Winter Caching
Staying warm - and safe - while searching with Jack Frost
As the year draws to a close, many people find themselves facing the cold when stepping out the door for a day of caching. We may not enjoy the winter as much as were do the summer months, but there are many things that can be done to make a full day of being outside warm, comfortable, and safe.
In choosing your outfit, one of the most important things to keep in mind is staying dry. Even if you’re not going to be hiking 10 miles through the snow, there are still obstacles to overcome. You may have to cross a creek, you may be dealing with a cold rain all day, or just simply sweating can get your clothing wet. Cotton clothing such as jeans, and most tee-shirts, are usually not the best choice when it comes to staying dry. These fabrics have long drying times, and of course wet clothing is cold clothing.
Just like you would any other time of year, layering your clothing during the winter is a good idea. This allows you to either remove or add layers as your level of activity changes so you can keep a comfortable temperature.
Starting from the inside out, you may consider polypropylene for both a top and pants for your inner most layer. Something akin to the “Under Armour” brand would also be a good choice. Basically you’re looking for something lightweight that also has good wicking properties.
For the next layer, fleece usually works well. You can add as many or few fleece layers as you would like to suit your personal comfort. These don’t have to be expensive to work well. I prefer a fleece vest over a long sleeve fleece shirt of some sort.
Outer layers can be a little more complicated, but ultimately should be waterproof and breathable. Gore-Tex fabrics, while sometimes pricy, are one of the best bets when looking for an outer layer. Depending on how you plan to dress, these outer layers don’t necessarily have to be insulated. For jackets something that is long enough to go past your waist is usually good, and getting something with a hood is a good idea as well. Pants should fit somewhat loosely, and should extend above the waist. In both items you should look for drawstring cuffs to help seal out the cold. If you are looking for an insulated jacket, your basic options are “down filled” and “synthetic.” Down filled jackets are lighter weight, but it loses its warmth quickly when it gets wet. Synthetic insulations, such as Hollowfill, and Thinsulate are heavier, but are more water resistant, and dry more quickly when they do get wet. Of course, in this outer layer you’ll want a pair of gloves or mittens, and a hat of some sort. Since it’s always best to dress warmly rather than fashionably, you should look for a hat that will cover your ears as well. I usually wear one that has a baseball cap style, with ear flaps that can be tied up when not needed.
Of course we can’t forget our boots. There is much debate in terms as to what is the best choice of footwear during any time of year, but once again we’re looking for water resistance and warmth. My personal choice for the winter is an oiled leather, steel toe boot. Many people claim that the steel toe in a boot can better conduct the cold air, more easily causing frostbite, but I personally haven’t had any problems such as that. I prefer the steel toes because I tend to be a little clumsy, and small stumps, branches, and rocks hidden under a fresh snow have cause me to nearly break several toes in the past. Other options for boots include Gore-Tex, and Thinsulate. I also prefer a tall boot to keep the snow out of the boot, but I also add to that a pair of gaiters to further assist in keeping the snow out.
While on the topic of footwear, also important is your choice of socks. On normal winter days, I usually choose a cold weather hiking sock. Regular wool, Smartwool, or a synthetic blend like Thorlo brand socks all offer warmth and superior wicking action. On the coldest of days you may consider layering socks with a thin polypropylene liner inside, especially with regular wool socks.
Now that we have all of the warm stuff out of the way, other things to be mindful of while caching in the winter involve dealing with Mother Nature safely, actually finding caches under the snow, keeping them dry, and covering your tracks on the way out.
Many of us will never have a good reason to venture out onto ice while caching, but there may be a stream or river crossing in our path. The best idea is to turn around and wait until after the ice melts, and the spring floods are over. If you decide that you just must have that cache today there are a few things you can do to help lower your risk of falling through. At a very minimum the ice should be four inches thick before you consider walking on it. This is not absolute as many factors such as water chemistry, flow, or even a school of fish near the bottom surface of the ice among many others can cause it to weaken. Another idea in crossing ice is to lie down, and slide across the ice to spread your weight out over the surface.
It is also always a very good idea to stay off of ice unless you have a companion. If you were to fall through, it’s much easier to be rescued if someone is there with you. Assuming the worst, if you do fall through the ice, and there is no one around, the first thing to remember is to stay calm. This is much easier said than done, but keeping a clear head will get you out of trouble more quickly. You should turn toward where you were walking from. Put your hands and arms flat on the ice, and kick hard with your feet. If the ice breaks again, just move forward and try it again. Once you are out of the water, keep lying on the ice and roll away from the hole, again to keep your weight spread out over the surface of the ice. From there, if you’re relatively close to the car, or a house or building quickly make your way there to warm up. There is never a good reason to risk going for the cache in this instance. Remember no ice is truly safe at any time, and it’s much smarter to pass on a cache than to end up in the hospital with hypothermia, or frostbite.
Finally, on to the business of actual caching. Here in Central Ohio, we really don’t get enough snow at one time to entirely bury most caches, in other areas of the world, that’s a different story. One idea for actually locating caches under the snow is to carry a walking stick. You can use this to poke around in the snow so you can feel or hear where the container is located. You may want to do this gently as you could poke a hole in some of the cheaper plastic containers that may be out there. Many times you can get a good idea of where the cache is, as the obligatory pile of sticks will create a small mound in the snow. When you do locate the cache, you should do us all a favor and try to keep the inside as dry as possibly. Brush off any snow and ice from the outside to keep it from getting inside. If snow is actually coming down at the time, you might try to find a spot under a tree, or overhang in which to open the cache. Otherwise try to protect the open cache with your body, or an open jacket.
If you are the first to seek a cache after a recent snow, you will leave tracks that could take the next cacher right to ground zero. Some things you can do to prevent this is to walk around to several nearby spots so there isn’t one definitive set of tracks leading directly to the cache. This can keep it a little more interesting for the next cacher. Another idea is to grab a fallen branch, and drag it behind you on the way out to cover your footsteps. This method is usually most effective when your tracks are shallow, and the snow is light and fluffy.
This by no means is a definitive answer to winter caching, as there are many variables. This should get you started, and as you get more experience in being outdoors in the winter you’ll be able to better judge what you need to wear, and how to conduct your activities to keep yourself warm and safe. Don’t let the cold keep you inside, as some of your most memorable finds may come in the winter. Besides there are far fewer muggles around to spoil your hunt.