Cold camping?

[Idaho45guy]

I grew up camping in this area, but we generally only camped during the summer. I guess we went out a couple of times during hunting season, but didn't make a habit out of it.

Yesterday I had cabin fever pretty badly and with temps supposedly in the 50's, I hooked up my old pop-up camper and headed into the woods for a last-minute wild hair get into the woods camping trip.

I forgot how cold it gets at night in the mountains. My camper is one that I bought for $100 and am slowly restoring. It's in pretty good shape, really, for a 1970's pop-up camper. But, the propane line has a hole in it that supplies the furnace, so no heater.

I have a nice sleeping bag rated to -10 degrees. My brother and I talked today and he is of the opinion that the temperature rating of sleeping bags indicates at how cold of a temperature you can sleep in without dying and NOT what temperature you can sleep in and be comfortable. I agree. Last night it got down into the low 20's and I did not die.

But I was NOT comfortable...

Normally, I sleep in a tent, so I have a nice cot, a nice air mattress, and a thick comforter. It's usually down to maybe the upper 40's or 50's when I camp during the summer out here.

Well, this was a last minute trip and I forgot the comforter. And a pillow. I went to bed wearing a hooded sweatshirt and a stocking cap. I had to use the seat cushions to substitute for a pillow. Woke up a couple of times freezing and had to burrow further down into the sleeping bag and throw a coat over me.

But the first camping trip of the year is now in the bag.

[Idaho45guy]

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217271

Nothing better than sitting by a campfire next to a trout-filled creek reading the Bible...

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[JonB_in_Glencoe]

On a Motorcycle trip to the west coast, during 4th of July week, in the late 80s, My friends and I camped overnight at one of our favorite boondock camping areas in the Big Horn mts (WY)...just below Black mt Lookout. I woke up in the middle of the night, shivering, Tent condensation was ice, I climbed out of the tent to get the fire going and try to warm up...my two buddy's were already out there and the fire was going good. brrrr.

[Idaho45guy]

On a Motorcycle trip to the west coast, during 4th of July week, in the late 80s, My friends and I camped overnight at one of our favorite boondock camping areas in the Big Horn mts (WY)...just below Black mt Lookout. I woke up in the middle of the night, shivering, Tent condensation was ice, I climbed out of the tent to get the fire going and try to warm up...my two buddy's were already out there and the fire was going good. brrrr.


Nothing worse than waking up cold when camping; except waking up cold AND having to go to the bathroom. And there is no bathroom...

[Idaho45guy]

Coldest I've camped was about 7 years ago in Southeastern Idaho on a Mule deer hunt near Dubois.

My dad, my son, and my brother and I slept in dad's fancy new 29' RV camper. It was -10 degrees and there was a 20mph wind. His camper had the "Alpine" package for cold-weather camping. Furnace was going non-stop and we could only get it to 50 degrees inside. That was miserable to hunt in but not bad sleeping conditions. I actually have a picture from that trip...

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[nagantguy]

Though noisy one of those emergency blankets sure helps keep the warm inside a sleeping bag! Been on some cold cold nights in ratty cabins, leaky pop ups,tents and under the stars from MI to Co. the one that stands out above all others was in Turkey, yep the Turkish desert, 110 for our liberty days in Izmir, for training we packed light, only the shell of the sleeping bag, the second night it rained and fell into the 30s , low 30s , wet and tired under the stars, more than a few Marines shared sleeping bags that night and the next, wet, cold and a stiff wind sure was miserable. Anyhow at -12 on a CO elk hunt and the emergency space tin foil blanket sure helped keep the warm inside.

[trails4u]

Mingo County, WV sometime around 1992. Had a perfectly good cabin within sight, but all the sleeping accommodations were upstairs in a loft, and it got ridiculously hot in that loft....so me and a buddy decided to tent it. Woke up sometime in the night, with my wool sock clad foot poking through the hole in the end of my bag, with frost on it. Ouch. We knew it was going to get cold...so Brad had brought some wool army blankets along. We were both nicely covered in them as we went to bed, but when I awoke to my frozen foot he was wrapped up like a pig n a blanket in all of them. The thermometer on my sleeping bag zipper said 6 degrees....and I believe it!! :)

[marlin39a]

We're taking our camper out Saturday and setting up on a ridge over a river. Will be in the low 80's here. Rib eyes over a fire. Watch the stars. Will be in the 30's by morning. Spring is here, saw my first hummingbird today.

[Idaho45guy]

the one that stands out above all others was in Turkey, yep the Turkish desert, 110 for our liberty days in Izmir, for training we packed light, only the shell of the sleeping bag, the second night it rained and fell into the 30s , low 30s , wet and tired under the stars, more than a few Marines shared sleeping bags that night and the next, wet, cold and a stiff wind sure was miserable.

