Share Your Winter Caching Tips And Techniques

[Jeremy]

While spending the last three hours cleaning up the fallout from of one of the worst winter storms in recent memory here in SE Wisconsin (13 inches of snow by my yardstick), the idea for this topic came to me.

What do you to cope with the cold and snow that winter brings when geocaching? Or do you just go into geo-hibernation and stay in the warm indoors? Please share your tips and techniques for winter caching with the WGA membership so we can all have a more successful and enjoyable winter geocaching season.

I’m not a huge winter cacher, but have learned a few tricks for caching in a Wisconsin winter over the years.

Use a snow brush. Several years ago I was searching for a cache hidden under a log with about 16 inches of snow on the ground… I couldn’t even see any logs because of the snow. After 30 minutes of moving snow around with my hands and feet without success, I headed back to the car, grabbed my snow brush/ice scraper, and when I returned I was able to find the buried cache in about 5 minutes. Since then I often carry an old car snow brush with me which I can use to quickly move large amounts of snow to uncover buried caches (it beats getting your gloves wet). A small whiskbroom or bench brush would also work. If you start carrying a snow brush, please use it wisely… do not sweep on ecologically sensitive surfaces, and do not leave ground zero in a state that makes it easy for muggles and future cachers to locate the cache.

Use a muff. Geocaching (especially urban caching) with a pair of heavy gloves or mittens is nearly impossible. How you sign the log? Roll up a micro cache log sheet? Play around with your electronic devices (GPS, Palm, etc.)? I strap on muff like this, throw in one or two hand warmers, and can keep my hands warm yet can quickly have the full dexterity of bare hands for short periods when it is needed. On really cold days, you can use gloves with the muff to get maximum warmth.

[shine_like_a_star]

Staying hydrated is still important. 😆 It may not be common sense to bring a water bottle along in the winter, but on long hikes, it sure has been helpful.

And dressing in layers….that’s still a good idea too. 8)

[bnb]

Jeremy, do you keep your hands in the muff while you walk through the woods? After stitches in my chin and much, expensive, dental work I have made it a rule to never walk, where I need to step over things, with my hands in my pockets (or a muff). You never know when you’ll need them to break a fall. That muff does look cozy, though.

I use tight fitting liners under Gore-tex gloves. If it is warm enough, the liners are sufficient, unless digging through the snow. (But that won’t be a problem once I start carrying a brush.

Do you ever get strange looks from people who see you walking through the woods carrying your car brush?

How do you carry the car brush with your hands in the muff? 🙂

Since my toes always get cold, I use toe warmers if I’ll be out for awhile. I also carry them along as cache stash during the winter.

I try to remember to carry a pencil in case the cache has a now-frozen pen in it.

Keep extra batteries in an inside pocket so they stay warm. Put the GPSr in an inside pocket whenever not needed.

[CinemaBoxers]

Bring small children and send them out after you think you have located GZ?

Ask a friend to find your lost glasses (which happen to be in an Ammo can in a tree trunk) Hey, you cant see to look for them, right?

Drive ups!

My way to deal with the snow? Bring hubby with, and pull the “My feet are SOOO cold” line.

Actually.. Im the one less likely to get cold. So, that wouldnt work for me.

LOL Hope no one minds a little humor!

[EnergySaver]

a hair dryer … 500 feet of extension cord … portable generator

(just kidding)

just plan on having more no fines … but enjoy the view along the way.

[Timberline Echoes]

Always carry a flashlight or two since it gets dark so much earlier. We use head lamps too.

Carry a lighter to get frozen caches thawed out and opened.

Wear waterproof pants that are breathable. Layer up.

Use snowshoes whenever possible. Really good on frozen lakes near beaver lodges and their swim holes.

Take a few snacks along like granola bars, or jerky.

Have a change of clothes especially socks and boots in the vehicle.

Carry a small thermos with a warm beverage along.

Bring a pencil… pen ink freezes.

[Jeremy]

Questions, questions…

@bnb wrote:

Jeremy, do you keep your hands in the muff while you walk through the woods?

Yes, I would recommend not using the muff when going over rough terrain… I do use it while walking on trails though. You could probably take your hands out of the muff in time to break a fall, but not having your arms free does mess with your balance and makes you more likely to fall.

