Winter camping tips

[llilibel03]

I've never camped in the snow but the idea of, say, Yosemite Valley without the crowds is appealing.

So, some tips?

Like how do you prevent tracking mud/snow into the van? Cooking tips. Staying warm? Hiking (snow shoes? cross country skis?)

I guess I won't have to obsess about ice in the cooler and cold beer. Might switch to vin brule.
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87 syncro tintop
90 gl tin top
85 westy 2.0 tiico automatic (present)

[jimf909]

1) Traction: all-weather (not all-season) or winter rates tires; chains also highly recommended (and likely required by law)
2) Warmth: an on board furnace (propex, webasto, etc) is wonderful; pile on the blankets or sleep in sleeping bags; a water bottle filled with hot water and put near your feet will help keep you warm.
3) Keep snow (wet boots, etc.) outside until they're snow-free; down booties are wonderful
4) An awning can help keep your entry free of snow when it's snowing
5) Sure, tent some snowshoes and go for a hike.
6) Snow angels: yes.

Enjoy!

p.s. well done and thinking about this's in August v. when you're leaving the next day
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- Jim

[elizer]

Everything Jim said.
I haven't winter camped yet in the van but I think all winter backpacking tips apply.

If you don't have a propex or other onboard heater I think some guys like Mr Buddy (but there are some dangers to address).

These boots are awesome. Great for deep snow especially if you pair them with some gaiters. I have had them down to below freezing with some light wool socks and toes never got bit. They are bulky but still pretty light.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00R58GC6Q/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

My GF has a pair of north face down camp booties/slippers and she loves them. I am too manly to wear them. But when I snuck a try when she wasn't looking... amazing. Especially after a long hike in boots. I will give in eventually.

If you sleep in sleeping bags or even if you don't bag liners help a lot.

Sleep with a beanie on.

If you have an awning like Jim does tilt one corner like you would do in the rain so you can just tap the bottom and the snow can fall off.

I haven't had to deal with condensation much in the van from body heat, but in the tent its a fine line of opening up a zipper just enough to keep condensation down and not freeze to death.

A nice full stomach full of warm food really helps you keep warm before bed.

Busdepot window insulation covers are supposed to help a lot. I haven't used them in winter yet, but I tested it out in the summer and they reflect way more heat than if I just had the curtains drawn.
http://www.busdepot.com/j12747

Oh and two dogs help a lot, but keeping them warm even with down jackets is always something I am trying to improve. I love backpacking and camping in cold weather.

Others can chime in with more van specific camping. I am still a virgin in that regard but think most of the stuff I mentioned applies.

[flomulgator]

1. The GoWesty dimple floor mat is a good idea as it holds tracked water in the cups avoiding a slippery mess.

2. Keep the pop top down to seal in heat better. Alternatively, build tent walls out of Reflectix. There's a good tutorial around here I followed.

3. IdahoDoug has a good thread about making suction cup Reflectix window covers to further seal in heat.

4. Pull off you interior trim and toss panels of Reflectix or other closed-cell foam in the walls. This will help in the summer heat too.

5. Make sure your center floor has an insulating mat underneath it.

6. Lift up your wipers and bring a good scraper. All of your indoor living activities will ice up the window exteriors far worse than any normal car.
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She's built like a steakhouse, but she handles like a bistro!

[E1]

Wilderness shooter and 40-year climber/hiker here, whatever that's worth.

Best warmth-per-weight items in the bag? Hat and neck gaiter.
— Old saying is "If your feet are cold, put your hat on" and nothing is truer.

Best method for coping with cold, gear aside? Attitude.

Single-best place to spend good coin? A sleeping bag rated to 20 degrees less than you're likely to see.
— After thousands of nights in the bush with lots of equipment used, the only bag brand I felt was overrated in temperature limits claimed are by Big Agnes, by a good 10-20 degrees. If only for van use where weight doesn't matter (like with backpacking), save money on down by buying a warmer synthetic bag, better for humid climates anyway.

Not a fan of leaving boots anywhere but inside, buy a rubber floor mat and beat the snow off with whatever you can.

Don't forget good sunglasses if snow's about!
— Had snow blindness once. Once.

We use no artificial heat, if anything goes wrong you're back to needing gear that's best to have anyway.
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‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman

[Microbusdeluxe]

CO (carbon monoxide) filter for protection from your supplemental heat source. And you do want a supplemental heat source!
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'69 Squareback RIP
'65 21 window deluxe sold before the price spike, damn it.
'70 rhd bay now a taxi in South Sudan
'81 Westy sold
'89 hightop Westy Joker syncro 16" now with Bostig!

[SCM]

[elizer]

We did PT with full kit/rucksacks with ancient msr snow shoes and ancient skis when I was in Alaska. MISERABLE. I see the advantage in deep snow, but I would much rather take turns having one person break trail. I 2nd the yak traks or similar. Helps a lot when you step into snow and theres a hidden rock underneath. Yak trak springs tend to break pretty easily though. God I just got bad flashbacks of snowshoeing.

[jackbombay]

[E1]

[E1]

[elizer]

Sleeping bag liners can add between 10-15 degrees depending on what you get. They work and can keep your down bag cleaner so less frequent washings. I don't use it because i'm a dirty heathen but my GF does and women usually run a little colder when camping.

[E1]

Uncanny, I'm a dirty heathen, too!

