|
Cold Weather
Camping |
Cold weather camping as defined by
BSA is "camping in weather where the average daily temperature is below 50
degrees Fahrenheit and conditions are cold, wet or windy."
The most
important thing to remember about cold weather camping is to KEEP DRY. Moisture
will reduce the insulating properties of almost everything. To keep yourself
warm, remember the word COLD.
| C - keep yourself and your clothes Clean. O - avoid Overheating. L - wear clothes Loose and in Layers. D - keep Dry. |
The FIVE RULES OF COLD WEATHER CAMPING
Rule 1: Layers: As
temperatures change, or activity increases or decreases, you want to be able to
add or subtract clothing for obvious reasons. Wear a hat (baseball caps don't
count!)
Rule 2: Keep your feet warm and dry.
Rule
3: Warm sleeping bag:
Rule 4: Heavy on carbs
lighter on the meat: In cold weather it is crucial that you keep food in your
body, as your body will be burning much more than usual to keep you warm.
Rule 5: Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate: You had better make sure
you take and drink lots of water. You don’t feel as thirsty as you do during the
summer months, which make it all the more dangerous for dehydration. So drink
up! You can never get enough water!
Though these are not the only things to think about, these rules that will keep you safe and alive!
Cold weather camping represents one of the greatest challenges that your son will perhaps face in his Scouting career. With the proper planning, this challenge can be easily attacked. Without proper planning, that challenge could prove to be a serious defeat. The knowledge that your son holds regarding winter camping will be instrumental in his success. However, it is equally important that you be educated as well on the crucial aspects of cold weather camping. This guide is intended to provide your son with a refresher course of the skills of cold weather camping and to provide you with an important introduction to the skills that your son has learned. We hope that it will be a helpful guide not only for this upcoming activity, but for future activities that your son will participate in as a Scout of Troop 108. This guide is broken down into several key areas that include clothing, the layering system, special equipment, bedding down, nutrition, and cold weather first-aid. This knowledge, paralleled with the important skills your son has been learning over the past several weeks will prove invaluable in providing a challenging weekend that will be easily overtaken. We hope he will accept this challenge and most importantly, enjoy it!
Clothing
The clothing that your son brings on a winter camping trip will be the single most important determinant of his warmth. While the clothing will not directly provide warmth, it rather provides insulation to preserve body heat from activity. Of course, this all sounds rather logical, however, it is indeed extremely important. If it is at all possible to single out one important feature of clothing, it would indeed be that no Scout should have a pair of jeans or sweatsuit material in his pack. The only exception to this rule is a hooded sweatshirt for sleeping at night. We cannot over emphasize how important this is. Jeans absorb moisture like a sponge and sweatpants hold no wind breaking capabilities. PLEASE LEAVE THEM HOME! Clothing material can primarily be broken down into wool, synthetics, cottons, and blends. Each type of material holds its own advantages and disadvantages. Wool, although itchy, provides warmth when wet. Synthetics provide waterproof and windproof advantages yet lack breathability. Cottons are primarily used in warm weather camping by providing lightweight, cool clothing. Finally, blends represent a mix between cotton or wool and synthetics. The Scout uniform represents an ideal example of blends. Before running through a recommended list of clothing for the weekend, it is important to address several important issues. First, perspiration can prove to be a serious side effect of intense winter activity. To avoid this, it is important that the first layer of clothing be able to wick moisture away. Polypropylene long underwear is the solution. Commonly referred to as "Wicker’s", poly’s wick moisture away from the body. The second important issue concerns breathability. Waterproof materials do a superb job in keeping us dry, however, they hold one important drawback. They lack breathability. What this means is that they counteract the effects of Poly’s by trapping the moisture that the thermal underwear attempts to wick away. Ultimately, when this occurs, it is important to change layers throughout the day to avoid excessive moisture build-up that brings down the body temperature. The following list represents the recommended clothing for a two day winter camping trip:
While clothing will provide the insulation to maintaining a constant body temperature and steady warmth, it is useless if not worn properly. Layering represents an individual’s personal thermostat. As you begin to feel cool, you can put on another layer. As your body begins to sweat, you simply remove a layer. More often than not, this body temperature regulation can be performed through the wool cap. The body loses 80% of its heat through its head. A wool cap helps maintain this heat within your body, warming you rather than your surroundings. Obviously, the layers begin with the polypropylene long underwear and work their way up to the parka. Again, the primary importance of the layer system lies in body temperature regulation.
