With less than 6 months before Jake Anderson, Sarah Hatton and myself host a double header in Patagonia I’ve been reminiscing about this years incredible trip. Here is another panoramic image from Lake Pehoe Patagonia. We still have a few spots available on the second adventure, check out the details here. PATAGONIA TOURS Keeping warm and dry in Winter. I’m a cold sleeper which means I suffer when sleeping on the snow in the backcountry, meaning I have had to come up with little tricks to keep warm. Here’s a selection you might find handy! Hot Water Bottle. During dinner, boil up some snow with a little bit of water and fill your water bottle with the hot water, not only does it keep you warm at night but you have fresh drinking water for the trails the next day. Cold Spots. Try sticking a hand warmer on the hip, knee or shoulder before tucking up for the night, it’s those cold spots that will keep you up all night. Pace Yourself. Minimising how much you sweat in cold temperatures is critical to keeping warm, because wet clothing conducts heat away from your body. Try to set a pace that keeps you warm without causing you to overheat and sweat heavily. If sweating is unavoidable because you don’t want to go too slow on, say, a long, strenuous ascent, then as you near the top, slow to a pace at which you stop sweating but still generate enough body heat to dry your base layers. (When camping in winter, I do that 20 to 30 minutes before stopping to camp.) Eat More. Your body needs more fuel in freezing temperatures to keep your internal furnace burning. Eat high-fat snacks like chocolate and nuts, because fat is a slow-burning fuel that keeps your body going for the long haul, which becomes even more important in the cold. Good Morning. One of the hardest things to do when tucked up and cozy in your sleeping bag is getting up in the morning for that epic light around sunrise. I find putting a piece of clothing on every 15 minutes before getting out of the bag not only gets the blood circulating but will warm the cloths before setting off into the cold. Keeping Dry. Many times I’ve been hiking to a location or campsite and the heavens open and my clothes are soaked. Once you stop moving your core body temperature is going to drop rapidly, set up camp, strip off and get into your sleeping bag, during the night take in a piece of clothing and the heat from you body with dry it out. Sit On Your Camera Bag. While this may sound ludicrous to some, the ground, rocks, logs, and all other natural objects are frozen in winter and will suck the cold from your body via thermal conduction when you make contact with them. Instead, lay your camera bag on the cold ground and sit on it. Make sure your gear is all tucked away neatly before impact, to avoid any undesirable damage.
Land of the Living Wind
