Camping in winter is a great opportunity to get out of the routine and have fun with your friends while enjoying the beauty and charm of the winter season somewhere in nature. Obviously, the cold weather conditions in winter make camping and traveling during this time more difficult than in summer or spring, as there are many factors to consider such as weather, a suitable and reliable tent, winter camping equipment, and also some experience and knowledge that may come in handy on a camping trip, for example, when you know how to keep condensation out of tent in winter, how to keep warm inside a shelter, etc.
However, the main thing about winter camping is your desire. After all, when having sufficient motivation to enjoy a winter trip, all these difficulties can be easily overcome, especially if you pay attention to preparing and planning your future trip in advance.
Let’s take a look at a few things about winter camping that will help make your journey more comfortable and avoid some mistakes to ensure that you will get an exciting and interesting camping experience.
Choose the right location
Location in camping plays a significant role because it can both simplify and complicate your vacation, so it should be given special attention when planning a trip. There are many locations for winter camping, these can be both an equipped campsite and places in the wild. The choice of place largely depends on your skills and equipment.
For those who are just discovering winter camping, the best option would be to camp in a site that is already prepared for such purposes (campsites). As weather conditions in winter may cause some troubles, it is worth staying in places where you can easily get help or assistance when needed. Also, campsites typically have a developed infrastructure, which greatly simplifies recreation, especially in winter.
Use only items intended for cold weather
This is pretty common advice, but when going winter camping, you need to make sure that all your items are suitable for such conditions. Your tent, sleeping bags, and equipment, all of these must be of high quality to guarantee you won’t be cold both during the day and night. Typically, winter gear is more expensive than summer one, but it is not worth saving here, as it will help you to keep warm and safe while camping.
Also, for winter camping, it makes sense to get a tent for a group of people, for example, an all weather camping tent 8 person, as generally, the more people there are in the tent, the warmer it will be inside.
Pay attention to clothes
One of the main rules for winter camping is to wear layered clothing. When choosing to clothe, opt for synthetic and cold-weather materials that keep you warm. Cotton clothes lose warmth quickly, so it is a poor choice.
The first layer of clothing should be waterproof to ensure you are protected from moisture and water. The bottom layer of clothing should consist of warm clothes that can retain heat. Also, do not forget about gloves, warm socks, scarves, etc. Not to be cold, it is necessary to protect the head, neck, arms, and legs first of all.
Use the surroundings
In any camping, the surroundings play an important role and the better you use it, the more comfortable conditions you will have. One of the benefits of winter camping is that even the snow can be used to make camping more comfortable.
As a child, many have been playing with snowballs and built a snow fort, which was fun and interesting. And this thing from childhood can help in winter camping as well. Being in an open location, on a hill, or close to water bodies, a strong wind can spoil your recreation. However, if you build some snow forts near the camp, you can easily protect yourself from the wind. During the trip, it will be not only useful but also fun. So the more creative you can use the surroundings, the better camping you may get.
Additional equipment
Today, in camping stores you can find many items designed to make a trip better, safer, and more convenient. For comfortable winter camping, you should pay special attention to equipment. A great bonus would be portable stoves for tents that will provide warmth to your shelter, thermoses, gas stoves, compact shoe dryers, etc. If you are going camping in a car and have enough space, such equipment will be especially useful.
Make sure the location is safe
When choosing a place for a trip, it is worth learning more about the location. Things to pay attention to are the fauna of that area to eliminate the risk of encountering predators, as well as maps, which will not only allow you to navigate the area better but also help to avoid the danger of falling through the ice since some lakes or rivers can be completely covered with snow.
Be active and enjoy your camping
During winter camping, activity is especially important because sitting all the time in one place makes it easy to feel cold. Therefore, it is worth planning your activities ahead of the trip. Winter offers great opportunities for many hobbies such as skiing, snowboarding, hiking, fishing, etc. Also, you can always remember your childhood and play with snowballs. The main thing about camping is to have fun, enjoy your time and keep yourself entertained with interesting outdoor activities!
Winter camping isn’t as common as summer journeys, but it’s an amazing experience you should definitely try. By being in nature, you can truly enjoy the beauty and unique charm of the winter season. Thus, prepare yourself, plan your trip and discover another great type of recreation that is really worth it!
