Winter camping can be challenging for beginners particularly when you don’t know what you should do and don’t do. When you are out in nature, one of the tough choices you encounter is to keep water from freezing in the near or close-to-zero temperature. How to keep water from freezing while camping? Read on to discover more!
You may assume that handling the cold is all about maintaining your body warm, yet that is certainly not it. What could be worse than waking up dehydrated in the middle of the night to get water and uncovering a popsicle rather? Or return to your DIY canvas tent after a long day of the hike and see that all your water bottles turned into ice. That surely doesn’t sound good at all!
Yet, how do keep water from freezing during outdoor ventures in winter? The best form to hold water from freezing during winter is to separate the water from exterior temperature by employing warm layers and coverings. One more form is to count additives like salt or a tiny bit of alcohol to reduce the freezing threshold. Using thermos flasks or a CamelBak can likewise be very useful!
To keep water from freezing while camping you can do a few things. For instance, keep your water bottle in a tent, bury it in the ground or cover it with snow.
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Issues You Face With Water
There are several issues that one may face with the water they carry during winter camping or hiking trips due to the effect of overly freezing temperature. Some of the most typical troubles are as follows:
- The water inside your bottle entirely freezes. This is the words case scenario.
- The water may get the cap yarn or opening of the bottle and freeze it totally making it too tricky or unattainable to open.
- The water will become too cold to ingest as if it is puncturing your throat while drinking.
- You can get easily dehydrated as you won’t drink enough water, significantly more while hiking.
Keep Water from Freezing
If you’re preparing to go camping in the winter, try to observe the following to stop the water you’ll be bringing from freezing at very low temperatures.
#1 Boil Water During Dinner
One of the most typical worries of seeing the water you fetched frozen is in the morning after you wake up. As the temperature lowers at night, the water ultimately gets frozen as the night goes on.
Hence, a useful option to keep your water from freezing during the night is boiling it or warming it up during dinner so that it doesn’t freeze entirely in severe temperatures. What’s more, make certain you don’t boil all the water bottles you’re bringing. Save a few in case you get thirsty before going to bed. Also, be cautious, don’t consume boiling water before it chills down. You will boil your tongue.
#2 Keep the Water in Your Tent
This is a must whether you want your water to be protected. Evade maintaining the water bottles outdoors as much as feasible. No matter if you sit with your camping buddies right beside your tent to pass some time and appreciate the cold weather. Try not to take your water bottle with you. Maintain them inside the tent and have water from the tent each time you feel dehydrated. This is the unwritten rule!
#3 Keep the Bottle in Your Sleeping Bag
One of the soundest views on how to keep your water from freezing at night is putting it in your sleeping bag close to your body. You should definitely consider this matter. Why do you utilize your sleeping bag? To maintain your body warm and protected at night, right?
Therefore, if you hold the water bottle inside your sleeping bag it will maintain warmth and protection as well. What’s more, your bodily heat will additionally maintain the water bottle warmer.
#4 Employ Bottles With Wider Mouth
Bottles with more expansive mouths withstand the water in the top of the bottle freeze. A bottle with a more limited mouth freezes fast. What’s more, it likewise maintains the water lines from freezing for which you can continually drink water without the nervousness of having water frozen.
In addition to that, it is more manageable to refill the water bottles with a more expansive mouth with boiling water sooner than the ones with more limited mouths which has the possibility to induce accidents whether you try to load them perhaps without a funnel.
Tip: To avoid snakes crawling in your sleeping bag when camping, make sure you take precautions!
#5 Bury the Bottle of Water
Were you aware of the fact that snow is an adequate insulator? Truth be told, it is. What’s more, burying your water bottle in the ground is a significant opportunity. If you believe the snow will freeze the water bottle, that’s not valid. It will instead hold it safe and sound.
Nevertheless, it is more suitable to bury the additional water bottles that you require to maintain for the camping and won’t be drinking instantly. This goes without saying!
We know that digging into the ground each time you require to drink water isn’t really fortunate. Likewise, please recognize to mark the spots you bury the water bottles. Don’t lose the track of them. It is even sounder to bury them on an open floor in the tent. It will hold them more protected, and they will be effortless to track later on.
#6 Wrap It With Snow
Does burying the water bottle appears like a bother? In that case, another easier alternative to it can be wrapping it with snow and holding it inside the tent. This will benefit you too. You may worry about what occurs if the snow melts away. Still, whether the temperature is water-freezing, why would the snow actually melt?
How to Keep Water From Freezing While Hiking?
There are many forms of keeping your water from freezing while camping in winter. Yet, in the case of hiking, there are just a few strategies. This is because you will be in a steady motion instead of being stagnant in one place. Below are the best tips and tricks to maintain your water from freezing during winter hiking.
#1 Heat up the Water Before Leaving
You may not require to boil it, but it is sounder to heat up the water at least enough to be drinkable before setting off. Hence, it will last longer without freezing. Moreover, you can also boil some water for later use. Yet, just make sure you don’t drink the boiled water mistakenly before it gets cooler and burns your tongue.
#2 Keep the Bottle in the Backpack
You may want to hold the water bottle hanging away from the backpack or the flank pocket of the pack. It makes it readily available while hiking, yet that’s not a smart choice in winter. That will cause the water bottle to freeze readily and fast. Hence, it is better to maintain it inside the sack instead of outside.
Tip: Are you familiar with all the camping essentials? If not, make sure to know it before your trip!
#3 Carry the Bottle or Close to Your Body
Holding the water bottle or bladder relatively close to your body is invariably a sound option. Both in the case of winter camping and hiking. We know that the water accumulates your body heat and stays protected. A clever vision for it can be holding the water bottle or bladder in the inward sack of your winter jacket.
#4 Turn the Water Bottle Lid Side Down
This may sound bizarre at first, yet if you think a bit more you will discover that if you hold the water bottle’s cap side down, then the water in the bottle acquires less openness to the chilly air. The upper piece of the water bottle will stay more heated. Nevertheless, make certain the top is sealed tightly so you don’t spill the water and destroy your other hiking essentials, per se. Be aware of this!
What You Must Do to Keep Water Warmer
The two things noted beneath are something both winter campers and hikers should surely maintain with them to hold the water they’re taking with themselves protected. Let’s dive into more!
- Employ protected bottle: Insulated water bottles are the leading pick of most skilled hikers and campers. These are quite sound and useful for both summer and winter camping. They have better protection of the liquid inside against the outer conditions. Therefore, it is a must for winter camping and hiking.
- Employ bottle insulators: Bottle insulators are an additional shell over the water bottle that is invented to save bottled water and protect it. They consist of various materials that bear good insulation. Accordingly, even if you’re using an insulated bottle. To shield your water from severe temperatures, it is more reasonable to employ bottle insulators as well. This goes without saying!
