COLD WEATHER CAMPING
Cold weather camping as defined by
BSA is “camping in weather where the average daily temperature is below 50
degrees Fahrenheit and conditions are cold, wet or windy.” The most
important thing to remember about cold weather camping is to KEEP DRY.
Moisture will reduce the insulating properties of almost everything. To keep
yourself warm, remember the word COLD.
C - keep yourself and your clothes Clean.
O - avoid Overheating.
L - wear clothes Loose and in Layers.
D - keep Dry.
The hints listed below are in a random
manner. There is no order of importance to the list, just some suggestions
that have proven true for me over the years.
CLOTHING
Layer your clothing. Wear several
layers of lighter clothing instead of one heavy layer. This way you can
better regulate the amount of insulation. If you get warm you can take
layers off and add some more clothing layers if you get cold. Keep yourself
dry, both from the weather and perspiration. Wear loose fitting clothing, to
optimize insulation. Remember when buying clothes for cold weather that wool
retains most of its insulation properties when wet, while cotton loose most
of its. There are also excellent manmade fibers and insulation's that retain
their insulation properties as good as or better than wool. Other benefits
include light weight, wide design options & wind-blocking. Remember your
rain gear is water proof and will not allow perspiration to exit. During
rainy weather change your clothing several times a day.
Athletic shoes and nylon hiking boots do not provide enough insulation. You
should wear either mukluks, water-proofed leather hiking boots, rubber
overshoes or rubberized boots. Waterproof your leather hiking boots with the
appropriate commercial treatment. Be sure to use only silicon-based products
on leathers which require it. Check the care tag that came with the boots.
If you choose to wear rubberized boots, remember they do not allow for
ventilation, therefore you will need to change your socks several times a
day. Also you may want to get some felt inserts for insulation. Wear a pair
of cotton and a pair of wool socks to increase insulation and take the
perspiration way from your feet. Pull trouser legs over top of shoes to keep
out snow. You may want to use nylon gaiters (leggings), or tie or tape them
to make sure of the seal.
Wear mittens instead of fingered gloves when you do not need independent use
of your fingers. This will allow the fingers to help keep each other warm.
Use a pair of socks to cover hands if mittens get wet. Wear a stocking cap
or other warm hat. One that covers the ears and neck area is particularly
effective. Remember, most heat loss is through the head. Wearing a warm hat
warms the rest of your body, too. Wear a scarf to reduce heat loss around
the neck. Use a “ ski mask” or scarf over your face for protection from the
cold and wind.
In an emergency use your neckerchief to cover your ears. If you need a fire
to keep you warm you are not dressed properly. If the heat can get to your
body, so can the cold. Paper is a good insulator and can be wrapped around
the body (under your clothes) to add insulation.
BEDDING DOWN
Natural fiber sleeping bags do not
maintain their insulation properties when damp, down bags also fit here. A 3
to 4 pound synthetic bag will take care of most of your needs. A mummy style
bag is warmer than a rectangular, as there is less space for your body to
heat. Also, most mummy bags have a hood to help protect your head. If you
only have a rectangular sleeping bag, bring an extra blanket to pack around
your shoulders in the opening to keep air from getting in. Do not sleep with
your head under the covers. Doing so will increase the humidity in the bag
that will reduce the insulation properties of the bag and increase dampness.
Remember to air out your sleeping bag and tent, when weather permits.
Perspiration and breath condense in the tent at night and the water will
reduce insulating properties of your bag. Wear a stocking cap to bed in
order to reduce heat loss. Wear a loose fitting hooded pull over type
sweatshirt to sleep in. Make a loose fitting bag from an old blanket or
carpet padding to put both feet in when in your sleeping bag. A bag liner
made from an old blanket, preferably wool, will greatly enhance the bags
warmth. Insulate yourself from the ground as much as possible to avoid cold
spots at the shoulders and hips. Use a sleeping pad of closed cell foam
instead of an air mattress. A good rule of thumb is that you want 2 to 3
times the insulation below you as you have over you. Use a ground cloth to
keep ground moisture from your bag. Your body will warm up frozen ground to
a point were moisture can become important.
