I went winter camping again this past weekend (8-9 March 2008) and want to keep a record of what went well, what didn’t and thoughts on what to do differently next time.
Some ideas apply to summer camping also.

– It was cold (to be expected) and windy. Next time find a sheltered spot, or find out what the prevailing winds are, and make sure there is serious blockage from that direction. It seemed that the winds were southwardly where we stayed last weekend.

– Water will freeze very quickly. So bring lots of thermoses, or insulated bottles. The big 4L insulated water jug would have been a good idea. Additionally, any metallic non-insulated containers will freeze first (ie. kleen kanteens) so leave them at home.

– Food that has ANY moisture in it will be VERY difficult to cook and eat. Stick ONLY to things that require just hot/boiling water to prepare.

– Bring extra rope since the snow may not provide enough holding power for tent pegs. Rope will allow for securing of tent to trees. Should not be much of a problem if the site is carefully chosen as to not have winds howling through it.

– Bring lots of clothing. And change base layer before bed, and in the morning. Snowboarding boots were a fantastic idea. Warm, and the removable liners were kept toasty warm in the sleeping bag over night. Sleep with toque on at night for extra warmth.

– Bring a plank of wood to set the stove on. It’s especially difficult to keep the stove flat when the snow is melting underneath. Should make it easier to keep the stove flat in any season’s camping.