It's Almost March -- Still Bored With Winter?

Its late February.  Although much of North America is still experiencing snowy winter weather, some parts of the continent are showing signs of spring:  snow melting, trees starting to bud, some brave grass trying to turn green, a few robins showing up in the yard.

But even as the weather starts to warm, most climates in North America, February and March still isn't camping weather.  You won't want to dewinterize your RVs until all danger of freezing temperatures is past.  So what do you do if you've got the camping bug?  One option is to explore the possibilities of winter camping, but not everyone is up for being out in the cold and not RVs can be made winter friendly.  A friend of mine recently said the difference between camping in winter and camping in summer is that in winter you will be cold and wet -- and that if you prepare for that, winter camping is OK.  No one likes to be cold and wet so why would you CHOOSE an activity where you will be cold and wet?  It is not my intent to offend skiers and snowboarders, who routinely brave severe winter weather and are able to handle it well, but most campers will usually avoid nasty weather if they can.  However, if you have a proper shelter and dress appropriately, winter camping can be enjoyable.  So what constitutes proper shelter?  An RV with a furnace will obviously be warmer than a tent but even snow camping in a tent can be made fairly comfortable.  I've been snow camping in a tent on an 8' snow base in temperatures down into the low 20s F and have slept warm.  We started out with a heavy ground cloth underneath the tent, then put a second one inside.  I unzipped a couple of extra sleeping bags and laid one down on top of our sleeping pads, then used the second one like a quilt over the top of both our personal sleeping bags.  We stayed toasty warm all night.  Dressing appropriately in layers will keep you comfortable for daytime activities. Guard against over exertion and working up a sweat, because then you will get really cold.  My boys and I were once caught in a winter storm during a dirt bike ride.  It started off with drizzle that turned to rain, then sleet, then snow.  No doubt a raging campfire would have been a welcome sight when we got back to camp but being able to dash into a comfortable warm RV and trade our wet and frozen clothes for warm dry ones was heavenly!  A tent might have done the job, if it survived the storm.  I had a 10x14 tent I had set up as a garage for the dirt bikes but when we got back to camp it had blown flat in the storm and was holding several inches of cold rain water.  I was sure glad I didn't have to rescue the tent before we had shelter.

What to do if you just aren't in to winter camping or don't have the right equipment and clothing for it?  Not everyone is ready to brave severe weather when we can cozy up in front of the fire at home.  There are still lots of camping related things you can do.  For one thing, it is an excellent time to inspect your gear and clothing and make any necessary repairs.  If you have an RV, you can take your time going through cabinets, cupboards, closets, and drawers, sorting out the non-essentials and organizing the good stuff for your next season. If its cold you can warm things up with the furnace or bring in an electric heater to take the chill off.  Make a list of items that need to be repaired, replaced, or updated.  Pay special attention to items that might have an expiration date or may have deteriorated in storage. Spray lubricants and spray cleaners seem to be especially susceptible to failure when left alone for too long.   Test spray them to make sure they still work.  You may have to toss them out even if they still feel full if they won't spray anymore.  Sometimes the problem is in the spray nozzle and can be cleaned but often it is deeper with in the can where there is nothing you can do about it.  Research new destinations.  Talk to friends and other campers about their favorite spots and activities and look them up on the Internet for even more details.  Gather photos from last year's camping trips and organize them into a scrapbook that records your adventures to share with family and friends.  Be sure to jot down what you remember about each photo -- who is in it, where it was taken, when it was taken, and any interesting or amusing anecdotes.  Today's digital photography and electronic albums make organizing and preserving photos a snap.  Think back over last year's outings.  Which ones went well?  Which ones not so well?  What made the difference?  What do you need to do to make next year's outings even more successful?  Go over your checklists and update them as necessary.  You may find things you no longer need to do because your situation has changed (different vehicles or equipment, changes in family size, changes in planned activities and destinations).  You may also remember things you need to add to your checklist to ensure better experiences on each trip. While you're at it, go through each checklist and make sure everything is ready for the upcoming season.  By discovering items that need attention now you will have plenty of time to take care of them before your next trip.  And you will probably find that working on your camping stuff is kind of fun and helps satisfy those camping urges you are feeling.  I find it quite fun going through and organizing my stuff, knowing how easy it will be to find and use things when I need them next season.  Sometimes I come across things that have been buried in the bottom of a drawer or the back of a cabinet long enough that I've kind of forgotten they were even there.  Of course, these are prime candidates to be left out to lighten the load, but sometimes refreshing our memory of what we have will encourage us to take advantage of our resources more fully next year and add fun to many an outing.  It was surprising how much pleasure we got out of rediscovering and then using even some simple kitchen gadgets that had been squirreled away for too long.  More than once we've come across something and thought "Gee, I wish I had remembered I had that last summer!"  We originally acquired most of those arcane items for a good reason but they're of little value if you don't remember you have them or can't find them when you need them.  It is pretty easy to forget new things since you're not in the habit of using them.

