Winter camping is not for the faint of heart. Long hours of darkness and tent time, along with the additional risk of cold weather make it an adventure for the boldest of outdoorsmen.
It’s common for those who enjoy winter camping to try to coerce their friends into joining them for a night in the cold, but this can sometimes be more of a challenge than winter camping itself.
How do you get your friends to go camping with you this winter? We have some tips that will find you a winter camping buddy in no time.
Ask THAT Friend
We all have that one crazy friend who’s always up for anything, especially if this individual is an outdoorsman. Find the friend who never stops talking about their latest adventure and challenge this person to a winter campout with something like, “You haven’t really experienced the outdoors until you’ve been winter camping.” Often times this is all it takes.
Call Your Gym Buddy
Most of us have a friend that loves working out. If you’re on the hunt for a winter camping partner, call this friend and tell them there is no better whole-body workout than hiking through knee-deep snow. Bonus: If you coax them into joining, allow them to break trail most of the way, as they’ll enjoy the workout.
Perfect Your Pitch
“Snow makes everything look better.” “The trails are totally empty in winter.” Whatever excuse you go with, deliver it with assurance and confidence and you’re sure to convince even the most hesitant skeptics to come along for a winter overnight.
Don’t Be Afraid to Brag
If you’re adept at various winter outdoors skills, don’t hesitate to advertise such a repertoire to your prospective winter camping buddy. Tell them the different ways you’ll keep them warm, how you can boil water and build a fire in no time to make the trip less miserable. Of course, don’t lie if you can’t do these things; it could lead to an emergency.
Appeal to Their Inner Child
One of the best parts of enjoying the outdoors in winter is being a kid again and playing in the snow. Highlight the prospects of melting snow for drinking water, digging a wind barrier for your site, carving a table into the snow or even working together to build a snow cave. Who could turn that down?
Photo credit: Dreamstime
