Arctic Warfare Training for Winter Overlanding

This four-wheeling enthusiast applies his former winter-warfare, military training to battle the cold and rugged outdoors on the road.

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Words and Photos by Martin Spriggs

As a young Canadian soldier in the 80’s and 90’s, I spent a lot of time training for war in winter conditions. Every combat soldier receives this specific training when their unit isn’t deployed on operations. 

My infantry unit was dedicated to reinforcing NATO’s northern flank in Norway in the event the Cold War became hot and boiled over. That meant annual training exercises in the Norwegian mountains every winter. As a paratrooper, we air-dropped toboggans filled with weapons, ammunition, and survival gear and then jumped out of the planes to follow them down by parachute - brrrr. 

Now, you’re probably asking yourself, what does training for winter warfare have to do with overlanding?” If you overland in the winter, you’ll agree there’s a lot of preparation to combat the cold when travelling in extreme seasonal conditions. Approximately 75 percent of winter warfare training is dedicated to winter survival. Simply put, if you can’t survive in the cold, you’re not able to fight effectively. Surviving a cold and snow-covered climate has unique challenges but they can be overcome by utilizing the lessons I learned from winter warfare training and applying them in an overlanding environment. 

Winterizing Your Rig 

Few truck campers, trailers, or pop-up tents come outfitted with sufficient insulation for true winter conditions. The exception is a mountaineering tent. If you use any vehicle-based shelter, I recommend adding insulation to winterize your rig. 

There are two strategies for improving warmth; add more insulation or a heat barrier. For truck-mounted rigs, Styrofoam insulation is an ideal solution. It’s inexpensive, easy to install, and provides an R-value of three to four per inch thickness of foam width. The second option is foil-faced bubble wrap. It’s important to understand that this is not insulation but it acts as a radiant heat barrier, which reflects the heat from your stove and heater back into your rig. Both methods add very little weight to your vehicle’s GVWR and are great options. 

I added both to my 2014 pop-up Four Wheel Camper. I covered the window panes and the entire wall over the window with Styrofoam as windows are a primary source of heat loss in the winter. I also added Styrofoam to all accessible inside walls and panels, including the walls inside the cabinets 

One other cause of heat loss in my rig is the pop-up tent. So, I made liners out of Reflectix and secure them in place with Velcro once the pop-up is erected. Rolling out the Reflectix liners only adds five minutes to the overall set-up of the camper and is even faster and easier to tear down. When not in use, it rolls up nicely and is very lightweight. 

Some RV furnaces made in North America are only good for spring and fall camping trips. They also tend to have issues igniting at higher elevations. Overlanding in the winter requires a robust and reliable source of heat at any altitude. What I did was swap out my RV furnace for a Propex air heater. This UK-made marvel sips fuel while using the existing liquid petroleum gas (LPG) infrastructure, draws very little current during operation (1.6 amps), and warms the camper nicely. It’s a pricey upgrade but highly recommended. 

I also added a small auxiliary heater to warm the camper for when I am driving. The lines are plumbed from the engine heater lines, through the cab and truck bed, and into the camper. This inexpensive little heater prevents the camper from freezing during travel and reduces the LPG required to reheat a frozen camper after a long day of driving in sub-zero temperatures. 

Winter Wear 

The most tried-and-tested approach for winter wear is to layer clothing and most crucially, add and subtract layers according to the conditions. Wool versus fleece is a great fireside topic but for me, wool is a superior insulator as it retains its warmth when wet. In the cold of winter, it’s invaluable. 

Wearing mittens has a slight advantage over gloves. When you wear gloves, each finger is isolated in its finger insulation. No insulation is perfect and over time that finger (or fingers) will get cold. On the other hand (no pun intended), mittens share the heat with the rest of your hand and keep them warmer for longer periods. Additionally, wearing a small work glove or ‘contact glove’ inside your mittens is an excellent way to take your mitts off and still have the function of a glove while preserving warmth when touching cold surfaces. 

Lastly, dummy strings that attach to your mitts will save them from contacting ice and snow and getting lost. Remember, hoods are your friend, and never buy a winter jacket without one. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t lose the greatest amount of body heat through your head, but wear a toque anyway as they do stop your ears from freezing! 

