Winter camping is precisely the most adventurous thing you could do during the cold months. Venturing into the woods and taking the whiff of the pine scent or enjoying the clear sky with stars speckled all over is a sight to behold. However, no matter the beauty that is all around, the cold will still make you feel miserable.

So, when you are backpacking for a cross-country camping trip or just want to go camping in your area, learn the basics of how to stay warm and battle the cold comfortably.

Preparing Your Body

There are so many things you could do to keep yourself warm and enjoy camping more comfortably. Changing your perspective towards cold can have a major effect and with that, you can start preparing your mind and body as well. While you are out there, you can always get your heart pumping and blood gushing through your veins. Rely on movement or some physical activities like quickly climbing the rock nearby or simply doing some squats.

Other than this, you can always prepare your body for the cold even before you have gone out camping. To do so, start by taking a long stroll in the winter or shower in cold water on alternate days. This will help you prepare your body for the cold when you are camping.  

Cooking Essentials

It is important to keep in mind that, when you are cooking out on your camping trip, you must not cook inside the tent. There is nothing more dangerous than cooking inside the tent and filling it with carbon monoxide. Even in a well-ventilated tent, the dangers of accumulated carbon monoxide are still high.

You must cook outside the tent by digging a hole in the snow. This way you will also stay protected from the wind. While cooking put the stove on top of a rock or foil-covered cardboard. This will prevent the snow counter from melting.

Fill Up on Fatty Foods

Your body needs to burn the fat to stay warm in winter. So, filling up on fatty and protein-rich food is important so that your body gets enough calories to burn and keep you warm during winter. Include lean meat, butter, and cheese in your diet. A daily intake of 3000 to 5000 calories will do you good. Seasonal fruits and vegetables must also be included in the diet for enough fibre as your body needs that too.

Fluids and More

Apart from the food you eat, you must include lots of fluid in your diet while you are camping out. This mostly includes warm fluids like tea and coffee. As far as drinking water is concerned, try drinking melted snow. To do so, collect some clean snow and take it from somewhere uphill and away from the place where you plan to make your toilet.

The snow usually melts to its two-thirds portion depending on the water content. Make sure you have plenty of fuel with you as you will require scorching heat to melt the snow into water. Fresh snow does not usually contain bacteria but it is always good to boil it for further sterilization. This can be a good way to drink water when you are camping out in the cold.

Getting Accustomed

Changing your perspective towards the cold along with taking care of the basics will help you in your journey of camping in the cold. Along with these, layering up the correct way is your survival trick against battling the cold.