My Winter Backpacking ESSENTIALS! | Miranda in the Wild 

Major props to the graphics person that did the poop tube bit. Excellent!

Miranda, High Elf priestess of the Wild

Whoever the editor of these videos is, they deserve a raise!!!

A few pieces of advice and gear I've picked up through my experience winter camping... If you've never been winter camping before, go somewhere with an easy out for your first time. During your first time out you will learn a lot about what works for you and what doesn't. If things are going horribly, you want to be in a place where you can pick up and leave very quickly and easily, even in the middle of the night... You travel much slower in deep snow. My outdoors buddy and I average about 3 mph in the summer, and about 0.5 mph in the winter. Plan accordingly... Regular hiking boots aren't warm enough for many people when camping in deep snow. I use Sorels if snowshoeing, and my backcountry ski boots if I tour in... In the winter, you often won't have access to liquid water. Be prepared to melt snow for water. This takes a LOT of fuel. Jetboils will decrease your fuel demand slightly. Also, filters are not reliable below freezing, and many filters will not be safe and will need replacement if they freeze once. Leave your filter at home and purify with UV (preferred) or by boiling. Again, this requires more fuel than you would expect... Keep your lighter in a dry pocket. Bring multiple lighters... Bring extra gloves. In my experience, my first pair always gets wet and freezes. This is miserable if you don't have a backup pair... SOL (yes it's a real brand) makes a thermal reflective bivy that adds several degrees and some water resistance to your sleeping bag. It's super light and compactable. I leave mine in the foot of my sleeping bag so I never forget it. Make sure you buy the breathable one so your sweat and any other moisture can escape instead of getting trapped inside... Throw an extra pair of socks in your sleeping bag and change into them before bed. My roommie introduced me to sleeping socks and I will never go back... A foam sleeping pad is good for more than just increasing your sleep system insulation. It's great to sit on around camp. You don't want to sit on the snow for extended periods of time. I never leave home without this in the winter... If you ski tour in, sleep in your boot liners. They add warmth and if you have to pee in the middle of the night you can walk around in them without putting your boot shells on. When you stick your liners back in your boot, make sure the boot is in ski mode. Counter-intuitive, but it makes the process way easier... Put hot water in a nalgene, then put the nalgene in your sleeping bag before bed. It stays warm for a long time. Just make sure to minimize the amount of air in there and be SUPER CAREFUL when opening the bottle. Make sure the water isn't boiling when you put it in... A foam pad is not only good for adding insulation to your sleep system, it is also good to sit on around camp. You do not want to sit on the snow for extended periods of time... ALWAYS CHECK AVALANCHE CONDITIONS. Please educate yourself. Here in Colorado, we are having one of the worst years in decades for avalanche fatalities. Read avalanche forecasts. Learn what to look for and what to avoid. Caltopo has a great app where you can turn on a map layer that displays slope angle. BCA has an app where you can measure slope angle when you're on a slope. Please stay safe and don't get buried... Questions? Feel free to ask below. Have fun:)

I love these videos so much! Keep em coming Miranda and Crew!!

The upside down water bottle trick! Nice you mentioned that -as well as the freezing of the water bladder/filter. Learning the hard way is no fun :) Dropping all the elf-with-braids knowledge. #pooptube.

Another hot tip: keep your lighters and fuel for cooking insulated!! One of the first times I went winter camping, my fuel and my lighters wouldn't work until after 20 minutes of panicked scrambling because it was so colddddd

... Love these video's.. A Pringles chip container makes a useable "poop-tube" ,, light and with one end sealed already ... ( remove chips first ) .. .. For those that 'must' get out in the snow and cold ,, winter gear set up will be much heavier than a 3 season set up ,, so consider using a "pulk" sled to transport your gear ,, can be hard enough to travel with snowshoes or spikes so take the weight off your back ...and also consider a proper hot tent and small packable wood stove ... a HUGE benefit through the night ... almost civilized ..

for your water bottle, you can also make an insulated cozy like you made for your food. And, if you make it right, you can make a pocket in it to drop in a hand warmer to help keep it warm.

I have raynauds too. Good suggestion.

When you get down to it, really all humans are just PoopTubes™ with arms and legs.

Pretty amazing... Miranda is so wonderful that I can hear the words "can we talk about poop now?" and actually respond "sure, let's do that."

Actually, for your repair kit, change one thing out- duct tape won't stick if it's too cold, so keep some, like, medical tape stuff, idk what it's called, that will. Other little tip to make things easier - soak your shoe laces in waterproofing wax, so they don't freeze and go stiff on you, and bring a plastic bag to store your boots/shoes in and if (like me) you can't bring yourself to put your shoes in your sleeping bag, bury them in snow (which will insulate them) to keep them from freezing too much.

Little addendum to canister stoves at altitude/in cold. If you take your first batch of melted snow turned hot water and put it in a container then sit your gas canister in it as you continue to cook your stove will reach nearly peak output regardless of how cold it gets. You'll get most of the gas out of your canister too as opposed to it freezing and acting as an empty when it gets low. Just keep cycling the water as it cools for long cooking/snow melting periods.

