We're all peers and equals here, and we treat each other with kindness and respect. Read our code of conduct.
Before you arrive
Getting signed up
Everything at Freezing Woman runs through the R&L community. Here's the whole path, start to finish.
Book a campsite, and if that's all you're after, you're set.
Want the workshops, presentations, and activities that fill the weekend? Want to be part of the community behind them, and help keep Freezing Woman running year after year? That's what membership is for.
- 1Become a member. Head to the membership page and pick a plan. One membership covers every Freezing Woman, and everything else Ripples & Leaves runs, all year.
- 2Book a campsite through Ontario Parks. Go solo, join an existing group site, or ask in the forum to help match you with site-mates. Some people arrive a day early. You can also pre-order firewood and have it delivered to a pickup site in the campground, so you're not hauling or buying it once you're there.
- 3Log into the community forum using the same username and password as your membership. Patreon is the box office where you get your ticket; the forum is the show.
- 4Find Freezing Woman. Click Events at the top of the forum, sign in with your community account, then open the current Freezing Woman's event plan. From there, it's a choose-your-own-adventure: browse the menu of activities, workshops, and presentations, and sign up for whatever catches your eye.
New to winter camping? Say so in the forum and you'll be paired with an experienced mentor. Stuck on any step? Ask in the community forum. That's the fastest way to reach someone who can help.
Set your expectations
What to expect
No point sugarcoating it. Here's the honest version of both sides.
The hard parts
- It will be cold. Your clothing and sleep system will keep you warm.
- Weather can turn: snow, wind, sleet.
- Setting up camp and staying warm takes effort.
- The first night's sleep is sometimes rough. It usually gets better.
The good parts
- No bugs!
- No cooler, no ice. The cold keeps your food fresh for you.
- You'll feel genuinely capable when you pull it off.
- Good food, good company, a warm fire.
The short version
Staying warm, the short version
Your body doesn't have enough heat to warm up the ground or the air around you. It only has enough to keep itself warm, if you don't let that heat escape. Heat leaves you three ways:
Conduction
Heat moving through touch. This is the big one: the ground will pull warmth out of your body all night unless you insulate under yourself.
Convection
Heat carried away by moving air. Wind, and any gap in your shelter, strips heat fast. This is your shelter and outer layers' job to block.
Radiation
Heat given off directly, like from a fire or a body. It's what makes a wood stove feel so good, and why a mylar blanket only helps a little.
The number that matters: R-value. It measures how well something resists conducting heat away from you. Stack pads and their R-values add up, so two pads at R2 and R4 give you R6. For winter camping, aim for R6 to R8 under you. Less than that, and the ground will win.
Down and moisture don't mix. If your sleeping bag or quilt gets damp, it clumps and stops insulating. Crack a vent in your tent at night. It feels backwards, but letting a little air move keeps condensation from soaking your gear.
On your body
What to wear
Cotton kills. It's physics: cotton holds onto water and stays wet, and wet fabric conducts heat away from you far faster than dry air ever could. Wear wool or synthetic instead. They move moisture away from your skin and dry fast.
- Layer up: base layer, mid layer, insulating layer, wind/weather shell. Add or remove pieces as you warm up or cool down.
- Take a layer off before you start hiking, not after you're already sweating.
- Wet gets cold fast. If something gets damp, swap it out.
- Boots with a removable liner let you dry sweaty feet overnight, a real advantage over a sealed boot.
- Bring a spare hat, gloves or mitts, and socks. You'll want dry backups.
Around camp
Where you'll sleep
You'll see all of these at Freezing Woman. Whichever you choose, remember: a shelter's only job is keeping wind and precipitation off you. It doesn't add warmth. Your clothing and sleep system do that.
Cold tent
Just you, your sleeping bag, and a well-insulated pad. Lighter and simpler. Your gear does all the work.
Hot tent
A canvas tent with a wood stove. Cozy, dries out wet gear, and you can cook meals inside. Heavier to haul, and needs proper venting.
Hammock
Needs a good underquilt or winter pad underneath, or you'll be cold from below no matter how warm the air is.
A car
A legitimate option, and a good place to warm up or bail out to if you need it. Nobody will judge you for using it.
The part that matters most
Staying warm overnight
This is the checklist that keeps people comfortable through the coldest hours.
- Get your sleeping pad(s) to R6–R8. Double up if you need to.
- Change into a completely dry outfit before bed, even if what you're wearing feels fine.
- Eat and drink before you sleep. Your body needs fuel to generate heat overnight.
- Pee before bed. Your body spends energy keeping it warm, energy it could use elsewhere.
- A hot water bottle or hand warmer helps a lot, but never put it straight against skin. Wrap it in a wool sock.
- Don't bury your face in your sleeping bag. You breathe out about a litre of moisture overnight and you don't want it soaking your bag.
- Bring your phone, headlamp, and battery pack into your sleeping bag. Cold drains batteries fast, and can damage them if you charge them cold.
- If you have a hot tent, hang damp gear near the top overnight to dry it out.
Non-negotiable
Safety essentials
Participation in Freezing Woman is at your own risk.
Cold kills
It can happen fast. If this is your first winter trip, stick close to someone experienced, and don't be shy about asking for help.
Carbon monoxide
Never burn anything for heat in an unvented enclosed space. If you're running a wood stove in a hot tent, make sure it's properly vented and bring a battery-powered CO detector.
Fire
Keep an exit clear from your tent, and flammable gear away from any stove or heater. If you're running a hot tent, bring a fire extinguisher, a smoke alarm, and a carbon monoxide detector, and know your escape route before you need it.
Electrical
On a powered site, use an outdoor-rated, three-pronged extension cord sized for your heater's load, run through a GFCI to guard against shock, and don't chain cords together. Pick a heater with a tip-over shutoff, and keep it clear of anything flammable.
Ice
Stay off frozen lakes and creeks unless you know for certain the ice is more than thick enough to hold you.
- Let your campsite neighbours know if you're heading out on a hike or leaving early.
- Wear boots with good traction on icy ground. Trekking poles help too.
- Alcohol does not warm you up. It just makes you feel warmer while losing heat faster.