The camping season is getting longer and longer.
Actually, you can camp all year round.
Because every season has its beautiful sides.
Even camping in the winter can be great.
We wrote about this in a previous blog.
As long as you are well prepared and have the right equipment.
Are you also curious and would you like to take your tent, tent trailer, trailer tent or rooftop tent on the road in winter?
Here are some tips and tricks for winter camping. [lwptoc]

What is winter camping?

Winter camping can be interpreted differently.
For example, for some it is simply taking your (rooftop) tent, tent trailer or caravan out for a weekend or night within the Netherlands in the month of December, January or February.
The other goes in these months to the mountains or to Scandinavia.
It goes without saying that you can expect different temperatures and conditions then.
However, some basic preparations apply to all forms of winter camping.
Even for the Dutch winters it is good to prepare for the more extreme winter conditions. Photo: Kasper Høglund

Preparation

Read up carefully.
This article will help you do that, but above all, consult multiple sources.
There is a lot of information online about winter camping.
Depending on what kind of camping equipment you are going with, the preparation varies greatly.
It is better to prepare too much than too little.
Therefore, in contrast to your backpacking vacation, take too much warm clothing rather than too little.
A pair of extra dry socks is super valuable.
You’ll regret when you do have to put on your damp cold socks in the morning because you have nothing else with you.

Warm clothing

A widely known advice is to dress in layers.
Thermo underwear, which keeps your body completely warm is not an unnecessary luxury, even for an average Dutch winter.
Avoid cotton as much as possible, because cotton actually makes you colder when it gets wet.
Go for fleece instead.
Also use a raincoat, or at least a water- and windproof jacket.
And also assume that your shoes can get wet.
Even then, the aforementioned extra pair of dry socks is very nice.
Don’t forget your gloves and hat, either.
Again, an extra (dry) hat is not unnecessary.

Warm sleeping

Sleeping bag

Indispensable is a good sleeping bag.
There are many types on the market.
Under your mattress you can put another fleece blanket or sleeping mat, so that you are less affected by the rising cold.
You can also place a blanket or extra sleeping bag on top of your sleeping bag.
Or sew a flannel sheet into your sleeping bag to keep you even warmer.
CAMPWERK has even developed electric sleeping mats that you carry very conveniently in the roof tent.
These give off heat for a long duration and you can easily recharge them with a USB plug.

Naked in your sleeping bag

Or at least lie down in your sleeping bag with as little clothing as possible.
That sounds illogical and may be cold for a while at first.
But eventually your sleeping bag gives off more heat to your body.
You lose a lot of heat through your head.
If necessary, sleep with a hat on.
That combination is probably going to look nice 😊

Keeps damp items out

For that, an extension tent is useful if you have the opportunity to do so.
It provides a buffer between you and the cold and wind outside.
And your damp gear won’t cause condensation in your tent itself that way.

Pee bottle (or bucket)

With a pee bucket or bottle, you don’t have to leave your tent at night to go to the bathroom.
You can stay warm that way.
Don’t forget to give your bottle a clear label so you don’t accidentally change it :-0

What to camp with

Experience with your equipment

Make sure you have good equipment, whether it is a ground tent, tent trailer, trailer tent or rooftop tent.
Do not go winter camping until you have already used it in other conditions, such as in summer.
This way you don’t have to test everything in winter conditions and you already know your equipment well.

Breathable tent fabric

Make sure the fabric used for the tent is breathable.
CAMPWERK tent trailers are a heavy 450 gr/m polycotton, or also called mixed cotton.
This material is to a high degree breathable, waterproof, insulating, UV resistant and is made to last a lifetime.
It keeps you cool in the summer and provides warmth in the winter.

Inner tent

The iKamper and CAMPWERK rooftop tents can additionally be equipped with a 100% cotton inner tent.
These also give you extra insulation, which is nice when camping in winter, or when it is just a bit colder.
The inner tent of the iKamper is double-layered and padded.
The one on the CAMPWERK Adventure is single-layer cotton, but still provides plenty of comfort in cold and damp weather.
Both inner tents can simply be folded down with you.
What is always important is to keep ventilating.
Do not zipper up your tent completely, but keep the possibility to ventilate the air and thus remove moisture produced by breathing and perspiration extra quickly.

The iKamper Skycamp has an optional thick, padded inner tent.

Rainfly

Many rooftop tents have a waterproof rainfly that already provides protection from a layer of snow.
Carrying a brush to remove the snow is handy, by the way.

Buffer between outside and inside

Depending on what you’re camping with, some extra space between your sleeping area and outside is also comfort-enhancing.
A canopy or awning to the tent trailer, or an awning to the rooftop tent gives you a buffer against cold and wind and is a space where you can take off and store your wet clothes and shoes.

iKamper under-tent

CAMPWERK Adventure under-tent

Stove

In addition to a good sleeping bag, a heat source is, of course, nice.
In fact, the difference between a caravan or tent is not very big.
In very low temperatures you will need a heat source for both forms of camping, the difference being that a tent cools down a little faster when this is turned off than a caravan, because the insulation value is lower.
Which heater you might use depends very much on your personal preference.
I could write an entire blog on that alone.
What I would like to pass along here is to always follow the stove manufacturer’s instructions carefully.
Improper use in an enclosed space can lead to accidents.

Cooking

When the temperatures are really below zero, you have no use for gas.
They simply won’t work then.
Therefore, cook on gasoline or petroleum.
Or use a Dutch Oven on the campfire.
The latter is also romantic and fun.
On the site of The Fire Master you will find much more information about cooking on an open fire.

Other material

In addition to your standard camping gear, bring equipment specifically for winter.
Don’t forget your snow pants, and lip balm is also something that can come in handy.
Furthermore, your body burns more in winter than in summer, so always bring plenty of food.
What is also handy is to make a thermos of hot water first thing in the morning so that you have hot water for most of the day, without having to boil water again first.
And don’t just rely on your lighter, bring waterproof matches.

Where can you winter camp?

Not all campgrounds are open to you.
Most campsites are only open during the season.
But there are quite a few campsites that are open all year round.
And if you like peace and quiet (and are not afraid of a little cold), winter camping is for you.
Check out the website of Campspace.
A very cool platform with nice, small and special camping spots.
And so also for winter camping.
Many of the Nature Camping Sites of the Dutch Forestry Commission are also open in winter.
Want to read more about winter camping?
Use these links to inform yourself even better. https://www.kampeermeneer.nl/winterkamperen/https://www.anwb.nl/kamperen/tent/winterkamperenhttps://www.ikamper.com/blogs/ikampernation/winter-camping-in-the-skycamp