make an excellent instant energy source.
- Drink lots of water. In cold weather you need to force yourself to drink at least 3 quarts of water a day (4 quarts for adults). This is one of the reasons for having soups for lunch and dinner, increasing the water content. You can get dehydrated easily on cold weather campouts. The best way to monitor your water intake is to check on the color of your urine. A deep yellow color or infrequent urination indicates the need for more liquid.
- Eat a chocolate bar before going to bed; it gives you instant energy to heat your body in the night.
- Keep meals simple and with lots of liquid. Soups, pasta, stews, hot chocolate, heavy breads, rice dishes. Leave the hot dogs and hamburgers home.
- Everything freezes; you can thaw canned goods and food in plastic containers by immersing in boiling water.
- If you are the morning cook, you will want to fill several pots with water, cover with foil overnight, and be prepared to thaw close to the fire. Add a little water from your canteen to the block of ice in the pot and then heat slowly until the water begins to melt. Snow melted to make water must also have water added, or it will produce water with a burned taste.
- All pots should have a foil cover or lid, reducing the time to bring to a boil and to help keep the food warm.
TIPS ON THE PACK (WHEN BACKPACKING)
- If you have a backpack, pack your backpack like it says in the Scout Handbook with heavy items high on the pack and closest to your back. However, for cross country skiing, it is necessary to lower the center of gravity and pack heavy items near the small of the back.
- Try on all of your clothes and adjust the pack straps before you go on the campout. Know how to tighten down your own straps as you remove clothing.
- Gear not in the pack needs to be secured to the pack frame. Learn how to tie a trucker's hitch or other knots you can untie when your hands are cold. Nothing should swing or bounce, it will throw you off balance on icy trails.
- Load gear in reverse order of need, first thing needed goes on the top or outside pockets.
- Put all clothing inside trash bags to keep dry and to keep wet clothes from soaking dry clothes. You will need at least 2 plastic bags.
- Know where your gear is in the pack. Always pack the same things in the same pockets.
- Leave some room in your pack for food, troop gear, and clothing you take off as you heat up.
COLD WEATHER HEALTH HAZARDS & FIRST AID
You should know the symptoms of frostbite and hypothermia. Both conditions are provided by being alert to the onset of a problem. More people die from hypothermia than any other cold weather condition. Frostbite can cause permanent damage, especially to toes and fingers.
FROSTBITE
- Freezing of the skin tissue. Look for patches of white skin. If the pink of the flesh is gone, beware. Look out for your buddy. Most frostbite occurs on toes, fingers, and the nose.
- Signs of frostbite include white patches of skin, numbness, loss of pink color under fingers and toe nails.
- If you can't feel your toes when you wiggle them, chances are you have the early signs of frostbite.
- Watch for these signs and have your buddy watch for the nose and ears.
- Don't put frostbitten skin into hot water or rub the surface; it can damage the frozen tissue. Warm the skin slowly. Place hands under armpits. For feet, place bare feet on your buddy's warm body. As the skin thaws, feeling will begin to return as circulation is restored. Have a doctor check the skin damage upon returning from the campout.
- Prevention is the best approach. Keep the skin covered, wiggle toes and fingers, rub your hands together, and stick your nose into the top of your shirt, using your warm breath to warm the nose.
HYPOTHERMIA
The simplest but most important concept in winter camping is to stay dry and warm. Life is like a fire, it needs a constant supply of fuel to keep burning. When the fuel is depleted, or gets wet from the environment, the fire will produce less heat and eventually go out. The same is true of your body. Hypothermia (exposure) is a dangerously cooled body condition. Wet clothing or contact with cold objects increase body heat loss. Your body's fire is about to go out. It is caused by a number of conditions, including exposure to wind and rain, body contact with cold objects, unusual exertion, and lack of food. Boy Scouts rarely lack food on campouts but the other conditions are commonly encountered. The most likely way a Scout will suffer from hypothermia is either being drenched by rain, falling into icy water, or going to bed with wet, sweaty clothing on in cold weather.
You can avoid hypothermia by following these simple rules:
- Stay out of wind and rain, seek shelter.
- Don't sit or lay on cold rocks, ground or snow, place some insulation under you so your body's heat is not robbed by contact with cold objects.
- Conserve your energy, especially in a survival situation.
- Avoid overheating; take off clothing layers to regulate body heat to minimize sweating. A body sweats to release excess heat. If you are sweating, it is easier to slow down the pace, remove clothing layers, and then increase the pace after you stop sweating. Sweat moisture in clothing will increase body heat loss.
- Eat plenty of food and drink extra liquids.
- Stay dry and sleep in dry clothing.
- Strip off wet clothing and dry the victim.
- Get the victim into a dry sleeping bag. Use blankets or many layers of dry clothing from other members of the troop if no dry bag is available. Have his buddy take off his outer clothing and climb in the bag with the victim, sharing his body heat with the victim.
- Provide body shelter with a tent, tarp, lean-to, or by making a shelter if necessary.
- Start a fire to dry clothing and to warm dry clothing and blankets.
- Warm liquids are not helpful. Do not give alcohol.
- Don't let the victim fall asleep.
- The objective is to increase the body temperature through warming. You can add warm rocks wrapped in a cloth into the sleeping bag to increase heating.
- Once the victim starts showing signs of recovery, color is returning and they are more coherent, then warm liquids can be given.
SNOW BLINDNESS
Snow blindness is caused by reflection of light from the snow. It is prevented by wearing ski goggles or sunglasses which blocks ultraviolet light. If you become snow blind, bathe eyes with warm water with a wet cloth. Do not use eye drops. Keep eyes covered - do not expose to light. Improvement should occur within 24 hours. Do not allow the victim to be exposed to bright light or the condition will return.
SUNBURN
Since snow reflects ultraviolet light, you can get a serious sunburn. Use sunscreen or cover exposed skin.
DEHYDRATION
Camping in cold requires your body to use more water to produce fuel to keep the body warm. If you are active, such as hiking or skiing, you will sweat and lose water. You may not even realize you are getting dehydrated. The first signs will be the inability to spit and dryness in the mouth. Force yourself to drink a minimum of 3 quarts of liquid. That's three full canteens, or 12 cups of hot chocolate -- a lot of liquid. Adults and larger boys need four quarts. Drink and drink often!
DO NOT EAT SNOW
Snow should not be eaten because it uses more energy for your body to warm the snow than is worthwhile. Snow should be melted and boiled for 5 minutes to purify it before drinking. Water should be drunk while still warm. All snow should be considered impure. After boiling, it will taste flat because the air has been driven out of the water. You can improve taste by shaking the water in your canteen.
REMEMBER, IN COLD WEATHER CAMPING YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE HAZARDS AND YOU HAVE THE ADDED RESPONSIBILITY TO KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR BUDDIES. TELL THE SCOUTMASTER IF YOU THINK ANOTHER SCOUT IS IN THE EARLY STAGES OF HYPOTHERMIA.