11 degrees in the morning. 🥶

The temperature wasn’t bad but the wind and blowing snow was cold when I finally got out around 9 am. My skin got so dried out cooking breakfast and taking down camp, it feels like a sun burn from the wind. With so much wind even the propane heater didn’t seem super warm.

I don’t heat my truck cap but I’m plenty warm under the stack of old sleeping bags I use. People think you need speciality gear for winter camping but that’s not true. What you need is to be dry, out of the wind and with a decent layer of insulation to keep your body heat in. As I’ve gotten older I find the circulation in my feet and toes isn’t quite as good so I do wear dry fresh cotten socks overlaid by wool socks to ensure that I don’t have cold feet. And always gloves when I’m not under the covers.

Last evening was beautiful with the snow and not cold due to the lack of wind. I will take a 10 degree evening over a 40 degree windy evening any day. Wind matters far more than temperatures. That said, when it’s very cold I do watch the starting battery on my truck like a hawk as the voltage sags with the cold and oil thickens and I don’t want a weak start when it’s time to go home. I will in the winter idle the truck every other day to bring the engine to 210 degrees to top off the battery and make sure oil gets pumped through the engine at temperature to reduce the risks of weak starts.

Not camping tonight mostly due to the wind and I’m doing a family event tomorrow.