‘Dry equals warmth and wet equals cold’ are words to live by in the winter. If you’re working and begin to perspire, remove an insulating layer. Better yet, remove a layer before you start to perspire and place it in a dry spot. When you begin to get cold, add an insulating layer of fleece or wool. Also, establish an effective method for hanging wet or damp clothes to dry in your rig. 

Winter Sleeping 

Whatever choice of shelter you use, sleeping in a winter environment can be warm and cozy if you do things right. Ideally, choose a camp low in a valley, out of the wind, and near a water source. 

Having slept outside in the winter in everything from snow caves to campers, an air mattress with a channeled foam core is an excellent choice as they are comfortable, support the body well and retain body heat. I fitted my camper with the Swiss-designed Exped Mega Matt. It’s the best combination of support and warmth I have ever used. The substantial price tag is a small price to pay for a good’s night sleep for years to come. 

Choosing down versus synthetic insulation in a sleeping bag is up to your personal preferences. There are pros and cons to both. Personally, I’m old school and prefer down as it can be packed more compactly and never fails to keep me warm. Like layering clothes to maximize warmth, sleeping bags should be layered as well. Traditional Canadian military sleeping bags I have used had four components; an outer down-filled bag, an inner bag, a cotton liner, and an insulated hood. I used to swap out the hood for a hoodie but I’ve never strayed from these simple principles. Sometimes you can’t improve on ‘old school.’ 

Fueling Winter Trips 

There are many considerations when selecting the right fuel for your vehicle and secondary uses like heating. Safe and efficient diesel and gasoline heaters are available and should be considered especially if you plan to travel outside North America where LPG is not always available. Using one type of fuel also means you can carry more to further meet fueling requirements. 

Extra fuel should also be carried during any winter trip. Not only will extra fuel increase your vehicle’s range, but it will be available in an emergency when you need to run your vehicle’s engine for heat. Keep in mind to always have proper ventilation when heating any space with an open flame or engine. 

Regardless of the fuel you use, it’s always a good idea to be as efficient with it as possible. For instance, melting snow is a good source of clean drinking water but you need to burn fuel to get the water. Carrying H20 may be a better option but it requires a warm space for storage to prevent it from freezing. If your stored water freezes, you are back to square one! 

Managing Water in Winter Conditions 

Finding, collecting, and storing water in the winter is a challenge. As mentioned, melting snow comes at a cost. Ice on frozen lakes and rivers may be augured through to obtain water; just be sure to measure the ice thickness before going on it. Ice that is 5 cm (2 in) thick is safe to ski over, and ice that is 10 cm (4 in) thick is safe to walk on. 

I don’t use my rig’s integral water tank in the winter. Instead, I use two 10 l (3 gal) water jugs stored under an insulated bench seat. Having an alternative source for storing water means no issues with water tanks, lines, and pumps freezing. 

For personal hygiene, baby wipes save on water and fuel consumption. I usually wash with water and soap every two or three days. In addition to conserving water and fuel, it allows the natural oils on your face time to rejuvenate and protect your skin from the cold. 

Batting condensation is a constant job during winter overlanding. Ice can be removed from flat surfaces using a small, handheld ice scraper and collected in a plastic tray. I dump the ice scrapings into my drinking water after I collect it. When temperatures warm up to the freezing point, ice that is formed from condensation will melt into water. I usually collect it with a sponge, and dry surfaces with a towel. Burning LPG as a heat source will add a small amount of moisture in your rig but using an air exchange heater instead of an RV furnace will slightly reduce that amount. 

Emergency Preparedness 

Having an emergency kit pays off when you need it. Research on disaster-response shows that the chance of survival during an emergency increases when you have one. Remember, it’s always best to have all of the essential gear in a dedicated bag for quick and easy access. Recommendations for contents of an emergency vehicle kit are available online at www.getprepared.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/yprprdnssgd/index-en.aspx 

From the items for an emergency vehicle kit listed on the government website, I recommend a couple of changes. I would swap out the blanket for a lightweight sleeping bag or bivy bag and also include a small solar recharger for the type of phone you have. I would even recommend having a small mirror for signaling aircraft or other vehicles with the mirror’s reflection. 

The challenges encountered when overlanding in the winter can be overcome by some simple planning and common sense. After all, travelling in these conditions always opens up new doors to experience extraordinary locations and create long-lasting memories.