Whether you’re camping for one night or have a week-long expedition planned when the harsh winters roll around, it pays to have the ideal equipment. That will ensure your comfort and safety while reveling in a memorable experience.
After all, although snow-capped landscapes can be magical, things can quickly take a turn for the worse with inadequate preparation. Whether you’re a seasoned camper or looking to tick off an adventure that’s been on your bucket list for the longest time, this guide will walk you through a thorough winter camping gear checklist.
Besides granting you much-needed peace of mind, the checklist will ensure all goes smoothly during your trip.
At the top of the winter camping gear checklist, a four-season tent protects you from the elements and serves as your shelter. Besides freezing temperatures, it’s no secret that winter storms cause heavy precipitation coupled with strong winds. Your tent has the uncanny ability to withstand all of it.
The GEERTOP portable two-person tent is a worthwhile investment. The exterior of the tent is constructed from PU 8,000mm water-resistant coated nylon whereas the inside is made from PU 5,000mm water-resistant polyester (including the tent floor).
Therefore, it can resist snow and wind in high-altitude camping areas. The sturdy aluminum poles ensure stability in heavy rain, strong winds, and the heaviest snow. When it comes to usability, setting up the tent is a walk in the park as it only requires one person and a few minutes, allowing more time for the camping trip.
Let’s face it. There’s no greater feeling than crawling into a cozy and toasty sleeping bag after a tiresome day of slogging through the snow. When selecting a winter sleeping bag, it’s worth noting that the conditions you’ll be sleeping in coupled with the temperatures can differ significantly. Although the lowest sleeping temperature rating for a mild winter escapade would be 20℉, a multitude of winter sleeping bags is rated at least 0℉.
A great example is the Rioyalo. Crafted from 100% 450GSM polyester fiber aligned with an excellent shell, the sleeping bag guarantees additional warmth during winter camping and other exhilarating outdoor activities.
Given that it only weighs 5 pounds, the lightweight nature of Rioyalo ensures it doesn’t add excessive weight to shoulders that are already sore. The easily foldable design coupled with compression sack and straps makes it a breeze to reuse, store, and carry.
Your sleeping pad is the buffer between you and the snow-capped ground. Therefore, it’s nearly as essential as your sleeping bag. For that reason, you should invest in a pad with a high R-value of at least 4 that delivers enhanced insulation from the ground. With an R-value of 4.5, the Hybern8 delivers four-season comfort and warmth, allowing you to get the much-needed shuteye.
Whether you’re breaking down or setting up camp, the last thing you need is a sleeping pad that’s a hassle to pack up or blow up. Hybern8 has a rapid one-way valve that makes stow and setup a walk in the park (up to 10 breaths). Weighing about 25 ounces and compressible to a one-liter bottle, the sleeping pad is the bee’s knees when it comes to getting a good night’s rest.
It’s a no-brainer that meals are essential not only as fuel on the high-output days but also when the harsh winters roll around as your body works harder to keep you warm. For winter camping, a stove can be a lifesaver in enhanced warmth and comfort, particularly if you opt for one that’s reliable enough to withstand the harsh elements and boil water in a jiffy. An all-in-one canister stove, for instance, the MSR Wind Burner System is a worthwhile investment.
As a cookware solution, this stove features a secure east-and-drink mug or locking pot. The heat exchanger and radiant burner provide quick boil times and optimum fuel efficiency compared to the traditional counterparts that rely on convective heat.
For windproof performance, the MSR Wind Burner System has an internal pressure regulator and enclosed design that function concurrently to make the unit impervious to external conditions. It also solely relies on air combustion.
With the better quality of dehydrated meals, a multitude of campers rely on an all-in-one stove to boil water and eat their food right from their backpack. In such instances, a pot isn’t required. With a mug or cup for hot beverages coupled with a Spork, you’re good to go.
