Winter Camping Gear

Only a few days left till my first winter wild camp.  I am taking a two-man tent (Zephyros2) rather than my Laser Comp because I think the extra space will give me more comfort.  I haven't got a winter mat but I intend to put my torsolite on a thermarest trail-lite.  I have an Alpkit Alpine Dream 500 which I shall use with a fleece bag liner.  I generally take spare everything but will sure to take some spare gloves (I have down mitts) and a spare fleece hat (my Extreme Smock has a hood).  I'm not sure whether I should take my Extreme Salopettes, if I put them in a compression bag they'll at least make a nice pillow! I will take a stretchy base layer for the walk & thermal long johns for sleeping in.

I am taking an extra food portion and now have a larger hip flask.  I can always filter water for a hot brew.

I have a thermometer with min/max recording so I shall know what I was in and how much to increase or decrease for next time.

 Am I missing anything obvious? 

There was snow there before it snowed last week (almost an oxymoron) so I'm guessing that there will be some there.  I'm hoping my Alpkit Tikes will be good enough otherwise I'll descend until I can get a spot where I can use them.

There was a forum discussion on it here a couple of weeks ago or so.  The one I bought is designed to be stuck on a green-house!  It is solar powered and records min & max temperature and weighs around 20 grammes.  Just £5.00 from play.com (a play trader that seems to have disappeared, gadgestuk.com)  (delivered).  Link below to one still available:

 Solar Thermometer

Camped a few nights recently.(lowest -6*C)   Off to S. Wales this friday for the weekend - possibly colder higher up I guess.

Make sure you have enough unfrozen water for morning and keep fuel warm

I take a water bottle I'm happy to sleep with (well, a platypus) - also keep meths bottle in my sleeping bag/jacket pocket too.

Mat-wise - I am soft when it comes to temperature so I'll take an extra ccf pad - 3mm 70cmx 2m tent underlay as well as 3/4 Thermarest and full length  ccf pad - still weighs less than a full length standard downmat.  Bulky but light - strapped outside pack.

Face covering for sleeping. (I use a Patty R1 balaclava now )

Warm 'high loft'socks for bed/tent. - I use pile fibre socks. some prefer down. Heatholders are good.

Mole wrote (see)

Make sure you have enough unfrozen water for morning and keep fuel warm

Fill your billy for the morning brew before you go to kip - doesn't matter if it freezes then

Cheers Mole.  I do have a platypus and sleeping with it might be the way to go.  I cook with gas & I'll stick the cannister at the bottom of the bag too (I hadn't thought about this).

I hadn't considered my face: that might be an issue but as no-one is around I guess I can don my boxer shorts on my face if it does get uncomfortable.

My bag has a comfort rating of -5 so with my thermal long johns on & fleece liner I reckon I should be ok but that is partly why I wanted the thermometer to gauge it more accurately.

I can always put some layers on anyway but I prefer not to if I can get get away with it.

Where are you going in Wales Mole?  I know you are a regular Dartmoor man.

Rosswm wrote (see)

Mole wrote (see)

Make sure you have enough unfrozen water for morning and keep fuel warm

Fill your billy for the morning brew before you go to kip - doesn't matter if it freezes then

I s'pose  I tend to want a drink of water if I wake up in the night. 

Think I'd rather boil water before bed and use as a hotwater bottle.

Seems wasteful of fuel to me -  unless you have no choice due to being in continuous freezing conditions. 

I rarely wake up & wouldn't drink if I did - just shows we're all different!  No HWB for me neither.

Rarely is any freezing more than a crust in the UK & boiling once for a HWB & then again to heat up for a brew is probably on a par with any extra fuel used to thaw out a pan of icy water.   If well below zero I'll be sure to have plenty of fuel in reserve rather than the tighter margins I use most of the time. 

Include a little history in your walks. Pecsaetan - Ancient Derbyshire, Staffordshire and South Yorkshire - http://pecsaetan.weebly.com/

I know what you're saying as i too use a travel tap, but i'd be wary of relying on the source you point out mate, it's right at the top of the watershed and may well be dry.

I fear you may have to walk much further North to the obvious supply there, or melt snow.

Include a little history in your walks. Pecsaetan - Ancient Derbyshire, Staffordshire and South Yorkshire - http://pecsaetan.weebly.com/

Melting snow is the way to go, it sounds exciting too you know!

(That sounds very alliterative if read correctly, I could get you lot to contribute to a book I'm writing like Hugh!)

Mole wrote (see)

Rosswm wrote (see)

Mole wrote (see)

Make sure you have enough unfrozen water for morning and keep fuel warm

Fill your billy for the morning brew before you go to kip - doesn't matter if it freezes then

I s'pose  I tend to want a drink of water if I wake up in the night. 

Think I'd rather boil water before bed and use as a hotwater bottle.

Seems wasteful of fuel to me -  unless you have no choice due to being in continuous freezing conditions. 

I'm with mole on this, i use a SIGG rip of for a water bottle ensuring the water isn't frozen for a morning brew.

Not sure how it compares fuel wise but it's going to take more fuel to boil frozen water obviously, if it's offsets the boil the night before i dunno.

Include a little history in your walks. Pecsaetan - Ancient Derbyshire, Staffordshire and South Yorkshire - http://pecsaetan.weebly.com/

SimonDawes wrote (see)

Melting snow is the way to go, it sounds exciting too you know!

(That sounds very alliterative if read correctly, I could get you lot to contribute to a book I'm writing like Hugh!)

Include a little history in your walks. Pecsaetan - Ancient Derbyshire, Staffordshire and South Yorkshire - http://pecsaetan.weebly.com/

Metric Kate wrote (see)

I melted snow for water on my first winter wild camp, won't do it again unless I absolutely have to it eats up fuel! But, winter camping for the first time, you have to give it a go melting snow!

Include a little history in your walks. Pecsaetan - Ancient Derbyshire, Staffordshire and South Yorkshire - http://pecsaetan.weebly.com/