Winter Camping
Winter Adventures
Travel During the Off-Season
Winter camping is not for everyone. For those who decide that adventuring should be year round, with a few extra steps you can experience some of the most gratifying, peaceful travel during what some consider to be the off-season.
When temperatures drop in fall, many people pack away their camping gear until its needed again in the spring. There is nothing wrong with three season camping. The pull of the outdoors overtakes some to travel year-round and with some additional preparation it can be done comfortably. For many of those living in the Midwest and other areas that do experience months of white and cold, its a way to get through what can sometimes be a harsh season both mentally and physically.
Getting outdoors has a de-stressing effect, improves mood, reduces inflammation, boosts the immune system, lowers blood pressure, helps to fight anxiety and depression, helps us heal quicker, improves sleep, enhances creativity, increases happiness, boosts life satisfaction. Most importantly, Nature Therapy gives us an extra bump of Vitamin D that so many people need. Approximately 40% of people in the United States are deficient in Vitamin Sunshine, which helps to stave off or lower your chances of osteoporosis, depression, MS, cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and hypertension. All great reasons to let the adventures continue year round.
Outfitting a van for winter travels can come in two forms; a complete tear out of the van’s interior to remove windows and add insulation from the ground up, or simply work with what you have. If your route is enhancing your van as is, there are several things you can do to make it warm and cozy indoors on the road.
The best and most flexible choice to take care of your base electric needs is to outfit your rig with a solar panel. Surprisingly, the start up cost is not too huge of an investment if you plan to travel regularly. For around $500 you can get started with a solar panel, solar charge controller, inverter and batteries to store your collected power. You can always add additional solar panels or batteries in the future so your solar setup can grow with your power needs. When connected to an inverter in the van, you can charge your batteries while traveling but also have the ability to connect to solar when parked as the weather permits. This can be very helpful as many campgrounds and recreation areas have limited service in the off season including electric, water stations, and sometimes even showers so you must be prepared! Those with dispersed camping or Boondocking experience know this is the case whenever heading into the backcountry should already be prepared for each of these scenarios as there are zero amenities when traveling off-grid.
Once you have power coming into your van, you need to be aware of load capacity so batteries are not drained overnight or overheated. You can do a bunch of math or do a test run locally where you won’t be stranded. Keep and eye on your battery power and adjust indoor usage as necessary. A low wattage space heater can be used or if you don’t want to plug into your system a propane-powered heater is a great option. Make sure to have some ventilation setup if going this route, even in winter. Running a heater just before bed on a timer should heat the space sufficiently for most of the night. You can always turn on again during the night if its getting chilly in the van. With insulation panels securely in each window and blackout curtains hung in front, help keep 80 square feet quite toasty on most adventures in the wild.
When looking for your place to call home for the night, consider the following before parking. Does the site have any wind protection from trees or other natural barriers? Are there overhanging branches you need to watch out for that may fall during your stay? And most importantly when traveling with solar, where will you get the most sun at your site and on the panel? Always remember to work with Mother Nature.
Always have proper layers of clothing with you and keep your body dry. Its the basics of winter survival, or just winter in the Midwest. Layers, layers, layers. Make sure the fabrics are wool or synthetic blend so even if they get wet you will stay warm. That is not the case with cotton so its wise to invest in quality base layers.
Have a campfire going, always stay active, and take breaks to warm up. Tea, or coffee, or hot apple cider can be the perfect warmer from the inside out. Have these at the ready for break time. Everything you do in winter requires more hydration so remember continuous hydration is still goal number one even when its cold outside. Without it you could get disorientated, tired and unreliable in the wilderness.
Foods should be quick to prepare and easy to clean up are optimal when temperatures are lower and sun is more limited. Save the haute cuisine and cooking projects for other seasons. Simplicity is the name of the game in winter. Bring high calorie snacks that won’t freeze for daytime adventures and easy hot meals + soups to help keep you warm and your belly full.
Daylight is at a premium in the evening so plan ahead if you collect firewood or if cooking outdoors. Bedtime usually comes a bit earlier during this season since our bodies want to work with the rise and fall of the early sun. Take advantage of this by getting extra rest at night. It technically is hibernation season so catchup on sleep before the next day’s adventure.
Don’t forget about the puppies! Watch their actions to make sure they are not too cold. Remember smaller dogs and those with thinner coats get cold faster than larger dogs or those with thicker coats. Check paws for cracking or salt from snow removal. Paw balm can be helpful and applied at the end of day before bedtime. Being outdoors and more adventurous means they may need a little more nourishment so have healthy treats available. Snacks also come in handy when going over mountain passes to help them deal with elevation and ear pressure change. Just like humans, dogs also need to have continuous hydration in winter months considering the extra exertion activities require in the cold.
Traveling during the off-season can be some of the most rewarding travel experiences. Many times you have trails completely to yourself, sometimes even an entire campground to yourself. Camping, hiking, and visiting National Parks has exploded in popularity over the last several years. There is something very peaceful of being in the outdoors with less people around and the perfect way to get in Nature Therapy year round.
Before you leave home base let someone know of your travel plans, and as always practice Leave No Trace along your journey.
