Top tips for winter camping

Camping skills

Top tips for camping in winter

There’s no doubt that camping is easier when the weather is dry and warm. But with good preparation and the right gear, there’s no reason why you can’t camp all year round with your family.

Camping in cold weather can provide some wonderful memories. Imagine sitting outside the tent on a crisp sunny morning, with frost on the ground, enjoying a steaming mug of coffee and a bacon butty. Or unzipping the front door as dawn breaks and seeing the ground covered with a blanket of pure, white snow.

Many family-friendly campsites stay open all year round, even if some facilities might be limited off-season. But the whole experience could be ruined if you don’t prepare properly for the cold temperatures and bad weather. You need to consider how to heat your tent, how to stay cosy during the night and how to protect your tent and yourself from the elements.

Preparation is the key. The Scandinavians say there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing, and that applies equally to sleeping in a tent. If your tent is up to the job and is pitched properly it should be able to stand up to most weather conditions. And, if you take the right gear, you’ll be warm and cosy no matter how low the mercury drops.

Here’s our top tips for winter camping!

Iain Duff, Content Editor: Campervans/Camping

Iain Duff Content Editor: Campervan/Camping

Iain has been an avid camper since his very first night under canvas in his parents’ back garden, more years ago than he cares to remember. As a fully fledged gear geek he takes every opportunity to try out the latest camping gadgets when he’s out and about!

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How to keep warm at night

The quality of your sleeping bag can make or break a camping trip, especially in cold weather. Make sure you use one that is warm enough for the time of year you’ll be camping. Sleeping bags are rated for season, and also have a recommended minimum temperature, so for cold-weather camping, take three-season or four-season bags. A sleeping bag liner will also improve the bag’s warmth significantly.
For maximum warmth, go for a ‘mummy’ sleeping bag – wide at the top, tapering towards the feet. If you don’t like the restrictive shape, rectangle sleeping bags are much roomier and will let in a bit more air – very welcome on a summer’s night but not so useful when the temperatures plummet.
As well as sleeping bags, take duvets and fleece blankets from home. You can never have too many covers, so if you have space in your car, take more than you think you’ll need. If you do get too warm, it’s easy to discard the layers to cool down.
Avoid air beds in cold weather. The air inside gets cold quickly and stays cold throughout the night as the temperature remains low. Instead, sleep on a raised camp bed or a thick self-inflating mat. If you have to sleep on a mattress on the tent floor, insulate yourself from the ground as much as you can to prevent heat loss. Blankets, fleeces and reflective survival blankets are excellent for this.
A hot water bottle or a small handwarmer wrapped in a sock slipped down to the foot of your sleeping bag a couple of hours before getting into it will also help to keep you warm.
Snuggle up! There’s nothing like a bit of shared body heat to raise the tent temperature. But make sure you check with your fellow camper before diving in for a cuddle or things could turn frosty.

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How to heat your tent

An electric heater is the safest option for inside your tent – mains hook-up will provide you with a whole world of heating choices, including fan, halogen and radiant options.
Naked flames are a definite no-no when it comes to heating, with the double threat of carbon monoxide poisoning and fire. NEVER be tempted bring a smouldering barbecue into your tent for warmth. The fumes can kill.
The exception is a wood burning stove with a heat-radiating chimney pipe, which is a great way to safely heat a traditional canvas bell tent. Make sure you have enough space for the stove and fit guards to protect kids, as well as making sure there’s a safe way for the hot gases from the fire to escape.
A decent-sized windbreak will block chill winds from howling through the tent. Alternatively, pitch in the shelter of a wall or building if there is one.
A tent carpet offers real protection from the cold ground, and you can get tent-specific carpets or simply lay a blanket or fleece out on the floor.
It might not sound right, but make sure all the tent’s ventilation panels are open, even on the coldest nights. Condensation can quickly build up in a tent and a good airflow can prevent that happening.

How to dress for winter camping

Pack plenty of warm clothes (particularly extra socks) so you can change if you get wet. Start off with a fleece on top of a long-sleeved shirt with a t-shirt underneath and you can gradually peel off the layers when it gets warmer.
Wear base layers or thermals and a woolly hat to bed instead of normal pyjamas.
Take your wellies, walking boots and waterproof jackets as well. Rainfall is generally higher in autumn and winter than through the summer months. Have something warm and comfortable to wear on your feet inside the tent.

Where to camp in winter

Check out what indoor activities are on hand for the kids on the campsite before you head off. A games room or an indoor pool will keep them occupied no matter the weather. And a nearby family-friendly pub, preferably with open fires, is a definite asset come the evening.
Remember that it gets dark early, so don’t leave it too late to set off from home or you’ll be putting your tent up by torchlight. You’ll also need to light your tent for longer in the evening, so again electric hook-up makes that a lot easier.
Try to avoid pitching at the bottom of a slope and avoid other areas that look as though they might get waterlogged when it rains.
If you like the idea of sitting around a campfire toasting marshmallows and sipping hot chocolate, make sure your chosen site allows fires. Some will supply fireboxes, in which you can have a fire without damaging the grass of the field but others have banned them altogether.
Go local. If it turns too cold and wet, you can always go home!

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