If you have an RV that has been winterized, you might start working on preparing it for the new season.  You probably won't want to de-winterize the water systems just yet, but you can start on some of the other tasks.  Wait until all danger of freezing has past before restoring the water systems.   You can begin inspection of lights, tires, caulking, and appliances about any time.  You'll probably want to wait until the weather warms up a bit to give a good wash and polish.  Waxing and polishing a motorhome or trailer is a big job, but well worth the effort.  Your rig will look better and you will protect the surfaces to preserve paint and decals.  A good wax will make it easier to remove bugs and will minimize black streaks from runoff from roofs and awnings etc.  Now is also a good time to install new equipment or make any needed or wanted renovations and repairs.

In many places February is still too cold to work on or in your RV, but by March things are usually getting mild enough to start thinking of getting things ready. You can usually fire up the furnace or plug in an electric heater to warm it up enough inside for interior projects, but you'll want to wait for a warm, sunny day to wash and wax, even though you have to keep it in the shade to avoid streaking.  If you wait much longer than March, you're likely to keep postponing preparations until it is time for your first trip and then you'll rush through so you can hit the road.  Rushing usually results in things being skipped or missed or you end up with a lot of repairs to do or provisions to buy all at once.  Get started early so you can take your time and do it right!  Waiting until the last minute also results in lots to do and often means having to shell out a bunch of hard earned cash all at once for a bunch of repairs and/or provisions.  Getting an early start lets you spread out the load, both labor and out of pocket costs and gets the work out of the way before its time to go camping.

Arm chair camping.  You may be able to relive some of your favorite camping experiences from the comfort of you favorite chair.    Pull that chair up to a sizzling fire in the fireplace and pretend you're at your favorite campground.  Toast some S'mores over a fire in the fireplace or a BBQ on the patio or back porch for additional ambiance and flavor.  Have a favorite camping dinner?  Why not whip it up at home and "camp out" in the living room or family room and enjoy?

If the weather still prevents you from going tent camping you might set up your dome tent in your garage.  You will get a chance to renew your knowledge of how to set it up and a chance to check for any damage that needs to be repaired.  Sleeping on the concrete floor might not be the most comfortable place you've ever slept, but at least it will be flat and level.   And being in the garage you'll be free from wind and precipitation.

Make plans for the upcoming season.  Review the places you've been and would like to revisit.  Consider and research some new destinations.  If you don't already have a list of potential locations, talk to fellow campers and/or do some research on the Internet to find some tantalizing new sites.  Don't know where to start?  Try your local county, state, and federal parks.  Do you have an interest in a particular activity or bit of history or geology?  I'll bet you'll find more places listed on the Internet than you can possible visit.  You might find it interesting to research some of the places you've already been to find out more about the human and natural history of the area.  You can often learn the hidden history of landmarks you are used to seeing or learn of new micro-side trips to explore during your next visit.  I learned that the old rail road water tower that was a traditional landmark for many of our OHV rides marked the site of long gone little community that once serviced the famous 20 Mule Teams hauling borax out of death valley and that not far away, near some of our regular riding trails was a monument marking the site of an X-15 crash early in the US space program.  Nothing of the air/space craft remains, but an enterprising Eagle scout erected a small monument on the site.  Another popular destination, the unusual and spectacular spires of the Trona Pinnacles have been used in many movies and were even part of the training program for the lunar landings.  One popular riding area we go to in Utah straddles the old Pony Express route and isn't far from Camp Floyd, a 19th century Army post that once housed about 1/3 of the U.S. Army prior to the Civil War.  The camp was commanded by General Albert Sidney Johnson, who went on to be a prominent Confederate General when the Civil War began.  Researching things like that add value to your next outing.

Make the most of March!