The Cold weather camping / tipi tent camping / share your experiences thread!

[Albertadiver]

The wife and I were planning to do a backcountry camp this weekend, but my wife has a bad cold, and the rancher that we were going to go with can't modify his busy schedule. We may still do some trailer camping near his ranch, and do some day rides, but we may just go to Elkwood in K-country and take it easy in the arctic fox trailer.....

So it got me thinking about new ideas for cold weather camping.

I'm no stranger to winter camping, but I'm really leaning towards teepee setup. Never tried it, and it looks kick butt!

In cold weather, we've wall tent camped (Thanks again ThefishermanGuy!!), igloo camped, homemade tarp shelter camped, camped in my homemade ice fishing shelter, and standard tent camping. Heck, one warm February, a buddy and I went 4x4ing, built a big fire, and slept under the stars with our sleeping bags and a tarp.

I'm wanting to try something new, with the teepee concept.

I can see one day doing a backcountry hunting camp, so lightweight is important, but a larger tipi with room for 2-3 people and our lab would be ideal.

We’re spoiled with our arctic fox trailer, I’ve had a shower at -21C in the middle of nowhere in this thing. Which is great. But I’m starting to feel like I’m getting ‘soft’ if you know what I mean. So I want to go out, have some fun, chop some wood, do some target shooting, and do some more primitive camping. I’ve learned over the years that if a person is prepared, you can have an amazing time in cold weather, you just have to be smart about it.

Anyhow, here’s some pics of some of the camps we’ve done over the past few years.

As for the thread, what sort of tepee brands do you like best? And of course, what’s the best bang for your buck?

Please, share your winter camping pics and experiances if you got em’

[Albertadiver]

[Albertadiver]

And one of my favourite trips… This was just after we got our pup Duke, nearly 3 years ago! We brought my ice fishing shack as a warm-up shelter since Duke was about 11 weeks old. He’d play till he was shivering, and we’d put him in his kennel in the shack with the big buddy heater going full bore. Once we built the igloo, he was toasty warm. The sugar snow really sucked on that trip….

[Alberta Bigbore]

Looks like some serious fun. Great pics.

[Albertadiver]

Originally Posted by Alberta Bigbore

Looks like some serious fun. Great pics.

Thx ABB, lots fun memories in those pics. Hoping to make many more!

[RatFink]

Wow I was camping in May with the U of C Solar Car up in Barrhead and it probably got to about -3 and we were all dying in our summer tents and without heavy duty sleeping bags. Kudos to you for going all out!

What's it like to actually sleep in an igloo? How do you keep everything dry?

[Albertadiver]

Originally Posted by RatFink

Wow I was camping in May with the U of C Solar Car up in Barrhead and it probably got to about -3 and we were all dying in our summer tents and without heavy duty sleeping bags. Kudos to you for going all out!

What's it like to actually sleep in an igloo? How do you keep everything dry?

The igloo is very very quiet. And warm. A water bottle will not freeze, just with the body temps of the occupants. A single candle does wonders.

For backcountry camping, the secret is to avoid sweating. Otherwise a fire to dry clothes is nearly mandatory. For car camping, lots of dry clothes to change into is good.

[TreeGuy]

Hey 'Diver.

We did a horse trip for elk in 2010 and run into some weather.

The guys in the teepee had it made in the shade! They welcomed us as guests for a couple of hours to warm up after a long, wet day working the tree line.

Pretty cool setup if you could find a nice spot to leave the required poles behind year in and year out.

Needless to say, I'll never forget that night in the snow......taking the chill off, drying out and sipping whiskey on our last night in country prior to a brutal trip out.

[Clgy_Dave2.0]

Originally Posted by Albertadiver

The wife and I have never tried winter camping, but I've been thinking of trying it. Our trailer is nowhere near as good as your Arctic Fox, Diver, but I'm wondering what you do for your water? Do you keep your pipes "winterized" and just bring containers of water? What do you do for the toilet situation? Also, do you random camp, or look for campsites open in winter.
The only one I know of around here is McLean Creek.

[Albertadiver]

Originally Posted by Calgary Dave

The wife and I have never tried winter camping, but I've been thinking of trying it. Our trailer is nowhere near as good as your Arctic Fox, Diver, but I'm wondering what you do for your water? Do you keep your pipes "winterized" and just bring containers of water? What do you do for the toilet situation? Also, do you random camp, or look for campsites open in winter.
The only one I know of around here is McLean Creek.

The underbelly is insulated and heated. In really cold weather, I fill the water tank using a funnel and buckets of water, if the garden hose is frozen. I put a little antifreeze in the grey and black tanks. The water lines are run in warm spaces in the trailer, so we just camp normally, and use the toilet and shower just like normal. I don't use an electric heater since not running the furnace will cool the underbelly off. You do go through a fair bit of propane, and even with my 135 watt solar and 2 6V batteries the furnace will only run a day or two on batteries, so a generator (or power hookup) is almost a must.

