Cold Weather camping? How can you stand it?

Okay, one thing that hasn't been mentioned here and might be helpful to the OP is that dealing with the cold is actually much more pleasant when it really is cold and not just luke-cold. In fact, for me the most miserable cold is just around the freezing mark. The air holds lots of moisture, the ground doesn't hold snow it just turns to grey wet slushiness. That moist air finds its way through all your clothing and chills you to the bone - damp cold, even with the latest high tech wear does little for it. I hate damp cold. There is always this threat of freezing rain. A killer - that freezing rain can be.

When it gets nice and brisk cold, lets say about 10 degree below freezing, then winter gets far, far - FAR - more pleasant. The air drops its moisture and your outdoor clothing functions so much better. The ground you're walking on isn't a wet sponge - it is nice and hard frozen. That is how I like my winters!

Here I am - 20 years ago enjoying the cold. Back then flannel jackets and the quilted vests were all the rage! I also remember - those pants I wore were Korean army winter pants bought at the surplus store for $15.

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Damn - this shot demonstrates to me that I've been eating instant noodles for more than 20 years!!!!

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Marine Mountain Leaders have a phrase I think you would like BlackHills:

"Be bold, start cold"

Every time i've done mountain Arctic training then this is one of the key phrases I had hammered into me. 5 mins of cold discomfort at the start of a ski or march is better than having gear wet through with sweat for the rest of your time out.
 
Stickman said:
It will take some effort to research what garments are available and what price range you want to work in. Forget cotton.
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True. And if you are on a severe budget, don't be too proud to look in thrift stores or Salvation Army, or similar.

I am on a very tight budget, but I scored two very nice wool shirts at my local Goodwill for $7.00 total.
 
I find it's more relaxing to be outdoors in the winter. I rarely go out by myself anymore, so when friends and i go hiking or backpacking it's a much slower pace (most of us have been hiking together for 14 ish years, we're not old, just seasoned =P). Getting up and around is a pain for most due to getting your clothes on and warmed up when it's mid 30's or colder. There are few places of comfort like a warm sleeping bag. Rather than trying to get everyone up and packed for a rapid deployment to be somewhere on some made up scheduel it takes a half hour to get the coffee on and figure out what sounds good for breakfast while you harass the last slacker to get out of his tent. Once you have your basics down (like good sleeping bag and/or ground pad and clothes) it's just a matter of enjoying your surroundings. The air is crisp and the sounds are clean. It's all back to basics for me and i can spend days at a time just relaxing and thinking or letting my mind wander.

Once you have the right mindset (you aren't just hanging in there, or trying to put up with the cold you actually enjoy being there) then you can start to see what you've been missing when you focused on the cold only. Keep in mind, if you aren't prepared and "are" freezing your behind off you won't want to come back. So the bottom line is get prepared, get equiped and get out there and enjoy yourself. Go for day hikes, if you like it, then take an overnighter. If you like that, then it's off to the races.

P.S. Best thing about cold camping - no bugs
Worst thing about cold camping - getting up at 3am to take a leak

:D
 
SpookyPistolero said:
I think I often mind the extreme heat more than the cold. I hate sweating till I'm dripping. I can always put on some extra layers, but I can only take off so much before I'm 'too natural'.
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Amen brother. That's why I like working in the Arctic. I have always said I'd rather be cold than hot.
 
JTC said:
I genuinely would like to know how do you guys do things when staying out when it's below 40 or so? Is it you are so much better prepared than I? Is it attitude where you want to be out so you have a more positive outlook on it?
If I force myself to endure the cold will I become more accustomed to it and eventually like it?
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It's all those things, I think. I was born in a rather cold place, and I've spent a lot of time in similarly chilly places. You grow to tolerate it and even like it. And there is, I suppose, a hereditary genetic effect, too. But nothing beats being prepared. No matter how tough you are, it ain't going to be fun chilling around buck ass naked in -30 C. ;) The positive attitude does have an effect. If you already hate it when you're still indoors thinking about going out, it's not likely that you'll love it outdoors either. Lots of good tips in this thread already: like dress up, but don't overdo it. Getting all sweaty isn't good. You can throw on extra clothes again when you stop.
 
RoyalM said:
Marine Mountain Leaders have a phrase I think you would like BlackHills:

"Be bold, start cold"

Every time i've done mountain Arctic training then this is one of the key phrases I had hammered into me. 5 mins of cold discomfort at the start of a ski or march is better than having gear wet through with sweat for the rest of your time out.
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That's a good line, I'll have to remember that. Thanks. :thumbup:
 
The spring and the fall around here brings out the masses. I like it when it gets below 40 because I see less people and i enjoy the fires more. We rarely get below 20 deg. or so, but I'd say anything between 20-35 is great. I'm not sure I'd like it much colder though, mainly because I don't have the gear for it.
 
being in a place where farenhiet and celsius meet at cold temps, its hard to have fun while camping in the winter. But I think limiting you self in how far you go, and who and what you bring make a hugh diffrence. We all know whats going to happen when your girlfriend comes along, and it gets dark.
Thats why we bring a friend we dont care about and make him bring the gaer. :D

Seriuosly though, keeping a high head will make the trip better, dont let the cold get to ya, or a wet foot get ya down, have a nice big fire, and a warm tent waiting for ya.
 
