Written by Paul Asay
Grand Trunk is headquartered in beautiful Salt Lake City, Utah. Things get pretty cold here in the winter, but we don’t let that stop us from getting outside! As a passionate fisher my winter adventures often revolve around venturing out onto our frozen reservoirs for some ice fishing. For years I avoided ice fishing because of the cold, but over the last few years I have tried to find ways to stay warm so I can enjoy being out in the cold. Here are my 4 tips for cold weather adventures:
Wear Good Boots!
For years I tried to get by with cheap boots because I wasn’t going to use them all that much… That was a mistake! I only got outside a few times a year because my feet were always cold. For winter adventures I prefer an insulated, waterproof boot with a rubber outsole. Like I said, much of my time outside in the winter is spent out on the ice and a rubber outsole is a must have if you encounter the “slush monster” (slush on top of the ice).
Hot Water is Your Friend!
As a young Boy Scout I had a leader teach us to heat rocks and put them in our sleeping bags on cold nights, that never sat well with me. A fellow outdoorsman talked about putting hot water in a Nalgene bottle and using that to preheat a sleeping bag. GENIUS! It works wonders and the Nalgene bottle handles boiling water just fine.
Use Your Head!
You have likely heard that you lose most heat through your head. While science has proven that is not nearly as much as we once believed, wearing a good winter cap really does keep you warm. If you follow Grand Trunk on Instagram you have probably seen a video or two of me talking about products, I ALWAYS have a baseball hat on. For years I wore my trusty New Era 5950’s on my winter adventures too, but they do almost nothing for keeping your head warm. As much as I hate leaving my ball cap for a beanie, it has made a huge difference in how warm I stay when exploring in the winter.
Fuel Up!
When you are cooking or using a portable heater you can never have too much fuel. Every year I venture to Flaming Gorge to fish the Burbot Bash. For that trip we usually spend about 30 hours on the ice. We use portable propane heaters to heat the tent and also to cook with. We also boil water to drink. The first year we ran out of propane about half way through the night… Rookie mistake! I have found that you always use more than you think you will need. When backpacking, space is precious; and fuel can take a lot of space—but it will be worth it!
