Forum was just upgraded to the latest version of phpBB. If you have any issues please report them to the admins or moderators. Enjoy!

2014 Winter Camping Trip

Camping, trail gear, recovery, gps, and related accessories.
JAS
Sparkplug
Sparkplug
Posts: 198
Joined: Thu Jan 07, 2010 12:39 pm
Reactions score: 0
Location: Oakville, Ontario
Make/Model: Xterra Off-road
Year: 2008
Tim's: Large Regular

2014 Winter Camping Trip

Post by JAS »

To beak up the winter blues I thought I would post a write-up on the 2014 version of our annual winter camping trip. As usual the trip takes place in the Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park on the third weekend of January. We have decided to change things up this year by doing a three day/two night trip into the back country and planned an ambitious route which would have us average 6 KM per day. Due to the length of the trip we decided to bring more gear this year including tents for shelter and ultra-light white gas (Coleman fuel) stoves for greater cooking flexibility. On the trip were a total of six guys, all with prior winter camping experience.
The winter has been shaping up perfectly for the trip with very cold temperatures before Christmas which continued into the New Year. With ice thicknesses on the main lakes reaching 16 inches over Christmas, I was confident we would not have the ice crossing worries of previous years. As the trip approached we had a warm spell which I hoped would knock down some of the snow followed by a perfect winter camping forecast with temperatures averaging -6C to -12C – cold enough to call it winter camping but warm enough to avoid the -25C extremes of two years ago.
With an anxious group fired up on Friday morning and the packs ready, we set off on our adventure.

Image

Image

Image

While the going was quite reasonable when crossing our first big lake with the falling snow providing a ‘winter wonderland’ backdrop to our pictures, the progress and mood quickly changed once we turned into the woods to follow a creek into the backcountry. For the two of us with snowshoes the going was as expected, but for the remaining four guys the going was torturous. Each step felt like stepping on a rung of a ladder with the rung snapping just as you transferred your full weight onto it. This was due to a crusty layer of ice over top of 16 inches of snow. The ice easily supported the weight when distributed by the snowshoes, but was just weak enough to break otherwise. Within a few hundred yards it was obvious that our ambitious route would have to be adjusted. It was also at this point that I decided to give my snowshoes to the slowest member of our party who was struggling more then the others. The difference that snowshoes make in these conditions is evident in the following picture.

Image
Image
We accepted our fait and continued our slow progress in good spirits for a couple of hours but things got even worse when crossing a few marches and bogs. These never freeze quite solid and contain many air pockets which are like traps under the undisturbed snow. At one point I fell though deep enough that I completely filled up my boots with water. While this is not a problem when you are on the move since your body warms up the water and you quickly get use to it pushing through your toes with each step, it becomes quite serious in camp. At this point your wet feet are sucking heat out of your body and spirit out of your heart. Having removable liner boots is crucial here as it allows you to dry them out within a couple of hours by the fire. We got quite good at that over our two nights as you certainly have the time to do it and we got ‘soakers’ each day.

Image

Image

At one point on day two I was breaking trail through a cascading set of beaver ponds and felt fortunate to pick up a fresh wolf track. It was obvious by the wolf’s meandering that it was picking its route carefully and I placed my decision making into the animal’s hands. This was a mistake as I fell through within a hundred yards, and the wolf fell though a few hundred yards after that. I realise that I am a lot heavier but I did want to verify the stories of animals leading people to safety – I would still trust a wild animal’s instinct, but I do think the irony in the incident is funny.

Image

The picture of our map, as tracked by GPS, provides some perspective to the route we ended up taking. Day 1 is in Red, day 2 in Yellow, and day 3 in Light Blue. Under normal conditions I expect to cover 1 KM in 30 minutes, with a slightly faster pace when walking on bigger lakes. On this route, we averaged 4 KM/h on the last day, but day 2 we were moving at a humbling pace of 0.9 KM/h – It was exhausting!
One other interesting note for people who do not winter camp is to show just how much condensation you get inside the tent under these conditions. I have a 4 season tent which can be completely closed off, but anticipating condensation I had the tent quite open with the zip out windows rolled back and the vestibule front half open. Even in this configuration which encouraged the movement of air at the expense of warmth this is how much condensation was frozen on the inside of the tent fly.

Image

Once again it was a great trip where mother nature continued to present us with new challenges. No matter how many times I am out there, I always come back with a new experience and a new lesson!
"I don’t care to belong to any club that will have me as a member." - Groucho Marx
SkinnyPedal
I've used 4-lo
I've used 4-lo
Posts: 535
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2008 5:01 pm
Reactions score: 0
Location: KW
Make/Model: Lexus LX
Year: 2006

Re: 2014 Winter Camping Trip

Post by SkinnyPedal »

Awesome adventure JAS. Good on you guys for doing this every year and even better on you for having buddies manly enough to do it with you.
CruiserRomey
I've used 4-lo
I've used 4-lo
Posts: 658
Joined: Sun Aug 16, 2009 9:02 am
Reactions score: 0
Location: GTA
Make/Model: Toyota Land Cruiser
Year: 7891
Tim's: 1/2 hot choc. 1/2 coffee

Re: 2014 Winter Camping Trip

Post by CruiserRomey »

great write up Jas! guess next time everyone's gotta get snowshoes! have u guys ever considered pulling a sled?
kdj
Sparkplug
Sparkplug
Posts: 133
Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2011 3:20 pm
Reactions score: 0
Location: Athens Ontario
Make/Model: Pathfinder Chilkoot
Year: 2003
Tim's: Tim who?

Re: 2014 Winter Camping Trip

Post by kdj »

JAS
I love the winter camping. Have you heard of Frontenac Provincial Park? We did winter and the "March 21st" first day of spring camping trips there a few times. It's great taking the short cuts across the lakes on foot. It's hike in only in the winter. In the winter you might have the whole place to yourself except for the critters and that booming ice after sundown. Check out the---Friends of Frontenac Park...site. Oh yeah, get a cheapo plastic kids sled to pull. Without all the weight on you back you're alot less likely to fall through. I can't use snowshoes because of the dog always want to walk on them too.
PiDGE
Don't follow me, you wont make it.
Don't follow me, you wont make it.
Posts: 1097
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2008 2:11 pm
Reactions score: 0
Location: location, location
Make/Model: Nissan Frontier KC
Year: 2005
Tim's: not my real name

Re: 2014 Winter Camping Trip

Post by PiDGE »

Looks cool. Crappy deal with the wet boots, but sounds like you made the best of it. Nice story.
Early to bed...Early to rise...Fish all day...Make up lies
JAS
Sparkplug
Sparkplug
Posts: 198
Joined: Thu Jan 07, 2010 12:39 pm
Reactions score: 0
Location: Oakville, Ontario
Make/Model: Xterra Off-road
Year: 2008
Tim's: Large Regular

Re: 2014 Winter Camping Trip

Post by JAS »

Hey kdj - I have checked out the Frontenac PP and the Friends of FPP sites. Looks like a cool place. We are so fortunate in Ontario/Canada to have so many easily accessible wilderness places. The closest that I have been to FPP is camping at Bon Echo a few summers ago.

Regarding the sleds - I have one and use it when I can. I find that they work well for ice fishing or hiking over open areas/trails, but are a big PITA when bushwhacking through overgrown areas and on constant up/down terrain.

If we ALL had snowshoes then this trip would have been considerably easier. Neither of the guys with them got any 'soakers'.
"I don’t care to belong to any club that will have me as a member." - Groucho Marx
CruiserRomey
I've used 4-lo
I've used 4-lo
Posts: 658
Joined: Sun Aug 16, 2009 9:02 am
Reactions score: 0
Location: GTA
Make/Model: Toyota Land Cruiser
Year: 7891
Tim's: 1/2 hot choc. 1/2 coffee

Re: 2014 Winter Camping Trip

Post by CruiserRomey »

Hey Jas,
would you ever consider taking your oldest on one of these trips? or at least an overnighter, or have you done it already?
I've heard the same thing about the sled when it comes to tight spots, pros and cons I guess. (I picked up a decent one at atmosphere and I can easily pull the 3 and 5 year old together . . . on level ground, lol.). was thinking junior plus some gear he can lean back on on the sled, plus a light pack on my back...hmmm.
got any recommendations for snow shoes (I know they're rated for your total weight), just so much to choose from at the stores! anyway, would love to try killarney and/or Algonquin one day.
cheers!

. . . and if you got more pics, please post em!
kdj
Sparkplug
Sparkplug
Posts: 133
Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2011 3:20 pm
Reactions score: 0
Location: Athens Ontario
Make/Model: Pathfinder Chilkoot
Year: 2003
Tim's: Tim who?

Re: 2014 Winter Camping Trip

Post by kdj »

To CruiserRomey
Just my opinion but if you're buying new shoes, get a pair of the newer alum. style. I have an old wooden pair of my grandfathers and a pair from the '70s-both wood and sinue style. The old style ones work great in the open but in the brush you'll end up fighting the width and lenght. Tight turns in low brush-pita. If you're pulling a sled with wooden ones with the long tails down hill-get ready for some face plants! If you go by weight rating remember, your weight or your weight with a big pack.
As for camping with the kids, do it but make sure you over prepair. I have a winter rated U.S. Army down filled mummy bag good for about a hunderd below and take a propane heater with an extra tank. I've only used the heater once but when we woke up one night and found out about the 6" of new snow and the temp drop since we went to bed, I'll never go without it. Just ran it with the window open abit so we didn't CO2 OD. As for the sled, if you're on trails I'd say take one. Pulling is easier than carrying. Plus on rest breaks you don't have to remove/replace a big pack every time so stop. I like to just drop the rope, plop on top and enjoy. I've seen some with the sled with a solid harness of PCV connected to the sled with a waist hanness so it stay a constant distance from you...hands free. KDJ
CruiserRomey
I've used 4-lo
I've used 4-lo
Posts: 658
Joined: Sun Aug 16, 2009 9:02 am
Reactions score: 0
Location: GTA
Make/Model: Toyota Land Cruiser
Year: 7891
Tim's: 1/2 hot choc. 1/2 coffee

Re: 2014 Winter Camping Trip

Post by CruiserRomey »

kdj, thanks dude! just what I was lookin for. definitely goin for alum shoes but there's a tonne to choose from, maybe i'll go middle ground pricewise. (I'm not as familiar with PK regarding these) but I have gaiters and poles for walking. could use newer hiking clothing and a decent 4 season tent. agreed on overpreppin for little ones. I took my then 3 year old to the pinery with extra bags AND a downfilled duvet (on a roof top tent) but I had the luxury of a truck to carry extra gear. will have to invest in a good kid mummy bag. and okay to overprep with a sled and if it's not hardcore distance. heck, I'd even be fine with stealth camping nearbye along the bruce trail somewhere... I would wait for slightly warmer winter temps, not far from freezing eitherway, if I'm going with kids..
but I'm leary about open flames in a tent...lol. and agreed on being able to drop the sled and rest, plus It makes for a nice way to move an injured person. definitely like the handsfree option too!

would love to find a used military bag, but they're not cheap and they pack heavy/large.
JAS
Sparkplug
Sparkplug
Posts: 198
Joined: Thu Jan 07, 2010 12:39 pm
Reactions score: 0
Location: Oakville, Ontario
Make/Model: Xterra Off-road
Year: 2008
Tim's: Large Regular

Re: 2014 Winter Camping Trip

Post by JAS »

Hey CR, Buying camping equipment is a lot like modding trucks - you spend 95% of your energy on research and daydreaming about something you don't have and 5% of your time on the trail. My 7 year old is bugging the crap out of me wanting to go out, so we slept out in the tent while at the cottage after Christmas. The temperature for the day/night was -11 to -20. I had the tent set up and we had the luxury to walk from a warm cottage to a cold tent. He slept in an MEC down bag rated at -7 and I was testing out my new MEC Polar Sun -10 down bag that I just bought for Christmas (first major purchase in years, but as the kids grow up I need a bag for everyone so I bought one more this year but nothing kid specific). He did just fine - not a single complaint and wanted to do it again for a second night. I drool over the $800 Western Mountaineering bags like everybody else, but would not get anything like that unless I was back country skiing in the mountains every other weekend. The biggest problem for my kid was sleeping in the bag the way you are suppose to. He did not want to have the hood on and the draw cords pulled shut. This worried me quite a bit so I was up constantly making sure he was alright.

My regular crew and I planned the 2015 version to be a two night hike/camping/fishing oriented adventure so I told my kid, who will then be 8, that if he can walk to the marina and back without whining (7KM round trip) before next year's trip then he can come.

For one night you will be fine with 3 season down bags and a regular 3 season tent. The other tent in our party this past weekend was a 3 season 'star gazer' with all the mesh in it. This actually helps with the moisture, so don't bother getting a 4 season tent (I find mine way too hot in normal weather due to the very limited mesh).

Leave your hiking poles at home. I used mine once, bent them by falling on them, now they no longer telescope. A guy this weekend did the same thing. I use a wooden staff - easy to replace, check the ice, use it for leverage when jumping over a creek, poke the fire, lay it down and step on it for extra support, and this year I made an ice chisel attachment from an old leaf spring. The ice chisel lets me cut a 10" hole through 16 inches of ice in less then 4 minutes, which means we leave the hand auger at home.

I use the MSR plastic snow shoes. Mine are old and are the predecessors to the current MSR EVO Acsent 22. I like them because they have a detachable tail which allows you to tailor the amount of flotation you get. 20 years and going strong.

I have used a really nice plastic molded sled with rigid poles which attach to a waist harness on a cross country ski trip in Colorado. It worked great at high altitude and did not ride up on your skis, but would not work here in Ontario back country when bushwhacking. When I lived in Midland I use to camp with a guy that brought a sled dog and a mushing sled - worked great on the trail but was a nightmare off the trail. Dog goes on one side of a tree and the sled goes another. I think that sleds work great for all the reasons stated except for the bushwhacking sections so I would make the decision based on the route.

I did a tent test last year to find out how much warmth is retained by the tent. I checked a thermometer hanging in the tent periodically as I woke up throughout the night. At 4:00 AM it was at -12 at which point I got out of my bag and got dressed to go outside - this raised the temperature in the tent to -10. I then took the thermometer out and it dropped to -20 within 5 minutes. I was just fine in my -7 bag with a single base layer and wool socks.
"I don’t care to belong to any club that will have me as a member." - Groucho Marx
CruiserRomey
I've used 4-lo
I've used 4-lo
Posts: 658
Joined: Sun Aug 16, 2009 9:02 am
Reactions score: 0
Location: GTA
Make/Model: Toyota Land Cruiser
Year: 7891
Tim's: 1/2 hot choc. 1/2 coffee

Re: 2014 Winter Camping Trip

Post by CruiserRomey »

awesome info Jas! thanks dude! agreed on the gear hunting, but a fun process! with the 5 year old, I definitely don't expect him to hike the trip so I'm preparing to pull his arse around, but on short trips. it might be a bit of a stretch with gear plus him..so we'll see..

I have a pair of -9 marmot bags l/r that zipped together and that's what we used a couple years ago, plus a fleece blanket for him. he had to wear a toque with the flaps on either side of the face and I think it was fine. his nose did get a little red. (I get you on the pulling the mummy bag tight around the face, but wasn't going to happen lol). saw some nice kid bags at Europe bound/MEC, maybe i'll wait for a spring/end of season sale.. (haven't been to SAIL yet)

I have an older decent north face 2 person 3 season tent with good mesh on the top so I really should just try that in the backyard and see how it goes. I'm afraid the fly will cover too much and might try a tarp over the whole thing instead and allow air to escape while still providing some wind protection.

been fine with the hiking poles (but great point on the potential to break! never thought of that), but I also use the odd wooden staff (and might try a carbon fiber hockey stick shaft for even less weight, but may not be as strong).

thanks for the tip on the msr shoes, i'll have a look at those next!

just so happens I'm headed out for a winter hike tomorrow with the 5 year old in bellfountain/piece of the bruce trail so i'll mock up some gear and see how well I do pulling the sled with junior.

kdj, digging that pvc pipe connection to the sled idea! might try that next.

speakin of keepin the tent warm, was also thinking about spreading a sheet of the foil/emergency blanket on at least 1 side of the tent (and they pack really small), while still letting air escape to the top... It should reflect/retain some heat back in....should. or I can precut strips that matches right up against the sides, somehow secure it with hooks.. maybe that and an UCO candle lantern will help.

fun fun. well, it's the only way to enjoy this time of year! :)
CruiserRomey
I've used 4-lo
I've used 4-lo
Posts: 658
Joined: Sun Aug 16, 2009 9:02 am
Reactions score: 0
Location: GTA
Make/Model: Toyota Land Cruiser
Year: 7891
Tim's: 1/2 hot choc. 1/2 coffee

Re: 2014 Winter Camping Trip

Post by CruiserRomey »

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... -back.html

funny enough, I just got this from my dad. can't really complain... anything is possible. :teeth:
CruiserRomey
I've used 4-lo
I've used 4-lo
Posts: 658
Joined: Sun Aug 16, 2009 9:02 am
Reactions score: 0
Location: GTA
Make/Model: Toyota Land Cruiser
Year: 7891
Tim's: 1/2 hot choc. 1/2 coffee

Re: 2014 Winter Camping Trip

Post by CruiserRomey »

just picked up a decent pair of tubbs 30" snowshoes on sale at atmosphere (which I'm told are better quality than the mckinleys). $115. the atlas and msr's are around double. atmosphere in square on has little bears treks 30 on sale for 59 from 119 if anyone's interested. decent reviews. (I may return the other ones..will see). the msr's are sweet tho. it's amazing to see the variety of just snowshoes! from regular hiking to running to technical stuff..

they all suggested I go with 30" for my weight (170 plus potential gear, rated from 150 to 200lbs usually..) IF I was going bush wacking and 25" for regular trails.
kdj
Sparkplug
Sparkplug
Posts: 133
Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2011 3:20 pm
Reactions score: 0
Location: Athens Ontario
Make/Model: Pathfinder Chilkoot
Year: 2003
Tim's: Tim who?

Re: 2014 Winter Camping Trip

Post by kdj »

To CruiserRomey

The sled I was talking about is on "Inquiry.Net" website. Lots of cool stuff, even a catapult.
kdj
Sparkplug
Sparkplug
Posts: 133
Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2011 3:20 pm
Reactions score: 0
Location: Athens Ontario
Make/Model: Pathfinder Chilkoot
Year: 2003
Tim's: Tim who?

Re: 2014 Winter Camping Trip

Post by kdj »

CruiserRomey wrote:just picked up a decent pair of tubbs 30" snowshoes on sale at atmosphere (which I'm told are better quality than the mckinleys). $115. the atlas and msr's are around double. atmosphere in square on has little bears treks 30 on sale for 59 from 119 if anyone's interested. decent reviews. (I may return the other ones..will see). the msr's are sweet tho. it's amazing to see the variety of just snowshoes! from regular hiking to running to technical stuff..

they all suggested I go with 30" for my weight (170 plus potential gear, rated from 150 to 200lbs usually..) IF I was going bush wacking and 25" for regular trails.
So have you tried them out yet?
User avatar
Xtrapol8
Premium Member
Premium Member
Posts: 476
Joined: Sun Nov 02, 2008 7:03 pm
Reactions score: 0
Location: Uxbridge, ON
Make/Model: Xterra OR M6
Year: 2008
Tim's: Tea & Cookies

Re: 2014 Winter Camping Trip

Post by Xtrapol8 »

It looks like it was a great trip.

I just got back from a little one night trip - my first time in winter - learned lots.


On the trail

Image


Quinzhee (two of us used this, but it could have been 4)

Image

Quinzhee (more contrast)

Image

Ice Coffin

Image
JAS
Sparkplug
Sparkplug
Posts: 198
Joined: Thu Jan 07, 2010 12:39 pm
Reactions score: 0
Location: Oakville, Ontario
Make/Model: Xterra Off-road
Year: 2008
Tim's: Large Regular

Re: 2014 Winter Camping Trip

Post by JAS »

Right on - congrats on getting out there. I bet it was warm in there. I have built one of those before and it is a heck of a lot of work. I ended up soaked from the work it self.

I bet you learned a tonne of stuff. Do you have any commentary on the building of the shelters? How long, opinions, thoughts?

How did you find the sleds? Did you have a tough hike? Where about were you camping?

I know, lots of questions, but you can't just post up some cool shots and leave me hanging.
"I don’t care to belong to any club that will have me as a member." - Groucho Marx
PiDGE
Don't follow me, you wont make it.
Don't follow me, you wont make it.
Posts: 1097
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2008 2:11 pm
Reactions score: 0
Location: location, location
Make/Model: Nissan Frontier KC
Year: 2005
Tim's: not my real name

Re: 2014 Winter Camping Trip

Post by PiDGE »

Very cool Xtrapol8. Always wanted to try this. How was it for the first time? Was it colder than you planed for? What did you do for sleeping? Extra layers, winter bag etc..Looks like a neat time.
Early to bed...Early to rise...Fish all day...Make up lies
User avatar
Xtrapol8
Premium Member
Premium Member
Posts: 476
Joined: Sun Nov 02, 2008 7:03 pm
Reactions score: 0
Location: Uxbridge, ON
Make/Model: Xterra OR M6
Year: 2008
Tim's: Tea & Cookies

Re: 2014 Winter Camping Trip

Post by Xtrapol8 »

Location - McCrae Lake area west of Hwy 400 and as far north as Gravenhurst

Outline - hike in for 60-90 minutes (mostly marked trail); pile snow for 60 minutes; eat lunch, make fire etc.; excavate for 90 minutes; eat dinner and enjoy fire side activity; sleep; breakfast; hike (2 hours); no lunch; break camp; 60-90 minute hike back; lunch a little farther south on Hwy 400

Conditions - absolutely perfect; -10C to -20C; 3 foot base of snow that came off in bricks as we shoveled (this meant that we only needed 1/3 the shovel throws that we would need had we been shovelling powder)

Stuff I Learned (in no particular order)

1) Make sure your quinzhee ground is flat. The other guys had a crappy quinzhee because they didn't check this and found a log across their quinzhee and had a sloped floor and no head room and ...

2) So long as the conditions are safe and non-slushy - the lake is a pretty good place to build a quinzhee. The snow is easier to get to and the base will be flat.

3) In general, there are lots of variables and you have to learn as you go. Embrace any mistake you make for the first time as a learning opportunity - but "Fool me twice, shame on me." The compromises anyone might make during a trip won't work out the same way for every individual, so there are not as many black and white rules as one might like.

3a) I run hot. I didn't need anywhere near as much clothing during the hikes as some of the other guys. When I did dress like them, I made a whole bunch of clothing wet (ie. useless; lots of work to remedy this situation) and ended up carying my jacket the whole time. (A 40L pack is good for day trips so that essentials can be with you and so that clothing can shuttle between the pack and the body as necessary - keeping clothing and you DRY.)

3b) Sleeping bag claims are a vague idea of the truth. The guy I "slept with" :squeam: is always cold in his -20C bag when it is only -10C. I had a bag (USGI MSS) that is rated easily good for -20C but I was cold whereas he was not. In the middle of the night we compared notes and his five layers of clothing to my one were making a big difference. We both had toques and socks on. I wasn't using the summer bag portion of the MSS as a bag, but did have it under me as insulation. We each had a closed cell (blue) foam pad and an inflatable pad (Therm-a-Rest-ish) beneath us.

3c) Regardless of what you perceive, change out of every piece of clothing you wore during the day so that you go to bed sleeping in dry clothes. I thought that my long underwear was not wet, but I suspect that it was moist enough to cause me problems. As stated above I run hot; I also tend to sleep hot and did not expect to be cold in the middle of the night. The next time, in addition to perfectly dry long johns, I will likely wear a fleece jacket, wrap my feet in some fleece article of clothing (in additon to wearing the dry liners of my boots?) and wear light mitts or gloves; I might consider a balaclava too as my nose didn't like all those continuous hours of cold temps. That's a lot of changes at once though and it might not all be necessary (I'll learn as I go.). I also have to become more comfortable with cinching the hood of the bag a lot tighter/smaller as I'm sure lots of heat escaped through gaps.

4) You need a pee bottle. In order to leave the quinzhee to pee you will have to get out of your bag, put on your waterproof stuff, slide out the door and go pee; you would then reverse the process to return to sleep. What a pain - not as much of a pain as getting wet and then trying to sleep, but still a pain. Unlike the other guys' quinzhee, mine was roomy enough for kneeling. I ended up peeing twice for 1000mL of pee - a full Nalgene :thumbup: I suppose that if you can pee lying down or sitting and you can keep the pee in the bottle, things are even better. Perhaps someone has figured out how to build a urinal into a quinzhee - I'll have to look this up.

5) One of us was pulling a black Pelican sled that was quite deep/tall using just rope ... and it sucked. The points of attachment were too high, his sled was too short (1.3m or 4 feeet) to be stable, and he didn't have the ropes (sled to hips) running through PVC electrical conduit. His sled tipped over every 100m or so.

6) My quinzhee was colder than I thought it would be. We did not block the doorway and we did have two air holes which might have been in less than ideal locations. I believe that the inside temperature when we went to sleep was -2C and when we woke up was -10C. A candle can provide warmth, but does use up oxygen. I need to do more research on making the quinzhee cozy and safe. (Structure was awesome as you can tell - 800lbs of guy on the roof and not a sign of collapse. I was able to kick (4-5x) a hole in the thinnest part eventually.)

7) The ice coffin was faster and easier to make. The guy who slept in there does not have a super bag or anything, but I don't know what he wore when he was in the bag during our -17C night. He did put pine boughs on the floor.

8) Shovels for the quinzhee - obviously the lifting kind instead of the pushing kind, and smaller is easier to carry. BUT when you get into the pile to hollow it out, the handle will likely be inconveniently long - a collapsible shovel with maybe only 30cm (1 foot) of shaft is much better at this point.

9) Survivor Man (Les Stroud) likes to say "You sweat, you die." Given that his situations are more serious than ours, it's appropriate. It does underscore the importance of being willing and able to change clothes at a moment's notice either because you notice that you've begun to warm up or, better, because you know that you are about to. Having to dry things is a royal pain. The water won't harm you while you're giving off lots of heat, but once you try to get back to a resting state in that same (now wet) clothing, you'll just keep cooling int ohypothermia.

That's all I can think of for now. Feel free to ask more; it would probably help to keep me from making mistakes next time.
CruiserRomey
I've used 4-lo
I've used 4-lo
Posts: 658
Joined: Sun Aug 16, 2009 9:02 am
Reactions score: 0
Location: GTA
Make/Model: Toyota Land Cruiser
Year: 7891
Tim's: 1/2 hot choc. 1/2 coffee

Re: 2014 Winter Camping Trip

Post by CruiserRomey »

awesome trip report and thanks for sharing some tips! love reading about this stuff! gear selection, trial and error, lemon situations, bushcraft are all what it's all about! that's gotta be one of the nicest quinzhee's I've seen! i like that channel to keep the draft out. with regards to inside temps, did you guys make the entrance so that it's at a lower point than where you'll sleep? i understand that this keeps the cold out and away from mixing with warm air you've generated… but dang, that's one strong build! i've yet to try one but haven't stayed out long enough to justify the work/time. definitely would like to try that ice coffin next time. seems easier if you had quick access to the right size branches and a tarp.

well, just so happens that me and junior also just did a winter camp. we went to the pinery in grand bend to try out some things while in a more controlled environment with backups, it was a little last minute/packed that morning, and we left in a blizzard, sheesh. wanted to try pulling my 5 yr old on the sled with snow shoes and try the new pocket rocket stove i picked up with the all season fuel. there's one area designated for winter camping at the pinery, it's at the riverside campgrounds next to some yurts. there's a washroom nearby and you can get a hot shower if needed. but the place was very quiet and there was enough land to go exploring and get the same space and peace one would want for camping outdoors. just under 40 bucks a night for non electrical (but all are electrical sites, just tell them you don't need the outlet). we slept in the roof top tent with 2 sets of bags that zipped into each other. a pair of -9 rated marmot synthetic bags plus a pair of 0 rated outbound (cheaper brand) bags. we both had fleece onesies, toques and socks and we were toasty while it was about 10 to 15 below outside. i had thought about bringing a container for peeing, forgot it, but we were fine all night. was thinking of using a large empty protein powder jug.

Image
Image

quick hike before bed.
Image

Image

next day..
Image

trying out the 30" tubbs i got on sale at atmosphere. first time on snowshoes and thought it went well. the learning curve is quite easy and i was surprised at how light these things were. just gotta make larger turns.
Image

hiked around the closed off camping areas
Image

Image

buddy here had a blast
Image

Image
back up plan for water, warmth and a good toilet seat, lol.

feeding some birdies
Image

camp. son just played around and kept himself entertained while i prepped some simple meals.
Image

Image

Image

msr pocket rocket for boiling water and your standard uco candle lantern which i think helped with the warmth in the tent. i blew out the candle later that night as it was too bright for sleeping. one candle can burn for 8 hours. by the way, the RTT has two vents near the peaks of the roof and i cracked open both side windows.
Image

drove into town to check out the beach
Image

Image

Image

here i am standing on a huge drift from the lake, about 20 feet high, about 50 yards out on a mostly frozen lake huron.
Image

Image

had a great time. i would definitely recommend this type of winter camping for those wanting to try for the first time or if you have little ones. you can get the same feel out of the trip in a more controlled/safer area. i had considered hiking out into a more secluded area and pitching a tent but we only stayed for one night. the RTT was perfect but i wished i had draped a tarp over the roof so i could easily slide it off pack it back up with less snow and frozen bits. still have to reopen the tent and air it out.

with mostly level terrain, with the sled/snowshoes, and not too too far a distance to camp i would consider taking the boy with me next time. don't think i'll have a problem with say breaking up a 2 hour hike with rest stops and turning into a 4 hr trip to camp. but he'll have to walk some to give me some active rest and we'd have to invest in warmer bags and slightly better clothing for us both. and i would first do a mock hike with the exact amount of gear we''ll need and just see how it goes…

couple vids
Image

birdie lands on the phone.
Image
Last edited by CruiserRomey on Wed Feb 12, 2014 10:59 pm, edited 7 times in total.
Post Reply