Cold Weather Camping
Cold Weather Camping Tips
AKA " a nice Christmas shopping guide for Scouts!"
Introduction from the Scoutmaster
This is an article that I picked off another Scoutmaster’s site 2012, and update a bit each year. I’ve added my thoughts along with pictures of what should be going in every camper’s pack for cold weather camp outs. This is a multi-page document so be sure to scroll down to capture every exciting word.
Just a reminder that all gear should have your name written on it. This will save a lot of confusion when we get back from trips and are trying to sort out the ‘lost and found’ items.
When buying for your Scout, always visit thrift or consignment shops like SCORE on Fairview, Deseret, the Idaho Youth Ranch, etc. If you go into SCORE, let them know you’re in Troop 132, and you will get a discount on most items ANY time of the year. They’re a great partner for 132 - and no, I don’t get a commission!
Cold Weather Camping
Cold weather camping as defined by BSA is "camping in weather where the average daily temperature is below 50 degrees Fahrenheit and conditions are cold, wet or windy."
The most important thing to remember about cold weather camping is to KEEP DRY. Moisture will reduce the insulating properties of almost everything. To keep yourself warm, remember the word COLD.
C - keep yourself and your clothes Clean
O - avoid Overheating
L - wear clothes Loose and in Layers
D - keep Dry
The FIVE RULES OF COLD WEATHER CAMPING
Rule 1: Layers: As temperatures change, or activity increases or decreases, you want to be able to add or subtract clothing for obvious reasons. Wear a hat (baseball caps don't count!)
Rule 2: Keep your feet warm and dry.
Rule 3: Sleep warm = Warm sleeping bag!
Rule 4: Heavy on carbs lighter on the meat: In cold weather it is crucial that you keep food in your body, as your body will be burning much more than usual to keep you warm.
Rule 5: Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate: Make sure to drink lots of water or hot liquids. We don't feel as thirsty as we do during the summer months, which make it all the more dangerous for dehydration. So drink up! You can never get enough water!
Though these are not the only things to think about, these rules that will keep you safe and alive!
Head
Starting with the top, a good wool or polypropylene hat that blocks the wind is very important. Not only because much of the body's heat is lost through the head, but also because the body will start shutting down blood flow, and therefore heat, to the extremities in order to keep the core warm. A common saying is, "Cold feet - put a hat on". A hat will also be valuable at night in the sleeping bag. Some sort of face shield is needed. A wool or acrylic scarf, or even a spare wool sock for those boys who forget the scarf, keeps frostbite away. The nose is an extremity and is real sensitive to cold breezes. Balaclavas are hats which also cover the nose, mouth, and neck. These also work well.
Polartec fleece with WindStopper. No knit caps for cold weather, but a knit cap with WindStopper liner works well.
When it’s really cold, I sleep in a balaclava (on the right). This allows for one’s face and head to be outside of the sleeping bag and not get cold. If you tuck your head into the sleeping bag, your breath adds considerable moisture inside the bag, making for a very cold morning. I don’t normally wear it during the day, to keep it dry.
For cool days where the troop baseball cap seems appropriate, but a bit cool, I wear a thin bike helmet liner that can be popped on and off as I warm or cool. Covering the ears on a cool windy day can be the difference between comfort and wishing you were home.
Torso - Layers
One low-cost "system" consists of a medium-weight polypropylene long-sleeved undershirt, a wool sweater, an insulated flannel shirt (Wal-Mart deal which luckily is made of all man-made fibers - no cotton!!!), all topped with a wind-breaking, water resistant, shell.
Most important here is the saying, "Cotton kills". Cotton holds moisture, keeping it close to the skin loses all insulation value when it’s wet. Worse yet, by holding in perspiration which would normally drip off the body, cotton further cools the body. This could easily mean the difference between comfort and hypothermia. Those waffle-weave, "thermal" undershirts found at dept. stores are almost always 100% or 50% cotton – don’t buy them. Go to the sports dept. and look for the poly. Most man-made fibers and wool will wick moisture away from the skin. Even when wet, they still provide good insulation.
A good replacement for the wool layer is a Polartech or similar fleece top. It has the added advantage of being lighter weight, something to consider when backpacking.
Long Johns: Two pair of Polypropylene. One for the day, and a dry pair to sleep in. Swap them daily on multi-day trips so you’re always putting on dry gear as you get into bed.
