Last updated on February 18th, 2023 at 05:27 pm
Winter may not sound like prime camping season, but after bundling up you may just find that winter is the best camping season of all. If you’re not totally convinced, let’s go over 15 reasons to go winter camping so you can have the ultimate camping adventures year-round!
Winter camping has magic all its own. Campers will experience more privacy, fewer hygiene hassles, better sleep, and enjoy intimate moments under the stars.
1. Peace and Privacy
Firstly, fewer families are willing to embrace the colder weather involved in winter camping, which means more peace and privacy for you!
You don’t have to worry about noisy campers keeping you up all night long with their music blaring.
And, your daytime meals won’t be interrupted by rowdy games of frisbee or football.
Let’s not forget that winter camping also lets you sip your morning coffee in peace and read to your mind’s content in a serene snowy environment.
2. Safer for Campfires
You can rest assured, you are less likely to accidentally start the next big wildfire by building your campfire in the winter.
It’s safer to build campfires in the winter because the ground is typically covered in snow.
Furthermore, snow results in more moisture making it more difficult for trees to burn.
While it is going to be generally safer to build your campfire for those delicious smores during the winter, it’s important to practice fire safety habits all year round.
For instance:
- Always build fires away from overhanging tree branches, even in winter
- Properly extinguish fires before leaving camp
- Dig down or build a rock circle to protect your fire from wind, and reduce its potential to spread
3. Bug-Free Relaxation
Next is possibly the best perk. Everyone hates pesky mosquitos buzzing in your ear while you’re relaxing. Not to mention the clouds of gnats that you hike through in summer.
Luckily, winter camping eliminates the need to drown yourself in bug spray because many obnoxious bugs are nonexistent during the colder months.
Say hello to bug-free camping and wave goodbye to constantly waving bees away from meals!
Once you experience winter camping, you may even like it more than the peak season.
4. Snow is Better Than Rain
A lot of people anticipate that snow will be more annoying than rain, but this is not the case.
Even in the worst winter storms, you will not get near as saturated as you would during a heavy summer rain.
Furthermore, summer rain makes for a muddy campground which causes you to spend half of your trip trying to dry off. Not to mention the caked-on mud that campers will track everywhere.
Snow is less messy, less likely to saturate, and far more beautiful which makes your entire camping experience that much more enjoyable.
And, thick banks of snow can act as an insulator if you find yourself at a windy campsite.
5. Better Sleep
Additionally, if you’re not getting quality sleep, winter camping may be the perfect solution for you. Research indicates that you get deeper and more restful sleep when sleeping in colder temps.
Who doesn’t love the idea of waking up refreshed and ready to enjoy the snowy trails?!
And, when compared to sticky hot summer camping, the quality of sleep in a winter camp is noticeable.
However, with the winter season comes darkness. So, be prepared with one of the 5 Best Battery Operated Camping Lanterns.
6. Free Refrigeration
There’s nothing worse than your food and beverages going bad while camping. Or continually making ice runs to replace gallons of melted ice in the cooler.
Fortunately, you can ditch the ice and eliminate food spoilage with winter camping as mother nature provides the perfect refrigeration temperatures.
When temps are colder than 40°F, you can easily store meats, cheese, fruit, and beer without having to stress.
However, educate yourselves about local scavengers or predators. And, utilize bear bags, food lockers or your car to keep food safe.
We like to bring cold packs and keep some in the snow to rotate into the cooler. That way our cooler can stay in the car if needed.
7. Practice Your Survival Skills
In addition, if you’ve ever wanted a shot at feeling like a true survivalist, here’s your chance.
Camping in the cold is an excellent opportunity to put your survival skills to the test.
Winter camping grants you the opportunity to practice survival skills like:
- Building fires in the snow
- Melting snow for freshwater
- Designing warm shelters or a snow pit
- Finding and building an efficient camp
- Hunting or fishing for food
No matter which, if any, of these skills you flex, you have plenty of privacy to do them. Also, aside from a 4 season tent, it’s a great time to assess your tent stakes. So, check out our Best Tent Stakes for Rocky Soil post for the best options.
8. Great Deals on Gear
Furthermore, winter camping will keep you and your wallet happy because prices at camp retailers are much lower in the off-season. In fact, this is the best time of year to check out our favorites in our Best Portable Gas Fire Pit for Camping post.
Everything from tents to the latest version of jetboil stoves typically goes on sale during the winter months.
Fall or winter is a great time to try some gear that you wouldn’t normally buy.
For instance, we would be more inclined to cook food over a fire in summer. However, in winter, when dry wood is scarce, we’re more likely to try a camping stove.
And, we’ll get a good deal for it.
9. Intimate Moments
My personal favorite perk of winter camping is it’s an excellent excuse to share a sleeping bag with that special someone to stay warm.
You and your loved one can snuggle up without having to worry about noisy and nosy neighbors interrupting because winter camping means more privacy.
It’s no surprise that winter camping makes for some of the best bonding experiences for relationships.
10. Less Dirt and Showers
Additionally, cold temperatures during winter camping freeze the mud and you won’t sweat as much when out exploring.
As a result, you’ll be less dirty which means you can:
- Reuse your clothing for multiple days
- Not stress about figuring out how to bathe
With that being said, you may want to bring some compostable shower wipes for your partner’s sake if you plan on taking advantage of those intimate winter camping moments.
11. Practice for the Peak Season
You can think of winter camping as your dry practice run for peak camping season adventures.
For instance, winter camping lets you identify any potential problems with your gear or your camping skills with low stakes.
With all the kinks worked out, you’ll be less likely to experience detrimental pitfalls that could be devastating for the camping trips that matter most to you.
In fact, finding broken poles, snapped stakes or holes in your rainfly are better to find in winter than when the kids or the dog are in tow.
12. Better Stargazing
Not only is everything peaceful and quiet, but the stars seem brighter and more accessible.
Without the tree canopy, you get front-row access to the nighttime show. And since it gets dark earlier, you get to enjoy the stars sooner as you relax in the evening.
Winter stargazing totally trumps summer stargazing.
13. Easier to spot Wildlife
You won’t want to forget your binoculars when you go winter camping because, with less leaf coverage, wildlife is more exposed and easier to spot.
Plus, there are fewer people on the trails to scare wildlife away.
If you’re lucky, you may just spot animals that are rarely seen in summer. Moose, deer, owls, and, wolves are all active during the winter months.
14. Camp Wherever You Wish
With the camping demand being significantly less during the winter than in summer months, you don’t have to stick to designated camping areas.
This opens the door to exploring much more of your surroundings and becoming better acquainted with wildlife.
15. It Makes for a Great Story
Finally, next time you’re sitting around the dinner table with friends, you’ll be sure to have a story about ‘that one time I went camping in the snow.’
All of the strange winter hardships or encounters always get funnier and more exciting to reminisce about.
Your friends will probably tell you that you’re insane, but you’ll know that winter camping was totally worth it for that one-of-a-kind camping experience.
Unpack Your Camping Gear and Explore
Camping isn’t an activity that has to be reserved for the warmer months. Not only can you sharpen your outdoor skills, but you will also enjoy nature from a whole new perspective.
Campers are a tough and rugged crowd, and if you’re like us, you’re chomping at the bit to get camping come February. Luckily, there are plenty of reasons to set out into the frozen forest for some family fun in the off-season. Grab a nice fleece jacket and a winter-rated sleeping bag and enjoy!
About the Author
Sarah Sampsell
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