Backpacking Info Site

You will be surprised to know that more people fall prey in the wilderness to exposure to the elements than from any other cause. This is because being exposed to extreme climates has the capacity to create havoc with your immune system. To prevent this from happening to you, you can adopt a few simple measures that will help you stay warm. These methods will ultimately ensure more comfort, while at the same time help you go even lighter and cut down on the risk element. There are issues like gear, clothing and equipment, that are required to make you comfortable in a given situation, and here are a few helpful tips:

The first, which also is the simplest, thing to do, is to find a proper place for setting the camp. Avoid hill tops as they are windy and cold, and instead look for some level ground where the environment is a bit normal. A camping stove, like the Coleman F1 Spirit, can also provide much needed heat, and will help you immensely in getting through cold times. Don’t leave your body uncovered while you are sleeping. Before you put on the night clothes ensure that you fluff and shake them well which will make them better insulators. You should even try wearing a hat, as if left uncovered you may lose a great deal of body heat through it.

Don’t go to bed with wet clothes. In case the weather is warm you can however put your damp clothes on your sleeping bag so that your body heat accelerates the drying process.

Always keep a bottle of warm water beside you. For those who are bereft of any sleeping bags they can easily manage one for themselves with the dead leaves and dry grass that are available around the location. However, make it a point to scatter them in the morning so that they won’t smother the plants underneath! You will be amazed that you can beat even the severest of cold by this simple method.

While you are hiking learn the tricks to conserve energy. Remember that if you run out of energy, your body temperature will also take a consequent dip.

Backpacking when the temperature is really low requires a different set of preparation than you would normally undertake in a warmer season. Many bodily changes occur during the winter season, or in regions where the temperature is really low. Moreover, your body also responds in a different manner at lower temperatures and it requires you that you take special care of your rate of metabolism, which is a good indicator of your current health. Then, check the equipment, specific activities that you have planned to perform, the corresponding ecosystem, which are a part of the overall backpacking package.

Here are a few tips for selecting your backpacking equipment:

Ensure that the clothing layers are made up of different types of fabrics. You should also do well to get rid of cotton clothes as they have the tendency to absorb and retain water, making them a real bug-bear when the conditions are really cold. It takes a long time to dry as well. Instead you should go fro stuffs made of Polypropylene or other hydrophobic synthetic fabrics. Wool or synthetic pile/fleece fabrics are also a necessity as they not only keep you warm, but they don’t absorb water as well.

A layering system is also highly recommended as it provides the required insulation from adverse weather conditions, especially where there is a cold wave. Moreover, a good layering system that matches the weather condition helps you to maintain a comfortable body temperature without excess sweating, which again can lead to a strange condition called heat loss. It is important on your part that you keep on changing the layering levels keeping in view the changing weather conditions as well as on your activity levels.

When dealing with the various levels you are supposed to understand the roles the various levels plays, like the purpose of the middle layer is to provide insulation as well as protection from elements, outer layer insulation, shell layer protects you from wind and rain, and so on.

You can cover your head with caps made of wool or pile, but which that protects your ears which are sensitive to changing temperatures. Meanwhile, use synthetic/ woollen gloves to shield your hands from the chill. Lastly, make sure that no body part is left susceptible. Obviously camping outside in very cold weather is very impractical, especially with thin tents like the Vango Ultralite 100 geodesic tent. Make sure the weather conditions are safe before you go on a camping expedition, or overnight hiking journey.