You have my respect...

[Idaho45guy]

We're taking our camper out Saturday and setting up on a ridge over a river. Will be in the low 80's here. Rib eyes over a fire. Watch the stars. Will be in the 30's by morning. Spring is here, saw my first hummingbird today.

I miss Arizona. Used to live in Prescott Valley until my divorce in 2013. Got my CCW permit at Gunsite in 2007.

We used to camp up past Strawberry at the Blue Ridge Reservoir...

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[MaryB]

In my younger days we did a week long winter camp/fur bearer hunt/trapping trip in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. -20 or lower in mid December! Wall tent with 2 wood stoves so 45 to 50 in the tent unless you picked the straw for the cot next to the wall. I got tired of freezing so I stacked cut pine boughs against the outer wall then buried it in a layer of snow. Older brother came back to my corner and tried to talk me into moving, it was 65 degrees due to the extra insulation! Told him nope, we drew straws, you are stuck next to the door where you froze from everyone going out to pee at night LOL After that trip he bought a 5 gallon toilet setup and an anteroom for the front of the tent to keep it warmer, go out to pee in the bucket and not let outside ice cold air in! We made a months income in that week and it was a LOT of hard cold work. But furs sold well back then.

[tankgunner59]

You should get a military surplus extreme cold weather sleeping bag. It was back in January 1980, but I was stationed at Fort Carson, CO. We were in the field on our M-60 tanks, and we had to sleep in combat conditions. That means all four tankers had to sleep on or in the tank, and it got really cramped. So I rolled out my bag on the front fender stripped to my skivies and put my fatigues on the inside, climbed in and went to sleep. I was warm as I would've been inside with the tank heater running. Slept like a log all night.
Haven't done a lot of cold camping these days, the wife wouldn't go and camping alone ain't a lot of fun. But with one of these sleeping bags I wouldn't hesitate.

[Idaho45guy]

In my younger days we did a week long winter camp/fur bearer hunt/trapping trip in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. -20 or lower in mid December! Wall tent with 2 wood stoves so 45 to 50 in the tent unless you picked the straw for the cot next to the wall. I got tired of freezing so I stacked cut pine boughs against the outer wall then buried it in a layer of snow. Older brother came back to my corner and tried to talk me into moving, it was 65 degrees due to the extra insulation! Told him nope, we drew straws, you are stuck next to the door where you froze from everyone going out to pee at night LOL After that trip he bought a 5 gallon toilet setup and an anteroom for the front of the tent to keep it warmer, go out to pee in the bucket and not let outside ice cold air in! We made a months income in that week and it was a LOT of hard cold work. But furs sold well back then.


My grandpa was a fur trapper and boat builder from Peshtigo, WI. He moved out here in 1946 to a tiny town called Palouse, WA then eventually moved 15 miles away to Moscow, ID. I bought a house in Palouse in 2014 and discovered it is one block away from where my grandpa first moved. Ironic...

Anyway, he used to tell me tales of him riding the rails and working trap lines in Wisconsin in the 1930's.

He said one winter, he was working a trap line and sleeping in a little canvas tent and it got so cold that the pitch was freezing in the pine trees and causing them to explode. He said he laid awake all night just listening to trees explode all around him. I think he said it was around -50 degrees or so. I was probably around 14-15 years old at the time, but it was a fantastic story.

I believe I once researched trees exploding from the sap freezing and expanding and it was discounted by scientists but some swore they've witnessed it...

Coldest I've been was in Iowa in `96 or so. I do not recall the air temp, but I do recall the wind chill was -70 degrees. I remember getting in my 1985 Ford LTD at 0500 and it barely starting, then driving it the 18 miles to work and it was like driving the Flintstone's car because the oil in the shocks was frozen, the rubber in the tires was frozen...

I do not miss the midwest...

[Idaho45guy]

You should get a military surplus extreme cold weather sleeping bag.

I have one, LOL. Complete with broken zipper. It is a very warm bag. It was issued to me when I was a 12B. It and the Mickey Mouse boots were some amazing pieces of gear for surviving cold weather.

It's funny, but when I was grabbing gear for my trip, it was in a garbage sack next to the camping chair that I grabbed out of the loft in the garage. Didn't even think about grabbing it. Duh.

[tommag]

Back when I was invincible, I used to camp out in the winter in North central Montana when it was -10 to -20. Sleeping bags in the open were miserable. My feet always hurt from the cold. Snow caves were a big improvement! Now, I consider turning the thermostat down to 60 to be roughing it.

