Preparing for Snow Camping & Klondike

This is the season for troop activities in the cold and snow. To have fun at these sorts of events there is some special gear that will keep you warm, dry, and energized. By the way, this all comes about because Mrs Kelly decided to partake in Klondike, Snow Camping, and Winter Camp for the first time... yippee!

Personal Gear

  • Thermal underwear (1 set/day)
  • Sock liners (1 set/day)
  • Glove liners (personal preference, 1 set/day)
  • Fleece jacket
  • Fleece pants
  • Wool or thick hat
  • Wool or synthetic winter socks
  • Wool or synthetic scarf (personal preference)
  • Waterproof mittens
  • Rain Pants
  • Rain Coat
  • Waterproof, breathable boots
  • Hand warmers that fit in your mittens
  • Vacuum insulated mug or thermos
  • Work gloves


Overnight Gear

  • Small tent
  • Mummy bag (preferably rated below the anticipated temperature)
  • Fleece sleeping bag liner
  • Sleeping pads/blankets (3 below you for every 1 over you, sleeping bag counts as 1)
  • Towel to wipe up condensation (1/night)
  • Thick socks
  • Thermal underwear



Now that you have all this gear you need to know how to use it... So, here is some guidance.

Staying warm while out and about

  • If your base layer get's wet, change it. Particularly true for your socks
  • Glove liners wick moisture away from your hands and add a small amount of insulation to your mittens and gloves
  • Colder weather means thicker or multiple fleece layers
  • Mittens are better at keeping you warm than gloves because your fingers can share heat; so if you do not need the dexterity of gloves, go with the mittens
  • Drink liquids regularly to replenish your perspiration
  • Take layers off/on as your activity level changes, you are still sweating even though it is not dripping down your face
  • Mittens typically have a zipper on the top of the hand you can use to vent excess heat or house a hand warmer
  • Vacuum insulated mugs and thermos' are best at keeping your liquids hot in the cold
  • For those time you need to use tools, chain up, or be dexterous with your hands in a way that would ruin your mittens, use the work gloves instead


Staying warm overnight

  • Use a separate set of thermal underwear and socks to sleep in, the lack of moisture in these will keep you much warmer overnight
  • The smaller the space inside your tent the warmer it will be overnight due to your body heat
  • Fleece sleeping bag liners add about 10F degrees to the capability of your mummy bag
  • Use hand warmers near your feet if needed
  • When you awake in the morning your tent will have a serious layer of condensation on the inside, mop it up with a towel and make sure to bring enough towels to do this every morning; remember your towels will not dry out during the day


YIS, Jeff

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