Winter Camping Shelter Tips
Winter camping can be an exhilarating, beautiful experience. While most people consider a camping vacation a rest-and-relaxation holiday by the shore of a lake under the summer sun, enjoying a breathtaking stay in the outdoors when the world is sparkling and frozen is a whole other adventure. Winter camping does require more consideration for gear, as the equipment you take along with you and how you set it up at your campsite can make all the difference between a great stay in the snow and one that’s full of chills and cold.
The most important thing to consider when planning a winter camping trip is shelter. The elements during cold weather can be extremely harsh, and a good shelter can mean the difference between risky danger and a great experience. The tent you choose for winter camping has to be strong and solid to withstand snow and wind. Ratings for seasons are usually indicated on packaging, so make sure you pick a four-season tent that’s designed with a slope to allow snow to fall off the roof. Accumulating snow can be extremely heavy and your tent could collapse. Dome tents are ideal for winter camping, but do also purchase a ground sheet or tarp to lie down before you set the tent up. Your body heat will melt snow underneath you and create a layer of ice that could potentially damage the tent floor or make it wet.
Your tent also needs a good waterproof rain-fly. Below zero temperatures is no guarantee that you won’t get rained on, and your tent needs protection from freezing rain. The slope of a four-season tent will help let the water run off and the strength of the construction will help with ice build-up. Rain-flies also reduce condensation by keeping warm air in but letting the tent breath to allow humidity to escape. Your breath and body will provide a good 10 to 20 degrees of moist warmth, and ideally the dampness shouldn’t be held inside the tent. To further reduce humidity, have a brush on hand to remove snow from your clothing and footwear before entering the tent, as melting snow creates condensation and leaves water on the floor of the tent.
Where you choose to pitch your tent will have a lot to do with how comfortable you are when you bed down at night. Selecting a spot where you’re high up and have a spectacular view is a very poor place to camp. The winds from the open area will batter your tent and you’ll feel the freezing air easily. Not only that, snow drifts can get blown up against your tent, which is something you want to avoid. Setting your tent somewhere in a valley may sound good and you might think that you’ll have better shelter from winds, but cold air sinks, and you’ll find your tent bathing in a pool of frigid air.
Don’t let the amount of careful preparation required set you off of winter camping. The experience is one well worth living that you won’t regret, the beauty and novelty of camping in the snow one that you’ll remember forever, but making sure you’re well sheltered and protected helps to ensure that you’re going to come back with smiles and great stories as opposed to complaints and frostbite!
By Nature Editor
