Winter camping

[Canardly]

Who does it and what sort of kit is needed?

[clarion]

Warm stuff and dry stuff.  And preferably a warm person in your sleeping bag.

[Chris S]

Very strange people indeed do it, and you need Vodka. Lots of Vodka.

Clicky

[clarion]

Oh - that reminds me - you'll also need a pub with a woodfired stove you can dry your socks/shoes/gloves etc on.

And a bunch of good mates so you can have a laugh about it.

[Canardly]

I think that is one of the earliest threads I read on this 'ere forum.

[Butterfly]

I have done since before I met clarion. Needed: woolly hat, woolly long johns, woolly vest, woolly gloves. Decent sleeping bag and liner. Decent mat. Small Tent - easy to warm - have a door open at the top and boil some water for a hot water bottle and tea. Several pairs of socks. A lot of sheep and geese are bald for me to camp in January . Big fleece and fleece trousers to put over long johns etc to sleep in. Change of boots. A pub close to the campsite so that you can sprint from the fire to your sleeping bag is a bonus, as is a site with a heated toilet block.

[Canardly]

Ta butterfly I am trying to summon some interest in a daft midwinter thing so genuine interest.

[Pedaldog.]

Do tell Canardly!  Whens and wheres etc.

[Oscar's dad]

Very strange people indeed do it, and you need Vodka. Lots of Vodka.

Clicky

We must do it again - soon.

[gordon taylor]

A long. long time ago, we did a couple of winter camps with the children - including a babe in arms.

Pitching one whole tent inside another whole tent (the latter having no sewn-in groundsheet) is the way to warmth and happiness. I discovered much later that Laplanders do that in the winter, albeit with tents made of reindeer hides. They claim it works down to about -40 degrees C.

I'm not sure that I could ever be persuaded to go winter camping ever again.   

[Butterfly]

I love it! It's always one of my favourite camps of the year .

I am one of the world's cold people, so other people may not need to go to such lengths.

Kit:
Hilleberg Nallo tent
Downmat 9
Rab Summit 900
Silk liner
merino knee high socks
sealskinz waterproof socks in a size too big so that I can wear them over 2 other pairs of socks
merino long sleeved top
merino long johns
fleece trousers
fleece top
winter walking trousers
stout boots
a fleece blanket if you have room
decent water proof
water proof walking trousers

My advice is not to get cold - cooling down is easy, warming up is very hard.

[loadsabikes]

I love it! It's always one of my favourite camps of the year .


For sure. Winter camping is great fun.
Always fill the kettle the night before, then it doesn't matter if the water freezes overnight.
The early morning roar of an MSR dragonfly as you lounge in a cosy bag waiting for that first brew and a bowl of porridge

[Butterfly]

Oh yes, and bring the gas cannister inside overnight so that it doesn't freeze. If it's really cold, wrap it up and put it in the bottom of the sleeping bag .

[delthebike]

Taking a four pint, plastic, milk jug so you can wee twice without leaving the tent. Bliss!   

[Speshact]

Travelodge started their £12 sale on Thursday 

[Oscar's dad]

Taking a four pint, plastic, milk jug so you can wee twice without leaving the tent. Bliss!   

I can endorse this!  Please note, Del and I have never shared a milk container     

[Wowbagger]

Taking a four pint, plastic, milk jug so you can wee twice without leaving the tent. Bliss!   

I can endorse this!  Please note, Del and I have never shared a milk container     

Well, gallon ones are so hard to come by.

[jogler]

The last time was not planned.Hit the sack on the night of Good Friday & awoke next morning to snow on the ground.In the Manifold valley in the Peak District.

[delthebike]

I can endorse this!  Please note, Del and I have never shared a milk container     

Knowingly shared ITYM! 

[Oscar's dad]

I can endorse this!  Please note, Del and I have never shared a milk container     

Knowingly shared ITYM! 

I think I'm safe on this one!  This is not going to replicate the thing between Reg and I!

Its worth pointing out that on the first and only time I've been winter camping I did not take any specialist winter kit, cos I didn't have any. We have enough lightweight summer kit for 3 people so I put one sleeping bag inside another and one Thermarest on top of another. I was very warm.

[delthebike]

I can endorse this!  Please note, Del and I have never shared a milk container     

Knowingly shared ITYM! 

I think I'm safe on this one!  This is not going to replicate the thing between Reg and I!

Sorry OD, did you mean to type complicate? 

[Oscar's dad]

 

[mrcharly-YHT]

I used to winter camp whenever I could.

The camping kit isn't a problem. Carrying enough clothes to be warm enough when immobile is! 

If you can fit it in, a hot water bottle is a wonderous thing to have. You boil excess water when cooking, put hot water bottle into sleeping bag - ah, the pleasure of sliding into a pre-warmed sleeping bag.

Insulation from the ground is really really important - foam karrimats are better than cheap inflatable mats.

[Efrogwr]

Good insulation underneath is vital. I have woken op because my feet have moved off the mat and contacted the ground.
 I have never bothered with a winter sleeping bag; I've found that a bigger bag (could be a cheapy if you don't often camp in winter) outside your normal one is enough. When it gets really cold I wear my duvet in the pit. Wearing a full set of wool underwear as pyjamas helps.

[Jon P]

Don't forget that the days are so much shorter, otherwise it would be a lot more bearable.  I've only ever done it once - an Xmas backpacking trip to Dartmoor.  Temperatures were predicted to be above freezing so I took a bivvy tent and Buffalo pile bag, plus my 3 piece Buffalo suit to wear in the bag.  But it froze to at least -10C every night, the water in my bag froze solid as did my boots.  15 hours at a time is a long while to spend shivering through the night, I packed up and went home at the first opportunity!