In our previous post, we gave you some tips for winter camping. Here we continue our list so you and your campsite will be toasty warm all season long.
Layer — with a purpose
It’s all too easy to pack thick clothing for your winter camping vacation. Unbeknownst to many people, this can be a fatal mistake. Sweating under all these hot layers can lead to moisture buildup, freezing at night. and can cause hypothermia. What you’ll want to do instead is bring plenty of light layers to avoid sweating in the first place. Think long sleeved shirts, yoga pants/compression leggings, light sweaters, and zip up windbreakers and jackets to provide airflow.
Leave the geese behind
As much as it may be lighter and softer, do not bring goose down clothing or bedding with you to your campgrounds. These feathers are unable to repel water, so if you get caught in the rain or fall in a snowbank, your coat will stay freezing forever. Choose synthetic fiber for both your coats and sleeping bags, and you’ll be sure to stay warm.
Flip your bottles
Whether hiking up a mountain to hanging out around your campsite, you will want to keep all your water bottles stored upside down. The water will freeze from the top to the bottom, meaning you will still have something to drink and the top won’t be frozen shut.
Have a bedtime snack
Since you won’t be moving around, your body will undoubtedly become colder when you are sleeping. To keep your body temperature steady throughout the night, snack on some high-fat, high-protein food right before you go to bed. Protein is harder to digest and fat has more calories in every serving, so your body will have to work harder to store it during the night, thus keeping you nice and toasty.
Don’t sleep with your head in your sleeping bag
As tempting as it may be, you should never go to sleep with your head in your sleeping bag because condensation from your nose and mouth will only make the bag damp. Breathing on the insulation will be counter intuitive and cancel out the sleeping bag’s insulating properties.
It is no secret that Americans love to camp, as the 2014 American Camper Report shows that 40.1 million Americans over the age of six have gone camping. Going camping as a family will make memories to last a lifetime, so contact us today to check out our wide variety of campsites and Keystone lake cabins that will be perfect for your next trip.
