Winter Camping Clothes & Gear To Keep You Toasty

Cold Weather Camping Gear: What NOT To Wear 

Because I love living in the warm temperatures of Phoenix and think an 80°F day is the best camping weather, I know all about staying warm when we head to the cold mountains on our camping trips! I was not a straight “A” student when it comes to science, but I do understand a bit about the science associated with winter camping essentials that will keep your body warm!

If you want to stay warm when you are camping in the cold, you need to have the right winter camping gear and more importantly, you should AVOID certain types of popular camp clothes.

The Science Behind Wintertime Camping Clothes

There is a purpose to each of the three layers of winter camping clothing:

1. Wicking – This is the Inner layer worn next to your body.
2. Warmth – This is the Middle insulating layer worn between the Inner (Wicking) and Outer (Wind And Waterproofing) layers.
3. Wind And Waterproofing – This is the Outer layer worn over the Middle (Warmth) layer.

Wicking/Inner Clothing Layer

Your inner clothing layer should keep your body dry by drawing moisture (like body sweat) away from your skin and transferring it to the Warmth/Middle layer where it should evaporate.

You actually want this layer to be made of a thin non-plant based fabric that fits relatively snugly.

Camping Tip: DO NOT use cotton or other plant-based materials for this layer (this is one of the most common camping safety mistakes made when camping in cold weather.)

Like the plant, cotton material absorbs water which is exactly the opposite thing you want to accomplish here so avoid cotton as your base layer.

Camping Tip: DO use synthetic materials like polyester or animal-based materials like wool for your Wicking/Inner layer.

Consider wearing snug-fitting long underwear as your inner clothing layer when camping in cold weather.

Long johns

 Men’s Lightweight Thermal Underwear Long John Set Fleece Lined Base Layer Top And Bottom Women’s Ultra Soft Thermal Underwear Long Johns Set, Fleece Lined

 

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Thermal socks

Consider wearing thermal heavy-duty warm socks to keep your feet warm and safe in cold weather.

 Carhartt Men’s Extreme Cold Weather Boot Wool Socks Carhartt Women’s Thermal Heavy Duty Crew Socks

 

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Warmth/Middle Clothing Layer

Your middle clothing layer should keep you insulated and warm.

This clothing should be made of fleece, wool, down or synthetic insulation. Wool clothing is popular for outdoor activities throughout the year. It will wick moisture away from your skin and its properties keep you warm in the winter months and cool in hot weather.

Merino wool comes from a specific breed of sheep called Merino sheep. It is considered to be the finest type of wool and is used in technical sportswear as well as upscale apparel. Some of it’s benefits include:

• Resistant to wrinkles, odors and UV
• Body temperature regulating
• Quick to dry and is biodegradable
• Non-allergenic, does not itch

Consider fleece jackets as the middle layer for your upper body.

Fleece jackets

 Columbia Men’s Half Zip Fleece Pullover Columbia Women’s Benton Springs Full Zip Soft Fleece Jacket

 

Boot liners

Consider boot liners as your middle layer to keep your feet warm while camping in the winter.

The warmth that wool provides is a great option as your middle layer but not a good option to be worn next to your skin or as an outer layer because wool can be itchy and dries slowly if it gets wet while most synthetic materials hold less water and dry faster.

Wool Felt Replacement Unisex Boot Liners, Standard Boot, 75% Wool Blend, 25% Synthetic Fibers

 

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Wind And Waterproofing/Outer Clothing Layer

Your outer shell should repel wind and water while keeping you warm.

This waterproof layer is also the bulkiest layer and the first to be removed.

If you are camping in gently cold conditions, you may only need a windbreaker type of outer layer but extreme cold weather camping conditions will required a thicker hooded parka and snow pants-type of layer.

Consider wearing a hardshell jacket that is heavily insulated or a waterproof jacket down parka.

Parkas

 Caterpillar Men’s Heavy Insulated Parka Alpine North Women’s Vegan Down Parka

 

Snow pants

Consider wearing warm pants … especially if you are in wet, cold weather.

 Arctix Men’s Snow Sports Cargo Pants Arctix Women’s Insulated Snow Pants

 

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Protect Body Extremities

Don’t forget to protect your:

• Hands and fingers
• Head, face and ears
• Neck and chin

Hands & Fingers

Gloves and mittens

Cold heads and hands are a quick path to an overall cold body.

Winter hiking gear MUST include items that keep your extremities covered and safeguarded from bitter temperatures.

Use mittens or gloves to protect your hands and fingers from the elements; just make sure they are waterproof.

 Carhartt Men’s Waterproof Insulated Gloves Women’s Insulated Waterproof Breathable Gloves Wicking Insert

 

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Head, Face & Ears

Hats and balaclavas

Wearing a winter hat with earflaps will prevent heat loss especially if you cover that with the hood of a coat. 

