Mapper Posted December 18, 2007 Share Posted December 18, 2007 It's been nearly 10 years since I was a scout. This weekend I volunteered to go camping with the local troop. It's supposed to be about 3 degrees Friday night so it should be a cold one. We are headed to a local tree farm. Luckily we have a tipi to hang out in most of the night. A local company called Backcountry Secrets is letting the scouts use it ( www.BackcountrySecrets.com ). The scouts will be sleeping in the tipi where it should stay about 40-50 degrees. As for me and their leader, we'll be in a tent nearby hopefully not freezing to death. I'm excited for this trip, and a little nervous about the cold. It seems that things like cold and such affect me more now that I'm not as smart as a teenager and don't know everything anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
insanescouter Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 Sounds like an awesome trip and lots of fun ... any chance you will be able to share a few unidentifiable pictures? Scott Robertson http://insanescouter.org Helping leaders one resource at a time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allangr1024 Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 I did this for my first campout as an adult. I froze my tail off. Suggestions: Wear lots of layers. Take Tshirts, sweatshirts, sweaters, jackets. Wear them all. Take some off if you get too warm. Take separate clean clothing to sleep in. On cold campouts I take a separate pair of long underwear for this. Sleep in wool socks and a head covering. Invest in a good 10 or 15 degree mummy style sleeping bag. If it is made from polarguard or some similar material, it is better. Down filled is ok, but if it gets wet, it won't keep you warm. Put hand warmers in the bag to heat it up before you get in. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allangr1024 Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 I did this for my first campout as an adult. I froze my tail off. Suggestions: Wear lots of layers. Take Tshirts, sweatshirts, sweaters, jackets. Wear them all. Take some off if you get too warm. Take separate clean clothing to sleep in. On cold campouts I take a separate pair of long underwear for this. Sleep in wool socks and a head covering. Invest in a good 10 or 15 degree mummy style sleeping bag. If it is made from polarguard or some similar material, it is better. Down filled is ok, but if it gets wet, it won't keep you warm. Put hand warmers in the bag to heat it up before you get in. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ASM857 Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 Remember to have a good sleeping pad and I take a wool blanket for a liner in the sleeping bag or a good fleece one works also. Always do layers and preferably a material that will wick your presperation away. Good Luck and enjoy YIS Doug Buth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gold Winger Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 Wool is warm and will keep you that way even if it gets weat. Silk's nice but not as warm as wool. I have a light wool sweater that is just for sleeping. Wool watch cap and since I like my hands outside of the sleeping bag, wool mittens. It is a bit late but you can find military surplus wool sweaters, hats, and mittens for a song if you do some shopping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenk Posted December 20, 2007 Share Posted December 20, 2007 Around here, for real cold weather camping, Scouts buy 4x8 sheets of foam insulation at Home Depot or similar, cut it into managable strips, and then duct tape it back together so it will fold z-style. This goes on the ground to provide insulation. Put your regular pad (for comfort) over that. Stay dry!! Before you climb into the sleeping bag change into dry clothing - even the underwear and socks - since they will contain moisture and that will make you cold. I myself absolutely need to wear wool socks to bed or else my feet get cold - even with the warmest sleeping bag. Bring extra blankets if you're not sure how your sleeping bag will do. In addition to the hand warmer, you can also put hot water into a Nalgene water bottle and put that into your bag a while before turning in. For safety sake I'd put the water bottle into a ziploc bag - just to make sure a leak doesn't mess up your bag. Wear a loose-fitting synthetic cap while sleeping. Don't breath into your bag as that will add a ton of moisture. Ventilate your tent well - to avoid condensation. Make sure you drink LOTS of water as the air is very dry. Wear synthetic or wool clothing. Don't wear cotton. If you're sitting in a camp chair, bring a cheap closed cell foam pad to lay over the seat and back. I saw something on TV oncee that proved that a warm body helps keep your hands warm. A cold body will shut down circulation in the extremities to try to preserve heat. My biggest problem in cold weather is that my eyes get cold and start watering, and that leads to my nose running. The running nose drives me absolutely nuts. I really need to purchase a pair of cold-weather goggles that fit over my glasses. If you're really cold and not doing well - say something to the other leader(s). Don't tough it out and wait until something is real wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mapper Posted December 22, 2007 Author Share Posted December 22, 2007 Well the campout was a TON of fun. Even though it was cold outside we really enjoyed it. The coldest it got outside was 7 degrees, but inside the tipi it was 43 degrees when we checked the thermometer at about 11:00 PM. The scouts didn't want to leave until it became lunch time and they realized we didn't pack lunch. (Falls right in line with the add-on to the scout law, "A scout is always hungry") The tents weren't even that bad. We were only in there to sleep and my sleeping bag and pad worked great. insanescouter I have some pictures, but I'm new here. Is there somewhere to post on here, or do I need to post on another site and link them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1Vigil Posted December 22, 2007 Share Posted December 22, 2007 Mapper.......... I glad you came back to camp with the troop. I have a tipi too and have camped in single digit weather. We just kept a very small fire inside. You can almost sleep on top of your sleeping bag. I said almost. Ha Ha. We had a lot of snow out side that day and piled it up around the tipi as the wind was blowing rather strong. Are you planning on going camping with the troop again soon or was this just a visit? Which ever it is. Its great to see you back with the boys again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle1991 Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 This is great! Even thougbh I'm only 16, I spend much time from Nov.-Mar. doing Speech&Debate and am not able to do winter camping any longer. I do however, camp out plenty from April-Oct. Caping is a great exp., and I wish you the best of luck returning to scouting. Christian Eagle Scout Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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