Cold Weather Hiking Tips needed ?

[snowman2]

Need some tips on cold winter hiking. I'm going on a three day near the NOC. They are calling single digits temps for the two nights that we are out there.

Any inside scoop or tips would be great. This is my first trip with temps below 20.

Thanks in advance for the advice.

Snowman

[LIhikers]

I just came back from a camping trip in northern Minnesota, where the daytime highs were around zero degrees F and the night time went to 25 BELOW zero. The thing I learned is that it's easier to stay warm than try to get warm.

[Lone Wolf]

sleep in a tent

[KG4FAM]

don't get wet

[Egads]

keep your water liquid. ya can't drink ice.

run a search for winter hiking. There are plenty of prior threads on the subject.

[Mocs123]

I am assuming that you already have all the appropriate gear:

Make sure your pad is warm enough. Most people don't think much about thier pad, but it can make as big of difference as a sleeping bag. You may want to add a CC Foam pad underneath your normal pad.

Always keep a dry pair of clothes to change into. I have a Capaline 1 top and bottom for camp as well as dry wool socks, fleece gloves and hat. Take extra gloves and socks.

Turn your sleeping bag stuff sack inside out and put your shoes in it and put in the bottom of your sleeping bag. That way you wont have to put on frozen shoes the next morning.

Keep your water in the tent with you or if it cold enough, inside your bag (make sure your bottle doesn't leak) Also, water freezes where it has contact with air first, so if you store your water bottles upside down, you will be able to drink out of them for longer.

Canister stoves don't work well below 17* so if you plan on using one, sleep with the canister.

Around camp wear your raingear over your fleece or puffy insulating clothing for extra warmth. I am always surprised how much of a difference it makes.

Eat somthing warm and high calorie before you go to bed, Also make sure you drink enough (you will be cold if dehydrated)

During the day, make sure you don't wear too much clothing. You will be surprised how little you need while hiking and if you wear more you will just sweat and get cold.

Dont let your filter (if you use one) freeze. This is another item you might have to sleep with.

[snowman2]

Got a good one man tent, but only a 20 degree bag. Was thinking of either sleeping with my fleece on or buy a 0 degree bag for the night. Input ?

Got all the needed clothes and rain gear for the wind/snow/sleet.

I have heard two different thoughts on sleeping.

1. Sleep in longjohns/polypro and have the correct rated bag.

or

2. Sleep with your fleece on and make yourself warm for the conditions.

[snowhoe]

Pour water into your pot before you go to bed that way if it freezes you can just fire up you stove and your good to go. If you dont its hard to get frozen water out of your water bottle.

[Egads]

Thursday's forecast low is for 2* at Newfound Gap. Think a 20* & clothing will keep you warm? I'd want a 0* bag but hard to justify one for just 2 nights.

[Gray Blazer]

I am assuming that you already have all the appropriate gear:

Make sure your pad is warm enough. Most people don't think much about thier pad, but it can make as big of difference as a sleeping bag. You may want to add a CC Foam pad underneath your normal pad.

Always keep a dry pair of clothes to change into. I have a Capaline 1 top and bottom for camp as well as dry wool socks, fleece gloves and hat. Take extra gloves and socks.

Turn your sleeping bag stuff sack inside out and put your shoes in it and put in the bottom of your sleeping bag. That way you wont have to put on frozen shoes the next morning.

Keep your water in the tent with you or if it cold enough, inside your bag (make sure your bottle doesn't leak) Also, water freezes where it has contact with air first, so if you store your water bottles upside down, you will be able to drink out of them for longer.

Canister stoves don't work well below 17* so if you plan on using one, sleep with the canister.

Around camp wear your raingear over your fleece or puffy insulating clothing for extra warmth. I am always surprised how much of a difference it makes.

Eat somthing warm and high calorie before you go to bed, Also make sure you drink enough (you will be cold if dehydrated)

During the day, make sure you don't wear too much clothing. You will be surprised how little you need while hiking and if you wear more you will just sweat and get cold.

Dont let your filter (if you use one) freeze. This is another item you might have to sleep with.

Take Mocs advice to heart. You are living in FL now and it will be a huge difference when you are in the Nantahalas. As you have seen from my pics it was cold when I was there. The night time temps were around 7 degrees and it around 20 during the days. Be prepared so you don't freeze to death as I almost did.

