Tips for Winter Camping
- Consume at least 3 to 5 litres of water per day - more if you like caffeine.
- The first sign of dehydration is yellow snow (Vitamin C tablets artificially yellows urine.)
- Dehydration results in hypothermia. Your body needs water to process food for warmth.
- It takes twice as long to cook outdoors in the winter than summer - think simple meals.
- It takes several thousand calories just for warmth. Eat high calorie foods in close to the following ratio: 10% simple sugars, 40% complex carbohydrates, 30% protein, 20% fat.
- When preparing your menu, consider what can be cooked from frozen. Try cooking a frozen raw potato and see what you get.
- Keep your water jug upside down so when ice forms, it forms at the bottom of the jug.
- Keep your water jugs in a snowbank. Snow is a great insulator.
- Butane (camp gaz) is useless in very cold weather.
- White gas works really well when it's really cold.
- Prime the generator on a white gas stove by lighting fire paste on it.
- If spilled on bare skin, white gas will cause frostnip faster than you can say darn.
- Fibreglass tent poles have been known to crack in extreme cold.
- Always wear good uva/uvb blocking sunglasses even during overcast days.
- Sunlight reflected off of the snow can quickly cause snow blindness.
- Gather at least twice as much firewood as you think you'll need.
- Stoves are not heaters for small tents. Think dead from carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Batteries barely work when cold(frozen). Keep them inside your parka.
- Use a heat deflector when hanging candles in small tents.
- Use a defogger on all glasses and try to stay away from contacts.
- Put mitt-sized zipper pulls on all clothing and pack zippers.
- Make sure there sufficient room when fully dressed for movement and blood circulation.
- Use a "deadman" (short log) buried horizontally in the snow instead of tent pegs.
- Reverse guylines so the adjustable section is at the tent loop rather than buried in the snow.