Who is going winter camping this year?

[kgd]

Okay, reading my e-mail I managed to get an invite from a cool dude from the forums to do some winter camping. I'm psyched! Well, just the thought of winter camping fills me full of wintery cheer.

Plans, plans, plans though. Still haven't went through all those necessities. I plan on using my tent (MEC Nunatuk) as shelter, -12oC or -20oC synthetic MEC bag depending on expected weather conditions, foam + thermarest mat.

Likely Activities: (depending on timing of trip) snowshoeing, navigation refresher training, photography, possibly ice fishing, hanging around by the fire, playing with knives and axes.

So who else is planning on some camping in the cold snowy stuff? Let us know what your plans, shelter/sleep system and anticipated temperatures you will encounter. What are you going to do and who are you going to do it with?

 

[mcjhrobinson]

im not ideally setup for comfortable winter camping...unless its a warmer night. although i am sleeping on the lanai most nights...i love the fresh air~

 

[MustardMan]

I'm definitely doing some winter camping - in a hammock

The coldest I've gone in my hammock is mid-20's, but I'm armed with some more gear and some more know-how this year, so I'm hoping to get below zero at some point. Will hopefully be spending New Years on the summit of Springer Mountain at the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, and then spending a long weekend on top of Mount Rogers surrounded by snow and ponies a few weekends later. It's looking to be a fun winter :thumbup:

 

[99f250]

Thats a cool ass fire pit, gonna have to make one. I plan on doing some backpack camping, probably won't have any snow but it does get cold, if you call hi 20's cold.

 

[flipe8]

I'll be out winter mountaineering within the next month or two to the White Mountains. Temps will likely be in the -20's or so and I'll be in either my Integral Designs South Col bivy or a Mountain Hardwear single wall tent. I might also make it out a little closer to home around the Fundy Footpath with temps being anywhere below freezing to really below freezing In around that area, we'll likely set up a camp with firepit and other campcraft features. Climbing(for me) isn't about campcraft per se, but being able to get out of the wind to put some grub and hot liquids into the body for the push onward and upward.

 

[Rotte]

I was hoping to do some camping this fall, but that fell through. Maybe this winter....

 

[Razorsharp1986]

Where are you going to camp??
I wanna go winter camping once we get a little more snow. I really am not so prepared for it, but if a few friends join, we could build a shelter.
Pretty sure that I can figure out the rest of the items, it doesn't seem like rocket science. Food, shelter, clothing and a few great survival tools.... Getting excited already. ^_^

 

[kgd]

Probably in Michigan. Also have to do a bunch of stuff around Sharbot Lake and Lake Simicoe so may arrange a camping trip around those parts.

 

[fujita yuji]

Not much.
A few weekend ice climbings at best.

 

[Brian Andrews]

Hey Ken,

I went backpacking at about exactly this time last year. The weather was REALLY cold, just not a lot of snow I would much rather have snow.

Even if backpacking, I try to do 2 pads when it really cold. My setup is on the right.

On the bottom is an REI brand backpacking size "thermarest." The mat on top is not an ordinary air mat, which would be a big no-no. It is a Big Agnes, which contains prima-loft. It is a blow up mat, but with the insulation has a higher R-value than the mat below it. Also packs up smaller than a nalgene bottle, which is nice.

I also have a "colder" bag, but it you know the size trade off there.

More pics from that trip.

Fun stuff!

 

[Rotte]

I do the same thing Brian: Thermarest + Big Agnes. I still freeze my ass off. Maybe I need a warmer bag, but I have a theory that no matter what the temp outside is, you'll wake up cold at some point. At least for temps below 32F or 0C.

 

[De4thStr1ke]

I was planning on going this fall, but that fell through thanks to having to transfer jobs.

While I would like to go, I doubt I'll be able to..... Although I do plan on spending some time in the woods behind my house. I have three acres, and while it's not the same fun as camping out, I can still do a little fire building, squirrel eating, and general woods fun. But if the guy I go camping with wants to go, I'm all for it. As far as gear goes, I'll probably use my normal tent and get a nice sleeping bag, since I never use one for summer camping.

 

[MustardMan]

I've definitely stayed completely warm all night without waking up cold below 32. Get your gear setup right and you'll be toasty warm.



Now getting out of my bag to pee in the middle of the night, that's a different story... :thumbdn:

 

[theonew]

I can't wait to get out. Haven't been able to drag my wife in the winter but my pooch is always up for it If it's in the 30s F or below, he sleeps inside my sleeping bag and we are toasty warm :thumbup:

 

[Brian Andrews]

I did get to go later in the year, with big snow. But had no sleep system pics

Here are some snow pictures though, to get me motivated

B

 

[brians]

I'm heading into the Thunder Swamp forest for some winter camping. Going solo and activities include fly fishing and small-game bow hunting with the following core gear:

1. Cabelas Hunters Bivy and military poncho.
2. Wiggys Superlight FTRS over Exped 9 Deluxe Downmat (Rotte - the Downmat will cure your cold problems)

Done my scouting:

 

[MustardMan]

I will give a big +1 to the Downmats. I used one in a hammock, with wind whipping underneath me, at 25 degrees, and was toasty warm. This was the downmat 7. The downmat 9 is even warmer than that. They are kind of heavy and bulky, but crazy warm. Love those pads.

 

[kgd]

Yeah, I like two sleeping mats, foam pad and thermarest on top. My try my wife's fat REI pad with the foam this year.

Ooooooh....Its COLD!

 

[cmdionne]

+1 on the downmat

I definitely want to do some winter camping, but I don't have a ton of friends who would be down/have the gear to do it.

My one friend who could do it goes to Lake State Univ (Sault Ste Marie, MI), and we had an awesome weekend at one of the backcountry campsites at Taquemonon State Park in October (got 2 inches of snow the last night), we might head up there again.

Any of you Michiganders/Ontarians? have any good spots any closer to SE Michigan? I'd be excited to try that, I also may try to plan a weekend at one of the cabins at Waterloo (the woodstove would be alot nicer than a freezing tent).

My setup would likely be either my TNF 20 degree F mummy with a wool blanket over it, or else a super heavy and super warm coleman rectangular bag that has kept me warm many times (used to be my dads) or maybe even the mummy inside of the coleman. I would not want to try to backpack with the coleman though. I've got an Exped downmat 7 DLX and I would put that on top of my 3/4 length lightweight thermarest. Probably just use my Big Agnes Elkhorn 3 tent (don't really have any others at my disposal). Although I did want to try winter camping with a sort of tarp shelter next to a body length fire.

I've also got a small shed on some land that my family owns near Tawas, MI that I've always toyed with sleeping in, I really want to put a woodstove in it, but family members worry I'd burn it down.

 

[Bolt-action bultema]

I just got a FlipPac for my truck, so i think it will make a fine basecamp for my shorter trips. I usually make my way to the 10th mountain hut complex a few times each year, as well as a few secret spots I have. I love going to Sand dunes National Park in Feb. It has been a tradition for the past few years. -35 at night the first night, 58 the third day.