I remember when I took our first trailer tent to Katarapko Creek, just off the River Murray. It was a June long weekend and it was freezing! We unintentionally left a cup of water out overnight, and it was completely frozen when we got up in the morning.
Why did we bother going at that time of year, and why do we still make the effort? Well, apart from the times when it rains heavily (I don’t mind a bit of drizzle), we have had some of our best camping trips during the winter months.
A campfire is one of the best parts of winter camping. Image: Coleman
Why winter camping is the best
The air is crisp and clean, you can have a campfire (my favourite part), cook in a camp oven, rustle up some damper, enjoy some great beverages, and as usual, solve the problems of the world. Plus there’s always long walks to warm up and to help you appreciate nature.
While there are so many great things about camping in the cooler months, it does take a little bit more planning and preparation, so here are a few things to keep in mind to make the most of cold weather camping.
You can enjoy a hot beverage around the fire. Image: Coleman
Top 10 Tips for Winter Camping:
1. Choose your campsite carefully
Scout out the area and avoid setting up camp near a creek bed or on a slope in case it buckets down and the area gets flooded.
Avoid setting up on a slope. Image: Coleman
2. Avoid camping under large trees
When the weather is wet and rainy there’s a higher risk of a branch snapping off and falling on your site, so find the clearest spot possible.
While large trees are nice to look at, they’re not the best to camp out under. Image: Andrew Kennedy.
3. Consider how you’ll light your campfire
Think ahead and consider how you’re going to light a fire when you arrive and try to bring your own wood so that you know it’ll be dry. If you’ve only got wood to work with, check out our guide to starting a fire with wet wood here.
Take your own wood from home. Image: Coleman
4. Bring a backup cooking method
If you’re planning on using your campfire for cooking, it’s best to bring a backup option just in case it’s too wet to light a fire or you come across an unexpected fire ban. A gas stove or portable BBQ make for an ideal alternative.
Bring a gas stove just in case. Image: Coleman.
5. Put your next day’s clothes in your sleeping bag with you
The worst part of getting up on a cold morning is crawling out of your warm sleeping bag to change into your freezing cold clothes. When it’s time for bed, stuff tomorrow’s pants and jumper in there with you so they’re toasty warm when you put them on the next morning.
Pop tomorrow’s clothes inside your sleeping bag. Image: Coleman
6. Get off the cold ground at night
The ground at the campsite can get pretty darn icy, so a good tip to ensure that you have a cosy night’s sleep in your tent is to sleep on a stretcher. Or, if you’re not a fan of stretchers, a well-insulated mat will also provide a barrier between you and the frosty tent floor.
Use a camp stretcher in your tent to get away from that freezing cold floor! Image: Oztent
7. Don’t forget to rug up
You need to dress appropriately for the weather, so get out all your warm layers and thermals – keep in mind that plenty of thinner clothes are better than one big coat. Don’t forget your waterproof jacket, beanie, warm socks and gloves for your extremities. Plus it’s a good idea to throw in a couple of changes of clothes just in case you get caught out in the rain.
Don’t forget to rug up. Image: Explore Planet Earth
8. Check your sleeping bag rating before you leave
Check your sleeping bag rating, and if it’s not low enough for the temperatures you’ll be experiencing, add a thermal liner to increase the warmth and keep it cleaner for longer.
Make sure your bag is warm enough for your winter camping trip before you leave.
9. Leave a little earlier for your trip
With the winter sun setting earlier, it’s a good idea to hustle the troupe into the car at the crack of dawn – maybe even pre-dawn, especially if you’ve got a very long drive ahead. You’ll be grateful you made the effort when you pull into your camp at the flip side of the day and there’s still plenty of light to get set up and the fire going so you’re not rummaging around in the pitch dark.
It gets darker faster in winter, so leave for the campsite early. Image: Oztent
10. Play it safe
While there are some great things about camping in the chilly season, you still need to be prepared for the worst. Make sure you always have an emergency blanket or even some disposable hand warmers in case the weather takes a very bad turn, you can’t light your campfire, or your sleeping gear and tent are not performing as they should. It’s better to be safe than sorry!
Header image: Coleman
Do you have any winter camping must haves? Share them in the comments below.
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When using a stretcher in the cold, use a mat on the stretcher, to stop the cold from underneath the stretcher.
Great tip Edge! Definitely need a layer of insulation to keep you warm. Cheers!
If your going to be away for a few days and plan on showering each day do it befor the sun goes down.
Can’t fault that advice Ian, cheers!
A hot water bottle is my favourite winter tip. For lightweight hikers try an empty two litre Winebladder filled with hot but not boiling water. Keeps your toes cosy all night in your sleeping bag and you will also have warm water in the morning for a quicker boiling first cuppa or a wash.
Fantastic tip Sue, thanks for sharing!
I carried and used a babies hot water bottle in winter, for a number of years. It was small in my pack and I could reuse the same water each night. I lost it when I loaned it to someone who put it next to a fire to heat up and burnt a hole in it. I tried many places to buy a new one but never found another.
Nothing better than sitting around the camp fire with a billy of mulled wine. Keeps you nice and warm, and tastes pretty good too.