Many outdoor enthusiasts pack their camping gear away at the end of fall in anticipation of the coming winter months.

This is not the case for Scouts and Rover crews, as they continue to venture into the wilderness for winter camp-outs.

Ian Rose, President of the Okotoks Rover Crew, says a few simple steps can help make camping in cold temperatures more enjoyable.

"The main thing is staying warm. You want to stay warm and be comfortable, and you have to accept, to a certain point, that that's maybe not going to happen. The big thing is knowing about layers, and how to manage your layers of clothing, and staying dry. Those are the two main things to keep it a reasonably comfortable experience," he said.

Rose says it's valuable for participants to exercise their skills sets and learn how to adapt to the colder temperatures while still enjoying the outdoors.

"The things we teach are the types of food you can bring that are going to make more of a difference in keeping yourself warm, how to light fires when it's cold or the wood is frozen, even how to position your tents so if it snows overnight then you won't have your zipper frozen," he said.

He adds there have been times where they have had to pour hot water over a tent zipper after it froze and the campers were stuck inside.

Rose says there are more active wildlife in the spring in summer months, with bears and mice being the main concerns for winter.

He says it's valuable for Scouts and Rovers to experience the different seasons while exercising their skills for surviving the outdoors.

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