Last week I shared a list of simple tips for keeping warm while camping. A friend of mine had a bunch of questions, which led to a conversation about how outdoor gear keeps you warm. In order to understand how to pick the best gear for staying warm, we have to answer a question: how do we get cold? This post discusses just that: The Science of Cold. Continue reading The Science of Cold
Tag Archives: Winter Backpacking
10 Ways to Keep Warm While Camping
My friends know that I’m not a fan of numbered lists. I don’t think simple lists of tricks are conducive to real learning. If you want to be comfortable and safe in the wilderness, you need to do two thing: READ and PRACTICE. Practicing is fun, but reading is a lost art. Most people these days don’t have the patience to read more than a simple bulleted list. Real knowledge comes from reading volumes of information and then applying that information to life. Alas, it’s Friday. Enjoy this list!
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Harriman State Park Christmas Campout
On Christmas Day, my friend called me and asked if I wanted to go camping. Of course I did! Christmas was on Thursday, so we planned on a quick one-night outing to Harriman State Park for Friday evening. I had recently been to the Fingerboard Shelter and thought it would be nice to head back. I packed up my gear that night, and we were on the road shortly after noon the next day. Continue reading Harriman State Park Christmas Campout
I Made My Own Backpacking Tarp, Part 4
In the first installment of this series, I discussed the events that led me to ditch my tent in favor of sleeping under a backpacking tarp. In Part 2 I talked about buying that first tarp, what it was like to sleep under it, and some of the advantages it had over a tent. In the most recent chapter, I explained my rationale for making my own tarp, and some of the considerations that went into its design. Continue reading I Made My Own Backpacking Tarp, Part 4
I Made My Own Backpacking Tarp, Part 2
This is Part 2 of the story about how I came to make my own backpacking tarp. (For the first part, click here.) It all started when I first got into backpacking. All of the experts told me that the best way to sleep while backpacking was under a tarp. Of course, I didn’t believe them, and bought a two-man backpacking tent.
Learn How to Melt Snow for Water
Backpacking in the winter is a lot of fun, but presents a lot of challenges. Its cold. Trails are tough to follow. Fire wood is buried in snow. One of the things I actually find easier about backpacking in the winter is finding water. In the summer, I often have to walk some distance from camp to find water in a spring or stream. In the winter, however, there is water everywhere. This article is about how to melt snow for water, which is actually pretty easy.
Winter Backpacking: Elk Pen to Tiorati Circle
In the summer of 2013, three of my sisters and I spent a week hiking the New Jersey section of the Appalachian Trail. We took it slow, averaging just under 10 miles per day. Though the weather was hot and the bugs were biting, we had a great time. We decided that one of our goals over the next few years would be to hike the New York section, even if we had to do it weekend-by-weekend. My sister CampingMeg and I finally put ourselves to the task of some winter backpacking over Thanksgiving weekend in 2014. We planned for several weeks, and then it snowed. A lot.
Continue reading Winter Backpacking: Elk Pen to Tiorati Circle
Winter Backpacking Gear List – 2015
When I was learning to backpack, I found it helpful when others posted their gear lists. It gave me a reference point for the kinds of things I needed, what I was doing right, and what I could be doing better. That said, there is no “one size fits all” gear list. There are a number of personal factors that go into making a gear list, such as size, weight, fitness level, and need for comfort. It also matters where and when you plan to go backpacking. One must factor in temperature, precipitation, terrain, water availability and natural shelter, among other things.