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Hot tenting is a term used to describe a heated tent shelter system. Today there are options for backpacking one over harsh terrain and longer range. For this outing I decided to go over the essentials of a backpacking hot tenting system. Hot tenting allows options which can be more difficult with other shelter systems. Rather than just surviving a person can thrive. An opportunity for a total reset which allows the next day to be even better than the previous. This is the primary shelter type I use during the cooler months. The temperatures for this outing were in the 40's with rain. There were lots of hills.
So lets Go! Wood, Water and Power! But first lets check out the falls on the way to the trail.
Part 1.
My backpack for this outing. Inside is a hot tent with all the fixings but every attempt was made to reduce pack weight within reason.
The leaves were at the very cusp of the final week of their explosion. Some green but still a brown and gray overlook. The transformation from this stage to full leaf cover tends to be fast.
Lots of White birch however for once didn't need the tinder.
Lots of quartz as well which is another resource but again this outing's focus wasn't on marginal/field expedient firecraft methodologies.
Looks like I will be going over that hill in the distance. I always enjoy seeing the inevitable before hand.
Looks that way.....
Yup! LOL!
All the rivers, streams and brooks were very high as it rained on and off for most of the week it seemed. Naturally that mean potentially damp wood.
Finally made it to camp an hour before dark. When the weather is questionable one of the first things I do is setup a rain fly. This allows me to unpack without drama. In this case I used a poncho on a ridgeline with two sliding friction knots.
Dark came fast. Maybe it was shorter than 1 hour before? When it's cloudy all day and the phone is packed away time isn't so easy to discern.
What does a heated shelter camp run on? You guessed it wood, water and power.
Power for illumination was needed.
Wood for fuel as planned on boiling water. Yup the wood was wet despite my best foraging skills. Things are harder in the dark.
Light weight backpacking tools. A Mora 746 and Felco 600 saw.
One way to deal with damp wood is to split it. No axe however did have a knife. Yes I am batoning with a Mora. Yes the knife didn't break and world didn't end. My baton was kinda skanky however.
GO!
One pro to a small stove being a little wood lasts a long time. The primary con being increased wood prep and stoking. Split wood in this situation is almost a requirement.
I considered sleeping under the poncho despite it's high pitch even as the rain and wind picked up. I was packing a down bag but had a UL bivy. Also had some water tabs and a bag of cashews. I didn't hike all that gear in just to spend another night under a poncho. I setup the heated shelter camp. Now that's better!
I processed enough wood for the night and into the early AM. The little stove doesn't need much to keep things comfortable in the 40's. During deep winter I would use a larger stove and more wood.
Stove on one side, sleep system on the other. Sometimes when packing a down bag in a single walled not breathable shelter I employ a bivy. This one has a water resistant DWR top and waterproof sil nylon bottom. So I need not worry about condensation. Shelters are a bit like knives, axes, guns etc etc etc. Improper use can have less than desirable results.
The wood was wet but splitting made all the difference.
Boiling the water. I like to get the pot on ASAP.
The traditional bacon. During summer I wouldn't pack something like this for longer range outings.
UL DWR bag liner is nice for resting in the front of the shelter as the water comes to a boil. Inner liner then bag then outer bivy are parts of my sleep system but don't always use all the components
Dinner is ready.
Got too hot for the bag liner. I like to raise smaller shaped tarp type shelters off the ground to increase floor space. Then I cover the gaps with leaf litter or snow. This allows me the stretch out in the front without touching the walls.
The old stuff sack for a pillow trick.
Yes it rained all night.
End of part 1. Below is a video for part 1.
[video=youtube;BcDIqpt0ufc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcDIqpt0ufc[/video]
So lets Go! Wood, Water and Power! But first lets check out the falls on the way to the trail.
Part 1.
My backpack for this outing. Inside is a hot tent with all the fixings but every attempt was made to reduce pack weight within reason.
The leaves were at the very cusp of the final week of their explosion. Some green but still a brown and gray overlook. The transformation from this stage to full leaf cover tends to be fast.
Lots of White birch however for once didn't need the tinder.
Lots of quartz as well which is another resource but again this outing's focus wasn't on marginal/field expedient firecraft methodologies.
Looks like I will be going over that hill in the distance. I always enjoy seeing the inevitable before hand.
Looks that way.....
Yup! LOL!
All the rivers, streams and brooks were very high as it rained on and off for most of the week it seemed. Naturally that mean potentially damp wood.
Finally made it to camp an hour before dark. When the weather is questionable one of the first things I do is setup a rain fly. This allows me to unpack without drama. In this case I used a poncho on a ridgeline with two sliding friction knots.
Dark came fast. Maybe it was shorter than 1 hour before? When it's cloudy all day and the phone is packed away time isn't so easy to discern.
What does a heated shelter camp run on? You guessed it wood, water and power.
Power for illumination was needed.
Wood for fuel as planned on boiling water. Yup the wood was wet despite my best foraging skills. Things are harder in the dark.
Light weight backpacking tools. A Mora 746 and Felco 600 saw.
One way to deal with damp wood is to split it. No axe however did have a knife. Yes I am batoning with a Mora. Yes the knife didn't break and world didn't end. My baton was kinda skanky however.
GO!
One pro to a small stove being a little wood lasts a long time. The primary con being increased wood prep and stoking. Split wood in this situation is almost a requirement.
I considered sleeping under the poncho despite it's high pitch even as the rain and wind picked up. I was packing a down bag but had a UL bivy. Also had some water tabs and a bag of cashews. I didn't hike all that gear in just to spend another night under a poncho. I setup the heated shelter camp. Now that's better!
I processed enough wood for the night and into the early AM. The little stove doesn't need much to keep things comfortable in the 40's. During deep winter I would use a larger stove and more wood.
Stove on one side, sleep system on the other. Sometimes when packing a down bag in a single walled not breathable shelter I employ a bivy. This one has a water resistant DWR top and waterproof sil nylon bottom. So I need not worry about condensation. Shelters are a bit like knives, axes, guns etc etc etc. Improper use can have less than desirable results.
The wood was wet but splitting made all the difference.
Boiling the water. I like to get the pot on ASAP.
The traditional bacon. During summer I wouldn't pack something like this for longer range outings.
UL DWR bag liner is nice for resting in the front of the shelter as the water comes to a boil. Inner liner then bag then outer bivy are parts of my sleep system but don't always use all the components
Dinner is ready.
Got too hot for the bag liner. I like to raise smaller shaped tarp type shelters off the ground to increase floor space. Then I cover the gaps with leaf litter or snow. This allows me the stretch out in the front without touching the walls.
The old stuff sack for a pillow trick.
Yes it rained all night.
End of part 1. Below is a video for part 1.
[video=youtube;BcDIqpt0ufc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcDIqpt0ufc[/video]
Thanks for watching.
