Snow Camping - 101.

Troop 163, Corvallis Oregon Alan Mix - 1/9/2006

Stay Dry, Stay Warm, Have Fun.

Snow camping is a great experience and can be lots of fun if you are prepared. No crowds. No bugs. And the snowball fight is a bonus! Key points to remember:

Stay Dry - Wear fabrics that shed snow and water, and are warm even when wet.
Stay Warm - Wear several layers so you can peel some off and adjust to temperature.
Have Fun -- Can't miss if you are dry and warm. So be careful. Help others stay dry too.

Clothes - Bring extra, so you can change to dry clothes if your first set gets wet.

JUST SAY NO TO COTTON - cotton absorbs and wicks moisture. Wet = Cold = Miserable.
Down jackets and sleeping bags are very warm, but only if you keep them dry. They are sponges for water, and thus not recommended unless it is well below freezing.
Polypropylene or polyester fleece are very good - warm even when wet. Polypro long underwear really helps keep you dry and warm if your pants get wet. Remember layers everywhere.
Wool is great. It sheds water and is warm even it is wet. This goes for socks as well as shirts.
Gore-Tex or other breathable waterproof system is great for outerwear (but expensive).
Be careful with completely waterproof non-breathable raingear. Getting soaked from sweat is just as bad as getting wet from snow (and smells worse).
Remember gloves - two pair might be a good idea. One set for throwing snowballs, one for the rest.
Bring a hat - you can lose a lot of heat through your head (from those brain cells working overtime?)
Bring sunglasses or dark goggles. The reflection off the snow on a sunny day can cause snow blindness. Hard to aim snowballs with snow blindness, isn't it?
Good boots are a must. Waterproof them. Nikwax is OK. Mink Oil or SnoSeal are very good. All of these treatments wear off so repeat before each trip.
Gaiters help to keep snow out of your boots. If you don't have gaiters, in a pinch you can wrap kitchen plastic wrap (such as Saran Wrap) around your ankles, over your pants and boot tops, and hold it in place by duct tape. It will rip or fall off eventually, but may work for a while and is cheap.

Shelter - This is very important in the snow.

Tents must have a waterproof floor and should be sturdy enough to stay up under light snow cover. If it is really snowing you will probably wake up often to shake snow off the tent.
Set up: Stamp out a platform larger than the floor. Stakes won't hold up your tent in the snow. Tie lines to trees, or use a snow anchor (an aluminum plate with cables that digs into the snow), or a snow shovel, or your skis, or make a “deadman” out of branches that you bury in the snow to hold cables. Don't cut the living trees, please (except for emergency fire).
Other shelter options include snow caves. If properly constructed, snow caves can be surprisingly warm and cozy. It certainly heats you up making them. In a storm they are much quieter than a wind-whipped tent. Remember that heat rises, so dig in about three feet, then UP and make a platform higher than the highest point of your entrance tunnel. For digging, a small snow shovel is great, but a big cook pot works OK too. I used a plastic windshield scraper once, and it worked but took a while. Put a plastic tarp on the floor to waterproof. The ceiling should be thick enough to not collapse. Mark it with ski poles or something so that nobody walks on top of you and collapses your roof. IMPORTANT - Remember a small vent hole for some fresh air.
Igloos can be made if the snow is firm enough. They are a lot of work. You can make a snow “knife” out of a piece of Plexiglas or aluminum to cut the blocks - screw on a piece of wood at the top for a handle. Igloos are roomy and fun, but not easy to build. Good luck.
Your sleeping bag is your best friend in a storm. Have a warm one, rated to below freezing. Keep it dry!!!
Insulated Pad!!! IMPORTANT -- Remember that your weight will squish the underside of your sleeping bag so there will be little insulation from your bag. You MUST bring a good insulated pad to put between your sleeping bag and the cold tent floor (closed-cell foam or ThermaRest are good, open-cell foam acts like a sponge). The pad is will make the difference between a good sleep and a miserable shivering night.

Packing -

Pack your gear in plastic bags inside your pack. 2-gallon ziplocks work well. Spreading your gear between several bags is better than putting everything in one bag, because if one leaks, the others might not.

Food -

See Backpacking Cookery 101 on the troop web page. REMEMBER TO DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS. You may not feel as thirsty in the cold as you would in the hot summer, but you can still get dehydrated. Keep your food simple as it can be a real pain to cook in the snow. If you are melting snow for water, avoid the yellow snow (and watch out where the Huskies go).

Fire -

You can make a campfire if you like, if it is legal, and if wood is available. Bring a big steel plate or pan, set it on top of the snow, and light the fire on that. The plate will heat up, and will slowly sink into the melting snow.
Firestarter - lint from your home clothes dryer works great. You can add some Vaseline, candle wax, or boot grease to really get it going. Works OK with flint and steel (but waterproof matches or a lighter is useful too). Cedar shingles make good kindling - useful for many things and easy to break.
A cozy firepit? Dig a trough around it and make snow “benches” (perhaps covered with carpet scraps) for cozy seating - it also gets you out of the wind and tends to trap the radiant heat from the fire. As the heat melts the snow, you'll already be down where it is going).
When you leave camp, fill in the fire pit so that others don't fall in the hole.

Other tips -

Don't leave gear lying around camp. If it snows while you are asleep, you won't find anything.
Avoid steep slopes. Avalanches are most common after new snowfall, or when it warms after a cold snow. If you see a relatively open clearing heading downhill, perhaps with no trees, or little trees, or bent-over trees, don't camp below it - it could be an avalanche chute. If you are snowshoeing or skiing, stay out of avalanche chutes if possible.
Be careful. Watch the weather.
Beware of hypothermia (lowering of the body core temperature with uncontrollable shivering, loss of muscle control, impaired judgment) - this can be life-threatening. If anyone is acting more irrational than usual, get help and get them warm.
Remember - Dry = Warm = Fun.
Be prepared (just like a scout)!

Snow camping - preparation activities and experiments:

First Activity: Get three pieces of clothing - 1) cotton, 2) polyester fleece, 3 ) wool. Have a volunteer pour water on each. What happens? What does this tell you about what to wear? For even more fun, have a volunteer wear the clothing and pour water on him. This activity can expand to test other things, like down jackets, polypropylene, silk, etc.

Second Activity: “Paint” stripes on a piece of paper with Nikwax, Mink Oil, Snowseal, and other waterproofing materials, and label each stripe. Let dry. Invite a volunteer to pour water on the paper. Which treatment was most effective? Does this tell you what you should use on your boots?

Snow Camping - 101

THE QUIZ

NAME __________________________

What are THREE key points to remember?

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What fabric should you NOT wear? Why?

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What should go under your sleeping bag?

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Why shouldn't you eat yellow snow?

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