Newsletter - Winter 2023

Woot woot another Chisler Outdoor Newsletter!

2023 is here and lets start it out on a high. Cold camping! Everyone’s new favorite winter activity. Add it to your list of snowboarding, downhill skiing, sledding, snowball fights, ice fishing, snowmobiling, Nordic skiing, ice skating, ice skinny dipping, luging, tobogganing, dog sledding, snowshoeing, drinking brandy slushes; cold camping is here to stay!

Why the heck would I camp when it is so cold?

Cold is what you make with it. Camping paired with any of the above activities makes a cold weekend well worth it. Make your day filled with lite activities and prepare your night with some warmer items and you will be a happy camper.

Let’s have a look.

Layers

Likely the most important thing when being outside during the winter months. The key is to keep your body temp warm enough when you are stationary and comfortable enough when moving. Sweat is bad bad bad when being outside.

Sweat keeps your cool enough so you don’t overheat, but can kill if you sweat through your layers and the cold creeps in. That’s why when doing activities outside in cold weather, you need to be hyper aware you are at a comfortable temperature at all times. No overheating. No sweating.

The photo above shows a nice combination of clothes for hiking with variable temperatures.

  • Breathable outer layer – Stretchy cotton full sleeve, easy to take off
  • Insulating fleece – Zip down fleece
  • Normal t-shirt – No need to get fancy

These multiple layers allow for you to be in a comfortable temperature range for a day hike. Nothing too heavy or non-breathable. I was in a t-shirt on the way up and everything on the way down.

I was comfy the entire hike as I gave myself the time to take off or put on clothes when needed.

Ill show some more pics of this place soon! This place was pretty cool.

Prep your gear for future use

Great idea. If only there was a thing that could dry my damp gear for when I need it.. DUH use your Clementine!

Our drying system attaches to the environment using the carabiners on both ends and our stainless-steel clips attach to your gear. Set it up and forget about it!

Sleeping system

One of the most difficult things to master when camping in the cold is being comfortable when sleeping. It seems like no matter how many layers you throw on/in your sleeping bag you can still be cold!

Time to get creative.

One solution we have found is to abandon the x3-4 down sleeping blankets and replace them with a second sleeping pad.

You may think how/why the heck would I do that? Well let me tell you. Air is one of the best insulators out there.

The reason why down blankets are so great is because of the trapped air between the feather matrix. The layering of the feathers and air provide a boundary layer of minimal heat exchange.

But down blankets have a couple of huge downsides. They dont pack down to the same size as a sleeping pad, they are useless if they get wet/damp, and any real down blanket will cost you an arm and a leg.

The photo above shows an intuitive solution for warm nights.

  • Lay your rectangle sleeping pad on your tent
  • Place your mummy pad inside your sleeping bag
  • Climb in your bag with the mummy pad as your blanket

It was just under freezing that night and my 40 degree bag with this setup was more than enough to keep me warm.

Outside of getting comfy with your sleeping partner or pup, this is the best solution for chilly nights.

Car camping Do’s and Do Not’s

Do’s:

-Turn your cabin lights off! The power drain may sap your car battery in the cold.

-Crack your window when sleeping. Breathing in exhaled breath is higher in CO2 and cracking a window will get more O2 in your body. Also, it will stop a TON of moisture building up on your windows!

-Get a cheap rug/doormat to place down outside your door/hatch. This allows you to get out of your vehicle and stand without being forced to deal with snow/dirt/etc on the ground.

-Check the state of the road before driving. A little mud isn’t too bad but a little mud can turn into too much mud VERY fast.

Inclines you would normally not think twice about driving up/down can be tricky when covered in snow.

Picture 1 is looking down and Picture 2 is looking up. It doesn’t look to bad from the top but the 6” of dry snow would make this nearly impossible to drive up.

-Hide your keys outside during the day if you are in camp. There are only a few things we can think of that are worse than locking yourself outside of your vehicle when camping in the wilderness.

One pro move we have found is to not store your keys inside your vehicle. Place them on a branch, log, or tire so you never run into a situation where you mindlessly click the lock button on your door/fob.

Placing your keys on one of the branches of this ancient Bristlecone or one of the rocks at the bottom will insure your keys are in a safe and incognito place during the day.

Do Not’s:

-Gather wood/sticks directly in your camp. Hike 60 seconds in one direction before gathering. It helps the local environment by spreading out the impact of human interaction.

-Same thing with going to the bathroom (if allowed at your location). Don’t poo in camp! If you have the option to not pack-out, then hike into the woods a little. This greatly helps the cleanliness of the spot you are in.

-Watch out for cryptobiotic soil! Crypto is a very delicate, bacteria rich soil that can be destroyed by a footprint. Be careful when hiking near your camp. [nps.gov/glca/learn/nature/soils]

The idea is to limit your impact on your environment. Lots of places in the West are fragile and a little damage from us will take years or decades to recover.

A little effort on our part goes a long way.

- #1 item not to do: Forget to enjoy the journey. The destination is the goal but the journey can be as or more exciting that what you expect. Take in the views, smells, local flavor, and unique aspects of each place you go as you will find gems in rough places if you take the time to look.

 

Get out there. Have fun. Look cool (note: Tangerines – a steal at $10.95). Be safe.

What are your winter tips? Do you have some goodies we can share? Let us know on our Instagram page!

Thank you again for being part of this community. Chisler Outdoor is a small company that really relies on you for growth. Advertising on the main sites like Google, Facebook, and Instagram is a scam. They lump your ads with thousands of other products and services which are ‘shot gunned’ to whomever the algorithm sees fit.

I rely on YOU. So if you would, please send this email (or link) to one other person who may be interested in the outdoors. It helps me so much. This is the right way to build communities.

Thank you!

Alex