Some thoughts on winter backpacking
With winter now full in hand, trails empty, shelters become spacious, and the land presents a much different look and feel than in the spring, summer, or fall. With the leaves off the trees and the bushes emptied, one can see the true extent and shape of the land that one walks through. Without others around, the solitude that is missing from the popular seasons can be found in abundance. Winter is a fabulous time to go out backpacking, provided you are prepared for the logisitical and technical difficulties that separate it from backpacking in the warmer months. For the rest of this post, I am going to try to describe a few techniques that I have found helpful for backpacking during moderate winter weather. By moderate, I mean daytime temperatures no lower than 10 degrees (F, of course), with night time temperatures not lower than 0. Snow and ice, of course, are allowed, but not to the point where real crampons or snow shoes are necessary. I am focusing on these conditions, because I can rely upon finding them where I usually go backpacking in the winter (the Smokys) and because I don't have much experience on snowshoes or in extended sub-zero temperatures. I may miss some points that others might want to add (please do) or state things that others disagree with (please point these out) and what I am stating is what has worked for me. For those who don't want to read much further, here is short summary of what follows:
1) It is easy to stay warm while hiking, much harder while in camp. Have dry, warm clothes to change into at the end of the day.
2) You won't drink enough cold water to stay hydrated, so make a lot of warm liquids in camp.
3) The days are short, the nights long. Plan accordingly and eat alot.
A general principle for winter backpacking is that it is easy to stay warm while you are moving. Carrying a pack up and down hills generates a lot of body heat. However, staying warm when you are sedentary (i.e, in camp) is more difficult if you are not prepared. The body heat that you were generating while hiking is also going to generate sweat. That sweat is going to chill you to the bone when you stop. One solution is to regulate how much you sweat by wearing appropriate clothes while you hike. Here are my hiking clothes for the winter time:
Andiamo Skinz (underwear)
MEC Ferrata II Pants (made of dryskin)
MEC Warmwear top
Moonstone Evolution Jacket (softshell, worn if it is below freezing)
MEC Earband
Fox River Polypro liner gloves
Running socks
Brooks Tresspass Trailrunners (or boots and gaiters if lots of snow)
The Warmwear top has a partial zip and allows me to vent well. The earband can go over my ears for warmth or act like a headband for partial warmth. This set up allows me to cruise up hill most of the day and still arrive in camp not too sweaty. For my normal breaks of 20 minutes, I'll be warm for most of the break but decidedly cool at the end. For a longer lunch break, I'll need to pull out a down jacket (see later) to stay warm. During a break, a sit pad (a square of an old foam sleeping pad) is a delight to have.
Arriving in camp, the first thing I'll do is drop my pack and fetch water. I'll still be warm in When I arrive in camp and can easily get my night's water supply. Once back from fetching water, a liter of water goes into a pot and I start it heating. I then generally will put on:
MEC Midweight Thermal tights
MEC Midweight Thermal top
MEC Cygnus 700 Down jacket
Wigwam Polypro hat
Smartwool Socks
Sierra Designs Down Booties
If it is supposed to be very cold, I'll bring along some old Campmor fleece pants. A pair of Black Diamond Guide Gloves come with as well.
By the time I get all this bulky clothing on, the water is coming close to a boil and I'll make soup. When it is below freezing, it is pretty hard to drink enough cold water to stay hydrated. So, drink hot liquids instead. A liter of soup really fills you up, so make something brothy and light: You are after liquid here, not calories. After drinking the soup, I'll put on water for my main meal and unpack. Meals need to be big and you should really have two during the night: A first, main course, and a second, lighter one before bed. After my first dinner, I'll put another liter of water on for tea. Again, I'm rehydrating here. About an hour before going to bed, I'll consume a few more calories, like a large chocolate bar. The idea is to get a few more calories to burn for the evening: The more calories you have in you, the warmer you will be. Wearing a hat to bed helps keep you warm as well.
Before you go to bed, make sure to put your fuel in your sleeping bag with you, along with lighters. Neither will work well in the cold morning if you don't keep them warm at night. If you have put on dry socks, try putting your damp ones underneath your sleeping pad and the ground. They won't dry out, but neither will they be frozen in the morning. In the morning, another liter of tea with cold breakfast is a good way to get going.
A special consideration for winter hiking is the lack of daylight. In the cold, it is hard to start hiking before 9 in the morning. It takes a while to convince yourself to get out of your warm sleeping bag and drink down the hot tea or chocolate or coffee. At the other end of the day, it gets dark soon. You'll want to be in camp at least an hour before dark, but 2 is better. In the Smokys, this means you'll need to be in camp by 4, giving you a maximum of 7 hours of hiking. For me, I can cover 15 miles comfortably in this time span, but others might cover more or less. Hiking at night isn't much fun and it gets a lot colder. For comparison, a standard summer hiking day would see me cover 30 miles in a day, so mileage drops a lot in the winter time.
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Cold weather tips
, but may entice us to try it this winter. The coldest I've ever camped was an 18 degree night / early morning with the Boy Scouts.
hello need advice
Originally Posted by jackiebolen
spelling is not my thing)?
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