Cold weather camping, what do I need to know?

[Bio]

A buddy and I are talking about a winter camping trip early 2021. I've done a fair bit of nice weather camping, but nothing cold. We're not going anywhere off the beaten path, just a state park in a camp site most likely, so we'll have a car on hand in case we run into issues. Basically, what I want to know is 1.) What should I know to mitigate the cold and enjoy the trip as much as possible. 2.) Are there any basic prices of equipment not used in regular camping that make a big difference?

We expect temperatures in the 20s-30s.

[Zincwarrior]

To my kids in Illinois, thats shorts weather...

[MickAK]

A buddy and I are talking about a winter camping trip early 2021. I've done a fair bit of nice weather camping, but nothing cold. We're not going anywhere off the beaten path, just a state park in a camp site most likely, so we'll have a car on hand in case we run into issues. Basically, what I want to know is 1.) What should I know to mitigate the cold and enjoy the trip as much as possible. 2.) Are there any basic prices of equipment not used in regular camping that make a big difference?

We expect temperatures in the 20s-30s.

Bring some sheets of scrap cardboard from big boxes to insulate the ground with. As a bonus, you can burn it in the morning to warm up quick. Check what your sleeping bag is rated for. 20s-30s isn't that bad but a solid 0 degree bag will make it nothing. Are you bringing your own firewood or harvesting on site?

[41magfan]

If you will be sleeping on the ground, make sure your underside is well insulated. The ground (or even the air movement under a cot) will suck the warmth right out of you if this is inadequate. Along those lines, take whatever you need to sleep warm as failing to get good rest can ruin any trip. Take steps to make sure your water, water filters and relevant food items don't freeze and keep your electronics warm, as well. The nice thing about car camping vs backpacking is the flexibility to take all sorts of "contingency" items, since you're not going to be lugging it around on your back.

[whomever]

A buddy and I are talking about a winter camping trip early 2021. I've done a fair bit of nice weather camping, but nothing cold. We're not going anywhere off the beaten path, just a state park in a camp site most likely, so we'll have a car on hand in case we run into issues. Basically, what I want to know is 1.) What should I know to mitigate the cold and enjoy the trip as much as possible. 2.) Are there any basic prices of equipment not used in regular camping that make a big difference?

We expect temperatures in the 20s-30s.

There's the obvious thing of warm clothes and sleeping bag.

Make sure you have enough insulation between you and the ground ... it doesn't matter how warm your bag is because your body weight compresses the insulation between you and the ground, and you don't have enough body heat to heat the 20 degree ground. We usually take as many as three closed cell ('Ensolite' type) pads because they don't spring a leak and deposit you on the ground, but whatever works.

If you are hiking, have some way to keep water warm (thermos, foam wrap for water bottle, ...). When it's 20 degrees you don't want to knock back a big slug of ice cold water, so it's easy to get dehydrated ... plus the bottle lid can freeze shut. If you are sure your bottle doesn't leak you can fill it with hot water after dinner and use it in your bag as a hot water bottle, and it will give you warm water to drink at night, and you won't find it frozen shut in the morning.

Mittens beat the heck out of gloves, both because they are way warmer when you have them on, and because you can get in and out of them quickly to do fine motor control tasks (e,g, tie your shoes). I guess I should rephrase that last: 'make sure your mittens let you get in-n-out fast'.

Some camp stoves (pure butane??) don't work well in cold temps and low altitudes. I think they are uncommon today.

If you are bald, have a warm hat to sleep in.

Long nights ... headlamp.

[mtnbkr]

Most of what I do is winter camping, which in Virginia means temps ranging from below zero to mid 40s (Mostly 20s to 30s though). Most of my camping is now hammock-based.

Clothing:
Layers, especially if you're being active.
Fabrics that capture air (wool, fleece, etc) with an outer layer that blocks wind and/or moisture.

Tent:
If you're buying one, get a 4-season tent. However, a good 3-season tent with a good ground pad and sleeping bag will do in the temps you mention.
Get a quality tent in either case. Check out REI and similar stores.
If the tent is big enough, a Buddy propane heater can make it a more pleasant experience. If you're looking at a backpacking-size tent, a candle lantern can take the edge off. When I did that sort of thing, I'd light the candle a couple hours before I got into the tent.


Bedding:
Get a good sleeping pad. Even if you're in a tent big enough to allow a cot, you need a good insulating layer.
Do you know if you're a cold or hot sleeper? It's not necessarily tied to how hot or cold natured you are during the day. I'm a hot natured person, especially if I'm moving, but I'm a cold sleeper. As a result, I use a -15deg bag when temps get below 40deg.
If you're not backpacking, get a rectangular bag. You'll appreciate the extra space.
A pillow is good for comfort, more than many realize.
Don't sleep fully clothed, but do wear a base layer (ie your long johns) and a stocking cap.
Down is more insulating, but could be a problem when damp.


What are you doing for food, cooking, and general camp kitchen concerns? That's as important as the other items IMO because you'll want hot food and drink when you get up. If you're a coffee drinker, prep your coffee the night before. We use a giant percolator, so the last thing we do before going to bed is to fill it with water and pre-measured coffee so all we have to do is turn on the stove and then go about getting dressed, planning breakfast, etc.