Thanks for call out to us in 🇨🇦 😜👍

Your stove will actually boil water FASTER at altitude, but, take longer to cook food because the water boils at a lower temp. And, I absolutely cary different "fix-it" in the winter as parts and tools to repair microspikes, snowshoes & skis are different.

can we get a tutorial on how to make the amazing stashed bag coozie??

I really am digging the hat. Love watching Miranda in the Wild. I find it very informative and also with a dash of comedy! Can’t wait to see the next set of videos!

I got super excited when I saw this!!! Keep up the great work

I can and do watch these all the time taking notes planning ahead. Super informative practical and overall pleasant.

Very informative and helpful!

Thanks Miranda, always a good laugh or 2 along with some good advice

Good information as always. Always enjoy your approach

So many things we may already know but always absolutely always at least one tip you didnt knew before. Awesome

wow I have reynauds too and I've always been scared of camping in sub 0 temps because of it. It's nice to know that you don't find it prohibitive

Awesome as always. 👍😎

Great info! Thanks for sharing

You make such relaxing videos Miranda

Thank you so much for mentioning Raynaud's! Now I know what's going on with my hand!!! Big hugs! You are GREAT!!!

Love the channel, M! 🙌

Yessss this is the poop content I was missing last time! Thanks Miranda!

If you are in snow you can bury your water bottle/ water storage unit in the snow ( remember where) and it will not freeze.

🤣 your adorable 🤙🏽🏕 so silly. Love watching 👌🏽

For Miranda or anyone else with Raynaud's Syndrome, look up "Raynaud's Dr. Murray Hamlet". He has done a lot of work with the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine around frostbite and trench foot. I've seen him talk a few times and he says this is the one thing he's worked on in his career that they could find a good treatment for.

Awesome thank you

Maybe a video on stoves/cooking. The fuel canister stoves only work down to a certain temperature, get into single digits and you're not heating anything with them. MSR do a canister stove that allows the canister to be inverted, which helps, but for serious cold weather you really need a liquid fuel stove.

Curious how much your pack weighs in the winter vs the other three seasons

Miranda in the Crevasse just doesn't sound as much fun

Great vid

....When things get financially better for me, I will try to get gear for adjusting in different out door climates....Thanks for showing me these things....

Informative video but my favorite part was actually learning the name of the condition I have where my fingers and toes turn white and go numb in heavy cold. I never knew it was a thing, I just thought I had weak blood vessels. Thank you for the vid!

"tubes everywhere!" sums up my Katadyn water filter experience as well, lol!

Love it. Extra tip, bring an extra way to start fire, like a firestick. Things can fail in the wild.

GoodStuff! Keep up the good work

Yay!

The ASL definition joke 🤣🤣 you have to definitely be an 80s baby (or early 90s baby) a/s/l was some wild times 😂😂

I can't believe I am watching these vids to daydream about winter conditions....lol long hot summer indeed....

I myself carry SAM splints year round, including the smaller finger splints. Climbing injuries and all haha. I would also add a mylar blanket, especially in the winter.

I Don't usually like large corporations telling me what I need but I enjoy the Miranda videos.

Ok but how are Miranda's legs not asleep between gear-arranging jump cuts

Buy neons. If you do get lost, you're screwed in a nice forest green tent. A huge concern too is having your car prepared. An extra jumper battery, winter weight wiper fluid, a car shovel, AAA membership, chains if needed. If you're a noob in a snow state you absolutely need to get snow tires every season. Also - if you're in an alpine zone, don't think for a second this won't blow in up until June. It's rare, but CO has gotten snow in July.

I love her 👍🏻

Carrying water in a thermos is also advised. The added weigh won’t be fun. But it’s less likely your water will freeze.

Quick tip - buy sous vide bags for dehydrated meals. You can rehydrate the meals in there and even reheat the meals in a pot of boiling water

For those folks going into the mountains at this time of year (where there is freezing temps and/or snow on the ground), would definitely beg people to consider an ice axe and crampons. They shall stay in/on your backpack most of the time, no doubt but when you need them, you really need them. We say no to falling in crevasses, and scraping ourselves up through unrestrained glissades over rocks.

Great 👍

Miranda, love your videos girl, always so informative and just fun, but no lie, I am so glad that you got up from your sitting position. My legs were falling asleep just watching you, lol I need to work on my flexibility.

There are rechargeable electronic handwarmers that can also be used as a power bank. I have 3 different ones. My favorite is by Frog & Co.

Dang, don't fall into a crevasse! it's not the best place to be, so i hear. +10 points SAM splint - it's super light and while almost never needed, critical when you actually do. i'm curious if the insulation on the hydropaks really work. i had the nozzle/straw part of the tube freeze a few years ago, so we carry nalgenes now. lol was discussing the "upside down" nalgene trick just today. i don't mean to be a pain by continuing on my "winter hiking/backpacking is more dangerous than beginners realize" line of discussion, but just one comment. you didn't cover clothing here, fair enough. but a really great recommendation that i'd classify under first aid is some sort of emergency blanket or emergency warming gear, like a down coat, etc. i have even heard of folks bringing warming gear like a sleeping bag or tent on winter day hikes if they'll be out for a long time. if you're in a situation where you get stuck someplace and you stop moving, i don't think most folks realize how cold you'll get given inactivity (except for a situation where you expect to stop for the night, of course - but as you note, that requires lots of extra gear for your sleep system etc). frostbite also sneaks up unexpectedly. cool video overall, as long as people are aware that winter backpacking is advanced!