On a related note, someone else mentioned using a walking stick/trekking pole in the snow… this is a great idea if you are going to bushwhack with significant snow on the ground as you don’t know what is under there to trip you up.

How do you carry the car brush with your hands in the muff? 🙂

Another hot tip for you Ruth… they make this thing called a backpack that lets you carry items while keeping your hands free. 🙂 Seriously, 90% of the time the snowbrush is strapped to the outside of my backpack. If I don’t have my backpack on, it means I’m close to my car and can go back for the brush if needed.

@bnb wrote:

Do you ever get strange looks from people who see you walking through the woods carrying your car brush?

I get strange looks from people regardless of what I am carrying. Carrying a snow brush is probably slightly more suspicious looking than a carrying a GPS unit… and slightly less suspicious looking than carrying a machete (waiting for a summer caching tips topic to talk about that).

[bnb]

@Jeremy wrote:

I get strange looks from people regardless of what I am carrying.

Well, I figured that, but was trying to be polite for a change. 🙂

Thanks for the tip on the backpack thing. I’ll have to look into that.

[bluesquirtles]

Nice warm boots!!!!! and thermos are a must!!!! 😆

[Cache_boppin_BunnyFuFu]

Here’s my list:

* Warm boots with boot warmers!
* Chaps…cause Jeremy suggested them and NOW I got a pair!
* Digging Device
* Extra pencils, since pens don’t write in the cold and the ones in the caches are nubs by now.
* Layer, Layer, Layer…just as I do when I cross counrty ski
* Pre-read logs to see if there are issues when there is NO snow.
* My current phone-a-friend list for faster finds.
* Several pairs of extra gloves..they’ll get wet
* Lots of change for coffee stops
* Extra cash for after caching dinner & a couple Leinies Red
* Avoid Marcs Cemetary caches, `cause I can’t find `em even when there’ NO snow. LOL Sorry Marc!!

There must be more, but I’m so cold I can’t think of anything else!

[rogheff]

I have an easy time finding micros in the woods with 12″ of snow, but difficulty with ammo cans – go figure.

My winter caching attire:
1) My trusty hiking Shillelagh for poking in the typical hidey holes – that keeps my gloves dry. Also helps to bang the snow off of the overhanging evergreen boughs.
2) Gloves: I sprang $20 for some really thin hunting gloves from Gander Mountain. They’re thin enough to keep on, yet keep my hands warm.
3) Sorel snow boots with heavy wool socks keep my feet warm and dry. If I have to hike a bunch, I use my hiking boots – have dry shoes and socks to change in to.
4) Layers of coats
5) I wear this thing (I believe it’s called a Gator) that is like a giant turtleneck’s…well…neck. I can pull it up over my head if need be.
6) Several hats.
7) Warm coffee in the truck awaiting my return.

[ecorangers]

😆 1) We bring a (plastic) toboggan along and pull the kids and/or they pull each other, and then they have fun sliding down the hills.

😀 2) Snow brush? I bought the deluxe version….the one that the truckers use thus it has the ability to extend (twist & lock telescoping handle) comes with: snowbroom, ice scraper, ice chiesel, and a squeegee. It doubles as hiking stick for me as well in the extended manner.

😯 3) I learned from Uncle Fun to fasten a hand warmer on the back of the gps to keep the batteries from being drained so quickly from the cold.

😳 4) Gators? We use our “gators,” to keep the snow from getting into the boot. We originally used them when cross-country skiing to keep the snow out of the ski boot and out of the leg/pants. The gator is fastened around the bottom of the boot and gets tied right below the knee. Thus snow is NOT allowed to enter the pant legs/and or boots.

Hope this helps. Tami 😉

PS As a cache owner….it might be helpful if we put on the cache page something like, available in winter AND/or winter friendly. So we know that the caches are findable in snow. EnergySaver does a nice job as he writes, “cache is available up to 2 inches of snow, ” or something to that effect. Thanks Ron!

[Cheesehead Dave]

@ecorangers wrote:

😯 3) I learned from Uncle Fun to fasten a hand warmer on the back of the gps to keep the batteries from being drained so quickly from the cold.

Lithium batteries are more expensive, but they do really well in the cold and don’t drop charge like alkalines do.

[rpaske]

One Word—-> SUMMER!

[Author]

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