Many people don’t consider covering their face and neck but in more extreme temperatures, it is critical to cover as much skin as possible.

Use a face mask or balaclava to cover your face and neck.

 Carhartt Akron Hat Fleece Windproof Face Mask Balaclavas Hood

 

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Neck & Chin

Neck gaiters and scarves

Cover your neck and chin area from exposure to cold temperatures during daytime activities as well as overnight while you sleep.

Scarfs and neck gaiters are great pieces to add to your winter camping clothing wardrobe.

By the way, I have a slight confession … because I live in Phoenix and my body is used to 100+ degrees Fahrenheit temperatures in the summer months, I pull out my wintery camping clothes in the fall which happens to be the same time many visitors from back east show up in flip flops and shorts. LOL

 Neck Gaiter Face Cover Scarf Columbia Fast Trek Scarf

 

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Maintaining Traction In Slippery Conditions

Keeping yourself upright when in slippery conditions helps you to stay dry and therefore warmer. But, it is not always easy especially on winter hikes with snow- or ice-covered ground. Using a set of traction cleats over your boots can help.

Traction for your boots

Boot traction gear is available in the spike variety like these Traction Cleats With Spikes as well as the stud variety like these Easy Slip On Traction Cleats. 

 Unigear Traction Cleats Ice Snow Grips with 18 Spikes for Walking, Jogging, Climbing and Hiking WAYPOR Ice Grips, Traction Cleats, Ice Cleat, Easy Slip On, Outdoor Durable, 10 Steel Studs, Stretchable, Prevent Slipping From Ice/Snow, Extra Studs

 

Next-To-Body Warm Camping Gear

In addition to clothing, you can use winter camp gear to help you stay warm.

Adhesive body warmers

In addition to wearing the right winter camp clothes, warmer packets are convenient to warm up if your body heat drops, or the better option is to keep you warm when you’re in cold air.

They are adhesive and will quickly warm your hands, toes and body especially when you keep them inside your gloves, boots etc.

When you want a little dose of warmth, just open the outer package and expose the packet to air.

They use all-natural, non-combustible ingredients that are non-toxic and odorless.

If you typically just use them on one part of your body, get a pack of that type of warmer. But, my personal preference is to get the multi-packs. They’re nice because they contain 3 types including:

1. Hand warmers
2. Toe warmers
3. Body warmers

 HotHands Toe Warmers Peel N’ Stick Hand, Toe And Body Warmers

 

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Winter Clothes For Camping Dogs

If you are bringing your dogs on cold-weather trips, make sure they are prepared with warm waterproof shoes and coats.

 Waterproof Skid-Proof Dog Shoes Warm Polar Fleece Turtleneck Waterproof Winter Dog Coat

 

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More Tips For Winter Adventures

Get more information in each blog post for additional tips.

Drying Wet Winter Camping Gear

It is best to keep your gear dry … especially your inner and middle clothing layers. But, if you are unable to keep your equipment dry, you may need to use the heat from a campfire to dry your gear.

Wet gear brings moisture inside tents and RVs. Keeping wet items outside is one of our tips on how to keep moisture out of your RV in winter so you can prevent condensation, mold and mildew from forming inside your rig.

Have your camping fire starters ready to start a fire no matter how wet the conditions happen to be during your trip.

Winter Camping Gear For Tent Camping

Tent camping has particular challenges when it comes to cold weather camping.

• Use a sleeping pad along with a sleeping bag liner inside a sleeping bag that is made with a “high loft” fiber structure. The loft traps air creating a type of insulation. The combination will provide extra insulation from the cold ground.

Get all of our tips to learn how to stay warm in a tent no matter how extreme the cold temperatures get!

Also, learn how to heat a tent without electricity including using:

• A hot tent, 4-season tent or winter tent
• Portable heaters and canister stoves that provide a significant amount of heat
• Hot rocks in the bottom of a sleeping bag to warm cold feet
• A hot water bottle to pre-heat your winter sleeping bag
• Heated clay pots to slowly emit warmth throughout the night

Extreme Gear For Winter RV Camping

Motors, pipes and seals don’t do well in extreme freezing temperatures. These tips will make winter RV camping easy and enjoyable and keep your plumbing from freezing as well as keep your engine running … on demand.

If you’re boondocking or camped in a campground or RV park without an electrical hookup, you’ll need to know how to heat a camper without electricity. There are probably many more options than you think!

Food And Drinks For Winter Camping

A nice warm meal and hot drinks will help you stay toasty! Try my campfire hot cocoa and campfire Dutch oven chili recipe to start your cold weather menu. See all of our hearty winter camping recipes to create your meal plan!

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Experience Awesome Winter Destinations

Here’s our list of the best winter camping destinations in the USA!

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FREE Printable Trip Planner