Winter camp and overnight stays

Sleeping out in winter is an entirely different activity from sleeping out in summer. It is not a gradual difference — it is qualitatively another thing. The ground beneath you is an endless source of cold. The wind takes heat in a way that summer’s cool nights do not. Fuel burns differently in the cold. Your clothes freeze if they get wet. The difference between a good night and a bad one is rarely the tent or the sleeping bag alone — it is the whole system of layers, insulation and routines hanging together.

Most Norwegian winter walking takes place within the hut network (hyttenett), where the overnight stay is sorted — you have a roof, walls and, as a rule, a stove. But for those who want a deeper winter experience, or who travel routes where huts are sparse, the tent or the snow cave becomes the fundamental skill. It is not expedition activity in Norway — it is practical craft that can be learned over a weekend or two.

What is different from summer

Three things separate winter overnights fundamentally from summer:

The ground is a cold bridge. In summer you have earth or moss under the tent — moderately cold, but not an active source of cold. In winter it is snow, sending 0 °C continuously up through the surface beneath you. The sleeping mat must be insulated enough to resist this, or you will be cold regardless of your sleeping bag.

Fuel works differently. Gas stoves have reduced output in the cold — propane/butane mixtures fall off dramatically below -10 °C. Multifuel stoves that burn paraffin or white gas work better in the cold, but require more skill to handle. Examples: Primus Omnifuel, MSR Whisperlite International.

Clothing becomes a critical tool. In summer you can sleep in your underwear. In winter you need an extra warmth layer in the sleeping bag, often dry socks, often a hat. The clothes you sleep in are not an optional comfort — they are part of the warmth system.

Water supply is not automatic. Streams are frozen, snow must be melted with fuel, and water bottles freeze if they are not packed away. You have to budget both fuel and time to make water.

R-value — the most important number

The R-value is an international measure of how well a sleeping mat insulates. The scale is additive — two mats with R 2 and R 3 give R 5 together. For a Norwegian winter:

R below 2 — summer use. Not enough for winter.
R 2–3 — shoulder season, a tenting trip in mild weather. Not enough for real winter.
R 4–5 — typical winter use. Copes with -15 to -25 °C with the right sleeping bag.
R 6+ — demanding winter, expedition, extreme conditions.

For a typical Norwegian winter trip you should aim for R 4–5. This can be achieved in several ways:

One thick winter mat (inflatable with a high R-value, or foam)
Two mats in combination — one inflatable plus one foam mat as backup. Classic and reliable.
A reindeer hide underneath for extra insulation — traditional and durable, but heavy and bulky.

For anyone trying a winter trip for the first time, it is wise to overdo it rather than to skimp. The R-value is not an area where ‘a little less’ is fine — you are either cold or you are not, and the difference is felt at once.

Sleeping mats goes through the choice in detail.

Sleeping bag — one heavy or two medium?

For a winter overnight there are two main strategies:

One winter sleeping bag with a comfort temperature down towards -20 °C or lower. The classic choice for those who are often out in winter. Typically weighs 1.5–2.5 kg. Examples: Mountain Equipment, Ajungilak, Helsport.

Two 3-season bags in combination. A light summer/3-season bag inside a heavier 3-season bag. Total weight can be 1.8–2.5 kg, and you have flexibility — use one on its own in summer, combine them in winter. Many experienced outdoor people use this approach.

Both work. The winter sleeping bag is simpler to handle but more expensive and less flexible. The combination is cheaper in the long run and gives more uses.

To pack a winter bag: pack hot-water bottles (or boiling water in metal bottles) into the sleeping bag before you turn in. It warms the bag, and you have a warm drink in the morning. A classic technique that actually works.

Sleeping bags goes through the types and temperature scale in detail.

Tents for winter

Winter tents differ from summer tents in several ways:

Geometry — winter tents tend to have steeper walls that cope better with snow load, and anchor points for snow stakes in addition to ordinary pegs.

Pole system — stronger poles, often with more contact points for stability in wind. Carbon or heavy aluminium.

Inner tent with integrated wind protection — typically a full double-wall tent where the flysheet goes all the way down to the ground. Summer tents may have mesh areas that let the wind in.

