Winter Camping: Tips and recommendations for a successful winter camping experience

Before moving up to the Yukon, I had never camped in winter. It's been a steep learning curve with some cold nights and frozen mishaps. Even the easiest of tasks are made more difficult in the cold/snow. So here are some tips and recommendations from the lessons I have learnt camping throughout a winter in the Yukon.

1. A down filled sleeping bag is a must. One very simple reason that I'd recommend a down sleeping bag over a synthetic one, down has a much better warmth to weight ratio. Unfortunately, this does mean down sleeping bags tend to be more expensive, but if you take good care of your kit a down bag will last you a long time, and in my opinion, well worth the investment. They do require a little bit more care than a synthetic bag and you need to avoid getting it wet. Many outdoor companies now offer affordable wash services too, which takes away the stress of trying to wash and dry without the down clumping up it at home. There’s a plethora of information on the interwebs with a quick Google search, but one thing I will mention is that Rab offer a rental system now, which means you can either rent a bag just for a weekend or try before you buy. Learn more about the science of sleeping bags here.

2. Pack a shovel. You should be carrying a shovel anyway if you are travelling in avalanche terrain, but they are also useful when setting up camp. We like to dig out a designated lower level 'porch' at the entrance of the tent to make a seat. This makes life easier to get boots on and off. In addition, building a snowbank, set back from the wall of your tent, will not only act as a windbreak, protecting you from the cold, but should also prevent the tent of being buried in snow drifts.

3. A closed cell foam sleeping pad. This is to go under your insulated inflatable mat. Not only does an extra sleeping pad add comfort, the closed cell or ‘egg-box’ design traps little pockets of heat which work to keep you warm. If your inflatable mat is directly on cold ground then this will transfer through to the air in the mat, meaning you will get cold. The foam sleeping pad acts as an extra layer of warmth, and they make the world of difference. I have the Nemo Switchback, I chose this one because they come in a short length and is super light. Therma-rest have a very similar one and they are worth every penny.

4. A hard plastic water bottle and a sock. Here’s a neat little trick to help you warm up. Fill a hard plastic Nalgene, or equivalent, with hot water and put it in a big sock. Voila, a home-made hot water bottle. I sometimes struggle to get my core to warm up, and until I have an adventure pooch to cuddle, this does the trick. Keep the hot bottle near your core and you can use it to keep your extremities warm too. Make sure your water bottle can handle hot liquids (NEVER BOILING), give it a shake to release any pressure a few times before putting it in your sleeping bag and use with caution.

5. Vent the tent! Air flow in your tent is super important in the winter. If you don’t want to be woken up by an ice shower of frozen condensation falling on your face, then keep those vents open overnight. This will help prevent everything getting wet when the tent warms back up again.

6. Put your clothes for the next day in the end of your sleeping bag. When you go to put them on in the morning, they aren’t freezing cold!

7. Camping light. This is in addition to you headtorch. Having a little light with a hook that you can hang up in your tent is a great addition for winter camping, especially when the mornings are long. We have the Black Diamond Moji R+ Lantern. Reasons we like this light: It is tiny, super bright (200 lumens), inexpensive and USB-C rechargeable. In addition, we absolutely love the flickering candlelight setting. I’m sure it makes the tent feel 50% warmer.

8. Keep that gas bottle off the snow. This was one of life’s lessons. Gas doesn’t like being cold and won’t burn as efficiently if directly on the snow/cold ground. A little foam pad or stand to keep your gas off the cold ground/snow will go a long way when you’re trying to boil up water after a long day. Our MSR Windburner comes with a little stand for the gas bottle but we also use a closed cell pad, much like the sleeping one, to put the bottle on. Nemo, make a smaller version of the sleeping pad, which is meant as a seat, but comes in handy when cooking too. It’s cheap, lightweight, and made of recycled materials. I am sure a small piece of any old camping mat would also do the trick.

9. Reusable handwarmers. I often need something to help kick-start circulation in my hands and feet and reusable handwarmers are a great choice. If you want to move away from single use plastics and battery powered hand warmers, then Hot-Poc’s reusable hand warmers are a good option. I’ve written a post about them here. HotPoc kindly gave me a discount code for 10% off: caroline10. Unfortunately, they aren’t shipping to the UK just yet, but LifeSystems have a similar product.

10. Camp booties. Something I forget and regret every time. There are lots of options, but down booties would be your warmest and lightest option.

11. Spare liner gloves and base layers. While you’re camping, and especially is its below 0 degrees, you’ll need liner gloves for all those fiddly tasks (putting in tent poles, fixing guy lines). If you are camping in snow, your liners are likely to get wet, and freeze. It’s always a good idea to have a couple of spare pairs stashed in your bag. In addition, ALWAYS pack some spare base layers to change into. If you get sweaty on the hike/ski in, that sweat will freeze and you will get cold very quickly.

12. Use a dry bag full of snow to anchor your tent down. Tent pegs don’t tend to work so well in snow. A little trick is to fill up a dry bag full of snow, attach it to your tents anchor points and bury it. Works a charm. Bring extra dry bags to use an anchors, so you can keep your dry clothes separate.

13. Fire Starter. A good idea to have one as a backup in case your lighter packs up in the cold, or to just use it as your main source if ignition if you can get the hang of striking them. They take a little more effort than a lighter, but they are reliable, reduce waste and can be used multiple times, Win!

14. Stay hydrated! I know the last thing you'll want to do is get out of your warm sleeping bag to go to the toilet in the middle of the night, but trust me, your body will thank you in the morning if you keep those fluids topped up.