My son's girlfriend is 19 next week and as a "special treat" she wants him to go camping in the Lake District next Tuesday - Thursday and maybe bag a couple of peaks while they're there !! Neither of then have been there or camped much before and they've no fell walking experience Nothing I can do or say will change their mind . All my dire warnings are falling on stoney ground. I'll kitted them out with my compass/torch/trianga/maps/ winter layers etc... I know we all do daft things where we're young and don't listen to advice from Dad, but I'm very concerned.
He'll be home from uni next Monday and I'll direct him here so anything you good people can say on this thread may make him more aware of the risks. Off to buy one of those hypothermia blankets....
As a qualified mountain instructor I would take in account their lack of experience, recommend that they think carefully what they want to do or achieve. Whilst people will throw there hands up in despair with their idea, I think the drive there can be as equally dangerous.
Young people like to push the Boundaries, so no harm there.
I would say its ok if they only intend to say go to a campsite like NT Langdale or Brothers water, both have a pub near which serve meals. Both sites allow low level walks, so they can gain some experience of walking in sub zero temperatures, also it will allow them chance to gain knowledge of the surrounding countryside.
Of course the problem really is equipment; to be honest if they do not have the right equipment for camping in sub zero temperatures life can become unpleasant. Only want to have an increased wind chill factor, and people start to suffer. Last year I camped in February on Harter fell, in the lakes, the wind chill factor was about -20 and that was with a wind speed of 10 km/h. And one gets the same results at low levels.
So we are looking at 4 season tent, 4 season sleeping bags, no use sharing a bag as the sweat will just make you more cold, once the happy times have ended, as people turn about in there sleep it lets cold air in.
Plenty of layered clothing, good boots and correct socks cos so easy to get frost nip or worse frost bite. The list goes on, I think they really have not thought too much about the Logistics of winter camping. It will be much easier for them if they used a hostel or B&B, then they can get the benefits of walking and have a nice night sleep with out worrying if the tent will cave in with the weight of snow, or be blown away in the wind, or the near by stream will flood them out.