I live in Tahoe and was always taught to use a white gas stove because it does better in freezing temps and at altitude but I never really see anybody using them anymore.

I like your hat haha !!

So good! How do you put routes on your watch? I can never get it to work on my Fenix 5

I love your stove

Hey Miranda and crew, love the videos! Can you make a how-to video on how to make that insulated sleeve for the stasher bags?

If you put a hand warmer under your fuel bottle while cooking it will help your cooking times and fuel consumption.

Microspikes are awesome! Life-changing gear. Maybe not as life-changing as a poop tube, though

About water . . . no mention of melting snow. On the one hand, widely available in winter and does not need to be filtered (but do not melt yellow snow). On the other, increases the amount of fuel that needs to be carried.

You should consider using a liquid stove like the dragonfly from MSR or something on that kind of stove because canister stoves will freeze and they do not work efficiently and colder temperatures. The other thing is is you could also use a steir pen or boil water

Girlfriend, You are the best, extremely informative, entertaining and seriously I love me some REI!

I'm sold on the Poop Tube™.

Miranda. What is this "chili mac" you speak of?! I'm very intrigued and also salivating. Please share. Thank you!!

that bee pillow makes me uneasy

Is there going to be a winter backpacking vid ? Like the winter camping one ?

Where can i get that hat?!

...When hiking /camping at altitude in the winter instead of a canister stove ,, use a liquid fuel stove such as a Whisperlite (there are a few models) ,, or Dragonfly or any of the other makes and models ..REI carries most of them ,, and take along extra fuel . They are more reliable in the extreme low temps and high altitude pressures ... IMO..

Where do you get the hat? I love it!

One thing that I'm a little surprised Miranda didn't mention regarding sleeping bags is that there are three temperature ratings on a bag. 1. The comfort rating - the temperature that a warm sleeper will be comfortable at. Generally described as the temperature that an average woman can expect to sleep comfortably. 2. The limit rating - the temperature that a cold sleeper will be comfortable at. This is usually the advertised temperature of the bag. Generally the temperature that an average man can expect to sleep comfortably. 3. The extreme temperature - you will not be comfortable, but you should survive.

Oh, I thought this never needed to be said, but after seeing that TX storm: do not go on the ice. Do not let your kids on the ice. Do not go out after a dog on the ice. The dog weighs 25 lbs, you do not. Unless you've taken an ice fishing and ice rescue safety course, no.

who makes Mirandas hat? Thanks!

May I ask...since the Garmin InReach requires a monthly subscription fee even for SOS events, would it be better to purchase and register an EPIRB emergency beacon? Granted, you won’t have the texting or status updates, but a less costly alternative?

I was mainly watching your hands 👐️🤗. They've got an expressive language all of their own. Funny! Should put puppets on them. I think Jim Henson did that...made a bit of money. 😁

Which micro spikes would you recommend?

Miiiiiiirrrrrraaaaannnnddddaaaaaa!!! Hi 😁👋🏼 what happens if you get back country swamp butt while winter camping? 😂 I hope you appreciate my question!

Would you recommend buying gear to fit in your pack or buy a pack to fit your gear?

OK, now get everything in that pack.

You would be fun to hike with.

How heavy does your winter pack end up being without consumables?

Honestly, I would probably eat cold chili Mac. Also, in sub freezing conditions you want to put your isopro in a tub of liquid water to keep the isopro fully vaporizing. Any n-butane content in the fuel will not vaporize below 32F/0C. Generally gas stoves are better, especially if you have to make water via melting 😬

Do you recommend taking a lantern on trail in addition to your headlamp?

Goodness...Miranda is so beautiful!!!!

Where can I get a hat like yours??

How much does your winter pack loaded weigh?

That insulated pouch shown in the video seems like overkill and like it would take up a lot of space in your pack. I've used a Hydrapak Force for snowboarding (also comes with insulated tubing) and I've never experienced my reservoir freezing. I would be less concerned about the reservoir which will be inside your pack and more concerned about the tubing/bite valve freezing up. (Note: I understand most snowboard/ski packs have insulated sleeves in shoulder straps for tubing to run through which traditional hiking packs do not. Hydrapak also sells an extra insulated tube called the Artic Fusion that addresses this.)

Where is that hat from?

One thing I don't see is that to keep your drinking water to freeze is sleep with with it in your sleeping bag..... Maybe that is just me, but all these winter camping videos don't ever mention it.

'Poop are solids anyways....hopefully' 🤣🤣🤣 I never knew about poop tube!!

Which backpacking chair do you use ?

I live in a place where we don't get snow and our winter is basically just super mild and so I'm just saying I watched this purely for Miranda and the poop tube.

But Miranda... spring has sprung... or is currently attempting to spring ☀️🌻

That Jetboil can.... Looks like it's from around 10 years ago.