Are you going winter camping and afraid about the possibility of being trapped in a blizzard?
Do you prefer being prepared for all situations?
The chances of being trapped in a dangerous winter storm are low, but as a former boy scout, I believe in the importance of being prepared.
As campers, you should too.
This is why I decided to write up and offer these 11 tips for staying safe while camping in a winter storm.
Camping in a winter storm may seem scary, but there are simple steps to keep safe. Here is what I recommend keeping in mind:
- Check The Weather Ahead Of Time
- Layer, Layer, Layer
- Pack Other Essential Gear
- Seal Out The Wind
- Stay Dry
- Warm Your Space
- Stay High
- Shelter Down Wind
- Keep Eating
- Don’t Go Alone
- Insulate
Check out the rest of the post for details on camping in a winter storm.
DISCLAIMER: This isn’t a survivalist course or a foolproof way to stay safe; we accept no responsibility for your safety when camping in winter storms.
It’s best to avoid the situation entirely.
Table of Contents
Camping In A Winter Storm: 11 Tips On Staying Safe
This section contains my 11 favorite tips for staying safe.
Keep this in mind as you go winter camping.
Remember, the best way to stay safe is to avoid a dangerous camping situation altogether.
#1 Check The Weather Ahead Of Time
As we’ve mentioned twice now, don’t get caught in a winter storm if at all possible.
That’s the best way to stay safe.
I’m probably overcautious when it comes to weather, but I don’t want to risk a bad camping trip or an unsafe situation.
I check the weather every day for three days before I go camping.
Make sure to look at the weather for the days you’re there, but also check the weather for areas nearby.
If there’s a storm 20 miles away, there’s a chance it may change direction slightly and hit you.
While camping, if possible, check the weather more.
At the same time, keep some part of you aware of the weather around you.
The most dangerous part of winter storms is getting trapped unprepared.
When you see it coming and get settled, it’s pretty safe.
#2 Layer, Layer, Layer
One of the biggest dangers in a winter storm is getting too cold.
The first thing to consider whenever camping in winter is to layer your clothing well.
You need at least 2 layers to stay warm, maybe more.
The first is the base layer.
This layer needs to be warm and insulate well.
These are things like long underwear, flannel, and other insulation.
The outer layer, or shell, protects from the wind, keeps water out, and adds more insulation.
You’ll need to get layers in every area possible to stay as warm as possible.
One of these items is pants.
Learn about the best pants for winter camping.
Another is shirt or jacket covering.
Don’t forget your hands and, yes, it’s possible and recommended to use a thinner and thicker glove for inner and outer layers.
The same is true with hats and face coverings.
Feet need to be kept warm too.
I recommend more than 3 layers for feet.
Socks, thick socks, booties, and boots may be needed.
Check out the best down booties for winter camping.
#3 Pack Essential Gear
Beyond clothing, there are other gear items you’ll need when it’s cold.
These are useful for any camping in winter trip, but essential for camping in a winter storm.
Going into details on these items is a whole other article, but here are a few I recommend:
- Sleeping pad
- Sleeping bag
- 4-season tent
- Field stove
- Food and water
- Extra clothing
- Map
- Cell phone
- Whistle
- Matches/Fire starter
- Flashlight
- First Aid Kit
Note: Links lead to example content on Amazon.
#4 Seal Out The Wind
Wind is the enemy when it comes to keeping warm.
Cold wind just rips the heat away from you.
It’s important to get out of the wind, seal your tent or sleeping place from the wind, and make sure your clothes prevent wind from contacting your skin as much as possible.
#5 Stay Dry
Wet is also the enemy.
Water conducts and transfers heat very efficiently.
Great for warming up in warm water, but terrible when it’s winter.
This is where an extra set of clothes is critical for making it safely through a winter storm.
Along the same lines, your tent and shelter need to be watertight as well.
You also need to know how to dry clothes when winter camping.
Get out of the snow/sleet whatever as fast as possible and stay away from streams.
#6 Warm Your Space
Use a heater or stove to warm your space.
Warning! Whatever method you use to heat your space, make sure it’s safe.
Another way to warm up the inside of your tent or whatever is to move.
Your body will produce a lot of heat, and if you have a good shelter, it’ll trap the heat as well.
Even little hand warmers will help out a lot.
A single match or candle will often produce enough heat (when the space is well-insulated) to survive easily.
#7 Stay High
Where possible, stay up from the lower areas around you.
The lower areas will gather more snow, which wouldn’t be bad as snow is a good insulator, but if there’s any water, it’ll gather and freeze down there as well.
The wind may be bad when you’re higher, which is why you need to consider the next point as well.
#8 Shelter Down Wind
Find something to provide natural shelter from the wind.
Trees, rocks, hills are all good options.
Don’t put yourself in a position where you’ll get snowed in, but don’t be out in the middle of a field if possible either.
You’ll also want to dig down (if possible) so your tent sits at ground level.
Snow as an underlayer will lose heat quickly.
If needed, build up a snow wall up the wind of your shelter to break the wind a little.
#9 Keep Eating And Drinking
Eating may not seem like a big deal when there are other things going on.
But eating raises your body’s temperature to digest the food.
This keeps you warmer, and the heat will actually warm your space better too.
Eating also prevents the “cold sleep” that hypothermia causes.
Sleeping is one of the worst things to happen when your body is quite cold.
Dehydration occurs in the cold as well, so it’s important to keep drinking.
Don’t drink so much you have to go to the bathroom constantly
Experts recommend going to the bathroom whenever you have to, though.
It takes your body extra heat to keep urine in your body.
Don’t leave the tent, though.
Use a bottle or bucket and keep the heat trapped in your shelter.
#10 Don’t Go Alone
I know people like solitude when exploring the great outdoors, but it’s always safer to travel with others.
In the cold, cuddle to save warmth.
It lets you work together to get in shelters quicker.
At the very least, you MUST always tell someone where you’re going, how long you’ll be there, and any other relevant information.
This way, if there is an emergency, the person can reach out for help for you.
Don’t count on your ability to reach out for help with phones or anything like this.
In the cold, batteries lose their charge quickly and electronics stop working.
As we all should know, there isn’t always good service out there in the wild either.
Add to that the fact that powerful storms actually limit electrical signals, and you need to know not to count on phones.
#11 Insulate
Insulation is key for staying warm.
We touched on it in relation to clothing, but it’s important to understand how it works.
Insulation keeps the heat in and the cold out.
This much is simple.
But, anything is a good insulator when used correctly.
Snow when packed, keeps people warm.
In fact, a good survivalist technique is to make a snow coffin (not as scary as it sounds).
Better yet, insulation works best when there are layers.
Want to keep your tent bottom warm?
Get to ground level, use a sleeping pad, lay some clothes on top, and then crawl in a sleeping bag.
Even in a frigid winter storm, you’ll be toasty.
For clothing and sleeping pads, insulation is measured with R-value.
Check out what R-value is for winter camping.
Final Thoughts
Keep these ideas on camping in a winter storm in mind just in case.
Each of these tips will help you stay warm and safe, but again, this isn’t an all-inclusive list or guarantee you’ll be safe in a terrible blizzard.
This being said, winter camping is a blast when done right.
Now get outside and enjoy the fresh air!