Absolutely, under no circumstances do not underestimate how cold it gets at night in a tent. If you are planning on camping during the Fall or Winter check the nighttime temperature for the location you are visiting. This is the one instance where’d I’d say overpacking and overpreparing is a good thing. my first time winter camping we thought we were tougher than we are…turns out we are not. We didn’t even last a full night in our tent. Instead, we ended up getting into our vehicle at about 4 in the morning and sleeping with the car running until morning. It happens, but hopefully with better preparation it won’t happen to you too!
First things first, when camping in the Fall or Winter make sure you carefully select a campsite. You want your tent to be sheltered if possible from wind, snow, and rain. But at the same time you don’t want it to be so sheltered that no sunlight hits your campsite during the day. That little bit of sunlight makes a world of difference. Knowing your cardinal directions and the way winds typically blow is key for this step. Honestly, I’m no good at it, but I’m working on getting better. Picking a good campsite is truly key to setting yourself up for success for cold weather camping.
I literally can’t stress this enough, make sure you have camping gear that is appropriate for cold weather camping. There are certain brands and types of tents that do better in cold weather. In fact, tents are classified as 3, 3-4. and 4 season. Most tents are considered 3 season tents and unless you’re going somewhere like Alaska in the winter a 3 or 3-4 season tent should work well. The next thing you want to pick carefully is your sleeping bag. Sleeping bags have degree ratings. in fact, standardized laboratory tests have produced a rating range for each sleeping bag, with two temperature ratings within that range specifically called out:
- Comfort rating indicates the temperature at which a cold sleeper might feel comfortable. This is the temperature rating brands use on women’s bags.
- Lower limit rating (which is always lower than the comfort rating) indicates the temperature at which a warm sleeper might still feel comfortable. This is the temperature rating brands use on men’s bags.
When purchasing your sleeping bag for cold weather camping ensure you pay attention to these ratings and purchase accordingly. Oh, and mummy style bags reign supreme!
The next thing to consider in terms of gear is making sure you have a layer of insulation between yourself and the ground, not including your sleeping bag. This could be an inflatable or foam pad, it’s your preference. however, if you move a lot I would recommend a foam pad.
Alright, this next step is one I personally knew nothing about but I promise it makes a world of difference. Make sure you eat before going to bed. If your body isn’t properly nourished you will burn more calories trying to stay warm & regulate your body temperature. Especially, if your camping trip also involves hiking, make sure to ear high protein foods, plenty of carbs and sugar can be a good thing while hiking. My favorite treat on the trail is sour patch kids. And I typically opt for the dehydrated meals that you can purchase at REI, Amazon and a number of other location because they’re carb and protein dense.
Also…and maybe this is TMI but make sure you go to the bathroom before you go to bed. Again, I tell you this in the name of regulating and maintaining your body temperature. If you have to go to the bathroom and you hold it your body temperature will drop and you will end up progressively colder as the night goes on. It’s much better to suck it up and go asap than hold it on a cold night of camping.
Last, dress appropriately. You can never bring to many layers…okay maybe you can but honestly I’d rather be overprepared than underprepared in this facet of camping. Make sure you have tight fitting base layers to trap heat in. I prefer to use merino wool base layers but I know a lot of people love the dri-fit under armour layers as well. Then add some fleece layers to your comfort/warmth level.Â
Your extremities lose the most heat the most quickly so heavy duty socks are a must. I double layer and sometime even triple layers socks because I have circulation problems. I start with regular old crew socks, then put on a pair of merino wool hiking socks and top my feet off with camping socks.Â
You will almost always catch me wearing a beanie to sleep as well. If it’s not the middle of summer, the chances are I have a beanie on all night. My favorite beanie right now is a wool ICEWEAR beanie I bought in Iceland. Honestly, the warmest , softest, best beanie I’ve ever owned. I will sing it’s praises for the foreseeable future. If you’re like me and always cold invest in a good pair of gloves and you can even wear those to sleep to.Â
Honestly, just do what you’ve got to do. It’s better to be too warm than too cold. Trust me! I’ve never been more miserable sleeping than my first time winter camping. Hopefully this helps and you avoid the mistake I made when you venture into winter camping.
Also long as you are prepared, it can be a fun, and beautiful experience to camp during the winter and hike as well!