Chris

[vcdgrips]

Note-many chimed in as I was writing. Sorry for the repeats.

Where to begin? I am writing based on camping with BSA and strategies that worked for me and my boys. I have camped down to single digits on 10 inches of snow. I have camped multiple times in the temp ranges you are setting forth. I have hiked Philmont (100+ miles over 10 days with everything on my back, temps freezing with flurries to 80 ish)

1. It is imperative that you change out of your day clothes into something warm and dry when you get into your sleeping bag for the night. I have a set of synthetic long underwear, some set aside merino wool socks and a fleece beanie for that very purpose. NOTHING COTTON here as it gets wet and stays wet.

2. In that vein, my clean,dry synthetic sleep gear and sleeping bag are going to be double bagged so no matter how wet I got before going to bed, my sleep system will be dry.

3. As you are car camping, bring the heaviest sleeping bag you got, for 20 degrees, I would bring my 0 bag as I sleep cold. My 0 bag for car camping is a 5 lb mummy from Walmart. If you do not have or want to buy a 0 degree bag, if you put one bag inside of another, a 30 inside of a 30, and that will get you there as well, particularly with the warm dry sleeping gear outlined above.

4. I bring a pee bottle in the tent these days on cold weather camp outs. Not having to get out of the tent is quite nice. ( 1 qt wide mouth sport drink bottle that looks and feel different for my nalgene water bottles.)

5. As you are car camping, just bring the firewood, fat wood sticks and some fire starters. I make my own fire started with dryer lint and vaseline and store 6-8 of them in a Altoids tin, in a zip lock bag with a small bic.

6. Anything mission critical, one is none and two is one.

7. If your air mattress is not insulated, it is much colder to sleep on that a pile of blankets and/or stacked foam pads

8. Bring a chair or something to sit on around camp/fire etc.

9. Bring a cheap, 3.00-4.00 std bed pillow from walmart/target. I have done it all re pillows: none, using the edge of my pack, an extra puffy jacket stuffed into a bag, a purpose designed "camping" pillow, all in the pursuit of less weight/bulk. I sleep much better on a bigger pillow, you are car camping so bring it. Even when I was not car camping the last couple of seasons, I brought it anyway
as it fit inside of my 75 liter pack with ease and I was never camping more than a couple days in the field or 5 in a permanent scout camp.

10. Pre hydrate the week before you go if you are not a water drinker by nature. Shoot for at least 1/3 to 1/2 your body weight in ozs of water per day. Do not forget to hydrate along the way.

Tell us about the gear you already have and/or what you want to buy anyway and I am sure we can offer more.

[JohnO]

Holiday Inn is your friend.

On a serious note: No cotton clothing! Stay hydrated. Don't underestimate Mother Nature. Extra Socks!

[TGS]

1) Anything below 40* is pretty hard to get any sleep if you don't have some sort of ground insulation. 20-30* outside and you'll likely be near-hypothermic without a sleeping pad due to heat loss from conduction, regardless of your bag rating. You don't need anything crazy expensive expedition quality.....a simple foam roll sleeping mat will do well. If you're using a tent, use a ground sheet as well.

2) Cleanliness can make a substantial difference in your ability to sleep well in cold weather because of how cleanliness plays into sweating. Bring some wet wipes to give yourself a whore-bath prior to point number 3...

3) On that last part, wear clean, long underwear and socks when you go to sleep. Reserve that clean lightweight set specifically for sleeping, wear something else for all other activities. Don't wear something too heavy that will make you sweat. I always chose thin, lightweight long underwear...YMMV. The big idea here is not so much about giving you more insulation, but that the material sleeping bags are made out of will typically trap moisture if you are skin-on-sleeping bag, instead of having an intermediate barrier. That moisture will then stay wet and suck heat away from you 25x faster than if it wasn't there, so even a small patch can make a difference. Ideally, that moisture should migrate to the exterior of the bag where you'll find it frozen when you wake up.

4) If you're doing this with a cheap square sleeping bag and not a mummy bag, wear a hat and wrap your upper body in a fleece shawl. That's a workable option for mildly-cold temperatures if you have a heatsource going nearby and use a sleeping pad....the latter almost being just as, if not more important than the bag itself.

These are my suggestions based on a fair bit of cold weather camping experience. @MickAK made a good suggestion about the cardboard scraps, which is a very common thing in snow environments (ice fishing, snowsport spectating, etc).....they can make a tremendous difference even if you're just sitting/standing around. It's insane how much heat you lose to conduction with the ground when sedentary.

[blues]

Good suggestions here, so I won't repeat them and my winter backpacking trips of extended sub-zero temperatures in Yosemite, the White Mountains and Adirondacks are (thankfully) behind me.

Keep hydrated, keep your body fuel level up, stay as dry as possible, and mind the wind and overhead limbs near your site. Hypothermia can occur in less than brutal conditions.

Enjoy yourself.