Want to try winter camping? Here’s the must-have gear and knowledge to make it a great experience

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Outdoor users in Minnesota may know Blane Klemek as the northwest region wildlife manager with the state’s Department of Natural Resources.

That job with an emphasis on wildlife and the outdoors certainly fits with how Klemek lives his life. He’s a passionate adventurer focused on fishing, hunting, and camping.

This past summer, Klemek did a solo, 10-day backpacking and camping trip through the wilderness of Isle Royale National Park on Lake Superior. He’s gone on Alaskan canoe adventures of more than 100 miles. For 25 years he has gone on winter camping trips, usually with about five other friends in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness of northern Minnesota.

“Sometimes it can be an absolute challenge with cold temperatures and snowfall,” Klemek said. “But with experienced people, many hands make light work. We all pitch in, we all know what to do, and to do it with a group of people who enjoy it as much as you do, it really turns out to be a very comfortable trip by and large.”

The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness’s unspoiled interconnected lakes, rivers and forests draw upwards of 200,000 visitors annually, but the vast majority of those visitors come during warmer months.

“What strikes me about it is that it’s even more peaceful in the winter,” Klemek said. “You see few people. There are a handful of day-trippers that will go in and fish for lake trout, but very few do what we do.”

Klemek and his crew target lake trout through the ice with a simple approach – tip-ups, a plain hook and a minnow on lakes where live bait is allowed.

“They’re cruising the shorelines, but we catch them anywhere from five feet to as deep as 30 feet,” Klemek said. “So zero to 30 feet along the shores, adjacent to points, submerged islands.”

Whether you want to add fishing or hunting to the equation or simply enjoy nature at a time when it can be at the pinnacle of its beauty, today’s quality gear makes winter camping safely and comfortably easier to accomplish.

And Klemek says the gear one needs is not markedly different from what many outdoor users already employ.

Here’s what to know if you embark on such an adventure when the snow falls.

GOING IN AND OUT

How one chooses to hike into any winter camping location depends on certain conditions. How deep is the snow? Is it hard-packed or light and fluffy?

“Definitely hard-packed snow is easier for walking, skiing, and snowshoeing,” Klemek said. “But that isn’t really a luxury we get to have, on the portages especially. Once we go through one time, there’s the trip back and the trail we’ve made going in becomes hard packed.”

Klemek prefers snowshoes, but he also has used cross-country skis.

“There have been years when snowfall wasn’t the best, so ice cleats on our boots was the way to go,” he said. “Typically it’s snowshoes and skis.”

Klemek and others in his group bring in pulks, which are small sleds they use to hall their gear.

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SMART GEAR CHOICES

When asked what someone absolutely needs to know if they want an enjoyable and safe experience while camping in the winter, Klemek’s mind immediately goes to making smart gear choices.

“Good boots and especially a very warm sleeping bag and sleeping pad,” he said. “I’ve invested over $200 just on the Therm-A-Rest sleeping pad that I have that’s designed for cold weather, so it’s nice and insulated. The tent is sitting on top of snowpack. You can imagine lying on that, a person could obviously get cold fairly quickly.”

Klemek uses a four-season tent built to withstand harsher conditions. He loves a down sleeping bag, which features a great warmth-to-weight ratio. An extensive guide to winter camping from REI says it’s best to use a sleeping bag that is rated at least 10 degrees lower than the coldest temperature one expects to encounter.

“A lot of the guys will bring regular winter pack boots with them,” Klemek said of his boot choice. “They don’t wear them in necessarily. If they’re skiing they’ll have their ski boots on and then put their winter boots on at camp. What I wear is my regular hunting boots because a lot of times I’m snowshoeing. Plus, another pair just in case, like pac boots.”

Layering up for the day, starting with moisture-wicking base layers, is critical when it comes to clothing.

“There are so many good choices for clothing these days,” Klemek said. “I’ve got a full complement of Sitka Gear that I use for all my hunting. I use it for these trips, as well. Good, strong base layers, clothes with wind protection and, in some cases, even rain gear.

Wet snow can penetrate clothing fairly quickly, so having something that’s water resistant is always a good idea.”

Avoid cotton clothing, especially as a base layer. As a general rule, wool is a good choice. Klemek makes sure to have dry merino wool socks to change into once he gets to camp.

“You sweat up,” he said of the hike in. “By the time you get to where you set up camp, you need to get out of those wet clothes and into something dry.”

