The Gear House

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

I just finished watching the final episode of The Alaska Experiment on the Discovery Channel and was thinking about the different gear that you have with you when backpacking that can help make you warm. The main challenge that one of the groups faced while hiking out to the rendezvous point with a pilot was that they could not keep warm in the -20 degree temperatures. Although they were hiking as much as they could, they still needed to stop a few times to try to warm up their bodies, especially their fingers, so not to get frostbite.

The main technique that they used was building a fire to use for warm, however, here are some other different options based on the gear that you may have with you on a normal backpacking trip to help you get warm and stay comfortable!

• Your Foam Pad - Sit on it to prevent loss of body heat to the cold ground (you can also sit on top of your pack if you need to be higher off the ground).
• Plastic Grocery Bags - Stick them under your gloves or socks to warm up your hands or feet.
• Extra socks - If you don’t have gloves, wear socks on your hands. Obviously you can also double layer your socks on your feet. If you don’t carry an extra pair of socks, you need to!
• Your Stove - Just cooking up a hot drink can immediately feel better and as the warm fluid flows into your body, you will start to warm up.
• Hot water left over from a meal - Don’t just throw out your left over hot water from noodles or some other meal. Add some sauce mix or drink mix to it to change the flavor and drink up! If you don’t want to drink it, put it in your water bottle and stick it in your sleeping bag to help keep you warm for a little bit while you go to sleep.
• Rain Gear - If it is dry, put it on to add another layer. Every layer counts!
• Your tent - If you get cold while sleeping in a shelter or cabin, set up your tent and sleep in there to warm up a couple extra degrees. Being blocked better from the elements such as wind, rain, or snow will tremendously help you!
• A hat - It is the most versatile piece of extra clothing you can carry. It is vital for staying warm!
• Body Heat - When hiking with a partner just sleeping in the same tent or sitting next to each other can give off some extra warmth. If you feel comfortable with it, sharing a sleeping bag or cuddling is also a great way to warm up and sometimes a necessity in survival situations.
• Extra food/snacks - If you know you have extra food available, and can spare it, getting some extra food in you will help you warm up. It will also help your mental status and help to cheer you up some!
• Exercises - If you are just cold and not fatigued/warn out, you can always do some different exercises such as jumping jacks or jogging in place to get your blood flowing. Try not to sit still for too long in one position because you will start to get colder! Keep movin’!

What do you do when you get cold on the trail or on a camping trip? There are so many different ways to warm up or different gear that you have with you that you can use, it is crazy. Your imagination really becomes the limit to making yourself warm and comfortable.