Camping and exploring the Missouri wilderness in the wintertime can be a fun and unique experience, but at the same time can be very dangerous if you do not take the right precautions. You must always, as with any camping trip, plan the trip properly. This means you must know where you are going, what you are doing while there, what to take, and what to do if something does go wrong. I will go through a sort of check list to help you not only make sure you have a great trip, but ensure you have a safe trip as well. The most important thing is to know where you are going. This means know the area and what kind of animals or nature you will encounter. Knowing the area can make a huge difference in your safety. While many areas are set aside just for campers, there are areas that are wild and animals can be found throughout. Just be sure to know what kind of area you will be camping in.
Next step is to be sure you bring along the right equipment for where you are going. The first thing to be sure of is to stay as warm as possible. This is a critical step when packing for a winter camping trip. The first thing to do is try to dress in as many layers as you can. While you are walking or hiking to where you are going this can mean a little less layers, as you are moving and sweating your body stays fairly warm. When you do decide where to camp and you are not moving as much, or not at all, your body will cool down, and this is where the layers come in handy. As you become warmer or colder these layers allow you to add or subtract clothing to adjust to your temperature. Here is a list of a few different types of clothing that can be worn or used to keep warm. Each offers a different benefit.
Wool, pile or fleece fabrics, polypropylene or hydrophobic fabrics, polar guard, hollofil, quallofil, down are some of the types of fabrics that are helpful in keeping warm in the winter time. A different way to create these layers would be by creating a vapor barrier system or radiant barriers. Be sure to layer each part of your body accordingly, starting with your feet. If you do not layer your clothing properly, frostbite can be the outcome. This can be avoided by trying out each kind of fabric and finding the right one for you, and the one that will keep you the warmest throughout your trip. This also means the sleeping bag you use should be rated for temperatures below what the weather outside will be at night. This will allow you to be more comfortable and allow for better rest. You may also want to have a foam pad underneath you to keep you insulated from the snow under you, if there is any. And always pack a compass.
You will most likely want to take a stove and fuel with you for cooking. Most campgrounds will be mostly vacant, so finding wood for a campfire shouldn’t be difficult. Meals should be very simple and not complicated. Simple things like oats, fresh fruit, trail mix for snacks. Dinner should consist of something hot, like soup or some kind of stew. This will allow for the body to warm up a little before resting.
Remember the first tip, stay warm and you can never have too many layers, this will ensure you will have a great winter campout.
It’s particularly important to keep your head, hands and feet warm when winter camping. I always pack an extra wool hat and spare socks and gloves. I highly recommend alpaca wool socks.