Winter Skills Seminar – March 4-6, 2016

Learn winter backpacking and camping skills that will allow you to travel the backcountry in safety and comfort, with less weight!

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Myth: You can’t go light in the winter.

This is what you might be thinking. Maybe you don’t think you have the skills, gear, experience, or confidence to hike and camp in winter conditions…

Fact: Learn the skills, and ultralight backpacking in the winter can be safe, and comfortable!

This course will open your eyes to the possibilities of winter backpacking with a lightweight pack: enjoy the remoteness, solitude, quiet, and beauty than can only be found in a winter wilderness!

What Experience Do I Need?

None. Seriously. We’ll take everyone from a complete beginner to a seasoned winter veteran. Being able to bring diverse experience levels together enhances the quality and comeraderie on a course like this – it’s incredibly satisfying to learn from those who are more experienced, and to serve those who are less experienced by sharing your knowledge. As long as you have the basic gear (see below), we’ll take care of the rest!

What You Will Learn

1. How to minimize pack weight for winter trips without compromising comfort and safety;
2. How to safely evaluate terrain hazards in response to avalanche risk;
3. How to manage cold, wet, and humid conditions with your clothing and sleeping gear;
4. How to minimize fuel weight and keep your winter cooking system weight to a minimum;
5. How to effectively use various water treatment methods in sub-freezing temperatures;
6. How to use ultralight trail running shoes / footwear in subzero environments;
7. How to build a fire in winter conditions for warmth, cooking, and survival;
8. Receive our resource guide – which will be distributed only to course participants and isn’t found anywhere else – that provides a list of gear suppliers and our recommendations for some of the best “under-the-table” winter gear available anywhere.
9. And more!

Learn and Share with Our Instructors!

Learn in a live, collaborative environment where we get as much out of learning from you as you get out of learning from us! Our instructors for this course are Ryan Jordan (Backpacking Light Founder, Publisher, and Course Director), Mike Martin (Senior Instructor and Senior Editor), Pat Starich (Senior Instructor), and Eric Vann (Associate Editor and Instructor).

Logistics

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Schedule

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Gear List

About Our Climate: Early March is usually a wonderful time of year for enjoying the Montana Backcountry – the bitter cold of mid-winter has abated yet there’s still plenty of snow to enjoy a true winter experience! Expect low temperatures to be in the 10s or 20s F and daytime highs to be in the 30s to 40s F – but keep an eye on the weather just in case!

Recommended Personal Equipment

Sleeping

• Down or synthetic sleeping bag or quilt appropriate for the conditions;
• Two sleeping pads, including one full-length foam pad of minimum thickness 1/4″ for sleeping on snow (second pad can be any type, at least torso length);
• Bivy sack or waterproof ground cloth, minimum 28″ wide x 78″ long (painter’s plastic, Tyvek, etc.);

Trekking Clothes

• Long pants (softshell, breathable + base layer bottoms);
• Base layer top;
• Wool socks;
• Waterproof shoes / boots;
• Gaiters;
• Beanie hat;
• Bandana / buff;
• Lightweight liner/fleece gloves;

Storm Clothes

• Waterproof-breathable rain jacket;
• Waterproof-breathable rain pants;
• Insulated gloves/mittens (waterproof);
• Lightweight fleece balaclava;
• Lightweight fleece jacket or vest;
• Lightweight hooded wind shirt;

Camp/Cold Weather Clothes

• Heavy fleece jacket or down/synthetic insulating parka/jacket;
• Lightweight fleece or down/synthetic insulating pants;
• Lightweight down or synthetic insulated booties;
• Extra wool socks (dry) for sleeping;

Snow Travel Gear

• Lightweight snow shovel (avalanche-type is ideal);
• Snowshoes (backcountry skis/skins/boots may be substituted);
• Trekking / ski poles with snow baskets;
• Avalanche probe & transceiver (optional, for instructional use only, bring if you have one);

Personal Equipment

• Hat with brim;
• Sunglasses;
• Sunscreen;
• Personal toiletries;
• Personal first aid supplies / meds;
• Bowl with 3 cup minimum capacity;
• Mug with 16 oz minimum capacity;
• Eating utensil (spoon or spork);
• Handwarmers;
• Wide-mouth water bottles (2L capacity);
• Firestarting supplies: waterproof matches, lighters, tinder, sparker, etc. – used for lighting stoves and/or building fires;
• Knife and/or small saw for preparing tinder & firewood;
• Headlamp w/extra batteries;

Packing

• Backpack;
• Pack liner (e.g., trash compactor bag) for keeping sleeping gear and insulating clothing dry;
• Stow bags / stuff sacks for organization;

Food

• Two “trail lunches” – about 1200 to 1600 Cal each – snacks you can eat on the go – choose items with a low water content that won’t freeze; salami, cheese, nuts, crackers, nut butters area all good choices;
• Hot drinks / coffee / soup for one evening and one morning in camp;

“Lodge Gear” to Consider…

• Change of dry clothes;
• Pillow;
• Cabin slippers;

Other Equipment

Shelters

• Backpacking Light will provide group shelters (tarps and pyramids); if you would like to learn to use your own shelter in winter conditions, feel free to bring it and use it!

Stoves, Cookware, and Fuel

• Backpacking Light will provide group cook kits, cookware, and fuel (we have a variety of canister and/or white gas stoves systems); if you would like to experiment with your own cooking system, feel free to bring it and use it!

Avalanche Equipment

• If you have avalanche gear (transceivers / probes), please bring it – we’ll use it for instructional purposes only – but it won’t be critical for participation in the course.

Rental Equipment

Some personal equipment is available for rent on site. Contact Lion’s Ridge for cost and availability:

• 30-degree Synthetic Sleeping bags (can be paired with your summer weight bag for winter use);
• MSR Denali Snowshoes;
• 3/4-length Ridge Rest sleeping pads;
• GoLite Pinnacle backpacks;
• and more.

Availability of rental equipment is limited, so if you need equipment, call early to reserve!

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