[Elkins45]

I have a nice sleeping bag rated to -10 degrees. My brother and I talked today and he is of the opinion that the temperature rating of sleeping bags indicates at how cold of a temperature you can sleep in without dying and NOT what temperature you can sleep in and be comfortable.

That is my opinion as well. To be comfortable at the rated temps I would think you would need to be sleeping in your winter jacket and have some sort of ground pad as well.

[starmac]

Camped in an army wall tent one elk season, -10 at night. I had a homemade woodstove I had built and an extreme cold army bag. It never got cold enough to zip the bag completely closed. My older partners sister had made him bring the fifth wheel and promise to sleep in it. I would hear him and his grandson every morning around 2 am changing the propane bottles, and by 4 they would be in the tent with us. lol

I spent a cold night in a dead truck when the actual temp was 29 below in that army bag, didn't unzip that puppy till about 10 am when I heard the first truck coming. lol

I no longer have that bag, but keep a 30 below bag in the truck, it would be hard pressed to keep a guy alive at 30 below, I think.

You folks can have that 20 below camping, especially the canoe trip ones, it is just too dadgum tiring dragging a canoe in that hard water, a sled works much better.

[tomme boy]

This is a Polish Lavvu that I modified by adding 18" to the bottom and a stove jack. it works awesome. It is heavy but it should last longer than I will be around. I also replaced the buttons to close the flap with a zipper.

Coldest I have been out in it has been 2* at night. I don't sleep very well so I put a couple split logs in the stove each time I woke up. Most of the time it was over 80* inside.

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[Cariboo]

Have you ever gone camping when it’s 20 below, it’s really not so cold you know what with the northern lights all aglow, the Lords doing a fantastic light-show. Is close to what I wrote in the early 70s. Spent 3 weeks on snowshoes.
Found that if you packed down a circle in the snow, dug it down with a snowshoe leaving a sleeping shelf on 1 side using a Sportsman blanket to build a leanto over the shelf, boughs to insulate you from the snow, and a fire on the opposite side, you could stay very comfortable and watch the night sky. Make sure you have wood to toss on the coals every so often.

[marlin39a]

I miss Arizona. Used to live in Prescott Valley until my divorce in 2013. Got my CCW permit at Gunsite in 2007.

We used to camp up past Strawberry at the Blue Ridge Reservoir...

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Many changes in 5 years. A lot of new business, and traffic. SAMs club closed up. PV Guns still going strong.

[GhostHawk]

Being young and dumb and wanting to prove myself one fine winters afternoon I walked into the woods with a knife, gun, axe and lighter, and wearing good cold weather gear.

Picked a nice spruce tree with a good snow load on top that went almost all the way to the ground. Big deadfall right next to it for firewood. I don't remember much of that night. Other than I survived, it was incredibly long. No dry place to sit. So I had a damp cold butt most of the night.

Couple of garbage bags would have improved my comfort a lot.

I also spent a night in my Dodge 76 pickup one night at -35 below. Did not want to leave the lake (was ice fishing) That one was actually pretty comfortable as I had a very good sleeping bag. I'd run the truck long enough to get warm, then tuck in and sleep until the cold woke me. So sleeping in roughly 2 hour shifts. Then start the truck and repeat.

I was lucky, if I'd had truck trouble I could have been a frozen corpsicle.

Slept in a tent in mid January on a trout ice fishing trip. Was actually 2 big tents, first one was put up, they piled cut grass 2-3 feet thick on all sides, top, then stretched the second tent over.

But the fire in the stove was never allowed to go out. Long as the stove was cranking it was comfy enough. But going outside to pee in the snow was no fun.

[redhawk0]

Not my coldest (which was -20 in an unheated cabin)...but it was my worst. A year after I was married at the beginning of June, my wife and I took a camping trip in Eastern PA. For an ENTIRE week (day and night) it rained and daytime highs were in the 50s. Nightime lows were in the mid to upper 30s. We had so much rain that the tent we were in actually filled with water by 4" and we couldn't keep a fire going. We slept very little on that trip. I say it was the worst only because....well let me put it this way...."have you ever camped with a skinny, shivering, wet, cold woman"?....yikes...it was torture. If it wasn't for the fact that we lived 4 states away...we'd have called it quits early.

redhawk

[DocSavage]

Had a camp in Boothbay Me and during the fall/ winter you had to go out side to warm up. Had a potbelly stove that was more decorative than a heat source.
Went up with my cousin and his girl friend one time,she had a small dog almost no fur what I call a rat with a thyroid problem anyway I remember it was so cold the poor thing crawled in with me in my sleeping bag to get warm. He was shaking so bad you'd have thought he had Parkinson's.

[BrassMagnet]

You should get a military surplus extreme cold weather sleeping bag. It was back in January 1980, but I was stationed at Fort Carson, CO. We were in the field on our M-60 tanks, and we had to sleep in combat conditions. That means all four tankers had to sleep on or in the tank, and it got really cramped. So I rolled out my bag on the front fender stripped to my skivies and put my fatigues on the inside, climbed in and went to sleep. I was warm as I would've been inside with the tank heater running. Slept like a log all night.
Haven't done a lot of cold camping these days, the wife wouldn't go and camping alone ain't a lot of fun. But with one of these sleeping bags I wouldn't hesitate.

You can get those at Wiggys in Grand Junction, CO. He makes them. Black, Camo, earth tones, and other colors.
https://www.wiggys.com/

I like to visit there. It does get expensive because I always buy a bunch of stuff!
Great guy and great stuff!
Prices are better in person, so stop in and visit if possible. With a little pre-planning, we might even find a cup of coffee! Maybe even breakfast!

[RGrosz]

You should get a military surplus extreme cold weather sleeping bag. It was back in January 1980, but I was stationed at Fort Carson, CO. We were in the field on our M-60 tanks, and we had to sleep in combat conditions. That means all four tankers had to sleep on or in the tank, and it got really cramped. So I rolled out my bag on the front fender stripped to my skivies and put my fatigues on the inside, climbed in and went to sleep. I was warm as I would've been inside with the tank heater running. Slept like a log all night.
Haven't done a lot of cold camping these days, the wife wouldn't go and camping alone ain't a lot of fun. But with one of these sleeping bags I wouldn't hesitate.

I got a couple of things to add about that. We were a around-out for the 6LID for some of my military carer. That means that we were suppose to be an arctic unit. We at a 'summer' camp in Camp Ripley MN one year in Jan. We went right to the field and stayed for 2 weeks. it never got above 0. Them arctic bags are warm. We were comfortable all times. Even when we got 73 below one night, by our Met station, the BGE was using Brainard as the offical temp and said it was -59. But our Met station had an alcoholic thermometer that registered -73. We also had some over nights at the unit where I slept out in the open in just a sleeping bag and was toasty all night.
The other thing, once on a trip to the Black Hills, I stopped for gas in Winner SD, it was the tail end of May, and two old boys were sitting on a bench outside the station talking. I overheard one ask the other," is a snow on the 4th of July, an early snow or a lite one". The other one didn't answer and I about tripped.
Rob

[popper]

I feel for the GIs that used the 'mummy' bags. Non-waterproof canvas cover over a thin wool inner with a cotton liner. Those are darn cold when the ground is so frozen you can't pound in metal tent stakes. Especially with the old canvas wall tents with no floor.

[starmac]

Many changes in 5 years. A lot of new business, and traffic. SAMs club closed up. PV Guns still going strong.

Do they still have the all day 4th of july water gun fight? Some of the homebuilt water blasters folks built were awesome.

[Idaho45guy]

Many changes in 5 years. A lot of new business, and traffic. SAMs club closed up. PV Guns still going strong.

I couldn't imagine more traffic! Heck, I used to live on Stetson Drive near Robert Road and Fain Road. To get to Home Depot would take nearly 15 minutes and I would see at least one case of road rage every time.

Since I've moved up here, I've seen two cases of road rage in five years. People were crazy down there. And also since moving up here, there has been one murder in the area in the same five years. I can't imagine how many there have been in the Prescott area in the same time frame.

I've bought a bunch of guns from PV guns. Spent a lot of money a few doors down at the A&B Prospecting store as well. Spent a lot of time prospecting on Lynx Creek and had some pretty good success. I do miss the easy gold in AZ.

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[bob208]

in the 60's I was in the boy scouts. we would go camping once a month. go out Friday evening come back sunday. clean out a spot in the snow put up the tent pack snow back around the tent. after the first trip we learned how to stay warm.

[Lloyd Smale]

sorry. I live in the UP of mich where we have winter 4 or 5 months a year. Plenty enough cold for me just in my normal day to day. If I slept out in the cold with this wore out old body id pay the price. Even the Indians and eskimos had fires in the winter..:shock:

[KCSO]

At 17 below in my Tipi we were only able to hold 60 degrees in the darn thing and under the buffalo robes and wool blankets we were almost too warm...darn these old things I guess I need a pop up to really enjoy winter camping...NOT!

[zymguy]

In my younger days we did a week long winter camp/fur bearer hunt/trapping trip in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. -20 or lower in mid December! Wall tent with 2 wood stoves so 45 to 50 in the tent unless you picked the straw for the cot next to the wall. I got tired of freezing so I stacked cut pine boughs against the outer wall then buried it in a layer of snow. Older brother came back to my corner and tried to talk me into moving, it was 65 degrees due to the extra insulation! Told him nope, we drew straws, you are stuck next to the door where you froze from everyone going out to pee at night LOL After that trip he bought a 5 gallon toilet setup and an anteroom for the front of the tent to keep it warmer, go out to pee in the bucket and not let outside ice cold air in! We made a months income in that week and it was a LOT of hard cold work. But furs sold well back then.


Mary where about in the BW were you? we may have stayed at some of the same places , or not as its over 1000 acres. ive done a fair bit of winter camping trout fishing in the winter. ive no idea what the coldest is as our cheopo light thermometers only go to -20. my least favorite way is a wall tent w/ wood stove. too hot then too cold and lots of noise every three hours. ive slept in sleeping bag cacoons right on the ground (tyveck then thermorest then sleep bag or two then wool, very important top layers can breathe. the most common now is an insulated hub icehouse in a cacoon with no heater.

ive slept near 60 below without windchill , but have been way less comfortable sleeping in the above 30s and less prepared.

[MT Gianni]

I have done two trips with Boy Scouts in the last 15 years that they earned 100 frost points on. [one point for every degree below freezing night temps.] One -20 night gets you 50 points. You can't do that well in a nylon tent, you need either a lodge with liners, tarped over nylon on 12" of straw or something rto cut it. For small kids it is a bag within a bag. Most of all cold is a mental attitude. 18 this morning and an inch of snow didn't stop 200 kids at the local Easter egg hunt.

[robg]

In my youth I left a party very late wearing an army great coat very drunk decided to sleep under a bush woke up with my hair frozen to the ground then had to walk a few miles to get a bus home .never again ached for days.

[tinsnips]

When I was in the Boys Scouts years ago we went winter camping once every year. It always seem to snow everytime. When I was young it never seemed to bother me. Now I don't even like to work outside in the winter.

[Plate plinker]

My cold weather camping tip is to place a layer of plastic between the rainfly and the tent. The plastic makes a huge difference in heat loss.

[MaryB]

Mary where about in the BW were you? we may have stayed at some of the same places , or not as its over 1000 acres. ive done a fair bit of winter camping trout fishing in the winter. ive no idea what the coldest is as our cheopo light thermometers only go to -20. my least favorite way is a wall tent w/ wood stove. too hot then too cold and lots of noise every three hours. ive slept in sleeping bag cacoons right on the ground (tyveck then thermorest then sleep bag or two then wool, very important top layers can breathe. the most common now is an insulated hub icehouse in a cacoon with no heater.

ive slept near 60 below without windchill , but have been way less comfortable sleeping in the above 30s and less prepared.



Near Snowbank Lake... drove in as far as there was road from Ely then it was snowmobiles we rented for the week. Back then the roads weren't kept open to the lodges like they are now... Lot of swamp with beaver etc around the south east side of the lake back then. Now the area has a half dozen roads into it and BWCA #27 jump off is not to far away... ice fished too and always brought home a full freezer of fish. It was a working vacation for us.

[zymguy]

Near Snowbank Lake... drove in as far as there was road from Ely then it was snowmobiles we rented for the week. Back then the roads weren't kept open to the lodges like they are now... Lot of swamp with beaver etc around the south east side of the lake back then. Now the area has a half dozen roads into it and BWCA #27 jump off is not to far away... ice fished too and always brought home a full freezer of fish. It was a working vacation for us.

neat ! its probably changed allot. I was able to easily drive right up to the (staked correctly this year) wilderness border on the ice. ive spent time both snowbank and up the number chain, i was likely east of your grounds if you were before and south of snowbank.

If you (or any castboolit-ite ) make it back to ely stop by the brewery and say Hello

[Spooksar]

When I lived in Fort Nelson BC, I was involved with Search And Rescue, we would do a winter exercise called Snowcave. Hike up a mountain dig a snowcave and sleep inside it at -30 celcuis. It’s amazing what pine boughs and a candle can do he keep heat in a place like that. Used a North Face -39 mummy bag throw a Nalgen bottle with hot water in it and it was quite comfortable.

[blackthorn]

When I lived in Fort Nelson BC, I was involved with Search And Rescue, we would do a winter exercise called Snowcave. Hike up a mountain dig a snowcave and sleep inside it at -30 celcuis. It’s amazing what pine boughs and a candle can do he keep heat in a place like that. Used a North Face -39 mummy bag throw a Nalgen bottle with hot water in it and it was quite comfortable.

My oldest boy used to do just that on a fairly regular basis when he was in his late teens/early twenties. He had good equipment and really enjoyed it, now, not so much, but he is 57 now and feeling it.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

Being comfortable winter camping takes expensive sleeping bags. I've never been willing to fork out for one. My gear will keep me comfy into the twenties. A 4" thick full length foam rubber pad will do wonders in the tent if you have room to pack it.

[MaryB]

neat ! its probably changed allot. I was able to easily drive right up to the (staked correctly this year) wilderness border on the ice. ive spent time both snowbank and up the number chain, i was likely east of your grounds if you were before and south of snowbank.

If you (or any castboolit-ite ) make it back to ely stop by the brewery and say Hello

When I was up there 10 years ago we drove almost to our old campsite, within 1/4 mile. Walked in but between blow down and some limited logging it has really changed. Thought about retiring up in that area but now my body is saying head south for winter LOL the -40 you guys get is way to cold for me! Typical down here in the SW corner is -20 max most winters, -31 is the record.

After spending a chilly 50 degree night in my bedroom last night nope, no more cold camping! Gad I have 2 20 pound cats who like to stay warm, they were curled up against me under the blankets.

Furnace ignitor died, seller shipped the new one pony express AKA Fedex Smart Post which is not smart it is slow, expensive... could have sent it parcel post and had it here last Friday... Pellet stove doesn't reach the upstairs bedrooms well on windy cold nights! 10 degrees outside last night...

[jimlj]

The coldest I have ever been was on a 10 day pack trip in the Idaho primitive area. I don't know how cold it got at night but every night was a dreaded experience until I wised up and piled stinky hairy horse blankets under and on top of my sleeping bag. Good thing I'm not allergic to horses.

[zardoz]

One of my bucket list items for retirement, was to camp out in Glacier National Park, Montana. I did so in September of 2015 just a few days before the roads were closed for the season. I knew from earlier experience in the boy scouts in the late 1960's (read freezing and chattering teeth), that I needed some serious stuff to be totally comfortable.

My shelter was an aluminum camper shell on the back of a Dodge Dakota. First a twin size air mattress laid down, then a thermarest pad on top of that. On top a large 6# quallofil sleeping bag. In reserve I had another 4# quallofil
bag, and then a 2# summer bag after that. I had found I could " layer stack" one within the other if conditions ever got really frigid.

Heavy weight thermal underwear and thermal socks, with a thermal watch cap for on my person.

Lastly, I rigged up a Big Buddy propane heater in the back on the camper shell. I built a removable shelf for it, and made reflective heat shields from aluminum flashing. I had done tests with a CO detector to see how much I had to crank open the side window vents. I used the heater to get things ready for getting in the bag(s) or getting up. When I had settled into the tight compartment for sleep, the heater would be shut off. Every time I ran that heater, I kept a close eye on the CO level, but it never got above 5ppm with vents cracked about an inch open on both sides. In tests, I could force it to go to 50ppm if I shut the shell up tight for an hour or so. The heater itself would shut off if O2 got too low, but even in testing it never did. I was just paranoid about CO levels.

So, after much planning and testing I made my journey. One night at Apgar when it rained, and second night at Many Glacier. Third night of camping was at Two Medicine, and light snow was falling with a stiff breeze. A thermometer inside the camper shell when I woke up, read right at 31 degrees, or just a hair below freezing.

As it was, I was incredibly warm and comfortable the whole time. Oh, one other item. Glock 20 10mm with some proven maximum power handloads and a large bear spray canister by the bed helped me sleep a little more soundly.

[MT Gianni]

When I was up there 10 years ago we drove almost to our old campsite, within 1/4 mile. Walked in but between blow down and some limited logging it has really changed. Thought about retiring up in that area but now my body is saying head south for winter LOL the -40 you guys get is way to cold for me! Typical down here in the SW corner is -20 max most winters, -31 is the record.

After spending a chilly 50 degree night in my bedroom last night nope, no more cold camping! Gad I have 2 20 pound cats who like to stay warm, they were curled up against me under the blankets.

Furnace ignitor died, seller shipped the new one pony express AKA Fedex Smart Post which is not smart it is slow, expensive... could have sent it parcel post and had it here last Friday... Pellet stove doesn't reach the upstairs bedrooms well on windy cold nights! 10 degrees outside last night...

Mary Extra ignitors are one thing to keep on hand for the little they cost in a non emergency.

[RogerDat]

I used to lean-to or tent camp in the winter, probably the coldest was sub zero in a snow mound. One thing I learned is you need to strip down to just long johns when you get into sleeping bag to stay warm. It is your body heat that warms up the sleeping bag and makes a warm cocoon around you. Wearing things like shirt or pants or sweats and you won't heat up the bag. I used to stuff my clothes either in the stuff sack as a pillow or in the bottom of sleeping bag to take up space and allow for semi-warm clothes in the morning.

