Camping in winter may seem illogical. Who would want to camp in cold, snowy weather? Why would a person do that? Ironically, the answer is the same reason that people camp in summer- to enjoy the outdoors and live among the elements in similar ways to camping in other seasons. You can hike, snowshoe, ski, build snow sculptures and a host of other activities at a time when most campgrounds give huge discounts and public campsites may be vacant. This is your best chance to enjoy solitude or exclusive access with your friends and family.
Stay Warm
At first blush, I thought that camping in cold winter weather would be very difficult. Then, I remembered my annual elk hunt in mid-October in the high country of the White River National Forest. We cherish the opportunity to camp, aka. hunt, in remote mountains where temperatures drop near zero, snow accumulates, and the wind howls. Fall in the Colorado Rockies is much like winter in other parts of the country. The rugged weather actis like a mote of sorts to keep other hunters from entering our area.
Critical Gear
Since this post is presented by Amazon, it’s not surprising that they focus on products, yet you’ll find these suggestions very straight forward and easy to follow. The post describes the “most important piece of gear” followed by the “second” and so forth.
I took my first winter camping trip more than 20 years ago. I used cheap gear to sleep outside in below-zero temps, and it wasn’t exactly fun.
Thankfully, Cold weather campers have better gear choices today. This article is a primer for anyone with little-to-no winter camping experience. Read on to learn how.
Sleeping Bags For Winter Camping
This is the most important piece of gear – it also tends to be the most expensive, particularly if you choose a high-quality down bag (and you probably should). For those who camp where the snow flies, consider a bag rated for 0 degrees F or below.