Space blankets, if used as a ground cloth, will not reflect the body heat.
Instead it will conduct the cold from the ground to your body. Cold air will
be above and below you if you sleep on a cot. Put a hand warmer (in a sock)
at the foot of your sleeping bag before getting into it. Fill a canteen with
hot water (not boiling) and place at foot of bag to keep warm. Be careful
with plastic canteens. Exercise before bedding down to increase body heat.
This will help to warm your bag quicker. Be careful not to start perspiring.
Remove the clothes you are wearing before bedding down if they are damp with
perspiration. Put on dry clothing or pajamas before entering the sleeping
bag.
Build a wind break outside your tent by piling up snow or leaves to a height
sufficient to protect you when laying down. Hang your sleeping bag up or
just lay it out, between trips, so the filling will not compress and lose
its insulating properties. Before you get out of bed bring the clothes you
plan to wear inside your bag and warm them up some before dressing. Place an
empty capped plastic bottle outside your tent door for “ night calls.” This
will reduce your exposure when you have to answer that call. Think twice
before using it inside the tent, you do have a tent mate. Remember to empty
the bottle away from the camp in the morning.
ODDS AND ENDS.
If at night you get cold, let the
adult leadership know so action can be taken before injury from cold weather
health problems occur. In other words it's better to be kidded about
forgetting your sleeping bag than risking hypothermia. Organization and
proper preparation is very important in cold weather camping. Good meals,
proper shelter and comfortable sleeping arrangements make for an enjoyable
outing. Drink 2 quarts of fluids per day besides what you drink at meals.
Learn to recognize and treat cold weather health problems. These include
frostbite, hypothermia, dehydration, chilblains, trench foot, snow blindness
and carbon monoxide poisoning. Use the buddy system to check each other for
cold weather health problems. Notify the adult leadership if symptoms do
occur. If you feel cold gather some wood or do some other type of work.
Working will help warm you.
Eating ice or snow can reduce your body temperature and it is not pure.
Don't eat it. Snow and ice can be used for drinking water but only after
boiling.
No open flames (candles, matches, etc.) inside the tents. Wiggling your toes
inside your boots will help keep feet warm. If your feet get cold put on a
stocking cap. Take and wear dark sunglasses if snow is in the forecast. The
glare of the sun off the snow could lead to snow blindness. The sunglasses
will reduce the glare. Use the solid fuel hand warmers. They are cheaper and
you can light them yourself. Adult leaders must handle all liquid fuel. The
solid fuel hand warmers tend to have a flair up of heat after burning for a
while and then they start to cool down. Placing them in an old sock will
help to protect you from this “ hot spot” .
Keep off ice on steams, lakes and ponds.
It takes longer to cook food in cold weather, so plan accordingly. Before
going to bed pour enough water for breakfast into a pot. It is easier to
heat the pot than a plastic water can. Keep your matches in a metal match
safe as plastic can freeze and break if dropped. Gather twice as much fuel
as you think you'll need for fires. Carry tinder from home. It may be hard
to find in snow or wet conditions. Gather your wood and tinder for the
morning fire in the evening so that you will be able to start the fire
quickly in the morning.
Space blankets make good wind shields only. The metallic properties take
over the insulation properties in cold weather and become cold conductors.
Carry extra plastic bags in cold weather. They can be used as personal wind
shields and ponchos by slitting a hole in the top for your head to go
through.
Carry extra matches because the more you need a fire to warm up the less
likely you will be able to start one easily.
Flashlight batteries are effected by cold. You can revive a dead battery by
warming it up near the fire. You may want to take a bottle of propane into
your tent with you at night. This will keep it warmer and make it easier to
light your stove for breakfast. Heaters inside your tent can lead to carbon
monoxide poisoning.