This section is intended primarily to introduce equipment concerns that need to be addressed when camping in extreme cold weather. The first, single most important piece of special equipment is fortunately the cheapest. Zip Lock Bags! All underwear, socks, and long underwear must be packed in zip-lock bags. All other clothing should be stored in something waterproof. This can range from a garbage bag to stuff sacks. All the wool and polypropylene in the world won’t do any good if is wet from the beginning. Dryness is the key to success. Foam pads are the second most important piece of special equipment. The ground is cold! When you are sleeping, it is important to have that added insulation under you to avoid losing body heat to warming the Earth. Remember the rule, it is a good idea to have two or three times as much insulation under you as you do above you. The next most important piece of equipment will more than likely not cost anything because you probably have it lying around the house. All Scouts should carry a wool blanket with them on the weekend.If you cannot locate a wool blanket (Army blanket), ask around. Someone is bound to have a wool blanket somewhere in a closet. Finally, the next important piece of equipment is not one that we want everyone to run out and purchase for the weekend, however, in the long run, it may want to be seriously considered if your son enjoys Scouting. Mummy sleeping bags provide a great degree of warmth due to the contour and snug fit of the bag to the body. Unfortunately, the degree of warmth represents a direct function of price. These bags can range anywhere in price from $50 for a 35 degree bag to $300+ for a zero degree or sub-zero degree bag.
Sleeping in the winter is in reality no different than camping out in the summer. However, needless to say their are a few important tips that require mentioning. The first most important tip is to never wear wet clothes to sleep. Not only will it decrease your body temperature, it will also cause moisture in your sleeping bag that will decrease the insulating properties of the bag. Secondly, if you do get cold during the night, do not place your head inside the sleeping bag as this will cause moisture from your breath to have the same effect as mentioned above. Wearing a hat while your sleeping will produce the same results as sticking your head inside the bag. Thirdly, the insulated capabilities of the bag come from warmth being trapped in the dead air space of the synthetic fibers (or bag fill), be sure that the bag is as fluffed out as possible to increase the insulating characteristics. In addition, it is recommended to keep the bag in a stuff sack until you are ready to bed down, this will keep moisture in the air from finding a place on or in your bag before you bed down.
Menu planning and a properly balanced diet become crucial in cold weather camping. Unfortunately, it is sometimes difficult to do. Who wants to cook and clean a full course dinner or grand slam breakfast in zero degree weather? Most important to realize is that you will require a greater calorie intake in cold weather. In addition to increased activity, increasing your metabolism is a good way to increase your warmth. A proper diet should be high in carbohydrates and protein. Many of the menus have already been planned and approved by the adults. However, we would recommend sending some snacks along. Rather than sending cookies and chips, replace them with cheese and crackers, granola bars, and trail mixes (Some favorites are Cherios, chocolate chips, peanuts, raisins, and M&M’s). Ultimately, it is important to have a high calorie diet that is high in protein and carbohydrates.
This subject always become an important topic that we hope no Scout will ever have to use. However, up to date knowledge is of the utmost importance. In addition to basic first-aid skills that many of the Scouts are educated on, cold weather first aid concerns and safety issues often take precedence on an outing like this. Scouts must learn about cold wether first-aid for advancement, however, it is important to review the main problems and their solutions ssociated with cold weather camping. Dehydration - Excessive loss of body water that impairs the ability to reason, so the victim may not react properly. Prevention: 1) Drink at least 2 quarts of water a day 2) Avoid dehydrating foods (High Protein) and fluids (coffee, caffeine) Treatment includes increasing liquid intake and keeping warm. Severe cases require immediate medical attention. Hypothermia - Lowering of the inner core body temperature. Can and usually does happen above freezing. The victim may not recognize the symptoms and may not be able to think clearly enough to react. Injury or death may result. Prevention includes good nutrition, consumption of high-energy foods, proper clothing, and increased activity. Treatment includes providing shelter and warmth for the victim from the elements, hot drinks followed by candy or other high sugar foods, and increasing body heat through huddling. If hypothermia is suspected medical attention should be contacted as quickly as possible. Frostbite - Tissue injury involving the actual freezing of the skin and underlying tissues. Recovery is slow. Once exposed, the victim will be predisposed toward frostbite in the future. Prevention includes proper clothing, good nutrition, drinking fluids, immediate treatment of minor symptoms, and use of the buddy system to check face, nose, and ears of fellow Scouts. Treatment includes warming area through exercise, heat, or water (Do not rub with snow). Snow Blindness - Inflammation of the eye caused by exposure to reflected ultraviolet rays when the sun is shining brightly on an expanse of snow. Prevention includes wearing sunglasses when any danger is present. Treatment includes blindfolding the victim, rest, and avoided future exposure. Snow Blindness heals in a few days without permanent damage.
It is our hope that this cold weather survival guide has been helpful for not only you, but also your son. Please do not throw it away. It will provide a valuable resource for years to come. Review the material, go over your son’s pack with him. Be sure that not only does he understand the information contain in this guide, but that you also understand. We are confident that with this information, your son’s training, and your support and cooperation, that winter camping will prove to be equally enjoyable as any other outing your son has attended. The information on cold weather camping is abundant. If you have any specific questions or are interested in learning more about anything discussed in this packet, please do not hesitate to contact us. The Troop is filled with extremely knowledgeable and experienced Scouters that would love to pass this information off to you and your son.
More Cold Weather Tips: