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WINTER CAMPING: THE STUFF YOU NEED

1. Warm clothing, which might include jackets, pullovers, thermal underwear, thick socks, beanies,
gloves (or mittens), scarves, overcoats, and waterproof footwear.

2. Extra bedding, such as sleeping bags rated for, say, minus 10 degrees. Alternatively, throw in a
couple of good (woollen) blankets for each person to wrap around their sleeping bag. (Large safety
pins can be handy here.) Also, a sleeping bag liner made from a surplus flannelette sheet is a great
idea for chilly nights in the bush.

3. Aboveground beds are much better than airbeds or mattresses laid out on cold ground. The
“springrest” style stretcher is the best you’ll find, but other types of camp beds will do the job, just so
long as they keep you up off the deck.

4. A groundsheet is useful, spread over the tent floor, since in winter there’s higher probability that
moisture (or rain) will find its way inside at some stage. Quality canvas is by far the most robust
material for groundsheets.

5. Newspaper finds a few extra jobs around winter campsites, like fire starting, extra insulation
between stretcher and mattress, and…well, reading when the wet weather sets in!

6. A campfire becomes the centrepiece of your camp after sunset, since the winter chill can settle
over the countryside pretty rapidly, particularly in mountain areas. This means that you will have to
take along a couple of bow saws, or better yet, a small chainsaw. That pile of firewood needs to be
substantial!

7. Extra awnings are important, too, since there may be times when everyone is crowded under cover
during rain, Rig up one or two tarpaulins -- using rope, tent poles, elastic straps, and tent
pegs -- with the main living area handy to the warmth of your campfire. (But don’t have an awning
closer than two meters to the fire’s edge.)