Winter Camping At Home -- Say What?

In most of the colder parts of the country, winter means storing our RVs and camping gear and holing up in front of  a cozy fireplace until the warm weather returns.  Those in the sunbelt can continue to enjoy outdoor pursuits.  When we lived in southern California even New Years Day was an opportunity for RVing and dirt biking in the Mojave Desert.  Not likely that is going to happen here in Utah!  So why the heck would anyone what to do any winter camping at home?

One big advantage to winter camping at home is you don't have far to go to recover if anything goes wrong.  Just as we've often suggested driveway or backyard "outings" as a way to develop your skills and get used to your equipment, you can use them for winter preparations as well.  If you should run into trouble, like say running out of propane, you can just go back inside to keep warm whereas, if you had a problem in a remote location you might not have any convenient way of handling the issue(s) and may experience a considerable amount of discomfort  -- or even get sick or die -- before you could recover.  Winter camping at home is a good way to make sure you are prepared before you try any remote winter camping.

If you have an RV you store at home during the winter you might consider spending a night or two in it just for fun, to maintain your familiarity with systems and supplies, and to keep your equipment in peak operating condition.  We did that in our truck camper when the onset of winter sneaked up on us before we could take it out for a shakedown cruise.  If you're in freezing weather you won't want to use any of the water or sewer systems, but you can still test out the furnace and determine if the bedding is adequate for cold nights.  And you could cook and eat in the RV.  Just be sure to take all the dishes back into the house to wash them.  Using your RV systems periodically while in storage is actually good for them.  Run the generator for an hour so two.  Disuse is one of the hardest things on equipment.

Our motorhome and camper have both served as extra guest rooms when we've had family visiting at Christmas on a number of occasions.  We had to educate our guests that there was no water and to not use the toilet, but otherwise they were quite warm and comfortable and enjoyed more privacy than they might have had crammed inside the house with other guests.  The grandkids especially liked staying in an RV.  If you live in the sunbelt where winterization isn't necessary, using the RV is even more convenient since they can use the water based systems.  You may be able to use the water based systems if your RVs are properly prepared for it and you exercise proper procedures.  You may need holding tank heaters to keep fresh and waste water tanks and lines from freezing.

Winter opportunities for tent campers are more limited but still possible.  You may have to set up your tent in the snow, but even that can be surprisingly comfortable if you are prepared for it.  If that doesn't appeal to you and your family you might resort to setting up your tent in the garage or an outbuilding.  I've noticed that the temperature inside my garage is typically in the mid 40s even when the outside temperature is in the teens.  I've read that even just having a roof over your head can raise the temperature 20°F, which is often enough to prevent freezing of RV water lines etc.  A barn, shed, or greenhouse could also provide a temperate location for setting up a winter tent.  One of our kids and her family set up a tent in our barn during a Christmas visit in Utah a few years ago.

I've even seen folks set up dome tents in their family rooms and living rooms for the kids for a fun night or two and there is no reason that couldn't be done by kids of ALL ages.  You'll need a self standing tent, not one that needs stakes and guy ropes.  If don't have a self-standing tent you might get by setting up a 2x4 frame around your tent to fasten loops and guy lines to since you can't drive stakes into your floor.

Practicing your winter camping skills could turn out be more than just a fun diversion.  If you should experience a long term power outage during the winter, being able to  move into your RV or set up your tent in your living room might be your best way to survive.  The threat of long term power outages grows stronger every day.  Not only are we now facing possible outages from a strong EMP from solar activity, the terrorist organization ISIS is reportedly actively planning ways to disable the US power grid.  Many people aren't aware of just how vulnerable the power grid is nor how long it would take to replace damaged transformers and restore power.  It would likely be years!  Recent estimates I've read say that disabling as few as 9 key substations would disable the entire US power grid for a year and a half.

Practicing your campfire skills can also be fun in winter.   Gathering around a blazing fire is a good way to ward off the chill of winter activities.  Just having a campfire in your snowy backyard can be fun.  Campfires may also become critical for cooking and hygiene during an extended emergency so it is good practice to try it out before you need it in an emergency.

Be cool and keep warm!