Cold weather camping references:
OOPIK manual, No. 34040
BSA Field manual
BSA Snow Camping Venture manual
LAYERED CLOTHING SYSTEM
Select the proper type and amount of
clothing. Regulate your clothing according to your activity rate. This is
the most effective way to ensure comfort. Pay attention to your bodies'
signals. Don't wait until you are cold to put on more clothing. Act when you
first begin to feel cooler.
Clothing layers:
Long, thermal underwear. polypropylene
Shirt or inner layer
Sweater, light jacket
Wind or rain gear
Long, thermal underwear. polypropylene
Inner pants wool, wool blend
Wind or rain pants
Wicking inner socks polypropylene
Insulating socks wool or wool blend
Boot liners insulated insoles
Footwear, boots waterproof, loose-fitting, mukluks or snow boots
Head coverings
Gloves and mittens
TYPES OF COLD:
Wet cold: 50deg. F to 14 F
The most dangerous. Wide temperature
variations from melting during the day to freezing at night makes proper
dressing difficult, and important. Damp conditions from melting snow or rain
makes keeping dry difficult.
Dry cold: 14deg. F to -20deg. F
Ground is frozen and snow is dry and crystallized. Strong winds cause
the most concern with keeping warm. Extra clothing layers and wind-proof
outer garments should be added.
Arctic cold: below -20deg. F
Requires the most insulation and wind-proofing. Many materials change
physical properties, becoming brittle. Only for the most experienced
campers.
LOSS OF BODY HEAT
Homeostasis:
The body's process for maintaining an even temperature. The arms and legs
are used as a radiator to remove excess heat from the body. This process
dilates the blood vessels, allowing more blood to flow to the skin surfaces.
When the body temperature drops, these blood vessels constrict, decreasing
blood flow, and thereby, heat loss. This is why hands and feet get numb when
cold, and why they're particularly vulnerable to frostbite. Since your brain
needs oxygen to function, your body can't cut off the flow of blood to your
head in order to conserve heat. Consequently, much of your body head can be
lost through an uncovered head and neck.
Radiation. (55%) A major source of heat loss. Heat is lost directly from
exposed skin and the head. The head may lose up to one-half of the body's
total heat production at 40 degrees F, and up to three-quarters at 5 degrees
F.
Conduction. (15% w/convection) Heat is lost through skin contact with cold
objects, primarily the hands, and wet or tight clothing. Handling gasoline,
and other super-cooled liquids, at low temperatures is especially dangerous.
Convection. Heat is lost from the wind carrying away heat from the surface
of the skin. This includes wind-chill effects.
Evaporation. (21%) Loss from evaporation of sweat, moisture from the skin
and lungs produces substantial heat loss. This is little that can be done
about this. We need to allow for this by using breathable fabrics to allow
this moisture to pass out freely.
Respiration. (2-9%) Heat lost from inhaling cold air and exhaling warm air.
COLD WEATHER FIRST AID
Dehydration
Excessive loss of body water.
Impairs the ability to reason, so the victim may not react properly.
Prevention:
Drink at least 2 quarts of water a day. Avoid dehydrating foods (high
protein) and fluids (coffee, caffeine). Increase fluid intake at first signs
of darker yellow urine.
Symptoms:
1 to 5 % deficiency: Increased pulse rate, Nausea and loss of appetite,
Dark urine or constipation, Irritability, fatigue, Thirst
6 to 10 % deficiency: Headache, dizziness, Labored breathing, Tingling,
Absence of salivation, Inability to walk, Cyanosis (bluish or grayish skin
color)
11 to 20 % deficiency: Swollen tongue, inability to swallow, Dim vision,
deafness, Shriveled, numb skin, Painful urination, Delirium, unconsciousness
and death
Treatment:
Mild cases - drink liquids, keep warm.
More severe cases require professional medical treatment.
Hypothermia
Lowering of the inner core
temperature of the body. Can and usually does happen above freezing. The
victim may not recognize the symptoms and may not be able to think clearly
enough to react. Injury or death may result.
