Advice On Snow Camping

Hi Miguel

Yeah, maybe just a little too much clothing.
But … what's the weather going to do?
Sometimes it pays to advance slowly.

Cheers

Hi Miguel,
Paramos are the business. I use light wool tights and pullover under mine in winter They stay warm when damp. If the Paramo trousers are wet by the time you turn in, the tights will keep you warm. You can always put a bin bag between your legs and your precious dry down bag if yu have to keep the Paramos on.

Will you be above the treeline? I find taking a few ounces of dry twigs to get cold damp wood going is a good move. A small camp fire in the evening will lift your spirits and dry your outerwear.

I prefer my insulated top to have a zip for ventilation. It gives more versatility to the set up.

Have a great weekend.

Roger: I found a couple of £1 pillows. Plush both sides, 72g each. Let me know if you want some posting over.

Thanks Rogers!

I'll be above treeline on the second night, though there is enough bamboo grass and creeping pine up there to make it easy to get a small fire going. A mountaineering friend of mine wrote about building a fire on rocks underfoot and before going to sleep putting the shelter system on top of the warm rocks to help keep warm. (he uses just a waterproof bivy and seems to get along just fine). I'm not worried about not surviving the cold (can always follow Mike Clelland's suggestion of doing situps if worst comes to worst), just wondering if I can get a good night's rest with what I have.

Thanks for the tip about keeping the sleeping bag warm with wet Paramo on. I can just stick my feet in my backpack and stick that inside the sleeping bag if I have to. Knowing Paramo they'll have dried out everything I'm wearing by morning.

By zip for ventilation you mean a full-length zip on the jacket front? I agree with you there. I do often get quite hot with smocks and anoraks. Do you use down or synthetic for your insulated top?

Hi Rog

I followed up on your pics at the local rubber, foam and pool toys store. Yeah, they had them too!

So thanks, but not to worry. But thanks again.

Cheers

Hi Miguel

You know, if you are a bit wet in Paramo gear but you don't stop too late in the day AND you dive quickly into a tent, then by the time you have cooked dinner and tidied up for the night a lot of that gear may be nearly dry anyhow. Just don't let yourself chill down much and the water will (hopefully!) evaporate off.

Cheers

"By zip for ventilation you mean a full-length zip on the jacket front? I agree with you there. I do often get quite hot with smocks and anoraks. Do you use down or synthetic for your insulated top?"

I have several insulated jackets, both down and synthetic. I rainy weather I take synthetic.

Synthetic: I have a montane toasty for winter and a snugpak-alike highlander for summer.

Down: I have a Kathmandu Goosedown jacket for winter and a Montbell UL down jacket for shoulder seasons or high camping in summer.

All have full zips.

Roger: Inflatable pillows. We must be getting middle aged.