At the end of December, the time had finally come and winter camping in Austria could begin. Totally new territory for us, to be honest! That's why we started asking our community for tips early on and informed ourselves thoroughly in advance. But what was it like in the end and is it really something for us?
Winter camping is booming, there's no question about that. In large ski resorts, such as in Tyrol, campsites even record more overnight stays in winter than in summer. Wake up in the middle of nature, get to the ski lift easily on foot and save a euro or two - that seems to be the motto here. This is understandable when you consider what a skiing holiday with the family costs nowadays, but camping is no longer as cheap as many people think. In winter, a standard pitch for 2 weeks (incl. electricity) in the beautiful Pinzgau region, for example, costs about € 450.00.
When you think of winter camping, you immediately associate it with wonderful snow-covered winter landscapes, fantastic views, sunshine and blue skies during the day. In the evening, when you come back from skiing, snowshoeing or tobogganing, you can end the exciting day comfortably in the cosy warm van with a cup of tea.
Winter camping can be a lot of fun, you just have to prepare a bit and leave your comfort zone once in a while, but that's what traveling is all about anyway.
Of course, the right "travel buddy" is also essential for such a winter adventure, and that's where our INNOVAN Fuchur from LMC comes into play. With its auxiliary heating, which can be operated with electricity, gas or a mix of both, and with its heated waste water tank, the INNOVAN is perfectly equipped for winter camping and defies the cold temperatures in Austria.
The cold season means that people spend more time indoors than outdoors. We briefly doubted this again, not that the ceiling would fall on our heads, but we already know this from bad weather days, for example in the Netherlands, and in principle it is no different here.
The large skyroof gives us a natural light source and the van doesn't look like a typical van. It makes you feel less cramped, so it's the best decision ever to take a van with a skyroof. It opens up the whole space, makes it look bigger and also acts as a generous source of light.
Kaprun, Austria
FUCHUR is being winterised!
Of course, we also thought about what additional equipment we would need for winter camping in icy temperatures.
Without further ado, we converted our windscreen cover, which is supposed to keep out the heat in summer, into additional insulation. It quickly became clear to us that the sliding door should remain closed because too much heat escapes when it is opened, not to mention the mud and snow.
So we simply fitted the driver's cabin with additional floor mats and now go in and out of the passenger side. This works quite well, but you definitely can't be in a hurry. It can take a while until you are fully dressed, have your winter shoes on and have "climbed out".
We also placed a wind stopper at the bottom of the sliding door, which is really a very simple and effective solution. Apart from that, we also packed cosy blankets, which my wife overdid right away, as she did with the pillows, but well, they're cosy all the same.
We also have the following winter equipment on board: a ladder to clear the roof of snow, shovel, ice scraper, anti-slip mats for the tyres and, very importantly, a de-icing agent to open the locks for the toilet and the fresh water tank, which can otherwise be a challenge in frosty temperatures.
Oh yes, what should not be missing for cosy winter evenings is our Skotti grill, which we simply used as a fire bowl and mulled wine warmer.
LOCATION is a very important factor when winter camping!
So keep your eyes open when choosing a campsite
In our opinion, location is even more important in winter. It takes 10 times longer to get away quickly or to go shopping than in summer. It takes a while just to clear the van of snow and ice (don't forget the roof), and then you really don't feel like going to the supermarket for a quick drink of water or to the restaurant. So just make sure that the campsite is centrally located and everything is within easy walking distance, and it's better for your ecological footprint anyway.
As a small tip regarding campsites in Austria, we advise you to book in advance. Especially in the high season, it can get very tight with campsites in the top ski resorts.
Our summary, you should definitely give it a try. Winter camping has its own charm and is a great change of pace!
Cheers
Fabian & Alexandra
*In cooperation with LMC Caravan - my opinion remains unaffected by that.