Some have already given you reasons for winter activities - no bugs (huge one for me), no snakes, no bear (usually), not too hot (nothing worse than being in a tent sweating your butt off), you can go places that you can't at other times of the year - middle of a swamp, for example. Water gathering is no longer a problem with snow on the ground. Want to take a couple of nice steaks for the fire - refrigeration is no longer needed, not to mention COLD BEER! :D

But they say pictures speak louder than words, so:

A lot of times it's drier in the winter, making it easier for friction fire making ( a winter workshop)

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You don't need a tent as much:

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Can be easier to build shelters:

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Easier to haul firewood:

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And gear:

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So it has a lot going for it, and sure, there are a few down sides, but what is there that doesn't?

Try it, you'll like it. :thumbup:

Doc
 
Man, as soon as I get my pictures of my laptop (broken) you'll love to see the trip we had last winter, It was a blast.
Damn computers :(
 
maybe you need to upgrade your gear so the weather doesn't bother you as much. They have heaters for gloves and socks too, having the right gear can make a world of difference in my opinion. Cold weather and hot weather is something your body has to get use to, mental attitude only gets you so far but there physical aspects that you can't control. If you go to subtropic country you will be sweating like a pig just sitting their while everyone else is bone dry. I know people from the east coast who come to the west coast in winter time and they are wearing shorts and t shirts while the rest of us have our jackets and sweaters on. I personally dislike cold much more than heat, cold saps your will to do anything. People have told me that they keep the california prison ice cold to keep the prisoners from acting up, everyone just wants to stay warm.
 
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Damn - this shot demonstrates to me that I've been eating instant noodles for more than 20 years!!!!

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hey ya HOSER eh? :D
 
When I grew up in Ohio, then michigan I got more tolerant, or used to the cold. When I left for the army I used to laugh at the southernors and their "thin blood"

Fast foreward 25 years of living in NC and I'm grabbing the jacket under 70 degrees F.

I do agree that wet cold is much more miserable than cold-frozen-cold. When it's frozen it's easier to keep dry , therefore warm.

In the army in Germany we would go out for up to 2 weeks at a time all times of the year.

38 degrees and raining is about as bad as it gets for me. Hardfrozen, no problem. We had shelter halfs, no fires, heat, etc. We would have to thaw C rats on the engine blocks of our vehicles to have food ( frozen food gives you intestinal trouble)

Likewise our water was frozen if left out of the sleeping bags at night.

The biggest things to remember were, drink more when it's really cold.
Layer, and don't sweat in your clothes. You will pay for it.
Do whatever you have to do to keep your self or bag off the ground. Cold ground will sap the heat out of you even with a good bag.
Increase intake of foods. Always eat a slow burning food before sleep or you will wake up early freezing. Thatr's what beef jerky was for.

etc.

I look at the civilian gear, and new military gear and marvel. You young guys would be appalled at what we had, and the rules that constricted us.

We had a platoon sgt. that would search us and take our "pogey bait. ( junk food, beef jerky, etc) and we would be given 2 C rats a day. Frozen. No fires, no heater, no sanitary facilitaries, nothing. To get to the exercise areas we had open topped vehicles with no heaters. Driving the autobahn for 11 hours in february in an open vehicle is a guaranteed case of frostbite, and cold like you wouldn't believe. When it rained, or sleeted it was true misery driving 45 MPH in convoy, in the open, for 4 hours at a time without stops. I've never been colder, even in 25 F below zero up in MI.

That was it. In the winter when we were really needing the extra calories he would take ours, and he slept in a GP medium with heater, and he had a cot. We were lucky to partner up with someone with another half, to make a pup tent.

I knew that if I went to war with him he would have had an unfortunate accident ( no, the taking food from us wasn't his only bad habit) Joe
 
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BlackHills said:
That reminds me of something I learned while cycling in the winter and it would apply to hiking as well....if you're comfortable when you start out then you're overdressed. Once you start to generate heat you'll be shedding clothing left and right so it's best to be a bit on the cool side when you first hit the trail.
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Yes, but make sure you have enough clothes for when you stop.
so those extra clothes should be in your pack not on your back.

At - 25, when I was breaking trail in deep snow with snowshoes and expedition pack, I would wear an undershirt and a wind jacket.
But when I stopped for even a 5 minute rest, I had to put on my over-parka or I would go into hypothermia!
 
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