We recently received a request for an article about staying warm while camping in the winter. Winter camping is great in the New Orleans area since it’s not super hot and there aren’t many mosquitoes. For folks who are new to camping though, there’s definitely a learning curve. This article will give you the basic information you need so you can camp comfortably in cold weather in south Louisiana. If you are completely new to camping and need to learn things like tent setup, campsite cooking, and fire safety, check out our Camping 101 events this spring!
“The fire is the main comfort of the camp, whether in summer or winter.” - Henry David Thoreau
As we all know, the Gulf Coast isn’t known for its cold weather. Quite the opposite actually. However, this area does get cold weather from time to time in the winter. I’m sure that everyone from a region that actually battles snow, ice, and sub-zero temperatures would scoff at this idea. And we admit: it’s nowhere near that cold! Camping in that level of cold is for professionals and those people who wear shorts and flip-flops when it’s snowing.
For the rest of us southerners (or northern transplants), the cold can be obnoxious when it hits. We get used to the warmer temperatures and don’t really own a lot of cold-weather gear. Unless you plan to start winter camping regularly, there’s no real need to go buy a ton of new gear. If you are able to pack everything into your car and drive up to your campsite at a local state park or private campground, you should be able to bring everything you need.
How to camp comfortably in cold weather
Shelter
Make sure that you have a sturdy tent that will block the wind and rain. Super lightweight, airy tents are great in the summer but cold in the winter. If you’ve got a good tent but you’ve never set it up before, practice setting it up at home first. Fiddling with a brand new tent while your fingers are numb is not fun at all. Setting it up easily and getting to crawl into it whenever you want is great!
Fire
Campfires are a wonderful source of warmth, and they inspire everyone in your site to hang out with each other. Sitting around a campfire is the perfect time for fun or meaningful conversations, and hanging out around a nice warm fire when it’s cold outside is enticing. Having a good fire is clutch to camping comfortably in cold weather. Double-check that you have everything you need to build a campfire before you get to your site.
To keep your fire going through the evening, you’ll need:
Plenty of wood (most campgrounds require you to bring your own firewood)
A lighter (or however you want to get it started)
Tinder (a combination of shredded paper and dryer lint works great)
Clothing
One of the biggest keys to camping comfortably in cold weather is wearing the right clothing. Layers are your friend! You want to be able to take things off if you start to get hot and put things on when you start to get cold.
Be sure to pack all of these warm items:
Thick socks (preferably wool)
Heavy pants like jeans
T-shirt
Long-sleeved shirt
Thin jacket
Thick jacket
Scarf
Beanie
Gloves
Check out our previous blog post on staying warm in humid cold weather to learn more about how to dress appropriately for outdoor activities in the winter.
Bedding
This is where knowing how to camp comfortably in cold weather gets legit. It’s all about the bedding. If you’re cold all night, it’s going to be a miserable night. Let’s break this down into steps.
Step 1: Insulate the ground. Buy a sleeping pad from an outdoor store or use a bunch of blankets and towels from home. The cold ground will literally take the heat from your body if you haven’t put down a thick layer of insulation before you lay down. If you get cold easily, use a lot of insulating material.
Step 2: Trap your body heat. Sleeping bags are great for this, but sleeping bags aren’t always enough on their own. If your sleeping bag is leftover from a sleepaway camp you went to in middle school, it probably won’t do the trick by itself. Either buy a better sleeping bag or bring a bunch of blankets from home. If your sleeping bag is pretty good but not quite good enough, use an added blanket inside the bag with you for extra trapped warmth.
Step 3: Add extra heat. Only do this step if you really get cold easily. For most people, the first two steps are plenty. On its own, your sleeping bag will just trap your body heat to keep you warm. It doesn’t add any new heat. To make things extra toasty, add some heat. Before bed, heat water on the camp stove (Do not heat it enough to scald yourself!) and add it to a durable plastic water bottle like a Nalgene. If the bottle is too hot to touch, wrap it in a towel or a t-shirt. Then put the water bottle in the sleeping bag with you to help keep you warm.
If you follow all of these steps, you should have no trouble camping comfortably in cold weather. Remember that “cold” feels different to different people, so be ready for wherever your body needs.
Please let us know if you have any outdoor questions or topics that you would like us to cover in future blogs. We would love to hear from you and to help make the outdoors more accessible to everyone! Contact us today for more information about our upcoming events or to give us blog recommendations. Happy camping!
