Hi all! Could use some advice. I am a complete newbie to winter camping. Just bought a 4 season / 2 person Wenger tent. I have 0 degree down bags, a thermarest, and appropriate layered clothes. I'm planning to start simply... overnights close to home camping at gradually lower temperatures. I would expect that I probably won't experience being out in lower than 10 degrees. Eventually, I would like to backpack / winter hike & canoe camp the instant the ice goes out.

I have seen some mention of tent heaters.. do you folks use them & how?

How about condensation issues?

Anything else you's care to share would be welcome & appreciated!

Cheers!

Mike

Check out this thread.

To clarify, the tent heaters/stoves people are talking about are for canvas tents. Fire and nylon tent material make for tragedy. I would never advise someone to use a heater in a 3-4 season nylon tent.

Thank You!

General Winter camping thoughts -

The days are short - your body will tell you to hit the hay at 6PM - resulting in waking at 2AM fully rested. Take a lantern.

Nights can be cold - I like to double bag even my cold weather bag, and make darn sure you have an insulated pad or pads under you.

I like to boil water and fill my Nalgene bottle before I turn in - I place it at the foot of the bag - my feet stay warm and I have liquid water for my coffee in the morning.

I'm heading in on Friday on the Kek!

Sound like a great starting plan to learn how your gear works, what to expect, what is needed.

Heaters? Not for me in anything smaller than my wall tent.

Condensation issues? Yes, Your breath will condense at the bag opening (I use a microfiber towel as a bib for the bag opening). Sweat vapor will collect on the exterior surface of your bag (Has not been a problem for me as it was just surface dampness, down was not wet at all). The liner and interior of the tent fly will frost/dampen with dew/exhalation vapor.

Anything else? As mentioned it will be dark for a longtime, lighting will be useful/needed. In the bag early and read or listen to some music, enjoy the different quiet of a winter nite. I like to keep the stove ready and make some soup in the middle of the nite.

Start with small steps and learn on the way. Have fun, be careful!

butthead

Thanks for the great info folks! Definitely some things I hadn't considered.

Here's some good advice for staying warm.

No, I don't use a heater (or at least haven't so far).

Several things related to water:
1) Consider where your water will come from. Melting snow is an option, but takes rather a lot of fuel. Filtering from a still-flowing creek/spring or out of a hole in the ice is better.
2) Keeping your water liquid can be tricky. Keeping at least one of your bottles in your sleeping bag at night is a good plan.
3) Heating those bottles before putting them in your sleeping bag is a good tip for keeping yourself warm too.
4) Never underestimate how important it is to stay hydrated - we remember to drink in summer, but not as easily in winter. Drinking enough water is key both to feeling okay and staying warm, since water is needed to metabolize food.

Other things for staying warm at night:
1) Wear a hat!
2) Use your jacket or a sweatshirt to supplement your Thermarest.
3) Try putting additional layers between you and the sky. You radiate a lot to space, so if you have a way to suspend a reflective blanket as a tarp just above your tent's rainfly that can help. Something like the SOL Sport Utility Blanket would be good - do one above and one beneath the tent if you want.
4) Smaller tents are warmer - don't make your body heat extra space.
5) A quinzee is MUCH warmer than a tent, if you have the snow and time to build one.

Other notes:
1) Tent floors are cold. For little luxuries, a wool blanket, or even just a piece of one, laid on the floor makes for a much more comfortable surface to set your bare feet on when you pull your socks off.
2) You'll use a lot more stove fuel.
3) Food cools off quickly - shut up and eat! If you finish that story first, your chili will be frozen to your plate. (True story - guy in my Scout Troop made that mistake.)
4) Remember that walking in snow is hard - if you're doing a hiking trip, plan for much shorter trips than summer.