101 tips for Winter Camping

[southey]

Keep a knife within easy reach when in a tent, if needs be cut out get out!

[southey]

These are notes from various courses and refresher course packages I have attended,

Safety rules for Cold weather regions,

1, Have a map, compass, whistle, pencil, notebook, torch, matches, candle, filed dressing, and survival bag.

2, ALWAYS wear appropriate clothing and carry a spare.

3, Have 24 hours worth of rations for emergencies.

4, Ensure YOU have the correct equipment.

5, Routes must be planned and a copy left at base location(remember snow conditions can alter and affect your pace).

6, Never go alone.

7, Stay as a group.

8, Know and plan your nearest place for help at any point along your route, be it a telephone, road or dwelling.

9, Conserve energy and TURN BACK IN TIME!.

10 Stay within the abilities of the group.

11, Know the international distress signal (6 blasts of a whistle or flashes of a torch to attract attention, 3 blasts or flashes in reply to a signal being given).

12, Seek local advice if it can be obtained.

13, show respect to the weather and weather forecast.

14, If caught out in bad weather, seek cover in time and dig a snow hole if necessary.

[southey]

More to come,

[Imagedude]

Never use a metal pis5 bottle.

[Samon]

great tips so far and so lovely pictures!

What advice would you guys offer to camping in our coldish, forever damp, muggy, depressing and damn right unpredictable crappy British winters??

It just seems like everything stays wet and horrible, infact every season we have is unpredictable and pretty much all of the above..

(I'm a bit fed up of our weather, as I'm sure you can tell..)

[Samon]

Never use a metal pis5 bottle.

and don'tn try peeing out of your hammock.. it's easier and dryer to just get out and tinkle

[southey]

and don'tn try peeing out of your hammock.. it's easier and dryer to just get out and tinkle

When its minus 30\40 centigrade, getting out for pee can be a bit more of an issue,

[Imagedude]

What advice would you guys offer to camping in our coldish, forever damp, muggy, depressing and damn right unpredictable crappy British winters??

That's a much more difficult question to answer. And deserving of its own thread.

[mrcharly]

That's a much more difficult question to answer.

Hmm.

I would say:

Assume you will get wet. Choose clothes accordingly (cotton = bad idea for base and mid-layers, polyprop not so bad, wool = best). Buffalo clothing (and sleeping bags) works really really well.

In many parts of the country (peak district, lakes, yorkshire dales) there isn't any tree cover on the tops, no firewood. Carry appropriate shelter and fuel to make a warm drink.

Beware windchill. Temperatures might be above zero, but rain+25mph winds + 10miles to shelter from wind = hypothermia unless very well dressed.

Fog or cloud cover on whale-back fells can make navigation difficult. Always know where you are, the direction of shelter (villages, roads) and carry a compass.

[southey]

Wind chill chart for your perusal,

[southey]

Ice thickness's for various weights,

REMEMBER

You must check the ice is not supported by the shoreline, this can happen with hydro dams, where the water level drops but the ice sheet rests on the shore creating an air space between the sheet and the water below,

Check the thickness for the entire crossing,

traffic use will over time weaken the ice unless the frost is steadily increasing its thickness, so even an established route will need checking before you cross it,

[Samon]

That's a much more difficult question to answer. And deserving of its own thread.

Shall I start a new one? or can the resident masters of british camping do it?..

I'm really interested in hearing some solid advice as the winter here for me just seems like nothing more than a miserable, wet and pretty much naff experience.

( I hear we are going to have this current weather untill june..)

[Wayland]

You ought to start it mate, it's your idea and a good one too.

[Samon]

Ok, thread title: British winter camping tips!

any good? might be good if each person adding information added their locationtoo i.e scotland, ireland, midlands, seaside etc as the different regions/areas are all slightly different to endure.

[Imagedude]

I'd go with 'British Wet Weather Camping Tips'

[Samon]

soudns pretty good, reckon we can get it stickied so it can be found easily? I'd say it's pretty useful to have up for members/guests to view as it's pretty relevant considering our consistant wet/damp weather.