We should do beers and shriek cat calls at the over-bathed.
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‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman

[SyncroButter]

Some great advice here, count me among the winter camping/backpacking/climbing enthusiasts. Some more thoughts:
-it gets dark early in winter, plan ahead for activities in the evening
-have an escape plan if you get snowed in. At a place like Yosemite this should be no sweat, but if you were going to a forest service road or something and get a fresh foot of powder... your van might be there for a while.
-getting out of your warm bag/quilt/heated bus to pee in the night sucks. When I'm climbing I use a pee bottle.
-prepare yourself for your food to freeze. This can make cooking a bit more complicated (e.g. how do i use this frozen olive oil) and can make snack foods less fun (e.g. this frozen brownie is just so... solid. My jaw hurts).

[Jeffrey Lee]

Some really good tips here, esp. for actually getting out and enjoying the wintery wonderland.

Here are a few more ideas for keeping you and your van warm for winter camping:
https://campwestfalia.com/winter-van-camping/
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Camp Westfalia
Camping Tips • Newsletter • Cool Campervan Apparel
www.CampWestfalia.com

[IdahoDoug]

A couple inputs. First, keep in mind that winter nights are long and days are short. Everybody knows that but up here it is full on dark at 5pm during the winter (sun sets at 4pm). So either bring things to do for a few hours before turning in (read, crossword puzzle) or embrace the night. I absolutely LOVE night time hiking with a powerful headlamp and a gun in the deep woods. Sorry if that sounds cowboy ish but its a thrill to head out in the dark and serious woods knowing you'll be fine if a wolf pack happens through, or cougar. In winter, you get to see the tracks of what's gone by and I find that cool and it's plenty scary even with the right "tools" when you're parked way out, then venture out in the dark even further and you're alone. Then I get back to the van tired and exhilarated, have a bite and read myself to sleep.

Have a snow brush outside so when you arrive you can brush yourself off and your boots before getting in. Also good for accumulated snow around the slider so you can clean it before opening it to avoid snow falling inside. Rub your door seals with paraffin so the humidity of sleeping/cooking inside doesn't cause the doors to freeze shut or damage the seals. I have used silicone spray before which is faster but not as effective as rubbing paraffin on. Bring a pointed shovel (vs a wimpy snow shovel) as getting a vehicle unstuck is more like digging in the dirt to get packed snow out from under the frame and tires. Have a spare battery along that is fully charged, and some starter fluid and jumper cables. I sleep better knowing I can get myself going even if its a crazy cold morning. I also carry tire chains. Garage sales are a source for $5 sets, but be sure to trial fit them at home. Buy rubber tensioners for garden tractors at a local farm store to find the right fit for 14" stock tires as the growth in tires means these are now too large for the 14s.

Also, keep in mind a severe limitation that actually bums me out a lot on winter forays. Since you'll be heading out to remote spots, that means precisely the places the plow just buzzes by once in each direction so vehicles can pass through. Back roads. Forest roads. But they don't stop to plow out roadside parking spots for hiking trails, etc. So you'll often arrive at a trail head you are hoping to use, and find you cannot stop and park because there are 3 foot rock hard berms for miles. Just mentioning this because its a sad fact that in winter they don't plow parking lots and such in the back country. Too bad. For those, I can take my LandCruiser and bash through things with the heavy steel bumper, but the Vanagon is soooo cush for winter camping. I have left it parked mostly off the road with one of those red electric road flares flashing a warning but it's only a matter of time that some jerk will come along and mess with it.

Finally, be sure to let someone know where you are headed and when you expect to be out and call them when you get out. Winter camping has risks and taking it seriously both helps you stay sharp and gives you the confidence to take some risks because you've let someone know who can help.
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1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1988 Toyota Supra 5 speed targa, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader

[jimf909]

[E1]

Adding a silly tidbit that an 8" loft down bag is a thing of beauty, if just to look at it and crush it and watch pop up again like a Westy roof.

So concur with the -20 camping sentiment. I think the coldest we ever noticed was -28 on the east ridge of Mount Elbert at about 12,500'.

Shrinkage (not laundry)

Doug, far as I know wolves have yet to kill a human. Encounters with cats are generally not the fault of cats, either. Had bears in camp a good 50 times now, too -- but no grizz, except for on my nose hairs in winter.
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‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman

[SSWesty]

So the last time I was in Yosemite it was busy around Christmas. Some folks were cleary set up to winter camp and deal with snowy conditions. There was about a foot of snow on the ground and the campground loops were plowed but not the sites. So you had to get over the berm to get into a site. A quality folding shovel saved us. We had to bust up the icy berm so we could get into our site. Aside from a good shovel our propex made it cozy inside with 22 degree temps outside. Our other cold weather tricks are keeping the top down with the upper bed unfolded and blanket to block off the cab to keep the heat in the back part of the van.

[E1]

We were at Granite Pass over New Year's 2014-15, I think (or a year later), at 4,800 feet in the Mojave Preserve, California.

Needles set a record since 1948 of 18, close to 4,000 feet lower. Typically every 1,000 feet vertical is worth 2-4 degrees in temp loss.

We awoke on 12-31 dawn and it was 8 in the bus. We were buried in our dual 20 degree down bags and did all we could to suvive... put on coffee, and watch Gilligan's Island on the laptop, lacking for nothing. It was cold but not a tent and felt like luxury.
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‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman