Winter shelter

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Apr 15, 2012
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3
So its going to be cold this weekend in MN. My thought was I should try to sleep outside! State land in front of my house was recently logged so plenty of branches down to work with. Started to build a shelter this morning. I know this is not true winter camping but gotta start somewhere. Any suggestions?
 
Insulation from the cold ground is key. If not, you'll quickly lose heat to the ground. Second, shelter yourself from the wind.

Don't forget a fire reflector!

Looking forward to the pics.
 
Ditto to what Pole said. Make a bed from spruce or balsam bows, try and get a good 3" to 4" away from the ground if possible.

Good to see another Minnesotan. Where abouts are you?
 
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If your going to try to sleep without a bag, still have an temp appropriate one out there with you ready to go. Probably best to just use a heavy bag this time out. I've slept out in a natural shelter before with only a thin summer bag and fire in temps in the 20's and woke up in the middle of the night so cold I thought I was going to die. Luckily once the adrenaline kicked in I was able to get up and moving and build up the fire.
 
+1 on the bough bed, I like the box spring and mattress approach: dead branches, sticks then twigs about a 8" thick, covered by another good foot of springy green boughs...
If you're going for the full thermal shelter, think freestanding sleeping bag instead of a cabin, something you have to almost wiggle into. Build it thick; you shouldn't be able to see any daylight from inside.

Good luck; looking forward to you report!

Cheers,
8

p/s Originally from Nisswa, MN...
 
I'd suggest checking out the 'American Grouch' blog. He has done a number of good posts on building winter shelter/fire setups.
 
So its going to be cold this weekend in MN. My thought was I should try to sleep outside! State land in front of my house was recently logged so plenty of branches down to work with. Started to build a shelter this morning. I know this is not true winter camping but gotta start somewhere. Any suggestions?

Bring a hatchet or small axe to de-limb spruce boughs from trees you've sawn down. I've found it takes on average 3 Christmas tree sized trees to get enough boughs for a bed for one guy. Second tip, is make notes on how long these winter camping tasks take. How long to make a bed, how long to boil a quart of water, how long to set up a tent. You're going to need to know this because days are short and travel takes time. You have only so much daylight and everything takes much, much more energy than in the summer. Eat at least 5000 calories a day... fatty foods are best, non-processed foods freeze less fast. Stock up on homemade cookies! Eat just before bedtime. Take it easy on the booze at night - just don't overdo it. Insulate your water overnight too.
 
Thanks guys. Gonna give it a try tonight. Sounds cold enough. I think I have a good start, not sure if it perfect. Like I said is close to the house and have an escape plan in place. Will try photos later.
 
Three days later and nothing in the news about him. He might still be editing his pics.:D
 
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