Saturday, September 17, 2016

8 Tips for Camping in the snow

Camping in the snow adds fun new set and new challenges to the normal routine of camp. Of course, it is colder and colder winter weather, the more things you have to pack it in. telemark skis, skins, snowshoes, crampons, several layers, a thicker sleeping bag, the list is long and you weigh 80 pounds, you know the backpack. Well this  is the season for snow camping, so I have some tips to help the novice try to camp in the snow for the first time or enter some new tricks along the wild veterinarian.


1. Prepare for the Worst


With roads covered with ice and snow, it is your job to decide how you are going to do and the camp alive. Unlike the summer, when trails are clearly recognizable, marked by signs, and many people on the road, the winter has zero people on the road and everything is under several feet of snow. Before even out the door, you need a detailed map to study and know the most striking features of the terrain. Understand that even though it looks like a winter landscape, it can turn into hell very quickly. This time, the storms of the year can white out of the area in a few minutes and is very easy to get disoriented. Thick clouds and storms may also be possible to pay the recording of a GPS, so that the old map and compass can be life. Do not be afraid to take shelter and wait until the storm. People have survived several days to build a snow cave.

2. Meet Camp- Skis vs Snow Shoes


Once you're ready to walk through a blizzard opposite, determine the method of travel you want to use. Of course we all want to get the snow mobile, but it is not an option and we are certainly not places holing our way to the camp. Cross-country ski / hiking alpine skis or telemark skis are the fastest way to the camp for free on rough terrain. The back heel releases the connection allowing you to walk in a sliding movement to climb a mountain. With skins attached to the base of your skis, you can easily walk once you learn. You click the link to downhill skiing with skis heel. Teles be much more difficult to ski downhill and require a working method to the difficult runs. Skis can also be used to hold a tent or help build a shelter. Although highly effective, able to use very heavy skis and difficult at first. If a ski or binding breaks, but also to solve much more difficult than a strap on a snowshoe hike. Ski boots are terrible around the camp, if you need to pack in boots or freeze your feet. Snowshoes although in a way groundcover much slower, it is more convenient for camping in the snow. Snowshoes can be used by anyone, clip in a boat, have crampon soils are much lighter than skis and you can even make a couple with a little ingenuity. Although I prefer skis and a heavier pack, I recommend you go snowshoeing for your first snow camping.

3. Build the perfect Camp / Tent Shelter vs Bivy


Now that you have made in the camp, you can not whip the old tent and throw it on the floor as if the summer. Remember you stand on several feet of snow. You need to pack the snow or dig. This provides a nice solid base and generally blocks the wind. Use your skis, snowshoes or shovel to pack the snow down enough to where you can jump into without drilling a hole. Or find an area with less snow, as in the vicinity of the base of a tree and dig snow. Never sleep directly on snow, use a floor mat! During the night, the snow under your body will slowly melt and flow you. Well, if you decided to just throw your tent down and get on the floor of the tent can turn. Your tent will probably decide to contract you to rip about 2:00. Now all your stuff is covered with snow and frost. Once you prepare the perfect base for a bivouac or tent to time. Collect fire of extra material to the case, even in places where no fire allowed. Stake your tent or tent buried lines in the snow. Build a fence wall stones snow or branches to wind blown snow to drift. It's a terrible feeling unsafe and being buried alive awakened by snow in your bivouac. It's a mistake I'll only do it once. In my experience, a tent is luxurious and it is nice to be indoors when the weather turns bad, but I usually just roll with the bivouac. It helps me cut down on the weight and volume in my bag and it usually makes me build my website a little better.

4. Difficulty with food and water


Once the camp was set up already, it's time to get a hot meal and a refreshing drink of water. Then your Nalgene open a block of ice and you Jet Boil will not light. Well simply that your water bottle needs insulted as a bus Jet Boil. Hold the can around your body when you walk in, and use a small foam mat for cooking instead of placing the bus directly on the snow. Place your water bottles upside down in the insulating cover and the ground freezes up. Then you heat the remaining water to frozen water or use it to melt snow. You will need to have a small amount of water to melt the snow. If you try to melt snow directly in an oven, it will only burn the snow. You can also add or Gatorade packets of lemonade to your water to lower the freezing temperature of water. Apply a lighter to your Jet Boil light the fuse on the Jet Boil seems to have the biggest problems. Jet Boil claims they operate at 26,000 feet. I have successfully used mine to 14,000 feet and it took about 4-5 minutes to boil water. If you decide to leave a mountain home, make use of the small pro-pak, they will not grow at high altitudes. Also, never eat snow when you are thirsty. It will only bring you down the temperature of your heart and make your body work harder to warm you up, making you more dehydrated!

5. Take care of your stuff and your stuff will take care of you


It is very important to stop a problem before it even began camping in the snow and freezing temperatures. In summer it is nice if you get goods drenched by the rain, but you can kill in the damp winter fabric. Down loses its insulating properties when wet. Use a large brush to clean all the snow from your boots, outer layers of clothing, tents, etc. Snow will just keep accumulating like dirt if you do not want to clean out, then all your stuff ends up wet. Use vapor for your bag and boots sleep. Using vapor barrier socks can keep your feet sweat in your boots, because the sweat will make you freeze your boots in the morning. A vapor barrier for your sleeping bag can keep condensation to build in your bag, and although I never knew, maybe put your sleeping bag in a frozen rock. The weather can turn your sleeping bag inside every day and let them dry in the sun on top of a tent or a tree branch. Get a sleeping bag in black and it will be very soon enjoy the warmth. Change your sweaty stuff every night, especially socks, gloves and a hat. Keep all your equipment will also clean as possible and free of moisture to work effectively.

6. Block the sun and wind


Even if it is 10 degrees below, you still need protection from the sun during the summer. In the snow you are hit by sunlight from all sides because of the snow because of radiation. Always wear sunglasses or goggles or you can literally go blind. Apply sunscreen in places you would not normally think of as such under your chin or under your nose. It is very painful when the skin under your nose is dry, cracked, wind / sun burn and keep you rub your glove cause your nose runs. Every day, all day, you must apply the lotion on your hands, face and feet to keep them from drying and keep cracking. Apply a large amount of lip balm and wear protective clothing such as balaclavas wind. Petroleum jelly can also be used to conserve heat or to act as a barrier against the wind.

7. Keep Snow Out


As you walk around to find all day in the snow, the snow will try avoid unnecessary wet socks, glove liners or ancestries its way into your boots, gloves, neck, etc. Keep the snow outside. Wear pants with elastic bottom which also has a cord to keep them down around your boots. Place gaiters snow on top and prevent all the snow boots. Make sure your outer layer glove also prevented cord snow that your glove while working around the camp. A neck and hood cover to prevent snow from entering around your neck. Stay dry to stay warm.

8. Pee before bed and have a pee bottle


This tip may sound ridiculous, but there is nothing more annoying than being delivered complete and comfortable in your sleeping bag and then you have to pee in the middle of the night. You not only lose heat can build up in your sleeping bag, but you need to put boots to go outside. These are not the hot summer months, where you can quickly toe beats a tree bare feet. Now it snow with a constant wind outside and you have to boots, snowshoes, gloves, etc just to pee round. So having a clear bottle to pee in your sleeping bag is a lifeline. Ladies, I'm sorry, but you can always leave the tent, unless you have an amazing goal.

Camping in the snow is a wild and liberating experience. I hope these tips will help you go camping more at this time of the year! Please advice or tips that you used when sharing camping in the snow, I would teach them. For more tips to stay warm this winter season, see my 5 tips for staying warm while camping in winter conditions.

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