Snow blocking and ventilation system — a winter tent must be able to ventilate without letting snow in. The classic Nordic winter tents (Helsport, Hilleberg, Fjellduken) have their own logic for this.

For light winter trips, dome tents with several pole crossings are common. For expedition use, tunnel tents with strong sides are more common.

For anyone about to buy a winter tent: hire or borrow first. Test in real conditions before you invest. A good winter tent costs 6,000–15,000 kr new, but the second-hand market is favourable.

Snow cave — the alternative

The snow cave is the classic Norwegian form of winter overnight. You dig a cave into a snowdrift and sleep inside it. The advantage: no wind, a stable temperature (around 0 to -5 °C regardless of outside temperature), and minimal pack weight because you do not need a tent.

But it requires:

The right snow — firm enough to hold a roof, deep enough to dig into. Not all snow conditions allow it.
Time — digging a good snow cave for two people takes 2–4 hours. It is not a spontaneous solution.
A spade — a large camp spade, not the avalanche spade in your pack
Skill — you have to know how to shape the cave correctly (sleeping platform higher than the entrance, ventilation in the right place, no cold bridges)

The snow cave works on the open mountain plateaus, on ridges, and anywhere there are dense snowdrifts. It works poorly in forest where the snow does not pack, or on flat ground where the snow is loose. On Hardangervidda or Finnmarksvidda it is a natural alternative to a tent, and can be warmer than a tent in severe cold.

For anyone who wants to try it: take a snow-cave course with a local hiking club or mountain-sports club. Practical guidance is more effective than reading about it.

Lean-to — the simplest variant

The lean-to (gapahuk) — an open wooden shelter with one wall open — is found in several DNT areas and local hiking-club areas. In winter it is a simple form of shelter:

Protection from wind on three sides
A fire pit often by the open side
No wall on the open side — you sleep facing out towards the fire

The lean-to is most popular for a one-night trip or as a rest stop on a longer day trip. For a multi-day trip it is less practical, because lean-tos are rarely placed in relation to one another in logical day stages.

It is a traditional Norwegian form of overnight stay, and the combination of an open fire and simple shelter is part of the classic friluftsliv experience that Faarlund and others have written about.

Food and stove

For a winter trip, food is more calorie-heavy than in summer:

3,500–4,500 kcal per day for active winter walking
Fat-rich food stores energy better — butter, cheese, nuts, chocolate
Dry food is pack-efficient (pasta, grains, dried vegetables)
Dried meat and pemmican for long-distance trips — traditional, energy-dense food

Stove system for winter:

Multifuel (Primus Omnifuel, MSR Whisperlite International) for severe cold — burns paraffin or white gas efficiently
Winter gas (propane mixture) works down to about -10 °C, less efficiently below
Spirit stove for the odd short trip — robust and simple, but performance in cold is marginal

For longer trips: pack at least 50 per cent extra fuel. You melt snow for water, you heat food every day, and you will often boil extra warm drink in the evening.

Multifuel stoves and related articles under the equipment category go through the choice in detail.

Safety

Safety on a winter overnight is about having redundancy in everything:

Extra fuel for one extra day
Extra food that does not need heating
Extra batteries for the head torch
Spare clothes — at least one extra warmth layer that has not been used
First-aid kit with an emphasis on cold/frostbite situations

For long trips in remote areas you should carry a VHF radio or satellite communication for emergency contact. On Finnmarksvidda or parts of Saltfjellet, mobile coverage is often absent.

Turn back in good time applies to a winter trip too — perhaps especially there.

Next steps

If a winter overnight is new to you: take a snow-cave or tenting-trip course with a local mountain-sports club or DNT. Practical guidance in real conditions is the difference between reading about it and being able to do it.

If you have slept out in summer and want to try winter: build up gradually. First one night on a weekend trip, ideally near a cabin or the car in case things go wrong. Then out on a multi-day trip once you are confident in your system.

For equipment: sleeping bags, sleeping mats, and inflatables go through the choices.

For anyone who wants to extend this to longer trips: winter walking gives the wider activity framework.

Learn more

Text: Snuitide (2026).