Early spring can be one of the best times to camp, because the outings can be timed to coincide with sunny, favorable weather while still avoiding the bugs and crowds common later on. As long as the winds are calm and precipitation is mostly avoided, camping in the near-cold can actually be among the most comfortable times in the woods all year.
Any camping consideration should begin with clothing. By paying careful attention to layering, a camper can be just as warm and dry as they’d like to be. March does demand actual attention to the layering process, however. The base layer, the one in contact with skin, should be of a wicking fabric, one that does not lose its insulating properties when it becomes damp. This is where wool shines and where cotton does not. New products like those from Smartwool are extremely comfortable and very light weight.
Cotton should be avoided as a cold weather base layer because, as you’re active and warm up, even a small amount of sweat will saturate cotton clothing and cause it to lose its insulating properties. When cold weather experts talk about shedding layers as you warm up, it’s the middle layers they’re talking about. That’s why the middle and outer layers should be a few thin or medium weight items instead of one or two very heavy ones. Middle layers of fleece, wool or down are ideal.
The outermost layer of any cold weather outfit is the weatherproof layer. This one should be calculated to stop the wind and keep out rain. The layers in between should be light enough to be adjustable. The same thin, inexpensive, semi-disposable rain suit that lives in the bottom of your boat’s storage bin, at the back of your hunting closet or on top of the extra drink refrigerator in your garage can be not only a comfort-saver but a life-saver when the cold winds blow. Typically made of thin, cheap plastic, the rain suit has no obvious insulating capacities of its own. Used in concert with a carefully-selected set of layers, however, it can turn off the cold as effectively as a wall switch turns off the lights.
Unlike Merino wool and synthetics, a rain suit doesn’t need to be expensive to work, it just needs to be waterproof. Rocks and limbs conspire to tear and puncture rain suits, especially those considered cheap enough to wad into the bottom of a pack and forget about until rain or high winds arrive. Fortunately, the cure for these ails is one anyone should have along in their pack already: duct tape. Sticky wet or dry, a tear quickly covered with duct tape makes a damaged rain suit work, if not look, as good as new. Fortunately, when night is falling, snow is blowing and the cold is galloping in, looks don’t count for much anyway.
Sleep tight
Make sure the sleeping bag you’ll take is rated to function in temperatures at least 10 degrees colder than you expect to find. Also, make sure you have the rain fly for your tent and will be able to keep out any moisture that might fall overnight.
One common pro tip is to sleep with the clothes you plan to wear the next day tucked inside the bag with you. This will help fill the excess space in the bag, leaving less room for your own body’s heat to have to fill, and it’ll give you a warm and toasty dry set of clothes to put on that you won’t have to leave the comfort of the bag to hunt around for come morning.
When choosing the site for a tent, take the weather into consideration as well. In the other three seasons of the year, a shady campsite is generally preferable but, for winter, some extra sunshine to get the day started can be very welcome.
Make sure you’ll have something to put between sleeping bag and ground besides the tent floor. A closed-cell foam pad is essential, even if there’ll be an inflatable pad in play as well. Inflatable pads are great but any puncture or leak can leave the user in an uncomfortable situation. That’s when it’s best to have a foam pad already in place for backup.
Fire starters
Whether you’re headed for a state park campground or simply striking out for the back country on your own, don’t count on being able to find suitable or sufficient firewood to last the night. Available deadfall wood at improved campgrounds is apt to be long since used up and, in either case, it’s certain to be wet. It’s best to bring your own firewood, plus a few extra measures for the initial fire starting.
A few lumps of Match Light or other accelerant-infused charcoal or a few sticks of fat wood, splintered pine kindling of the sort easily lit by match, can be ideal when it comes to getting a cold camp on its way to warmth.
Speaking of sunshine, just because it’s cool doesn’t mean sunburns are out of the question. In fact, a high sun in a clear blue sky is just as likely to cause a burn in March as any other time, and a cold wind can cause plenty of irritations of its own. Remember sun screen, lip balm and sun glasses when packing for the possibilities.
Finally, don’t forget to bring and drink plenty of water along the way as well. Dehydration is a legitimate concern and one that’s easy to forget in cooler weather.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 32 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
