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Winter Camping Tips
Written on Tuesday, March 16, 2004 by That's Camping
Article Categories: Camping-Tips • Travel-Plans • Winter-Camping
Since we are experts at Winter Camping now, *NOT*...hee hee, I figured I would share some hints that we learned along the way.
[1]First off, there might not be a water hookup at winter campgrounds, so make sure there are hot showers and a heated bathhouse at the place you choose. We did use our own toilet facilities in the morning with the pink anti-freeze to flush. At first we used regular windshield washer fluid, but that didn’t seem environmentally sound, so we opted for the better bio-degradable anti-freeze. We noticed a lot of seasonals utilizing the sewer hookup, so maybe we will check into that another time. Not sure how good it would work if your holding tank was not insulated and I assume that you wouldn’t want to leave the sewer line open at all times, since I would imagine that the cold air could sweep up into your trailer. ?? not sure.
[2]Keep all cabinet doors open at least a crack to let the warm air circulate throughout. Otherwise there’s a chance that the contents (especially clothes, towels, sheets) could get moist from condensation. We learned this tip from one of the campground booths at the camping show. So far, it worked. We have warm dry clothes!
[3]Try not to cook (or boil water) in the camper. Excess moisture can lead to condensation around windows and doors. We wrapped 3 of our large windows with plastic sheeting (two sided tape) and that helped with the moisture too. We didn’t have too bad of a condensation problem, but we were told to crack a window or vent every hour or so to release any excess moisture.
[4]I don’t personally like the propane heat. Since it is forced hot air, it is an “all or nothing” heat situation. Either it is too warm when it is on or too cool when off. We purchased a small oil filled radiator heater and it works awesome. Our camper was warm as toast! The one we purchased has little wheels so it was easy to move around the trailer. Most times, we kept it in the bathroom area, in between the bedroom and living room. It worked great!
[5]We bought a large rubber mat (technically a floor mat for a truck) and placed it inside by the door for our boots and shoes. Outside, we kept an old rug to wipe our feet on.
[6]Bring lots of blankets, boots, warm socks, mittens, hat, scarf, and sunglasses! The glare of the sun on snow is blinding!
Winter camping can break up the winter blues. I know it worked for us. Believe me, before this year, I never understood how camping in the cold would actually bring enjoyment, but it did, and I am a convert now! Give it a try, you never know, you might enjoy it too!
Article Categories: Camping-Tips • Travel-Plans • Winter-Camping
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