Snow Camping Fundamentals
By Matt Pritchard
Gearing Up - Continued
Stove
When you're snow camping, a quality stove is one of your most important pieces of gear. Its purpose is two-fold. Besides fixing up hot meals for you and your crew, the stove is your key to staying hydrated. Melting snow will be your primary means of drinking water. Don't count on being able to find running water. Liquid fuel stoves are much more reliable in cold weather. I am a big fan of the MSR Whisperlite. It is reliable, field serviceable, and has a good, stable base. Boyle's Law dictates that canister stoves will perform poorly in cold temperatures - don't blame me, it's physics. If you insist on using a canister stove, performance may be improved by warming up the canister ahead of time in your jacket. Also consider bringing some type of base to set your stove on. This helps keep the stove level as the flame begins to melt the snow underneath the stove. No matter what type of stove you bring, be sure to bring adequate fuel for cooking and melting snow. Melting snow is a total fuel hog - plan accordingly. A general rule is one liter of gas per day per 3 person group.
Shelter
If you have the time and patience to build a snow shelter, I strongly recommend it. More on this in the "Setting up Camp" section. If, however, you don't have the time or prefer the nylon confines of a tent, there are several options for you. We use a floorless "tarp" style tent called a Megamid (made by Black Diamond, AKA Bibler). The Megamid is a fantastic shelter with a lot of options for setup. Check out our guide to using the Megamid for Winter Camping. Most major tent manufacturers offer 3+ or 4 season tents that will fare well in the snow. These are generally bombproof shelters, but they are heavy and expensive. For your first time out, consider taking the time to build a snow shelter or possibly borrow or rent a tent from somebody. For minimalists, a bivy sack with a good sleeping pad is a lightweight, if less comfortable, option.
Sleeping System
We'll tell you this up front - dialing in your sleeping system is going to take some time. Let's start at the bottom. You'll need a tarp or heavy emergency blanket to provide a waterproof layer underneath you. On top of that, you will need a very good sleeping pad or pads. Do not skimp here. Insulating yourself from the snow underneath is critical to a comfortable night. We use a combination of closed cell pads and Thermarests to achieve this. It offers a nice union of insulation and comfort. A mummy style sleeping bag with a well insulated hood is the only way to go - the flannel lined Coleman bag that you bought at Kmart in '83 just won't cut it. Down versus synthetic is too large a debate for this guide, just make sure that the comfort rating on the bag is enough for the expected overnight low temp. This next suggestion might seem like a no-brainer, but Matt learned it the hard way - make sure your bag fits. If you're big around the shoulders or you've never zipped your bag all the way up to the neck, make sure you can do this without too much trouble. Also consider dead space in your sleeping bag - too much room at the feet or around your torso can decrease your bag's effectiveness against cold. If you have a lot of extra space, throw a bulky sweater or fleece down at the foot of your bag or wear additional clothes to bed.
Other Gear
Most of the other gear you bring on a normal backpacking trip should work well for a snow camping trip as well. There are several odds and ends you can bring to make you trip more comfortable. However, each piece of gear is more weight in your pack. The 10 essentials are a no-brainer, as are the Oh Shit Kit and the First Aid Kit. One piece of specialty gear you'll need is a quality snow shovel. You'll use it for setting up camp, building your shelter, and digging out your car the next day. Of course, the shovel is also a key piece of gear any time you travel in avalanche terrain - but that's another story for another time. Choose a shovel with a well-sized polycarbonate (Lexan) or aluminum blade. A telescoping and/or detachable shaft helps with packing. T-grip or D-grip is a matter of personal preference. Life-Link, Ortovox, BCA, and Black Diamond all make excellent shovels for this type of use.
Getting There
You have two primary options for transport over snow - skis or snowshoes. [begin rant] Snowmobiles are excluded from this list on purpose because they are noisy, stinky, and a general affront to all things that are sacred about the backcountry. Also, if snowmobiling is your idea of a good time, snow camping probably isn't. [end rant] On telemark or AT skis, you can cover more ground in a short period of time than snowshoes. However, backcountry skiing requires a lot of specialized gear and experience. If you're not an experienced skier, it may be best to consider snowshoes for your first wintertime overnighter. Snowshoes can be rented from many mountain shops and require no special skills. If you can walk, you can snowshoe.
Before leaving for your trip, be sure to let a responsible person know where you're going and when you plan to return. Indicate your trailhead, general route, license plate number, and emergency phone numbers. Specify a time that should raise concern if you haven't been heard from. Make a copy of this information and place it in an envelope on the front seat of your car at the trailhead. For a trip information template, look here. Before leaving the trailhead, make one last check of your gear to make sure that you have everything you need.
Speed of travel over snow can vary greatly, depending on snow conditions and terrain. Breaking trail through fresh snow is tiring and time consuming. If you are traveling in a group (which you should be), take turns breaking trail so that nobody strokes out halfway to your campsite. As a general rule, estimate your travel speed at half of what it is on dry ground. Give yourself plenty of time to reach your campsite and factor in some extra time for fiddling with your pack and, if you're out of shape, barfing up a lung along the way. If you don't have adequate avalanche safety training (reading a book does not qualify as adequate training), then avoid avalanche terrain at all costs. Try to stay on level ground and do not travel on or around steep slopes (20 - 60 degrees) or corniced ridgelines. Also worth mentioning, if you are on snowshoes, resist the temptation to use cross-country ski tracks that are already there. Clomping through somebody's skin track shows poor backcountry etiquette.
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