Mid-layers: Fleece pull over. Add a down vest and worn together, these are good to about 20* when you’re active. The vest isn’t necessary, but it makes for great layering flexibility.
Parka: Hoods are great because they keep in that important heat around the head. Parkas with draw strings along the bottom and neck also help keep the warm air in because it won’t pump out when moving around. Add these to the mid-layers in the evening when you’re less active to star warm.
Hands - Layers
Mittens with long cuffs keep hands much warmer than gloves. Fingers help keep each other warm and there is much less surface area to radiate heat. Either way, mittens are the way to go. The cuffs should extend past the wrist. Snowmobile mittens work very well.
Very useful are the finger-less wool or fleece gloves with the finger part of a mitten attached to the back of the knuckles. Normally the mitten is over the fingers, but when it comes time to fiddle with the stove, or even light a match, the mitten part flips up and Velcro's to the back of the glove. Under these wear some thin acrylic knit gloves.
You can either buy glove liners at some outdoor store or go to the women's section of a discount dept. store like Walmart. They have these one-size fits all mini- gloves for around a buck. On top of this wear a pair of waterproof over-mitts or waterproof gloves/mittens of some sort.
Thinsulate glove liners are the best. I always put on a pair when I get into my sleeping bag in cold weather.
Legs
The layering and "no cotton" rule apply here as well
Start with poly or silk long johns and add wool or fleece pants over that and then thin, wind-breaking, or snow-pants over that. These three layers will keep you warm in any conditions that we’ll be camping in.
Sweatpants are almost always cotton and are only warm when inside a nice, cozy cabin. Don’t bring them on camp outs. They’re heavy and not safe for cold weather camping.
Wool pants are expensive, heavy and hard to find in kid's sizes. A better option is a poly base layer topped with the heavier snow pants. Just make sure they're not cotton-filled.
The wind layer discussed above is a game changer. Cold + wind = super cold. A true wind breaking pant makes a substantial difference in the warmth of your body and. Inexpensive wind-proof rain pants are ok, but they are also easily damaged. This might be a purchase where you consider spending more on a quality product.
Send a pair of clean, dry underwear with a pair of poly long johns for night time.
Poly long johns + fleece pajamas are incredibly warm for sleeping.
Feet
Does "no cotton" here need to be discussed?
For comfort, wear poly sock liners. Over that would be a vapor barrier: zip-lock bags (a bit constricting in the toes), bread bags, and plastic shopping bags. The best found are those bags that newspapers come in. They're thin and just the right size. The reason for the bag is to keep sweat from being absorbed by the boot's insulation. Overnight, moisture in the boot will freeze if the boot is not kept warm (more on that later). On top of the bag, put some thick wool socks.
Layering socks makes it important. Try on all boots with all the sock layers planned for camping and hiking.
Poly Liners – I don’t typically use them for cold weather, but poly is good for wicking moisture.
Wool socks – Any sporting goods store has wool socks. NOTE – try on the boots with the wool socks. If the boots are tight, blood flow be restricted, resulting in cold feet.
SmartWool (or similar wool/poly blend) socks. These are my favorites. I always have a dry pair to sleep in. REI also has a branded line of wool socks that are reasonably priced.
Feet: NO tennis shoes. No, really. Your son will NOT go winter camping if he shows up without cold weather boots. I will send him home with you.
As for boots, your basic dept. store snow boot should do fine, as long as they are bought at least one size too big, in order to fit the socks and bag. Fit is very important. Anything too tight will cut off circulation to the toes and be a potential frostbite problem.
They should look something like this for day hiking:
A pair of slippers makes for an easy midnight run to the tinkle hut.
Sleeping Bag
Please read and learn the info on this page if you’re looking to buy a sleeping bag. When shopping for sleeping bags, understanding the EN rating system is important.
EN sleeping bag temperate Ratings
These are based on a test manikin wearing of a specific base layer. It’s important to understand these terms.
Comfort Range
This is the temperature range where a “standard” woman is comfortable. According to the EN/ISO standards, she is “not feeling cold,” in a “relaxed posture.”
