Tips for winter caravanning and camping

Winter camping can be fantastic – roaring fires, stunning sunsets, no flies, and fewer crowds! But winter camping does pose challenges. Depending on where you are camping, temperatures can fall below freezing (or at least to single digits), making it miserable for the unprepared.

To help you fill your winter with safe, memorable adventures, here are some important tips for winter camping.

CHECK THE WEATHER

Its always a good idea to find out the weather conditions you will likely encounter while camping. The BOM Weather app or Bureau of  Meteorology web site bom.gov.au are great sources.

Remember also, weather can affect road conditions. There are state-based apps with road information or check with local authorities (such as Tourist Information Centres, Police).

Weather conditions that can make camping miserable include

• Strong winds – Towing a caravan in strong winds increases the chance of sway and overturning. If winds are presenting a challenge, play it safe and pull over into a rest area or park until the elements settle down. Strong winds may prevent you from putting up an awning or annexe without damage, and your caravan could be damaged by debris (including sticks, branches, rubbish etc).

• Heavy rain – Heavy rain in summer can make short trips outside difficult, but it is relatively easy to dry wet clothes, towels etc in warm weather. In winter this becomes more challenging as these wet items do not dry inside your caravan very well.

CLOTHES

Dressing in layers will allow you to regulate your body temperature both inside the caravan and car, and outside in the elements.

• Base layer – clothes like thermals sit against your skin. They should be made of synthetic materials or wool and include little to no cotton as cotton holds moisture and robs our bodies of valuable heat. Base layers come in different weights, to cope with different outdoor temperatures.

• Middle layer – an insulating layer that retains body heat, but also allows some circulation to prevent overheating. This could be a jumper or jacket made from synthetic and/or wool and pants that fit over the top of thermals.

• Outer layer – for outside! This is usually a jacket, parka or coat that offers protection from wind and moisture.

Other winter accessories include headwear (such as beanies), scarves, gloves, thick warm socks, and quality footwear.

FOOD

Winter camping is an opportune time to warm your body and soul with comfort food. Think leisurely cooked breakfasts and hearty dinners.

Some quick examples are:

• Breakfast – porridge, pancakes, bacon & eggs, waffles, French toast, omelette, breakfast burritos, doughnuts… not to mention hot chocolate, coffee or tea.

• Lunch – if not a travelling or exploring day, take the time to make a pot of soup, dhal or toasted sandwich/jaffle.

• Dinner – cold nights offer opportunity to take your time cooking (while potentially warming up you caravan by default at the same time)… consider casseroles, soups & stews, hearty pasta meals, pies, home made hot chips.

INSULATION

Caravans aren’t known for being well-insulated, but there are a few items that can help with your comfort when the temperature drops.

Buying a few rugs or mats to put on the floor of your caravan will provide an extra layer of insulation to stop the cold getting in and keeping your feet warmer. Don’t use anything with rubber backing as this may mark your flooring. We recommend bath mats, as they are light and easily washed/stored.

Heavy curtains also stop heat escaping from windows and trap cold drafts coming in the windows. Draft snakes at the base of the door also help stop cold draughts from sneaking in.

HEATING

If you are camping on a powered site, be aware that many caravan reverse-cycle air-conditioning units may not work if the temperature is too cold. Portable heaters (like column heaters) and electric blankets can add layers of warmth.

Parking in a sunny spot and drawing the curtains as soon as the sun goes is another way of adding warmth to your caravan.

Diesel heaters are a good choice for offgrid adventuring. They run on diesel fuel and use a combustion process to generate heat.

CONDENSATION

Condensation is an unfortunate part of caravanning. Any moisture in your caravan can turn to condensation if all your windows and doors are closed. This includes your breath, wet clothes/shoes, wet towels, cooking, showering, etc. During activities that generate a lot of moisture, like showering or cooking, use extractor fans or open windows to remove excessive moisture and try to wipe down any wet surfaces.

Some ways to address condensation include

• Run a heater overnight and during the coldest times of the day

• Leave a roof vent or window slightly open to allow air flow

• Place a few moisture absorbers around

PIPES

If you are headed to a destination where temperatures are often below freezing, you will want to prepare your water tanks and pipes. If possible, you can cover pipes with pool noodles or similar to provide insulation.

It is always recommended to disconnect water and empty your water hose each night before the temperature gets below freezing. Remember to fill up any water bottles, the kettle, or anything you might need first thing the next morning before the temperature rises enough to reconnect.

BEDTIME

Bed linen is a hot topic as everyone feels differently about what they like to sleep in.

If you have heating within your caravan and plan to run it all night, then a doona and warm sheets, along with normal winter pyjamas, is usually fine.

If you don’t have heating, sleeping bags with low temperature ratings can be a great investment. Sleeping bag liners also add approximately 5 degrees of warmth to sleeping bags – not to mention they are much easier to wash than sleeping bags!

Down sleeping bags are lightweight and very efficient at keeping you warm, however, if you caravan has a lot of condensation, they can get damp and lose effectiveness. A sleeping bag with synthetic insulation weighs more, but will continue to keep you warm if damp.

Evaluate the beds in your caravan. If the bunks just have a thin mattress with air or cupboards underneath, they you may need to add some insulation under the mattress to keep warm.

Taking a wheat pack (if camping with power) or an old-style hot water bottle to bed (especially at your feet) is a good way to stay warm from the start when getting into cold bedding.

FINALLY…

Pressure activated body warmers can be bought from most chemists and cheap shops and are a handy item to have for emergencies.

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