Winter Camping. You Gotta See it to Believe It

Spencer had one request going into this winter--it wasn't about his Christmas gifts or about a movie he wanted to see--he wanted to go winter camping.

For those of you resting comfortably in balmy, tropical temperatures who may be unfamiliar with this rather odd practice, it's where sane, rational people go outside to play "Homeless Person."

But regardless of the crazy angle my men love it and began making plans for a rollicking good time in the wintry wilds of Alaska where they'd be free to tunnel and forage and do all those manly things that sound so unappealing to me but make them so happy.

Of course no sooner had they reserved the weekend of the solstice than the temperature plummeted to the single digits (Fahrenheit of course) and the wind picked up until the status of the trip was in danger but not to worry, by the time they were ready to set off Friday afternoon they assured me it was plenty warm for a night of camping--plenty warm. As in twenty-five degrees. Great--why on earth would a mother worry with conditions like those?

They camped at Williwaw campground near Portage glacier, about 45 minutes south of Anchorage which is a well-kept, classy little park with beautiful scenery, great for salmon viewing in the summer. Of course in December there's only 5 hours of daylight which makes glacier viewing rather dodgy and I'm guessing the salmon are somewhere down around Hawaii which only goes to prove how intelligent salmon are. Especially when compared with the average 11 year-old Alaskan male.

For those of you wondering how one would survive a night in the snow (and those thoughts were certainly passing through my mind as I waved goodbye Friday afternoon) here are a few interesting tips:

Layers are the key. You can joke all you like about "wicking" (not to be confused with "wicked") but that's the way to keep warm, with a wicking layer next to the skin to keep your perspiration from freezing you followed by fleece up top and a vapor barrier below on the feet. This "vapor barrier" is just a fancy name for a plastic bag but it keeps moisture from coming in the opposite direction and freezing your toes into little black piggies. Then you wear Gortex to block wind and rain on top and wool socks to keep warm feet. Complex but apparently worth it.

Eat warm. You want hot food in the forms of proteins and carbs that help to keep your calories burning bright. I sent a tub of hot chili (things that can be eaten in mugs without removing mittens are a plus) which was received with much happiness but which brought up the question of how one washes dishes during winter camping--it's not as if immersing one's hands in water is a good idea.

Fill the dishes with snow and let them sit--after all, it's not like you'll be worrying about bacteria or anything when it's below freezing--wipe them out with the snow when you feel like it. I'm thinking about adapting this technique for home use and instead of washing dishes merely throwing them in the freezer and forgetting about them.

Sleep warm. The cold ground is your enemy so insulate against it with air mattresses and serious sleeping bags. You can build a snow cave and be remarkably warm (I'm told) because of the insulating power of snow though it's all relative. You can't tell me a snow cave is comparable to a cabana at Waikiki and you know which one I'd choose. But regardless, make sure you're warm heading to bed because your bag doesn't warm you up, you warm your bag up and if you haven't got any warmth to give you're not going to find any in bed. One trick that thrilled the boys was to heat water to nearly boiling then pour it into a Nalgene bottle. Wrap the bottle in a sock, keep it in the bottom of your bag and you're guaranteed toasty tootsies all night long. I'm intrigued enough by the idea that I may try it in my own bed at home--my feet could use the warmth.

Bring a lighter. Forget the matches, use a lighter and keep it in your pocket close to you--you don't want to have to take your hands out of your mittens to strike a match and you don't want the lighter to freeze up.

Bring a shovel. You're going to have to dig your campsite out of the snow and plastic spoons or a couple of credit cards aren't going to cut it. If that doesn't convince you that winter camping is best left to the polar bears I don't know what will.

But regardless, my men returned home Saturday afternoon warm and happy and bursting with testosterone--their only complaint was that it got so warm down in Portgage that it rained in the night and they woke up with a stiff breeze and wet gear--a dangerous combination. I may not understand it but I'm glad it makes them so happy.

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