Hat makes a world of difference. Can cut your heat loss by 80% over bare headed. Socks too are smart. If your sleeping bag has a drawstring top then use it. If it doesn't it isn't a cold weather bag. Open top bag dumps heat out like crazy and if the inside of that bag isn't warm you won't be warm.

You might well have been warmer on the ground in a tent than in a pop-up. If you insulate yourself from the ground, block the wind with a tarp maybe a small fire to reflect heat or better yet have a tent to trap some air around you it will probably be warmer than sleeping in a pop up with cold air on all sides, including flowing under you.

Candle or two will probably get your space 10* warmer, that is what a single one does in a car (winter breakdown kit fun fact) Having a couple of those big ones used as table center pieces that you set into a metal tuna fish sized can will make a significant difference. Worth packing as a backup. Furnace can break down, and the ones that require 12 volt power can kill your battery at most inopportune time.

Hot rocks from a campfire, like the pioneers did work well. Inside cloth bag and wrapped with a bit of thin towel the rock(s) will probably stay warm most of the night inside a sleeping bag, depending on how warm or cold ambient temperature is. Early summer at 9k foot elevation it was chilly not cold and the rocks were still good and warm inside a tent by the next morning.

1 Qt. thermos prepared the night before, pre-warm with really hot water. Then dump and fill with hot coffee, wrap with clothes, towel or whatever. Nice to wake up after a sort of rough night to a hot cup of coffee while you get the fire or stove going. Plus pre-warming you hands on the cup can make relieving yourself first thing in the morning not quite as shocking.

[starmac]

Artic oven, camp as cold as it gets and run around in your skivvies. lol

I worked one winter in colorado and stayed in an old freezer called a camp trailer, no electricity so no heater. I did have a propane stove that I could light and start my coffee to boil while still in the comfort of my sleeping bag. The windows had 1/2 if ice on the inside before christmas, but that old army bag kept me plenty toasty while sleeping, the problem was getting out of it in the morning. lol The coldest I remember it getting was 17 below, but there was a lot of nights that were below 0.

[MaryB]

Mary Extra ignitors are one thing to keep on hand for the little they cost in a non emergency.

I had one... friends furnace puked 2 weeks ago and needed one... My furnace is getting up there in age, over 10 years and it is a 92% so I am waiting for the heat exchanger to fail...

[Cosmic_Charlie]

Be careful of those propane heaters. Years back down at the Spring MG shoot a pickup was left in the campground a few days. When they checked on it they found two corpses in the camper. Mice had built a nest in the heater exhaust vent.

[jimlj]

I had one... friends furnace puked 2 weeks ago and needed one... My furnace is getting up there in age, over 10 years and it is a 92% so I am waiting for the heat exchanger to fail...

If you are talking about hot surface ignitors, I would keep a few around. I have seen several that were broken right out of the box, and have broke a few installing them.

[MaryB]

If you are talking about hot surface ignitors, I would keep a few around. I have seen several that were broken right out of the box, and have broke a few installing them.


When I get a spare I check it right away, stash it in the furnace so it won't get broken/lost. This is a newer style, not that old ceramic that broke easy. I had to use a lot of force to snap the old one where it had burned off.

[jonp]

When buying a bag, get one with a temp rating 10degrees more than you think you need. Wear a wool touque and socks in the bag and make sure to dry it in the morning from the dampness. I keep a dedicated touque and socks rolled up in the bag. Thin Merino wool. The pad under you is as important to your comfort as the bag rating. The self inflating foam ones you can get from campmor are worth their weight in cold.
Unless your doing true winter camping something like this will probably work https://www.campmor.com/c/thermarest-prolite-sleeping-pad
For extra comfort you can put a piece of this under the mattress if you have one https://www.lowes.com/pd/Reflectix-100-sq-ft-Reflective-Roll-Insulation-48-in-W-x-25-ft-L/3011906
I had a semi once that was cold as an icebox due to no winter kit. Trying to sleep in the bunk in the winter was impossible so I put that under the mattress and it helped quite a bit. I ended up getting a heated 12v mattress pad that plugged into a cig lighter and that was the bees knees. Down to mid-30's I didn't even have to idle the truck.

