Ken,

Here's an example of what I mean about making sure people understand a little more about what's on your list. This is an example of an email to the parents of boys in the troop going on their first winter camping trip. Your situation will vary, it's just an example. It's also kinda long, so I put a warning in the subject... read on at your peril! Best regards - Ron

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Parents, I had mentioned at our meeting tonight that I would share some thoughts on Winter Camping in preparation for a campout after the Klondike practice this coming Saturday. For some of the new boys, this may be their first time camping in cold weather. There is great information in their Scout Handbooks that I would encourage you to review with your boys, for example:

- Page 204, Cold-weather clothing checklist
- Page 224,225 Personal camping gear checklist
- Page 226,227 Patrol/Group camping gear checklist
- Pages 322-24 Cold weather related first aid

The checklists contain very good starting points for making sure the boys are well prepared for winter conditions. At the end of this message is a small checklist you might consider using as a starting point, but, I recommend you tailor it to your needs. Follow the suggestions in the Boy Scout Handbook for the most part. There are some things I’d like to mention, again mostly for people who might have boys doing a sub-freezing campout for the first time. These are not meant to replace the checklists in their handbooks. I hope other leaders in the troop will share their thoughts and experience as well.

Let’s start with clothing, here are some thoughts:

- Please don’t let the boys go out on a winter trip in sneakers. We will probably have to send them home. They must have insulated, waterproof boots. Take some time and show them how to apply waterproofing a few days in advance, it’ll pay off. If we are going hiking, some waterproof gaiters that can go over the top of their boots and up their legs will keep snow from getting down in the boot.

- Inside those boots, they should have either wool or synthetic thermal socks. No cotton athletic socks, they will get wet, even just from sweat, and make it hard to keep feet warm. Some silk or polypro liners under the socks can also help.

- Just as important is their base layer of clothing. No Cotton please. There’s an old saying among search and rescue teams: “Cotton Kills”. Cotton soaks up moisture, and it stays there against your skin, which is a big problem and contributes to your risk of hypothermia. In winter, you want synthetic or wool thermal underwear, tops and bottoms. The packages will talk about the wicking properties of good thermals.

- The next layer of clothing should probably be a fleece layer, which traps heat, but, lets perspiration escape. (Some people may have more than one mid layer. A lot of old guides still swear by the traditional Woolrich style wool shirt.)

- The outer layer of clothing should be wind and water resistant, but, hopefully a fabric that can breath, so you don’t get soaked in your own sweat. Most modern parka shells and shell pants serve this purpose well.

- Gloves and/or mittens are important to keep the hands warm. Again, you need them to be water and wind resistant. Many people prefer to bring some light gloves for working on setting things up, when they need their fingers, then switch to heavier mittens to stay warm when they are done with setup.

- Last but not least, you need to keep from losing lots of heat through your head. People have their own preferences, but, consider some combination of a wool or fleece watch cap, the hood on their jacket, perhaps a neck gaiter, face mask, or a balaclava. What’s right will depend on preferences, and just how cold/wet it is.

Ok, so we have suitable clothing, so we’re fine for the day, and now it’s time to bed down. We need a good tent, sleeping bag, and pad for under the bag.

- The pad is a luxury item in the summer, but, in the winter it’s a must. Your boys will lose a lot of heat to the ground if they don’t have some kind of thermal pad under their sleeping bag. The two types that they might be using in winter would be closed cell foam pads, (either rolled, or folded up), or self inflating foam pads, like the ones made by Thermarest, and the many other very good copies of that design. One kind of pad that some people use in summer that is NOT effective in the winter is the classic inflatable mattress. It gets them off the ground, but, has very poor insulating qualities. Also, the moisture from their breath when they blow it up will basically freeze inside the tube, coating it with ice on the inside.

- Sleeping bags have improved dramatically in the past 10-15 years with the modern synthetic fills available. It used to be that you had to go with goose down for a really good winter bag. You can now get a 0 (zero) degree bag from Coleman that will keep the boys plenty warm, and not destroy their college fund. If they get serious about backpacking, and want an ultralight bag in the future, let them pay for it. Often, even a 20 degree bag is fine if they wear a pair of fleece pants and top, along with good socks and a watch cap. They can also line the bag with a fleece or wool blanket to increase the insulation. On that topic, it’s important that the boys have something dry to change into to sleep in. Crawling into your sleeping bag with the clothes you’ve been wearing all day is not going to keep you warm, or comfortable. Many folks sleep in a fresh set of dry thermals, others will want something more like fleece.

