What Tasmania taught me about Cold (Wet Cold, Not Dry Cold), by Mowser on YouTube. 14 min 25 s.
- Video length
- 14 min 25 s
- Time to do it
- 20 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 7
What you need
Steps
Skip the single big jacket. Build three thin layers instead: a base layer against your skin, a fleece or light synthetic mid layer, and a waterproof shell on top. Add and remove the mid layer as you climb and stop.
Leave cotton at home. Wear a synthetic or merino base layer that moves sweat away from your skin, because a wet cotton shirt stays cold and heavy all day.
Assume nothing dries. Line your rucksack with a pack liner and put your sleeping bag, spare clothes and electronics in separate dry bags before you leave the car.
Add a layer before you stop, not after. The cold bites hardest when you stand still, so pull on your fleece and hat in the last minute of walking and keep stops short.
Pitch the tent dry. Choose a spot sheltered from wind and standing water, keep the inner away from wet ground, and peg out the corners before you climb inside.
Sort yourself out in the first few minutes at camp. Get the shelter up, then change straight out of damp walking clothes into your dry camp layer before you do anything else.
Keep the tent standing in wind and rain. Add extra guy lines on the windward side, keep the pitch low, and re-tension the lines during the night if the fabric starts flapping.
Tips and common mistakes
Watch for shivering, slurred speech and clumsy hands, which are early signs of hypothermia even when the temperature looks mild.
Put your dry camp clothes in a separate dry bag so you never have to dig through wet gear to find them.
Eat and drink something warm at camp, because a fed body holds heat far better than an empty one.
Store your sleeping bag inside the tent only once the inner is up, so it stays dry if the weather turns.
Questions
Why is wet cold worse than dry cold?
In dry cold your layers can dry out on the move. In wet cold, damp air and rain soak your gear and it stays wet, so your insulation loses warmth and you chill much faster at the same temperature.
How many layers do I need for wet cold hiking?
Three is usually enough while walking: a base layer, a light mid layer and a waterproof shell. Carry a warmer mid layer and a dry spare set to put on the moment you reach camp.
What should I change into at camp?
Get out of your damp walking clothes and into a dry base layer, fleece and warm hat as soon as the tent is up. Keep that set for camp only so it stays dry for the whole trip.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
