Winter camping is one of those ideas I’ve been rolling around for several years and have always put it off due to the fact I know very little about it. This is where you guys come in. Where is a good place to start? For me it seems winter travel. I’ve never had snowshoes on. What might be step 1? Thank you

I think developing a good sleep system and proving it out in the back yard ( or somewhere that has a quick bailout option) is a good place to start and build confidence. Also, just going out for a walk/hike in cold temperatures to get a feel of how to best dress in layers and adapt as you work up a sweat etc. Get comfortable using your snowshoes or skis before you head out.

Poke around on the old threads here too. Don't be afraid to ask more specific questions.

Unlike regular canoe or backpacking camping, with winter camping don't bite off more then you can chew. The first couple of places you end up winter camping, make sure you have an easy escape route. For instance, I went to State Parks during the winter so I could have my vehicle handy incase I thought it wasn't going well.

The next decision is deciding if you want to do warm-tent winter camping or cold-tent winter camping. There are pros and cons for each. Warm-tent means you can be sitting in a tent when it is -40 f outside and it is 60 degrees inside. However, this means more and usually heavier equipment to bring, like a traditional canvas tent and a woodstove. Cold-tent means less equipment to carry, but that means you really have to invest in a really good sleeping bag which can get bulky. With either you choose to go down, you really need to make sure your sleep system is something you can feel warm in all night regardless if you have a hot tent or not. Safety wise, you don't want to sleep overnight in a hot-tent while an unattended fire in the stove is ongoing.

Hand in hand with the sleep system is figuring out your clothing. Wool is a good choice with a wicking underlayer. Your enemy will moving about your campsite and hiking around is your body sweat. If you get drenched in body sweat, the water can cause hypnothermia to kick in faster. Wool breaths really well, in that it allows moisture to evaporate off your skin, through the clothes, and into the environment, and keeping you warmer then if you were sweating up a storm.

Next question is how you are going to carry/pull your equipment. With a cold-tent you could pack it all into a backpack in theory but with a hot-tent you have to look at pulk sleds or toboggans.

If you have a tent already, and a fairly good sleeping bag, I suggest going to the state park or your backyard for a night, just to see how it goes. If you find you like that, but are shocked by the price of new hot-tent equipment, there are places to rent out a hot-tent for a weekend to see if you want to go that direction.

Finally, when I was starting out I read this book cover to cover. It is a more traditional route of winter camping with a hot-tent, but the lessons taught are pretty timeless. And it was written by a legend in the winter camping community: Snow Walkers Companion by Garrett Conover

Also, there used to be a forum about winter camping that was really, really good. But that went away and has been replaced by the new one linked above. It is a little slow right now as the membership builds up, but there are a lot of expirenced people there that can help you out. Winter Camping Symposium

Good luck. Have fun. And welcome.

Yakfish: ".... Where is a good place to start? For me it seems winter travel. I’ve never had snowshoes on...."

My interest in winter camping started while snowshoeing with my wife. I a particularly pretty spot I casually said, "Wouldn't it be cool to spend the night and see this in the morning?". That little idea grew in my mind and I started finding out what gear to buy and use. Found a deal on a good used tent and never looked back.

Thank you. I will definitely be checking out the book. I have been a camper and ice fisherman my whole life but never mixed the two. Maybe I’ll give it a try this year and see about some middle of the night walleyes also.

Yakfish: "Thank you. I will definitely be checking out the book. I have been a camper and ice fisherman my whole life but never mixed the two. Maybe I’ll give it a try this year and see about some middle of the night walleyes also. "

Being and icefisherman is a big help. You know what enduring the cold is about and you have a lot of the cold weather gear clothing needed. What is your location?

Southern Wisconsin. Janesville.

Hey Yakfish.....fellow paddler right next door to you out here in Brodhead. C'mon out and paddle the Sugar someday.

Sounds good to me.

cowdoc: "Hey Yakfish.....fellow paddler right next door to you out here in Brodhead. C'mon out and paddle the Sugar someday."

One of my favorite local canoeing rivers.