Winter Camping Gear

I love winter camping! Snow. Quiet beauty. More solitude. Snow. Then, there is always the fun of comparing stories: "Last year where we camped, it was 5 degrees below zero with 20mph winds!"

Partially because of the serenity of the wilderness in the winter, and because so few people go into the winter wilderness, I really love winter camping. I know, I know - you may ask if there is really any serenity when I bring the boy scouts along - but I enjoy it nonetheless. Many people cringe when you mention camping in the cold, but it can be a lot of fun. For those that bring the right gear and proper clothing layers, it will be a lot of fun. You do, however, have to have the right gear. It isn't necessarily expensive, but if you don't bring the right stuff (or enough of it) to keep you warm, you will have a miserable time.
I certainly recommend 2 or more sleeping bags, blankets, and some type of sleeping pad to help insulate you from the ground (but a conventional air mattress or cot is a VERY bad idea).  And remember, cotton kills.  If it gets wet (and it will), it loses all capacity for warmth.  Wool or synthetic fibers are best.  No cotton socks, at all.  Wool socks.  Multiple pairs; I’d recommend bringing enough for 2 new (dry) pairs each day.  Denim jeans are probably only acceptable if they have waterproof snow pants over them and the discipline to keep moisture away from the denim. But, if you take the snow pants off during the warmth of the early afternoon and then get the denim wet in the snow, you will have difficulty getting warm again.

This is what I typically take take on a winter campout:

• 2 pairs of gloves: 
• 1 pair non-snow gloves (easier to handle gear with, more dexterity); not for playing in the snow or getting wet; use for dry work or sitting around the fire, and for backup gloves
• 1 pair snow gloves (water resistant)
• thermal long johns (top and bottom; I *really* love my merino wool base layers from LL Bean)
• warm long-sleeve/long-leg pajamas (only put on at night, to sleep in fresh, dry clothes)
• insulated, waterproof snow boots
• multiple pairs of wool socks (I wear two pair wool socks at a time, plus some spares, and then additional pairs to put on fresh dry socks each day)
• balaclava (ski-mask looking thing)
• knit wool hat
• 2 long-sleeve shirts
• 1 insulated long-sleeve shirt
• 1 pair fleece-lined pants
• 1 pair waterproof snow pants
• water-resistant winter outer coat
• thick wool army blanket (from military surplus)
• 3" thick closed-cell foam sleeping pad (Therm-a-Rest type, not an air mattress)
• 2 (or 3) sleeping bags:  
• The one you sleep directly in should be mummy-style and rated to a minimum of 15F or lower (for Northern New Mexico winters).  
• The other, that you either nest your first sleeping bag inside of, or that you lay on top of your sleeping bag, can be mummy or rectangular, and doesn't have to be as high quality.
• tent with rain fly (keeping off snow) - note that a standard 3-season tent seems to be fine in my part of the country; I've never needed the added structural integrity of a 4-season tent
• camp stool for dry place to sit

What are your favorite winter camping equipment choices?  Comment below.