(NOTE: For more information on equipment and checklists and winter camping, check this part of the Troop website — The Webmaster.)
I have noticed a dropoff in those going on winter camping trips. That is a concern since Scouting Is Outing.
If you are considering going on a winter trip, but are afraid that your equipment may not stand up to the elements, please talk to me at the next meeting. The troop has available a couple of good quality down bags and a couple of fiberfill bags as well. We have four backpacks which will work quite nicely to boot.
You can rent gear from REI at very attractive prices and you can reserve it ahead of time. If you are not a member, join.
Although we like to brag just a bit about how tough we are and how close to nature we are on these trips, keep in mind that you can be warm and comfortable, even without spending several hundred dollars on the latest and greatest gear. After all, the early conquests of Everest and the many polar expeditions were done long before fleece and polypro garments were invented.
My own winter down bag was purchased in (gasp) 1961 and is still going strong. I have added a fleece liner and a nylon cover for more warmth. For non-winter weather I go with my cheap fiberfill bag with liner and cover for early spring and late fall. Today I would probably go with a fiberfill even for winter camping because it handles damp conditions so much better and you can wash it without having to make it a big event.
My wardrobe for winter campouts is usually:
Up to three layers of fleece tops
Fleece bottoms, nylon pants, lightly insulated snowboard pants
Polypro long underwear
Good socks
Boots with felt liners
Fleece gloves with fingers, covered with wool two-layer mittens
A HeadSokz which is a sort of high-tech balaclava. See it here:
http://www.buyhappyfeet.com/Headsokz
Nylon windproof anorak
Down parka
In all cases, I add and subtract layers as the weather changes.
That’s all it takes. I carry an extra pair of light fleece tops and bottoms and a pair of fleece socks to sleep in. None of it cost a lot of money and all of it has seen several seasons. There are, of course, several ways to achieve the same end which is warmth without sweating. Mine is just one of them. The key, however, is layers. Yes, you can buy expensive stuff at places like REI and EMS, but you can fill in with much cheaper stuff from Old Navy.
But it will be cold at night, you say. My son’s sleeping bag weighs only a pound and a half and he regularly camps out in weather which is well below freezing. I am not that hardcore, but I have been out in the open at temperatures below zero with my gear and been warm. The only time I have been cold is when I was in the Navy and had to participate in a weeklong cold-weather exercise in the Aleutians where we swam most of the day (with wetsuits of course) and then slept in paper sleeping bags. Sort of like sleeping in a Stop & Shop bag. I have NEVER been so cold. In fact, I looked forward to putting on my wetsuit and getting into the water because it was so much warmer.
So don’t pass up those winter events because you MIGHT be a little uncomfortable. Rent or borrow some gear, turn off the video games, put aside the homework, and join us in the great outdoors. And if gear is holding you back, talk to me or to one of the hardcore Scouts and leaders. Cold weather camping can be a lot of fun and it gives you some serious bragging rights as well.
-Hank Manz