Burrrrr!
Ahh come on, it weren't that bad, the only real cold moments were strippin down to change, or go to bed. And it was a little breezy whenever nature came calling lol.
Now that's an adventure! Glad ya'll had a good and safe time! Got any advice now for others camping in that kind of weather?
I do have a little advice, mostly common sense stuff:
Number one rule: Water is your enemy, and your friend. You can get hypothermia or dehydration. Don't get wet, shake off as much snow as you can, and have changes of everything (socks, skivvies, long johnnys, gloves, beany hat, etc.) My clothes get packed in gallon ziplocks and crammed into my pack, so that way even in a tent leakage situation, my long johns and socks stay dry. Boots come off at the entrance to the tent, every time you enter, and stay in a specific "wet" section, Also remember that sweating will create enough moisture to make you lose heat 25 times faster than normal. Sweating also speeds up water loss, so dress in layers and strip off as needed.
Number two: Have a back-up plan. We got held up for a while cause of a huge snow pile the plow created, and had to resort to a more "man-made" camping spot. Back-up plan is important because noone wants to drive for three hours just to get stopped and then have to decide what to do on the spot.
Number three: Insulate. Your body creates enough heat and the goal is to keep as much as possible. This means proper clothing, sleeping bag(rated to the temps you'll encounter) and insulating pad, and hay or straw under the tent. Know what you're getting into and dress accordingly, wool is your friend, albeit an itchy friend. Synthetic blend wool is good too, but cotton is a big no-no. Also I should mention that cots and air-beds are also a no-no, due to air and convection currents underneath. BTW memory foam freezes and holds it's temp, so it's a real big no-no.
Number four: Let people know where you're goin. Give a general location or GPS coordinates to someone at home that knows your planned camping area and how to get there, and a time when you're due home, so they know if and when to start lookin.
Number five: Call the Rangers. This one didn't work out too well for us, as the Ranger never called us back, but it's a good idea to let someone in the nearby area know you'll be up there. If the Rangers don't answer or call back, you can still call the State Troopers (which is what we did)
Number six: Bring back-up fuel, and a fully charged jumper-box. For pretty obvious reasons.
Number seven: Plan to use at least 1.5-2 times the wood you use in summer. Also bring some kind of fire helper, kerosene is good as it burns longer than gasoline.
Number eight: Tarps are the real tents. Bring enough tarps that you can drop a bail of hay, cover it with a tarp, then pitch your tent, then another tarp, all staked and strung down to resist the wind. The tarps will stop wind and rain better than the tent, and will also provide a little dead-air space between the tent and the outside air. We've camped in severe thunderstorms with 50mph winds using this "tarp-roof" method.
Number nine: Bring snow shovel, salt, and a broom
Number ten: Be aware that the road conditions may be quite varied and unpredictable on you route, especially if it's a long ride. We locked in our hubs once the roads started gettin a little slushy, just to be safe, and ended up using 4-wheel-drive for the last 45 minutes on the way up, and again on the way back down.
Number eleven: RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH, I cannot stress this enough, it's important to learn about insulation, body heat loss and prevention, metabolism and how to make your body make more heat
even while you're sleeping Also research the area where you'll be, for total snow accumulation, melting/drainage/flooding, current weather conditions, and also watch the forecast, for before, during and after your trip.
Number twelve Plan for the worst case scenarios. Know the potential dangers, such as major unexpected snowfall, prolonged extreme cold temps, sudden injury/illness, etc. Bring a good first aid kit, a sled to pull an injured buddy, and extra blankets.
Well I guess some of it isn't exactly common sense, but good to know nonetheless.
