4 TIPS FOR STAYING WARM WHEN CAMPING IN COLD WEATHER
Many factors attract residents to our senior living center in Denver, Colorado, but one factor is the most cited. Our residents love having easy access to some of the most popular types of outdoor recreational activities. At the top of the list is camping, which is a recreational activity that appeals to outdoor enthusiasts of all ages. Although camping is one of the most popular types of outdoor recreational activities, you have to prepare for different weather elements. This is especially true for dealing with the sudden weather changes that transpire in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.
If you decide to camp during winter or even other times of the year when a blast of cold air passes through the Rocky Mountains, you should prepare for the frosty weather conditions by following four effective tips.
Dress in Layers
Dressing in layers is an effective strategy for assuming complete control over the regulation of your body temperature. On a cold winter day while camping near our assisted living facility in Denver, a standard layered approach to preparing for cold weather is to start with a base layer such as a t-shirt, and then add a flannel shirt, sweater, and finally, an insulated shell jacket. Dressing in layers allows you to shed one or more layers if the weather starts to heat up as the day progresses.
Change Wet Clothes for Dry Apparel
If you get drenched by a sudden mountain rainstorm or feel perspiration running across your body, immediately changing clothes helps regulate your body temperature. Even if you wear what marketers call “100 moisture resistant” apparel, make changing into dry clothes the first item on your to-do list when you set up camp for the night. Leaving damp clothes on for too long can lead to the onset of the dangerous symptoms that define hypothermia. Plus, it makes you feel uncomfortable.
Sleep on Two Pads
Camping often invokes the saying “Two are better than one.” When it comes to your tent, two sleeping pads are better than one sleeping pad. Two sleeping pads double the insulation and generate much more warmth for the body to enjoy a good night’s rest. A sleeping pad’s warmth is measured by an R-value, which means the higher the R-value, the better. One option is to sleep on a winter-grade sleeping pad with reflective fabric that sits on top of a closed-cell foam pad that also has a reflective surface.
Keep the Calories
Your body acts as the last barrier of defense to prevent cold weather from making a camping trip uncomfortable at best and dangerous at worst. To replenish the calories lost to rigorous physical exertion, you need to eat foods that generate at least the amount of calories burned. You keep your internal furnace cranked up throughout the day by consuming high-calorie meals at least three times, with snacking high-carbohydrate foods mixed in between meals. Make sure you also stay thoroughly hydrated by drinking plenty of water throughout the day.
Enjoy Camping at Our Assisted Living Center in Denver
MorningStar at Observatory Park organizes monthly activities calendars that include outdoor recreational events such as camping. Wearing heated boots, gloves, and hand warmers can punctuate the strategy that you follow for staying warm when camping in cold weather. Discover why our senior living facility in Denver is a great new home for residents who love outdoor recreational activities by scheduling a tour of our facility.