Transition Range / Lower Limit
Here, a standard (25-year-old) man, wearing a base layer and cap, is “in a situation of fighting against cold (posture is curled up inside the sleeping bag), but in thermal equilibrium” and not shivering. Somewhere within this range is likely the performance limit of the bag. An adult should be able to sleep through the night. My observation is that only adults who know the difference between being cold and dangerously cold will sleep well. Those with experience waking up shivering, warming up, and going back to sleep will be ok mentally. Those without the experience will be scared and lay awake much of the night.
Extreme Range
Per the EN/ISO standard’s language: “In this range, a strong sensation of cold has to be expected. There is risk of health damage by hypothermia. A sleeping bag should only be used in this range in an emergency.” Read this carefully. The lowest temp listed is really a survival temp. The testing includes a base layer in the fetal position, shivering to maintain warmth and assumes the adult may risk health damage due to hypothermia.
Young Scouts (11-15) are smaller and much produce less heat; a bag that is rated at a given ‘transition temperature’ for an adult might be 10° too cold for a young Scout, putting them near the survival temp.
Older Scouts (16-18) are heat machines and most will easily be comfortable in the temperature listed on a sleeping bag.
Adults over 45 will start to sleep cooler and may benefit from choosing sleeping bags with cooler ranges than they’re planning on sleeping in.
If you’re considering purchasing a sleeping bag, read these articles
Good article here: https://thermarestblog.com/en-iso-sleeping-bag-ratings/
Picking a sleeping bag: https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/sleeping-bag.html
More: https://www.getoutwiththekids.co.uk/camping/camping-tips/sleeping-bag-temperature-ratings/
Consider buying a 4-season bag, and nothing less than a 3-season bag
Down sleeping bags work great, but if they get wet it will lose all insulation value. For experienced, responsible, older, scouts (and scouters) this shouldn't be a problem - just keep it dry. Note that most new, brand-name down bags suffer minimally from down compaction due to moisture. The down is treated so it repels moisture.
Down is the most compressible material around, but boys will be boys, so I usually recommend some man-made fiber, such as LiteLoft, which is almost as compressible as down. A good bag will be expensive, but many gear stores will rent them. Construction is probably more important than filling. Things to check for are:
Full length draft tube
If quilted - make sure the inside seams are offset from outside seams
A full coverage hood, mummy construction
Consider buying a longer bag than necessary. This allows for storing clothes for the morning in the foot box, making them warm in the morning.
Sleeping in cold weather
Base layer includes poly top and bottom with generously thick socks.
Dry clean wool or fleece for the second layer. Fleece PJs are great.
A sleeping bag liner and/or a fleece sleeping bag to use as a liner will increase the insulation and performance of the bag, making it comfortable in much colder weather.
A sleeping bag with 0 or below will be critical in extreme cold weather. Scouts can add warm dry clothes to the bag to provide more insulation and have them be warm for the next day.
Hand warmers can be placed in the sleeping bad toe box to keep feet warm, and sleeping with a hat and/or facemask will help.
Finally, extra blanket layers of wool or thick acrylic or fleece blankets thrown over the top of the bag will help. I do find that it’s hard to keep them in place overnight.
I have two bags. An inexpensive and worn out 30° bag for most camping and a -20° bag for cold weather.
A Sleep system:
A sleeping bag is only one part of an inexpensive ‘sleeping system’, which can offer comfortable sleeping in very cold temps. For instance, my summer bag is rated at 30°. I sleep well in it down to 10* and I've slept (quite uncomfortably) in it down to -4°. This is all about layers. One set for the human and one set for sleeping system.
An example of an inexpensive ‘sleeping system’
Layers for the human:
Moderately cold (10°-30°) dry base layer put on right at bed time:
wool socks
thermal long johns
thermal top
thin gloves
thin hat
COLD (-10° to 10°) dry base layer put on right at bed time:
heavy wool socks
medium weight thermal long johns + fleece pajamas
smart wool top + fleece top or light down vest
warm gloves
balaclava pulled down so only my nose sticks out
Layers for the sleeping bags, etc. represented visually from the ground up. I've used these layers because my sleeping bag is rated to only about 30°
My Layer system, starting from the sky and working down to the earth:
The stars
Tent
Blanket over sleeping bag
Me in the sleeping bag
Fleece blanket under the bag
Light inflatable pad
Closed Cell pad
Tent floor
Ground cloth
Mother Earth
Ground Layers
This is almost as important as the bag. Newer inflatable pads are now rated with an R value from 1 to about 5. The higher the R, the more insulation it provides from the frozen ground. Like any gear, the higher the R value and the lighter it is, the more it costs.
In warm weather, I sleep on a closed cell pad + light inflatable pad.
In cold weather, I sleep on the closed-cell pad + Klymit (Insulated Static V) inflatable pad with a R value of 4+.
The closed cell offers insulation, smooths the sharp rocks and protects the inflatable from damage. The inflatable provides the rest of the comfort.
Tents
The troop always has some Coleman tents for the Scouts to use if they don’t have one, or if a tent breaks down. Some years ago, the troop moved to Scouts bringing their own tents because they were more likely to take good care of gear when they had to answer to the parents about the damage.
Scouting in Idaho requires a 3-season tent almost any time of the year. Even in the summer, we often head to higher altitudes where lows can be in the 30’s. There might be some tales about freezing camp outs above 8,000’ in July. 😊
Three season tents have an inner tent with plenty of mesh to allow air flow for condensation and temperature control, and a rain fly that comes almost to the ground. Good ones tend to sit low and have plenty of connection points to tie out.
Four season tents have little mesh, and/or vents to reveal some mesh and the rain flies come very close to the ground to reduce wind capture. These are too much tent for much of the camping we do. They also weigh and cost considerably more than three season tents.
While I generally stay away from Brands in this document, REI makes some reasonably-priced tents that serve well. I used an REI Half Dome 2 in the troop for almost 10 years, and I still use that tent if it’s not going to rain. I recently replaced it with the newer model of the same tent.
The REI Passage 2 (essentially the old Half Dome 2) is a good value at about $160. This tent has dropped to $110 several times in the past two years. It’s a simple two-pole design, which reduces the opportunity for broke stuff.
When you get into 4-season or ultralight tents, there are many competitive brands and you can spend a lot of money.
Flatware, cups, bowls, etc
I buy these sturdy and durable pieces and write my name on the handle with a sharpie
Plastic cereal bowls will stay warmer than metal. Also, keep it light colored. Chances are, you'll be eating at least one meal, probably supper, in the dark, and a dark plate/bowl makes food disappear.
An insulated coffee mug, with lid, works great. Insulated mugs came on the scene in 2016. Yeti is the brand name that everyone is throwing around, but many people have reviewed Yeti, Pelican RTIC and Ozark Trail. They all seem to perform about the same and are as sturdy as the Yeti. The Ozark Trail (available at Walmart) and RTIC (online) are the better deals by far.
Personal Camp Stoves
These come in all sizes and shapes.
Burners that connect to propane stoves are super light and relatively affordable. You do have to also bring a pot when using these. A Scout mess kit works well with these.
Jetboils come in many sizes and colors. There are now many, less expensive versions of this style of camp stove. I recommend checking them out if you’re going to buy one.
Many in the troop have them because they really are simple to use, heat water very quickly, and take up little room. Scouts and Scouters can easily share these on hiking trips, so not everyone needs to have one. I take one when out motorcycling, hiking or just driving in the mountains on cool days. It makes hot water for freeze dried meal and hot coffee/chocolate in just a couple of minutes. Get one for your son, and ‘borrow’ it frequently
Propane and butane have problems in the cold. They start losing pressure below freezing and it's pretty much gone by the time you get to 0F, which leads to…
Gas stoves are effective in the coldest temps and the highest altitudes, but take a little more work to set up and longer to cook. These are great for true adventurers and easy to use with practice
Headlamps
There are many headlamps available that are inexpensive and easy to operate. For night hiking and general Scout stuff, headlamps should have at least one settings that’s over 50 lumens.
Multifunction lights aren’t always the best and most of us rarely use the extra features. I have 5+ year old Petzel Tikka (the new model is great and is $20-$30) that is simple to operate and is my ‘go to’ for most trips. I also have a new, expensive Black Diamond rechargeable ReVolt that eats batteries like candy that I wouldn’t recommend because of battery use and the complexity of switching between modes.
Batteries
With that headlamp, you’ll need batteries! The best deal on rechargeable batteries are the “Amazon Basics” AA and AAA’s. They cost less 5 cents per charge and can always be ready if you bring them home after camping and put them in the charger. Most good batteries are good for 500+ charge cycles. I had my batteries for years and they keep working.
Alkaline, NiMH and Lithium batteries all experience significant capacity drop right at 0 degrees. I use almost exclusively NiMH rechargeable batteries and make sure that I have 2 freshly charged sets when camping. One of those sets is in an inner pocket.
Battery Charger – invest $30 in one that can charge at multiple rates; low (best for the batteries), high (when you forgot to charge them until the morning of the trip), and can exercise old batteries or tell you if the battery isn’t recoverable. I have 10-year-old rechargeable batteries that have been on almost every camp out. As soon as I get home, I recharge them and return them to the device, ready for the next trip.
Food
Extra calories are need to keep warm when the temps are cold, so leave the low-fat diet at home. Make sure you have lots of carbs.
Oatmeal for breakfast and pasta for supper works well. Eggs and pancakes lose heat quickly.
Lunches could be pepperoni and cheese on crackers. Peanut butter on bread.
Have plenty of snacks available. Granola bars, chocolate, and trail mix are great. Apples and oranges will turn into rocks, no matter what you keep them in.
Melting butter in a pan and toasting bagels or English muffins in the butter provides lot of energy.
Have plenty of hot chocolate. This will be drunk any time someone is in camp. If you've got to have coffee, use decaf. Caffeine is a diuretic and you'll need all the water you can get.
Make sure everyone has plenty of water. Dehydration leads to hypothermia. But leave your pump/filters at home. They are pretty much useless when frozen and you could crack the filter element. Melt snow or boil water when you need to refill the bottles.
Cooking meat doesn't seem to work very well. It's hard to keep a big frying pan hot enough to effectively brown any hamburger. If you've got to have meat in the spaghetti sauce, bring pepperoni and throw it in the sauce when heating that up.
Instant soups will go like crazy. Use your insulated mug to eat this, and you won't need the hot chocolate for this meal/snack.
Eat chocolate just before going to sleep kick start the body and keep boys warm as the fall asleep. There isn’t enough caffeine in milk chocolate to keep them awake.
Other tips and tricks - Read These!
To keep boots from freezing up overnight, lie them on their sides beneath your sleeping bag under your butt with the soles sticking out. Put one on each side of you and tie the laces together with a simple knot. There should be enough heat escaping there to keep the frost out, plus the placement will help keep you from rolling of your mat.
Keep gloves, socks, and any of tomorrow's clothes as will comfortably fit inside the sleeping bag. Any other clothes, jacket, sweater, whatever doesn't fit, should be put under the bag. It's much more comfortable to dress in pre-heated clothes and the added insulation doesn't hurt.
Keep at least one water bottle in the sleeping bag, if it will fit and not leak. If you can't, put it under your bag at the knees. All other water bottles that don't fit under your knees could be put in some of your extra wool socks. Also, heat the water up at night before you go to bed and put the filled bottles in your sleeping bag as you fulfill your nightly duties. Then when you get to bed, your bag will actually be warm.
Don't forget the nightly duties. A full bladder requires more heat than an empty one, plus getting up at 2:00 AM in sub-zero weather is absolutely no fun.
Carry and store water bottles upside down. Ice forms on the tops of bodies of water first, so this helps keep ice from forming around the mouth. If you're not carrying a water bottle, stick it in a spare sock or shove it in a snow bank, upside down, of course. Snow will insulate better than nothing.
If you have a self-inflating mattress roll it up with the valves open. A frozen mattress valve is real hard to open.
When standing around eating, cooking, or whatever, stand on your mattress pad. When sitting, sit on your pad.
Keep active as much as possible. If you feel your feet freezing up, start getting the shakes, or if you see anybody else showing initial signs of hypothermia - go for a long, brisk walk/jog. I do this before going to bed in the winter. Take the whole troop with you, because they may be feeling the same way, but are too "cool" (there's that pun again) to show it. Keep going until the signs go away.
Go for a night hike or play an active game, take a mouthful of water and eat something fatty like cookies, just before you crawl in the bag. This gets the furnace started and helps keep it going throughout the night.
The standard 3-tub method of doing the dishes just doesn't work in the extreme cold. Heat up some water and pour this in individual bowls to melt the leftover bits and pieces of food. Soak your utensils in this. Then use a paper towel or even a snowball to scrub. Any cloth dishrag will freeze.
Bring extra everything. Stoves and lanterns will fail. Water bottles will freeze and crack. Things, like boys, just behave differently in the cold.