Lifestyle

4 Tips for Camping in the Winter

Published

3 years ago

December 9, 2022

Camping in the winter – should you do it? Is it worth the extra effort to stay warmer? If you’re thinking about camping in the winter and wondering if you’ll have a great time, the answer is yes. Winter is an excellent time of year to go camping. Whether you have a good time depends on where you go and, most importantly, how you prepare.

No matter where you’re headed for your winter camping trip, here are several tips that will help you make the most out of your adventure.

Camp in an RV

Winter camping is always more comfortable and warmer when you sleep in an RV, especially when you have kids. For obvious reasons, when the temperature drops, it’s nice to have propane heat that fills your space and doesn’t escape through thin tent walls. It’s also easier to keep your food cold and secured in an RV. Even when temperatures are freezing outside, you can’t leave your food lying around because it will attract animals.

If you don’t own an RV, you can rent one for your camping trip. If it doesn’t have everything you need, don’t worry. You can find coolers, inverters, and other RV accessories online before your trip.

If you’re a die-hard traditional camping fan, you may not like the idea of camping in an RV. Some people consider this “glamping” and not real camping. However, just because you sleep in your RV doesn’t mean you need to spend your entire camping trip cooped up inside. In fact, you can also pitch a tent outside and spend the day using your tent and only come back to your RV to sleep.

Layer your clothing intentionally

If you’ve never lived in an area where temperatures drop pretty low, you might not know how to layer your clothing to stay warm. It sounds simple at first. Does it really matter how you layer? The truth is, the material you layer with matters and each type of material has an ideal position in your layering.

Your base layer should be a thermal-type material that wicks away moisture. Even though fleece feels great against your skin, you don’t want to use fleece as a base layer because it will make you sweat, which will make you colder. Wool actually makes the best base layer because it’s naturally designed to regulate temperature. Fleece should be used as an outer or middle layer to hold in your body heat.

After you’ve figured out your first few layers, your final outer layer should be waterproof to prevent moisture from getting through to your bottom layers.

Lay down a wool blanket first

Before you put any part of your sleep system down, place a thick, wool blanket down first. Ideally, you want to be lifted up off the ground to sleep on something like a cot. It doesn’t have to be too high, just six inches would be helpful. Placing a wool blanket under your cot will keep the cold air from traveling up through the bottom of your cot at the ground level. You also want to place another wool blanket on your cot before you put down your sleeping bag.

If you’re sleeping directly on the ground, be sure to place a wool blanket under your sleeping pad before building your bed. The wool will keep a significant amount of cold air out of your sleeping system.

Look at the weather forecast

It sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised to learn how many people don’t look at the weather forecast before camping in the winter. Depending on where you’re camping, you’ll want to know if it’s going to snow or be icy.

You’ll need to drive on the roads to get there and back, so you need to make sure you drive the right vehicle and have the right equipment if needed. Sometimes certain passes require vehicles to either carry or use tire chains during the winter. Also, if you’re not used to driving on icy roads, it’s a good idea to find a different camping spot if things look like they’ll get too icy.

Make winter camping a regular thing

Most people who camp in the winter really enjoy the experience. There’s something refreshing about waking up to the cool air, whether you’re in a tent or an RV.

Hopefully, these tips will help you enjoy your winter camping experiences now and in the future.

Lifestyle

Confronting Propaganda: Street Smart Documents Honest Reactions to Gaza Indoctrination Footage

Published

6 days ago

November 6, 2025

Michelle Langton

Photo Courtesy of: Street Smart

Byline: Michelle Langton

In a recent project, the Street Smart team gathered 20 strangers and presented them with propaganda footage from Gaza that has circulated widely online but remains largely unfamiliar to many audiences. The aim wasn’t to provoke outrage or test media literacy in a classroom setting. It was to capture raw, unfiltered emotional reactions to material that reveals how narratives are formed at the source. The resulting video offers a candid look at how people process shocking content and how their perceptions shift when they see what is rarely shown on mainstream platforms.

The Structure of the Experiment

The format was simple. Participants were seated and shown a series of clips from Gaza, including children’s programming and broadcasts containing intense ideological messaging. No background information was provided, and viewers were not instructed on how to interpret what they were seeing. After watching, they were asked for immediate reactions.

The footage elicited a wide range of emotions. Some viewers were stunned by the content, admitting they had never seen anything like it before. Others expressed disbelief, questioning why this kind of material isn’t more widely discussed. A few were visibly shaken, saying the experience fundamentally altered their understanding of the situation.

By presenting the footage without narration or added commentary, Street Smart allowed participants’ genuine responses to emerge. The experiment revealed how propaganda can affect an entire generation. It can shock, unsettle, and force people to reconsider their assumptions.

Why This Project Matters

Sage Fox and Dorani aligned the purpose of this experiment with Street Smart’s broader mission of challenging prevailing narratives and encouraging critical thought among younger audiences. In an environment where footage spreads rapidly across digital platforms, propaganda can shape public opinion long before context catches up.

By showing the Gaza Indoctrination footage in a controlled setting and recording uncoached responses, the team aimed to expose the emotional and cognitive impact of this type of content.

“The first reaction is often the most revealing, because it shows how powerful images can be without context.”

The Range of Reactions

While each participant brought their own perspective, several themes emerged. Some expressed sympathy with the imagery itself, saying it was emotionally powerful.

One participant said, “It makes me question what I see online every day. How much of it is shaped this way?”

Their comments highlight how propaganda resonates differently depending on prior knowledge and exposure. Many viewers have simply never encountered such footage directly.

Street Smart’s Approach

This project continues a pattern established by Sage Fox & Dorani’s earlier videos. Rather than relying on experts or lengthy analysis, Street Smart focuses on real people and their honest reactions. The approach is simple but effective. Present potent material, listen to what people say, and share those moments with a wider audience.

The Gaza Indoctrination footage experiment fits this model. It doesn’t attempt to draw final conclusions or offer political commentary. Instead, it documents how people respond when they’re exposed to narratives that are usually filtered through intermediaries.

Implications for Media Literacy

Beyond its viral potential, the video raises broader questions about how people interact with powerful imagery online. Propaganda operates on emotional reflexes. As this experiment shows, those reflexes are often unexamined until they’re brought to the surface.

Sage Fox & Dorani hope that projects like this push audiences to think more critically about what they see and share.

“The purpose is not to tell people what to believe. It is to remind them that every image comes from somewhere, and that source matters,” they said.

Next Steps for Street Smart

As Street Smart’s platform grows, Sage Fox & Dorani plan to conduct similar experiments in different contexts. They intend to use their direct, street-level approach to highlight how people react when presented with challenging material.

The Gaza footage project is one piece of a larger mission. The team uses simple methods to shed light on complex issues. By focusing on authentic reactions, they continue to build a unique space in online media that blends cultural investigation with raw human response.

A Window into Unfiltered Thought

“We showed 20 strangers real propaganda footage from Gaza — and filmed their unfiltered reactions” is not a dramatic exposé or academic study. It is a clear, unmediated record of how individuals respond when confronted with material designed to persuade. In that restraint lies its strength.

By documenting these moments, Street Smart shows how awareness can begin with a pause. A brief space between seeing and believing.