[bigmac_in]

Heat up some water and pour it in a platypus bottle before you hit the sack at night. Put the bottle in your sleeping bag with you. You'll stay toasty warm, and you won't have to worry about frozen water in the morning. Best advice I ever got about cold weather camping.

[Del Q]

Great tips. I also sleep with cell phone and batteries, they seemed to die quickly in 10 degree weather. ABSOLUTELY on the sleeping pad, the ground is what gets you super cold, I have piled up lots of leaves underneath tent which helped a ton.

[snowman2]

Thanks for all the advice. Im thinking of buying a fleece liner for my bag and keep the hot water bottle in the bottom of the sack.

I use my cousin's sleeping pad and he has most of the gear. Not sure what brand it is, but I will check it.

I guess I'm a little nervous about being properly prepared in cold weather. I like to stay ahead of the game and be comfortable.

Thanks for all the tips and if there is anymore advice would love to hear it.

Thanks again,

Snowman

[Feral Bill]

Got a good one man tent, but only a 20 degree bag. Was thinking of either sleeping with my fleece on or buy a 0 degree bag for the night. Input ?


Got all the needed clothes and rain gear for the wind/snow/sleet.

I have heard two different thoughts on sleeping.

1. Sleep in longjohns/polypro and have the correct rated bag.

or

2. Sleep with your fleece on and make yourself warm for the conditions.

Your sleeping bag alone should be adequate for expected conditions. Add clothing if the temps really drop.

A lighter sleeping bag inside or outside the 20* bag is a good solution, and handy for summer later.

[Gray Blazer]

Mocs mentioned to not get dehydrated. As for me I try not to drink a lot before I go to bed cuz I don't want to be using a water bottle in my sleeping bag (not for drinking.... for micturating) in the middle of the night or having to get up to pee and losing the warmth.

[daibutsu]

It's a delicate balance between hydration, night peeing, food energy, and processing food. I'm a fan of the 'last minute, big piece of meat before sleeping' school. Drink some water, eat a big piece of protein, drink some more water, brush/floss your teeth, and climb in. Maybe you'll not have the urge to micturate, (that's a big word!) won't feel bloated, will be sufficiently hydrated, and will sleep like a baby. It works for me.

[snowman2]

I was thinking the same thing about adding clothes if the temps drops. I think poly pro and 2 fleece tops with fleece bottoms should do the trick in a 20 degree bag. Just wanting to bounce some ideas off the people who have the experience.

For getting up in the middle of the night when nature calls. Just depends on the night for me, cross that bridge when I get there. Ha

A little whisky always gives a little warmth before getting in the sack also.

Thanks again

Snowman

[shelterbuilder]

I was thinking the same thing about adding clothes if the temps drops. I think poly pro and 2 fleece tops with fleece bottoms should do the trick in a 20 degree bag. Just wanting to bounce some ideas off the people who have the experience....A little whisky always gives a little warmth before getting in the sack also.

Thanks again

Snowman

If you have the money, I would suggest getting a bag (or bag system - a bag-inside-a-bag) that's rated to your coldest expected temperature. That way, if you get cold, you have your fleece to fall back on.

DO NOT DRINK ALCOHOL OF ANY KIND IF YOU REALLY PLAN TO STAY WARM - alcohol is a vaso-dialator (sp?), and will open up all of your surface blood vessels. This does 2 things: first, it allows all of the really warm blood from your body's core to rise to the surface of your skin, thus allowing it to cool faster; second, it allows all of the cool blood that would normally be "trapped" near the skin's surface to pour into your body's core, thus cooling you faster than normal.

[Kanati]

Use a tent but pile leaves about 10 inches deep X 24 inches wide under your tent on the side where you'll be sleeping. This will have a great insulating effect from the cold ground. I've been doing this for many years and it also lays much more comfortable that a pad on boards.

[Joey]

I am going to comment on the sleeping bag ordeal. I have both 0 and 20 degree bags. The twenty stays at home pretty much after October and the 0 degree comes out. I have the Mountain Hardwear Phantom and I was out on Grandfather last year with Patrick in temps double digit below zero in a tent. The zero bag worked very good in those conditions. If you are planning to do a lot of winter hike, buy a zero degree bag. They are pricey but well worth the money. Western Mountaineering has some of the best bags on the market, but you better have the cash too! MountainHardwear or North Face bags are good too. be ready to spend 350-500 dollars for a good one.