Predisposing Conditions:
Poor physical condition. Inadequate nutrition and water intake. Thin
build. Nonprotective clothing. Getting wet. Inadequate protection from wind,
rain and snow. Exhaustion.
Symptoms:
Loss of ability to reason. Shivering. Slowing, drowsiness, fatigue.
Stumbling. Thickness of speech. Amnesia. Irrationality, poor judgment.
Hallucinations. Cyanosis (blueness of skin). Dilation of pupils of eyes.
Decreased heart and respiration rate. Stupor.
Treatment:
Shelter the victim from wind and weather. Insulate the victim from the
ground. Change wet clothing. Put on windproof, waterproof gear. Increase
exercise, if possible. Put in a prewarmed sleeping bag. Give hot drinks,
followed by candy or other high-sugar foods. Apply external heat; hot
stones, hot canteens. Huddle for body heat from others. Place victim in a
tub of 105deg. F water. Never above 110deg. F.
Prevention:
Keep rested, maintain good nutrition. Consume plenty of high-energy
food. Use proper clothing. Make camp early if tired, injured or lost. Get
plenty of exercise. Don't sit around much. Appoint an experienced person to
watch the group for signs.
Take immediate corrective action for any signs.
Frostbite
Tissue injury involving the actual
freezing of the skin and underlying tissues. Recovery is slow, severe
frostbite can lead to gangrene. Once exposed the victim will be predisposed
toward frostbite in the future.
Predisposing Conditions:
Prolonged exposure to temperatures 32deg. F or below. Brief exposure at
extremely low temperatures, -25deg. F
and below. Exposed body parts Restriction of circulation. Fatigue, poor
nutrition, low liquid intake, poor physical condition.
Previous case of frostbite or other cold injury.
Symptoms:
First Degree (Frostnip)
Redness, pain, burning, stinging or prickly sensation. Pain disappears
and there is a sudden blanching of the skin. The skin may look mottled. Skin
is firm to the touch, but resilient underneath. On thawing, there is aching
pain or brownness. The skin may peel off, and the part may remain cold for
some time.
Second Degree (Superficial Frostbite, Frostbite)
No pain, the part may feel dead. Numbness, hard to move the part. Tissue
and layers underneath are hard to the touch. After thawing (takes 3 to 20
days) pain, large blisters, sweating. Black or discolored skin sloughs off,
leaving tender new skin.
Third degree (Severe Frostbite)
Full thickness of the skin is involved. After thawing, pain continues
for 2 to 5 weeks.
Fourth degree (Severe Frostbite)
Skin and bone are frozen. Swelling and sweating occur. Gangrene may
develop, amputation may be necessary.
Treatment:
Do not rub affected area with snow. Hold it over fire, or use cold water
to thaw it. Exercise the affected area to promote blood circulation. Use any
warmth available to thaw area. Do not attempt to thaw frostbitten limbs in
the field. It is less harmful for the victim to walk out on a frostbitten
limb than to thaw it in the field. Thawing only risks additional injury and
the victim will be in too much pain to walk. Check for hypothermia. For more
severe cases refer to more complete instructions.
Prevention:
Proper clothing. Good nutrition, drink water, maintain core temperature.
Use buddy system to check face, nose, and ears.
Immediate treatment of minor symptoms.
Snow Blindness
Inflammation of the eye caused by
exposure to reflected ultraviolet rays when the sun is shining brightly on
an expanse of snow.
Symptoms:
Sensation of grit in the eyes, made worse by eye movement, watering,
redness, headache, and increased pain on exposure to light.
Treatment:
Blindfold the victim and get rest. Further exposure should be avoided.
If unavoidable, the eyes should be protected with dark bandages or the
darkest sunglasses. The condition heals in a few days without permanent
damage once exposure is stopped.
Prevention:
Wear sunglasses when any danger is present. Do not wait for discomfort
to begin.
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