why would I camp somewhere named Hole Where You'll Freeze To Death
Yeah I'm going on a camping trip to the Hole Where You'll Freeze to Death. No I won't be back soon.
If people are curious about what the video title means, I watched it some time ago, and it's actually pretty important info to know if you're going camping/backpacking: heat rises, and cold sinks, so the lowest point of the terrain can become much colder than the surrounding area, especially at night. If the temperature in these low-points drops farther than the temperatures your camping gear is rated for, you can definitely freeze to death.
"Don't sleep in holes" seems like a pretty obvious statement to make a video about. But it isn't talking about what we normally think of when we're asked to describe a hole in the ground. The video is talking about low-lying meadows or depressions, often in cold mountains like the Alps, that are free of trees and large plants. They seem like good flat ground to camp on. And to compound the problem, maybe some poor sucker tried to build a now-abandoned log cabin or shack right in the middle of one that you may be tempted to sleep in, like the one in the thumbnail. But the reason the meadow is free and clear of trees, is because even pine trees, which grow in high altitudes and low temperatures, can't survive the temperature difference. The downhill slope of the terrain collects the freezing air like water in a bowl, and with nowhere for it to go, it may become even colder than temperatures recorded at much higher elevations in the same area. And you'll be right there in the middle of it, because it looked very nice in the daylight. Now? Not so much.
So don't sleep in holes. Best case scenario is that you'll have a very chilly night's sleep and a lousy morning. Worst case is that you won't wake up in the morning at all.
(My memory and explanation isn't perfect, watch the video itself in case I got important stuff wrong. The creator also lists his sources in the video description if you wanted to check those out.)
Whereas if you're not where there is snow?
In a desert?
Don't camp in holes, Don't camp right next to water, Don't camp in a canyon, arroyo or wash.
All because not only can it get super cold in there (you only need a couple degrees below body temp for it to kill you, not actual cold)
But FLASH FLOODS can happen miles upstream or in mountains you can't even see and then you're a new smear on the wall of the canyon.
(also camping next to water invites javelinas, mountain lions, coyotes, feral dogs and who knows what else to eat your supplies or poke at you. Water is the local.... uh watering hole. Don't camp right by it.)
And while we're at it, don't pitch your tent directly under a tree.
Lots of kinds of trees drop branches even when it's not particularly windy. When it *is* particularly windy it's not unusual to hear stories about people's tents getting squashed under fallen tree trunks. Rain and snow and extended drought can also be reasons why branches and other things drop on tents. Just don't do it.
Lightning strikes are also something worth worrying about- Lightning loves trees. Pitch your tent in a clearing if you can, just make sure it's not at the bottom of a valley for the above posters' reasons.