[jonp]

I used to lean-to or tent camp in the winter, probably the coldest was sub zero in a snow mound. One thing I learned is you need to strip down to just long johns when you get into sleeping bag to stay warm. It is your body heat that warms up the sleeping bag and makes a warm cocoon around you. Wearing things like shirt or pants or sweats and you won't heat up the bag. I used to stuff my clothes either in the stuff sack as a pillow or in the bottom of sleeping bag to take up space and allow for semi-warm clothes in the morning.
^^^Truth there. I wore light poly pro long underwear in the bag or light fleece sweat pants and a light top. Socks and hat are a must. My winter down jacket folds into an inside pocket to double as a pillow.

[Uncle R.]

Between my Boy Scout days and hunting trips as a young man in northern WI I've done my share of cold weather camping. There's lots of good advice here, but I'd like to summarize a bit. I have tent camped many times even with temps down close to zero, and I learned a few things from those experiences. I had a few tough nights in my early camping days but I learned pretty quickly how to sleep in warmth and comfort.

The old Boy Scout Handbook of my youth stressed that what was under you was just as important as what was over you when sleeping in the cold. That's especially true because your body weight compresses a sleeping bag and it loses much of its insulating ability. For winter camping I very much prefer closed-cell foam sleeping pads of at least 3/4" thickness rather than an air mattress. The foam is excellent insulation between you and the cold ground, even with your body weight on it, and it really helps keep you warm.

Next in the "stack" was usually a 20 degree rated sleeping bag with me inside in the usual manner, then another 20 degree bag unzipped to open flat and pulled over the whole stack like a quilt. A few shirts or (even better) a down jacket stuffed into a sleeping bag sack made a fine pillow, and a warm knit cap on my head finished off the outfit. Don't skip the hat - it's critical to staying warm in extreme conditions.

Many nights I slept in comfort with an outfit like this, while the frost formed in layers on the tent walls inches from my face. I couldn't have been any more comfortable if I were at home in my own bed covered with grandma's old quilt and the furnace on duty. Of course, getting up and dressed in that frosty tent so I could build a fire and start the morning coffee was often a rather bracing experience.

Uncle R.

[Mr_Sheesh]

You can do sleeping in COLD weather on the cheap if you put several blankets (like Harbor Freight furniture pads) under you for insulation, or closed cell foam, or one of those foil-covered pads that are sold sometimes) and then something like a cotton mexican blanket and your coat on top of you; A hat's NOT optional, tocque or wool cap or something to cover you. If you don't have those, use something like pine boughs, ferns, piled up leaves, moss, ANYTHING that will capture some air to insulate you.

One sleeping bag inside another works. Wool blankets, if you have them, are better than cotton :) Layering beats swearing at the weather any day :) If you have an open top sleeping bag you can cope by putting a blanket over you to seal around your neck and shoulders, it stops air from moving through and carrying off your heat.

(If you can afford better gear that's one thing, if poorer you figure out ways to make it do - or you turn blue...)

Last time I did that it got down to 14-15 degrees F, about half the campers went to sleep in their trucks, I just slept (with the occasional restroom break, brrr.) till morning, was a little cold but not really miserable. Camping in cold weather definitely requires the "I'm gonna DO this no matter what" mind set, really :)

[Hickory]

Things you can do to keep warm while camping in the cold.

1) Have proper equipment.
2) Eat a chocolate or energy bar before hitting the sack and another one for in the middle of the night.
3) Wear a wool sock hat.
4) Roast or par boil 2-4 large potatoes and wrap them in aluminium foil, then place them in clean socks and put them in you sleeping bag to help keep you warm. You can fry them up in the morning with your bacon & eggs.
5) If you can find soapstone it will serve you as good or better than potatoes, but you'll have a longer time cooking your potatoes in the morning.

[abunaitoo]

We don't have the beautiful country like you in hawaii. But we try to go camping twice a year at the range.
Twice a year there is a sporting fair at the range. Sat and Sun.
A small bunch of us try to camp overnight. Sometimes staying two nights.
We're not really camping because it's a no camping park. city rules:mad:.
We're there to provide overnight security to watch the set-up and display tents.
We have to hire a paid security guard to stand watch. Even though we're there. City rules.:mad:
No camp fire because open fires are illegal here. state law:mad:
We have a 55gal drum as a grill.
Cook dinner we bought at the store. It's a no hunting area.:mad:
Pitch our tents under the display tent.
I sometimes set up a home made shower in the bathroom.
Nothing like the camping y'all do in the states, but it's all we got.
Plus we're all getting old.
There's talk the city might put a stop to our overnight watch.:mad:
We'll still have to pay for a security guard to watch the display tents.:mad:
No real place to camp out on this island. City rules.:mad:
We can camp in some of the parks.
I think it's $40 a night for one lot.
No parking next to the tents, so cars are normally broken into at night.:mad:
At least it never get's really cold here.:bigsmyl2: