When it is cold outside most people prefer to crawl on the sofa with something hot and read a book or watch a movie. However, some adventurous people prefer camping in the winter. Have you ever thought, why someone is interested in doing such a thing? Well, there are a few reasons to choose winter camping: to enjoy fishing, to challenge themselves and to enjoy silence. Apart from enjoyment, there are many things that you can learn from winter camping. Let us have a look at the lessons learned from winter camping.
While summer camping attracts many people, which generally deter wild animals. However, during the winter, there are no bugs, which is a big advantage and there are no crowds to leave a mess everywhere. And then, there is the surrounding: all white.
Winter camping is certainly not for everyone and it offers a lot of new experiences for those people who dare to go. It also offers a lot of life lessons, both realistic and funny.
Lessons Learned from Winter Camping
- You can experience a bad morning
If you thought that mornings are bad, then you need to experience a morning while you are winter camping. This is one of the important lessons learned from winter camping. While waking up in the middle of nature is not a bad idea, coming out from the warm sleeping bag and walking in the cold is the biggest challenge. However, once you manage to get the fire up and drinking a cup of hot coffee, you will feel relaxed and confident.
- You also learn to spend less
Winter camping needs cold weather campaign gear, which will keep you warm. But this also means all those sleeping bags, pads, additional warm clothes, and the rest of the gear are more expensive than the daily camping gear.
- You understand the importance of food
This is one of the significant lessons learned from winter camping that will help you further in your life too. After you spend your whole day playing in the cold, with snow, there is nothing better than a nutritious meal. Going for a winter camp will make you appreciate food more and it will also make you understand why human beings are meant to eat all kinds of foods.
- You will become closer due to cold
When you are winter camping there is no need to be in love with someone to hug the person with you: the simple idea of snuggling with someone becomes pleasing and attractive. Of course, you can also enjoy the benefits and cuddle for both warmth and romantic feeling.
- You accept that you are not invincible
It is the most important thing that you will learn during winter camping. If camping in the summer is cool, camping in winter is a big challenge. There are a few mistakes that can make the difference between an enjoyable experience and one ending in a dilemma. As you try to make it through the day, overpowering the winter storm, you will see how fragile you are. Nature will show you how simple it is for human beings to lose the final battle, the battle for life. As human beings are not invincible.
- You get the chance to understand people
Cold changes one’s personality and takes out the real person. While your friends will look funny jumping around to warm up, you will very soon find out what they are made of. When it is cold, and the conditions are tough, you might find out that your friends are not that friendly as you thought them to be.
It is easier than you may think to stay relaxed while winter camping. Winter camping has its perks. There are fewer bugs and crowds while you experience the beauty and peacefulness of a beautiful winter. But, it will be challenging if you are not prepared. To prepare yourself for a successful winter campout, you must build on your knowledge of fair-weather camping while adjusting for the extra challenges of cold temperatures, snowy landscapes, and unstable weather.
Here are a few things that you must consider while camping in winter:
Tips for making a camp in the snow- Choose a spot that is protected from the wind and free of avalanche risks.
Keep yourself hydrated and have lots of calories- Right nutrition and hydration will keep you stay warm. Make hot, nutritious breakfasts and dinners and enjoy quick lunches and snacks. Make sure you keep yourself hydrated throughout the day.
Use gear that is perfect for winter camps- You will require a sturdy tent, a warm sleeping bag, and a stove to fight cold temperature.
Carry warm clothes- Midweight base layers, fleece pants, a waterproof jacket, and a puffy coat are some of the basic clothes you must carry. Do not forget to carry accessories like a hat, gloves, warm socks, and sunglasses.
Prevent cold injuries- Hypothermia and frostbite are legitimate concerns in any winter camping. You must know how to avoid them.
Additional tips- Eating healthy food, filling a bottle with hot water, and doing jumping jacks are a few important tips to keep yourself warm on a cold night.
How to Set a Camp in the Snow
Perhaps the biggest difference between summer camping and winter camping is the possibility that you will be setting up your camp on snow. When you reach your destination, rather than unpacking immediately, spend some time to find the right camp spot. Relax, have some snacks, put on warm clothes, and check the area for these things:
Wind protection- A natural wind block, like trees or a hill, can make you feel more comfortable
Water source – Try to find out is there a water source nearby or do you need to melt the snow?
Avoid camping on vegetation- In patchy snow conditions, set up a camp on an established campsite of barren land or set up your camp on the snow.
Risk of an avalanche- Ensure you are not setting up your camp on or below a slope that could slide.
Hazard trees- Do not setup your camp beneath an unstable or damaged limb or tree
Privacy- It is always better to have some distance between the tents
Sunrise spot- Find a spot from where you can see the sunrise. Such spots will help you warm up faster
Landmarks- Find a few landmarks that will help you to find the camp in the snowstorm or dark
Leave No Trace (LNT)
Even during the winter, it is important to follow a Leave No Trace camping ethics. Here are a few considerations for winter camping:
- Stay on deep snow cover whenever possible
- Try to camp at least 200 feet from a trail, water sources, and other campers
- While camping on snow, pack out toilet paper and human waste in a plastic bag. At lower heights, you can dig a deep hole in the dirt, hide feces, and keep a rock on the top to deter animals from digging up.
- If you are having a fire, make use of dead downed wood. Never cut or break the live trees.
- Give respect to wildlife and see them from a distance. Winter is vulnerable to animals.