If you opt for a liquid-fuel stove, you’ll require purchasing a pot separately and we recommend choosing a lightweight option made of aluminum or titanium. Although cookware varies from budget to ultralight, there’s a wealth of middle-of-the-road alternatives from reputable manufacturers such as Snow Peak, GSI Outdoors, and MSR.
It’s no secret that when the harsh winters roll around, the days are short. Resultantly, campers find themselves snowshoeing or skiing back into camp as the sun sets or at times in full darkness. Therefore, a headlamp such as Dan Force is your holy grail.
Manufactured in the US, this lamp is of unmatched quality with IPX-45 resistance to damage, water, dust, and corrosion. With a high 1080 lumens, this headlamp has different light modes such as medium, high, and low.
Designed with tactical use in mind, Dan Force is adjustable at a 90-degree angle and includes a carabiner, user manual, 18,650 USB rechargeable batteries, a carry bag, and a USB cable. It allows you to effortlessly change the focus lights for searching the outdoors when camping. The zoom feature provides optimum lighting precision for work. The headlamp operates impressively as a hard hat light and includes red lights that are perfect for hunting and fishing.
Besides being durable, Dan Force was designed with optimum comfort in mind. You can revel in temperature control courtesy of the headband that has unrivaled resistance to any type of moisture including sweat. Its adjustable sizing makes it a custom-built light that’s a snug fit for your head.
Dan Force headlamps are designed to withstand anything Mother Nature throws from bone-chilling cold to sweltering heat. Additionally, for excellent dependability, the air-right rubber sealing safeguards the lamp against water, ice, snow, and dust.
It ushers unmatched versatility. You can throw it on whenever the snow becomes rain and sleet or the wind begins seeping into your clothing and you require an extra layer of warmth and protection. Furthermore, it’s essential to add a waterproof layer during winter camping to avoid frostbite or hypothermia.
The Suokeni waterproof ski jacket is perfect to bring along on your trip alongside other winter camping gear. It’s constructed from breathable and waterproof fabric to curb rainwater from seeping into the jacket while getting rid of sweat.
The ski coat shell comes with an easily detachable and adjustable hood coupled with significantly dense textiles to prevent bone-chilling wind from penetrating. Warm and lightweight cotton locks on the jacket effectively trap body heat and build an excellent windbreak system.
Constructed from polymer blending material, the shell diminishes the likelihood of sustaining injuries on your winter camping trip by protecting you from being scratched by branches and rocks. Suokeni has two zippered pockets, a zippered liner pocket, and a water-resistant pressing glue pocket.
It’s a no-brainer that an excellent pair of winter pants will be thicker, more resistant to the elements, and warmer compared to generic hiking pants. For winter camping, we recommend mountaineering or ski pants such as Tofern.
Crafted from 400T 20D nylon that’s not only soft but also skin-friendly, the compact and lightweight nature (500g) of these pants makes them easy to bring alongside the rest of your camping gear. Their compact structure makes them resistant to moisture, snow, ice, and water, keeping you clean, warm, and cozy on your trip.
Tofern ski pants are puffed with white goose feathers that have a fluffiness rating of 700, making them perfect in locking the warm layers. You can revel in the warmth and the exhilaration that winter camping ushers in, even in extreme temperatures of -20°F.
Donning the pants and taking them off is a walk in the park courtesy of the unique-sided zipper on each leg. Resultantly, you can avoid unnecessary energy loss during your trip and channel it towards your activities.
The adjustable elastic closure that sits at the bottom of the pants is a beast at trapping the heat and keeping your legs warm throughout. The waterproof oxford materials at the hem pave the way for you to stride without the concerns of wetting your pants. For portability, the natural and white goose-down filler is easy to compress and pack. That cuts down on the storage space in your backpack.
Although winter camping can be enticing, it calls for particular essentials to make it a success. Otherwise, the lack of preparation means that what should be a snowy trip will quickly become unsafe and uncomfortable, and that’s the last thing you need. Fortunately, with the camping gear checklist discussed in this article, you can have a memorable trip.
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