1. Water

When camping in the winter, making water is tedious, but pays huge dividends. Having a large trash bag to shovel snow into (be sure to keep a shovel handy) and a lightweight pot to store water is clutch. Pro tip: heat water up in the evening, store in small water bottles, and keep it near your sleeping bag for warmth. This also keeps your water from freezing in the middle of the night. Then when you wake up the next morning you have the essentials for hot coffee, breakfast, and hydration throughout the day. 

2. Layering

Staying warm is clearly an important element of camping in the cold, so be sure to layer up. I like to run a merino base layer, top, and bottom, and a mid-layer style hoodie with a large hood so I can protect myself from the sun. It can get surprisingly hot during the day when the sun hits the snow, so sunscreen is key. I personally use Dermatone. From there, I add a micro puffy and a large down parka for hanging around camp and a hard-shell jacket for moving around the mountains.

4. Shelter

You can’t go wrong packing a double wall tent. You’ll end up adding a bit of weight to your kit but it’ll help decrease the amount of frost to your tent each morning. Wanting to get out of your sleeping bag can be tough when it’s freezing cold outside and when you are frosted over it’s just that much worse. 

5. Sleeping Pads

Pack two of them! It can get even colder than you imagined when camping in the snow. I bring a foam pad (Z-pad) to lay underneath my blow-up pad because it provides a bit more insulation between you and the snow. Some folks will even run two foam pads to help insulate. Having an insulated blow-up pad is a great move too. 

These are just a few tips, among many, to help make your next cold-weather camping experience as comfy as possible. But most importantly, have safe and be fun!