Sunday, February 01, 2015

Winter Camping Checklist

Evenin' Folks,
  For the first time in a while I didn't do any fishing this weekend (haven't been doing much catching lately, anyway!).  Instead, I've been working on getting organized and getting my lists made for my trip to North Carolina this coming weekend.  I'm going to be attending The Fly Fishing Show in Winston-Salem and I'm very excited!  I'll have a full post up after the show with tons of pictures and my experiences at the show.  Make sure you're following me on Facebook and Instagram because I'll be live posting photos there all weekend.
  There was a special rate offered at the local hotels for show attendees, but a hotel room is way outside my budget.  I've never been a big fan of sleeping in a bed slept in by a few hundred strangers before me either! So, I'm camping!  I'm packing up the tent, sleeping bag and chuck box and enjoying a weekend of sleeping in the great outdoors.  I've found a nice little campground about 25 minutes from the convention center and, fingers crossed, the weather should be fairly cooperative for the weekend, according to current outlooks.  Being that this is the beginning of February, North Carolina does get pretty cold.  The night of my arrival the meteorologists are predicting snow flurries and weekend lows in the low 20s.  Since I'm car camping, I don't have much concern for the weight of my gear, but I want to make sure that I am well prepared for whatever the weather might throw at me.  In doing my research, Googling "camping checklist" seems to assume warm weather camping and searching "winter camping" assumes back country snowshoeing or cross country skiing trips.  None of the lists I found seem to be tailored to winter camping in the southeastern US where it could rain, it could snow or it could be 70 degrees all in the same weekend!  So, I've put together my own list and I thought I would share it here with you.

Tent
Tent
Groundcloth
Tent stakes
Rainfly
Floor pad
Kitchen shelter
Door mat
Wisk broom
Tent light
Cell phone charger
Extension cord
Power strip
Cold Sleeping
Sleeping bag
Sleeping pad
Sleeping bag liner
Extra quilts/blankets
Pillow
Specialty Clothing
Long johns
Heavy socks
Knit cap
Henley shirt
Coat
Gloves knit & leather
Rain gear
Kitchen
Stove
Fuel
Lantern
Pot
Skillet
Plastic utensils
Plastic cooking utensils (spatula, spoon, tongs)
Matches/lighter (plus extra)
Plastic cup/mug
Paper plates/bowls
Paper towel
Plastic pot scraper
Scrub pad
Dish detergent
Dish cloth
Wash basin
Kitchen knife
Cutting board
Cooler
Ice
Hot dog forks
Small trash bags (used grocery bags)
Nalgene style water bottles
Aluminum foil
Kettle
French press
Can/bottle opener
Kitchen towel/pot holder
Measuring cup/spoons
Zip top bags
Salt/pepper/sugar/spices
Cooking oil/spray
Light
Lantern
Spare mantles
Fuel
Flashlight
Spare Batteries
Headlamp
Tools
Multi tool
Hatchet
Hammer
Knife
Rope/cord
Duct tape
Campfire
Matches/lighter
Fire starter (homemade or store bought)
Firewood (extra)
Newsprint
Folding table
Camp chair
Fire poker
Toiletries
Soap w/box or zip top bag
Wash cloth
Towel
Shower shoes
Shampoo
Toothpaste
Toothbrush
Deodorant
Glasses
Eyeglass repair kit
Contact case
Contact solution
First aid kit
Lip balm
Personal medications
Laundry bag
Throat lozenges
Antacid tablets




  My Winter Camping Checklist isn't a whole lot different from my regular checklist, except that I've added a few "extra" and "spare" designations that may not be as important in warmer conditions, and the "Specialty Clothing" and "Cold Sleeping" categories have been added.  I've left out categories for clothing and food because those are very individualized for each person and each trip.  I'm going to keep this as a "live list", as my camping experience grows and different pieces of kit are tested and tried, things will be added and deleted.  I'll also continue with the Seasonal and Specialty categories to tailor each list to each individual trip.  I'll keep the list updated on the blog, so make sure you keep checking back and let me know if you think I need to add anything, I'm always open to suggestions!
  I hope you're all doing well.
     Happy Camping!
         -Nick

1 comment:

  1. With that experience under my belt, this one night camping trip was a lot harder.http://myfamilytent.com

    ReplyDelete