Safety First with Winter Camping Equipment

Camping in the winter is a far cry from camping in the warmer seasons. Also, it can be more dangerous if there is bad weather imminent. Having the right winter camping equipment can not only make the trip more fun, but will also make your trip safer as a whole. If you know what type of weather and ground conditions you'll be facing, you can pack the proper equipment into your backpack. Winter camping equipment for snowy conditions is different from (only) cold weather camping. However, if there is one characteristic that all winter camping equipment shares, it is to keep you warm, no matter what.

Setting Up Camp

One of the most important pieces of winter camping equipment that you'll use is the tent itself. Many tents are designed for use in the spring, summer, and autumn months and may not be designed to deal with high winds and lots of snowfall. Also, the stakes used to secure the tent are different for hard ground and snowy conditions. Fortunately, there is specialized equipment for every camping condition, and you can even find different stakes for hard and soft snow alike.

To stay warm at night, the most important piece of winter camping equipment is your sleeping bag. Summer sleeping bags won't serve you well at all, and you'll need to pick up winter sleeping bags that are rated for different temperatures. It's pretty common to find sleeping bags that are rated for negative 25 degrees Fahrenheit and lower. To keep warm, you'll also want to buy padding to place beneath the sleeping bag as the cold ground can actually suck your heat away faster than the cold ground, all based on some basic principles of physics that state that solids conduct heat energy faster than gases.

Lastly, make sure that your clothing is appropriate for the trip. Winter camping clothing should never be cotton. While it's dry, cotton is fine, but there is a greater chance that your clothing will become wet from snow. When wet, cotton loses heat very quickly, while wool and synthetic materials keep you warm. To go camping in the winter, you'll have to buy some special equipment for the season, and this equipment typically costs more than the lower quality summer materials for normal camping. With the appropriate winter camping equipment and by following some basic tips, you can make your winter camping trip successful, safe, and fun.