Camping is one of summer’s greatest activities for families to partake in. While summer is the best time to camp due to the warm weather, it doesn’t have to end when the weather starts to turn cold. Winter camping is possible and can be quite enjoyable, if done right. Here are a few winter camping tips to help you not only survive your first winter camping trip, but also enjoy it.

Pack the snow
It is crucial that you pack the snow as you start to set up camp. Walk around where you’d like to set your camp and as you walk hard, stomp the snow to pack it down. If you do not do this simple winter camping tip, you run the risk of stepping on a soft spot in the snow through your tent and ripping a hole in the tent.

Pack extra clothes
This winter camping tip may seem a little obvious, but having extra clothes, hats, and gloves to keep you warm will save in the long run. Pack extra socks so your feet stay dry at all times, and extra shirts and even leggings so you can layer your clothes to stay warm.

Learn to pee into a bottle
One of the best winter camping tips we can give is to learn how, and embrace the idea, of peeing into a bottle. When it’s colder out, your body tends to pee more, and undressing and getting out of your warm sleeping bag to pee in the night is not fun, so properly label a bottle that can be designated as your pee bottle so you don’t have to go outside as often. Just make sure it’s properly labeled as color can’t always be trusted to differentiate between that and your drinking bottle.

Use a sleeping pad
Your body looses a lot of heat while you’re sleeping and especially through the cold ground. Having two layers underneath you to the one on top of you will help keep you warmer at night, which is a lifesaving winter camping tip. Be sure to pack a proper sleeping pad, one that has an R value of four or more, and if you have one, throw a closed-cell foam pad underneath. You can also pack clothes underneath you for extra warmth.

Sleep by candlelight
Sleeping under the stars is great in the summer, but in the winter, sleeping by candlelight becomes crucial. Having a candle burning lantern hanging in your tent will help to not only warm up your tent, but also reduce condensation on the inside of the tent. Be sure to hang it far enough away from you and the tent walls to reduce fire risk.

Camping in the summer is always a family favorite, but camping in the winter is not for the faint hearted, so be sure to take the proper steps to ensure a safe and enjoyable winter camping trip.