Winter Backpacking Six Lifesaving Tips

D id you check the weather         Stay as dry as you can. Getting    report when you last went       wet is what kills you in the       winter backpacking? You         winter wilds. Proper preparation   probably did, but I am sure there     means more than just bringing a    are some who are thinking             rain jacket, though. You also      "Weather report? How about cold       have to avoid letting too much     and snowy - it's winter!"             snow melt into your clothing.      However, cold and snow are not        Jeans are the worst for this, and  the only aspects of the weather.      should never be worn when          You may actually be in more           backpacking in snow. You also      danger if there will be a warming     need to monitor your               trend while you are out in the        perspiration. It's easy to get     wilderness.                           wet from sweating during a hard                                          hike. This sweat will chill you    Getting wet when the temperature      fast once you stop moving. Remove  is just over freezing is far more     those layers as you warm up, to    likely than when it is far below      prevent sweating.                  freezing. Getting wet, and then                                          cold because of it, is one of the     Have proper clothing. What should  primary reasons people die in the     you have with you when hiking?     wilderness in winter. A down coat     Avoid cotton, for starters.        might keep you warm down to zero,     Synthetic underwear, like          but it might also become almost       polypropylene, is a great          worthless in a steady freezing        invention, in all it's newest      rain. You need to be prepared for     forms. "Wicking" pants and tops    the specific weather you are          work well. Always have a hat and   likely to see.                        gloves. Dry socks can prevent                                            frostbitten toes, and are a good   More Winter Hiking Tips               idea even for a day hike. Down                                           coats and vests are the best - if  you can keep them dry.                you fall into a stream of lake                                           and need to get warm and dry.      Bring enough water. Eating snow                                          is an extremely inefficient way       Learn some basic principles of     to get water into your system.        cold weather survival. Maybe you   Bring water and keep it from          won't remember that you can turn   freezing. This might mean keeping     a light jacket into a winter coat  your water bottle inside your         by stuffing it full of cattail     coat, or next to you in your          fluff from the nearest swamp.      sleeping bag at night. One of the     However, if you understand how     primary problems that climbers of     dead air space insulates, it will  Mount Everest have is                 seem obvious to you that you can   dehydration, by the way, and it       use a pile of dry leaves or grass  can contribute to hypothermia.        as an emergency blanket. Once,                                           while backpacking along the        Bring a heat source. Many of us       Manistee River in Michigan,        get by backpacking with no stove      setting up my tent on a pile of    in the warmer months, eating cold     dry bracken ferns allowed me to    foods only, but in winter a           stay warm with no sleeping bag     cooking stove is a necessity. It      when it was almost freezing.       isn't just that you will                                                 appreciate having hot food. You       Think about these things before    will need a way to melt snow and      you are out there. Proper          ice for water. Always have enough     preparation is what will make      matches, and a lighter too. A         your winter backpacking trip a     fire can easily be a lifesaver if     safe one.                          About the Author: Steve Gillman is a long-time advocate of ultralight backpacking. Visit his website for tips, photos, gear recommendations, a free book and a new wilderness survival section: http://www.The-Ultralight-Site.com Published At: www.Isnare.com