- We all know the tent keeps you out of the elements. Just remember that in winter, the wind is colder, often stronger, and the snow gets heavy on that tent. Some tents are simply too flimsy to use in winter. They can’t handle the wind, snow, or both. Most 4 season tents will have a more substantial pole system to support snow, and a full fly covering the entire tent, perhaps with a vestibule at the entrance. (One of Murphy’s Laws is that in the winter, any snow that comes into the tent has a good chance of melting, probably right under your sleeping bag. The vestibule gives you the equivalent of a mud room for your tent.)

I haven’t talked about food yet. It’s on the checklists. I’m not going to get into menus here but, there are a couple things to remember:
- You need more food in cold conditions, because your body burns it up to keep warm.
- You need plenty of water, because you can dehydrate easily in dry cold conditions. (Remember, water freezes, so you’ll need to have a way to keep the water liquid. There’s often plenty of snow around, but, you’ll get too cold eating snow, and it can be dangerous for other reasons, so you need a stove to melt it, and usually boil it before using it.) You can also sometimes carry water in flexible watertight containers under your jacket so they don’t freeze. Keeping a water bottle under, or sometimes in your sleeping bag will keep at least some water from freezing during the night.
- It’s good to have some warm beverages, like cocoa, and warm soups that can help warm up your core. (plus, they taste good)
- Sometimes, conditions deteriorate to a point where it’s difficult to “cook” food, so it’s always good to have a meal or two that can be eaten without much preparation. That could be as simple as some energy bars, or something like an MRE style ration.

Well, I’ve probably rambled on enough. I wanted to share some thoughts, so that as parents, you could have a conversation with your boys about being prepared for camping in cold weather. My notes are just a few ideas on the subject to start your conversation with the boys. Please make sure they have the essentials by following the advice contained in their handbooks. Those checklists were formulated by folks with a tremendous amount of experience. I have added a summary checklist at the end of this email that can be printed and used to help pack.
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Camping checklist

Essentials:
- Knife
- First Aid Kit
- Whistle
- Extra clothing (see Winter Clothing checklist below)
- Rain Gear
- Water containers
- Flashlight w/spare batteries and bulb
- Fire starting gear, matches, lighter, or flint/steel firestarter and tinder
- Sun protection, sunscreen and sunglasses (in winter, sunglasses prevent snow blindness)
- Compass, map
- Food, meals plus snacks (Sufficient for your length of stay, plus at least one extra meal for contingencies)

Backpack with rain cover

Sleeping bag – must be suitable for conditions

Sleeping pad and ground cloth – pad is essential in cold weather

Tent - Suitable for expected conditions. Typically bunk with another Scout and split up tent and poles in their packs to share the load.


Cook kit: (adjust to your planned meal preparation needs)
- Spoon/Fork/Knife (or just a spork)
- Bowl/Cup/Plate
- Lightweight stove and fuel
- Cleaning sponge/scrubber


Cleanup / personal kit:
- Soap, Deodorant, Lip balm
- Toothbrush/Floss/Toothpaste
- Comb / Brush
- Washcloth / Towel
- Toilet paper / tissues
- Hand wipes


Other helpful extras, depending on your trip:
- Watch
- Camera / Film
- Notebook / pencil / pen
- Repair kit for your gear, things like: zip ties, duct tape, nylon cord, heavy duty needle/thread, safety pins, multi-tool like a Leatherman
- Trash bag(s)
- Small shovel / trowel for digging scat holes (when nature calls)
- Insect repellent (per seasonal needs)
- Handwarmers


Winter Clothing: (remember, in cold weather, you should stay away from cotton clothing)

Note: Depending on the length of your trip, you may need to take more than one of each:
- Long underwear base layer, tops and bottom, synthetic, wool, or silk
- Long sleeve shirt
- Long pants
- Fleece top and bottom insulating layer
- Hiking boots, waterproofed and insulated
- Gaiters for the boots if hiking through snow
- Wool or synthetic insulated hiking socks (polypro or silk liners also for extreme cold)
- Warm hat, fleece or wool. May want to have a full balaclava or a face mask also.
- Rain / Wind shell top and pants. Breathable, waterproof fabric rain gear is best, loose enough to layer fleece pants and top under them.
- Insulated, waterproof gloves and/or mittens. Liners if needed for severe conditions.