BLOG

Experienced campers consult weather charts when planning a camping trip when they pack, and again before setting out for the campsite. And they still get it wrong now and then. Even with the best planning, unexpected rain, heat or cold happens. Smart adventurers know their plans will fall apart now and then, and, well, they plan for that.

Here are fifteen hacks that will help you adjust on the fly when bad weather hits in the woods.

Re-Waterproof Your Boots Regularly

Even the best-made hiking boots lose their waterproofing properties over time, and the quickest way to discomfort (and even foot pain) on the trail is wet feet. Prevent this by re-waterpoofing your boots regularly. Most manufacturers claim that the waterproofing sealants on new boots are good for four years, but we’ve found that applying Nikwax, Granger’s or a similar product annually does no harm and keeps your feet dry forever.

Slide Plastic Bags over Your Socks

A dry-foot tip if you’re unsure that your boots are still waterproof – carry plastic bags in your pack, and, at the first sign of rain, slide them on over your socks and then slip your shoes on.

Coat Your Matches in Shellac

Those strike anywhere matches are awesome, until they’re wet. But waterproofing them is a simple, cheap task. Just dip the match heads in ordinary shellac you can find at any hardware store. They’ll still strike anywhere – but now they’ll light even in the rain.

Insulate Yourself from the Ground

There are a thousand good reasons to invest in a sleeping pad to place under your sleeping bag, but rain may be the best one. A pad keeps your sleeping bag from the wet ground, helping you get a good night’s sleep even when rain surprises you in the woods. A yoga mat will do the trick, but mats made for the purpose often have insulating ridges that help balance your temperature as you sleep.

Warm Batteries Before Using

You want to minimize battery-operated camping gear in the first place, but the battery-operated devices you do decide to bring with you will fail easily in the cold. Even good batteries work less efficiently when they’re cold. So warm them up. Take the batteries out of your devices at night and tuck them in your sleeping back, or store them in the pockets of your inner layer of clothing. Then, when you plug them into a device, they’re warm batteries, and more likely to provide the charge you need. 

Stuff Your Sleeping Bag with the Next Day’s Clothes

Some materials insulate better than others, but the principle of insulation works the same regardless of the material you use – pockets of air between your body and a layer of clothing or bedding help keep you warm. Stuffing a warm-weather sleeping bag with clothing creates those pockets, and helps make a summer-weight bag feel more like a winter-weight bag. Stuff your bag with the clothes you plan to wear next, and you’ll also have a warm outfit to throw on in the morning.

Keep Your Face Out of the Covers

If it’s cold enough, you might be tempted to cover even your face with your sleeping bag.  It’ll feel good in the short term, but in the long run, the moisture from your breath will soak your bedding, making you colder.

Open the Vents in Your Tent

The same principle works on a larger level – moisture in a tent is the enemy of warmth.  Open the vents in your tent, even in freezing cold weather. It may seem counter-intuitive, but allowing condensation to build up inside the tent overnight will cost you much more warmth than opening those vents will.

Hang Water Bottles Upside Down

If it’s cold enough, water bottles may freeze overnight.  The part in contact with the ground will freeze first.  So, to minimize freezing, keep them off the ground. If they do freeze, ice floats. Storing them upside down will mean the capped portion stays liquid, so you still have something to drink in the morning.

Block the Wind

It’s often not as cold as it feels, if you can just stop the wind.  Smart campers carry an extra tarp. Stringing it up between two trees to serve as a wind wall can do a lot to warm a campsite.

Invest in a Pocket Chainsaw

If you find yourself needing more significant firewood than you expected, an efficient, energy-saving saw can go a long way to warm your campsite quickly. For about $10, you can get a pocket chainsaw. No, it’s not a power tool – it’s little more than a chain between two loops of webbing. But it fits in a pocket – in half a pocket, really – and it allows you to make significant firewood fast.

Set Up Camp in the Shade

The heat isn’t just a danger when you’re exerting yourself, it can be a danger even when you’re sitting still. Plan your campsite around shade on hot days. Keeping your body temperature down even while you’re resting will go a long way toward making your hike more pleasant, and the key to that is shade.

Bring More Water than You Need, or Make Safe Water Where You Are

Dehydration is the biggest danger in the heat. Since water is weight, campers are often tempted to carry less than they need. Don’t do it. On hot days, you may find you need twice as much water as expected. It’s vital that you keep drinking. An easy way to ensure you have enough is to carry a purifier. We’re big fans of the LifeStraw for its simplicity.

Remove the Rain Fly

Rain flys are great in wet weather, but completely unnecessary outside of it. On a hot, dry night, a rain fly creates a layer of insulation keeping heat in your tent. Remove it if you don’t need it.

Know the Signs of Heat Sickness

The single most important tip to keep in mind in hot weather camping is to not take it lightly. Heat sickness is real, comes on fast, and gets harder to recognize in yourself the longer you try to ignore it. Know the signs, and before you leave, load up a survival app that includes medical tips to help you decide when it’s time to pack it in and head home to the a/c.