Be mindful of the weight you are bringing in, but understand the necessities.

“There are certain items you just need,” he said. “We need to bring in an ice auger. We bring in lawn chairs, believe it or not. It’s nice to have something nice to sit on, but there’s only so much room on those pulks. It’s the minimum that you need to stay warm, comfortable and dry.”

PICKING A CAMPSITE

Picking the right campsite is the start of making this experience enjoyable.

“What’s important for us is finding a secluded bay if the conditions are there for fishing as well – the right depth, right structure, those sorts of things,” Klemek said. “We look at maps, but we also like having a south-facing bay or shore and try to avoid those exposed points.”

South-facing locations offer more sunlight throughout the day. Find areas that keep you protected from the wind, but do not set up next to structures such as dead trees that could be a safety hazard if a storm blows in.

“The wind is what can really bite, literally almost, if you’re exposed to it,” Klemek said. “We bring tarps in those cases where winds come across the lake and affect us. We’ll set up tarps where we’ll wall off an area and not only have a roof but some walls to block the winds.”

Many campers set up camp sites on lake ice or in openings within the forest. Be sure to know the regulations specific to the wilderness area you are camping in as it relates to things such as cutting wood, bringing in bait if you’re fishing, making fires, etc.

FOOD, FIRE AND WATER

Winter camping trips are a good time to feel guilt-free about eating a high-calorie diet.

“The menu is definitely high caloric and high energy,” Klemek said.

Ideally, any fish caught while on the trip will appear on the menu. But one has to be prepared for a slow bite.

Klemek’s crew divvies up what they bring to share. Staples include burgers, casserole dishes, venison chops, eggs, freeze-dried meals, energy bars, and trail mix.

Winter conditions almost always offer up a freezer and fridge to work with.

“The snow becomes our refrigerators,” Klemek said. “The winter is a freezer, but we don’t want our eggs, things like that, to freeze. We use the insulating qualities of the snow to keep some items from freezing. Snow comes in handy for things like that.”

Boiling down snow, or setting up camp close to a spring-fed stream that hasn’t frozen are options as water sources. Klemek has always been on a lake and uses an auger to drill one hole for water that is specifically for the group’s drinking and cooking needs.

“Somebody always brings the water purifier,” he said. “We filter our water into an ice bucket and that bucket is then taken to the campsite.”

They rely on daily campfires for warmth and cooking. Portable camp stoves like a Jetboil work well, but anyone who hunts, fishes or camps in the backcountry knows those meals cooked over an open fire at the end of a day just hit differently.

“We’ve said that many times sitting around the campfire together – ‘Best fish we’ve ever eaten,’” Klemek said with a laugh. “It does truly taste good. A lot of times one of my jobs is to bring venison chops. I’ll prepare the chops at home, marinade them and vacuum seal them and then bring that with. Those chops over an open fire, that is very good.”

FINAL THOUGHTS

If this all sounds a little challenging – maybe even a bit daunting – well, it could be. That’s also what makes the experience so rewarding.

Klemek’s suggestion for those who want to try winter camping for the first time? Take your time and ease into it.

“Do a day trip and get a sense of what it might be like,” Klemek said. “Build yourself a fire and do some of those things you would regularly do on a summer time, spring time, fall time camping trip … or better yet, go with someone who has done it before.”

Blane Klemek’s gotta-have gear for winter camping

1. Quality, lightweight, single or two-person, four-season tent and tarp
2. High quality, cold weather, goose-down sleeping bag and sleeping bag liner (There are many contemporary goose-down sleeping bags on the market. Klemek’s liner is a Therm-a-Rest)
3. High R-value, cold weather sleeping pad (Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm NXT MAX sleeping pad)
4. Quality clothing and footwear (base layers, fleece, waterproof outer layers, merino wool socks, quality winter boots, warm hat/cap, and gloves/mittens)
5. Reliable camp stove for cooking/boiling water if open fires are not possible (Jetboil cooking system)

Honorable mentions:

1. First-aid kit and sunscreen
2. A good pulk (either homemade from a plastic toboggan or manufactured pulk)
3. Quality lightweight snowshoes and/or cross-country skis, ski boots, and poles
4. Quality headlamp and extra batteries
5. Reliable communications and charging devices
6. Bow saw, small ax
7. Portable shovel
8. A camp chair and thermal seat cushion