How to dry wet gear while cold camping, step by step

On a cold trip, wet gear is more than annoying. Wet clothes pull heat from your body. Protect your sleep layers first, then dry the rest using air, wind and body heat. Never dry gear next to a flame, a stove or a heater in a tent.

The rule

Keep one set of clothes dry for the night, always. Do not wear it in the day. Pack it in a dry bag, and treat it as a rescue set. Everything else can get wet and be dried later.

Step 1: stop adding water

Drops of water add up. Shake off snow before you come into the tent. Use a doormat or tarp in the entrance for wet boots and coats. Do not bring wet gear into your sleeping area. Stay warm in a tent in winter explains why dry layers matter.

Step 2: get the water out

• Wring cloth by hand, or twist it in a towel.
• Shake gloves and hats.
• Wipe boots inside and out with a cloth.
• Pull insoles out of boots so air can reach them.

Step 3: use moving air

Air that moves dries fastest. Hang gear on a cord line between trees, or on the car if you are car camping. Pick a spot out of rain, with some wind. Cold air can still dry cloth. Frozen gear can dry too, slowly, as ice turns straight to vapor.

What goes wrong first. Cotton. It holds water and dries slowly. Pack wool or synthetic base layers, especially socks and hats.

Step 4: use your body

Small items dry with body heat.

• Put a damp glove or sock against your stomach, under your base layer, while you sit or walk.
• Do not sleep with wet items in the bag, as they will cool you down. A damp item near your body can be fine. A soaked one is not.
• Wear damp base layers while moving and change when you stop, if you can.

Step 5: use the car

If you are car camping, a warm car with the heat on is a safe place to dry small items on the dash. Do not run the engine in a closed space, because exhaust fumes can be deadly. Open the car and keep the exhaust clear.

What not to do

• Do not hang clothes over a stove or heater in a tent. They can burn and the fumes are dangerous. See is it safe to use a heater in a tent.
• Do not put wet boots right next to a fire. Leather can crack, and some soles can melt.
• Do not put a wet bag in a stuff sack all day. Hang it to air.

Pack for fewer problems

• A small dry bag for tonight's clothes.
• A spare pair of socks for every day of the trip, plus one.
• A waterproof jacket and pants for rain and wet snow.
• A hat and gloves in a spare set.

A simple drying routine for a three-day trip

This is an example plan. Adjust it for the weather.

The idea is simple. Dry things whenever you stop, and never put wet things on dry ones.

Gear that dries fast and gear that does not

If you know your trip will be wet, pick the left column when you pack. Most cold trips are easier with fewer, quicker-drying items.

What goes wrong first. A single wet item gets into the dry bag. Keep a separate wet bag, such as a plastic bag, for damp things, so they do not touch your dry layers.

Frost, snow and the tent floor

Snow melts when it gets into a warm tent, and the tent floor can then get damp. Brush snow off before you step inside, and keep a small brush or a cloth at the door. A damp floor makes the pad and bag wetter, so wipe it down in the morning.