It takes about 5 minutes to re-winterize the trailer. Take out the hot water tank plug, and open two valves, and done. We keep a seperate drinking water jug inside because the pipes will have a bit of the antifreeze taste to it for a while.

There are a couple of year-round dump stations in Calgary where you can empty your tanks. I figure worst case scenario, I could fill my turd tote and then dump that into a toilet, but that could be a dangerous (hold my beer and watch this) type of moment.

The only thing our trailer doesn't have is the thermal pane windows. We have just single pane, but I use that clear plastic storm window stuff that you use a blow dryer to apply and it works great to keep condensation off of the windows.

Calgary West campground is talking about running year-round, which is great since I store my trailer there. Maclean creek is open year round, and so is Mt. Kidd. There are a few places in Banff open as well.

I noticed that hooking up the trailer is a little more tricky as the latch tends to get a little sticky for the ball hitch. And plastic parts get brittle of course.

[The Fisherman Guy]

Great post Diver!

Waking up this morning to -8 was a welcome return to all the good that winter brings.

BBK and I looked long and hard at trailers this year. Setting up and tearing out camp can be ardous at times, especially when the temperatures dip below -20. However, there is a feeling the wall tent provides, while camping in such extreme cold, that a trailer cannot match. So BBK and I resolved our dreams of forced air heating for at least this year, and have decided to make another year of hunting in the tent.

I agree with you completely; camping in the cold can be a zesty, worthwhile enterprise, if you are properly prepared.

Not to mention, gutting a warm animal in the cold. Never thought blood could feel so good!

[Albertadiver]

Originally Posted by The Fisherman Guy

Great post Diver!

Waking up this morning to -8 was a welcome return to all the good that winter brings.

BBK and I looked long and hard at trailers this year. Setting up and tearing out camp can be ardous at times, especially when the temperatures dip below -20. However, there is a feeling the wall tent provides, while camping in such extreme cold, that a trailer cannot match. So BBK and I resolved our dreams of forced air heating for at least this year, and have decided to make another year of hunting in the tent.

I agree with you completely; camping in the cold can be a zesty, worthwhile enterprise, if you are properly prepared.

Not to mention, gutting a warm animal in the cold. Never thought blood could feel so good!

If you have the time, I'd suggest you get in touch with my sales guy down in Missoula. I bought this 2007 unit for about $8,000.00 less than I'd pay anywhere in Canada.

That wall tent you have is the cats meow, fantastic when set up, but you are right, it can be a pain (literally) packing up or setting up in the cold!

[Albertadiver]

These are the three brands I'm looking at:

http://www.tipitent.com/

http://www.titaniumgoat.com/tents.html

http://www.kifaru.net/TIPI2009.html

[Whiskey Wish]

All of my winter camping was done "back in the day" and running a camera in the winter for ordinary folk was almost unheard of back then. I sincerely wish I had a few pictures of all the winter camps we had over the years.

All of our winter camps were Lean-to's with modifications that we learned through experience over the years. We did not have the great materials and sleeping bags like exist now but the things we had we made work for us. I still have fond memories of wool pants.

I think a TeePee is a great idea and would have tried one back then if one were available or if a guy wouldn't have been laughed out of camp for even suggesting it.

A few things we learned:

Snow is your best friend when winter camping. Camping without it in winter temperatures is dangerous.

A light canvas tarp laid over top of all the sleeping bags when everybody goes to sleep makes a huge difference for heat. Can't say whether a plastic one would work because we never had those.

A seperate set of foot wear for around camp is important. It lets your regular boots dry out, gives your feet a change and reduces snow tracked into shelters....which melts into water...which gets things wet...wet = bad when winter camping.

Stay hydrated! It is easy to dehydrate in the winter and people tend to not think of it because we associate it with hot sunny days. When you are dehydrated you also get colder. When you breath out and see that little cloud of steam in the air that is all moisture leaving your body!

Gather as much wood as you think you will need. Take a break and admire the pile. Now go get 3 times that much cause you're gonna need it.
(keeping in mind we had no portable heaters of any kind)

Remember the self test for hypothermia. The ability to touch your thumb to your baby finger becomes increasingly difficult as your core body temperature drops. Try it sometime. If you cannot touch them together you need to seek immediate shelter.

I could go on but have probably bored you to hell already so will leave it here.
Regards,
Dave.

[greylynx]

I asked the Tipi tent guy for the Sportsman's show discount over the phone. He quoted a lower price than the regular price and included shipping.

I thought you might like to know this.

[Brian Bildson]

I own a few kifaru tipi's I've camped out in the snow with them and they're great. The pack stove does a good job throwing heat but doesn't burn long. If you can use a heavier stove it would be better.

[Albertadiver]

Originally Posted by Brian Bildson

I own a few kifaru tipi's I've camped out in the snow with them and they're great. The pack stove does a good job throwing heat but doesn't burn long. If you can use a heavier stove it would be better.

X2 - had my stove running in a little leanto this weekend, and it puts out good heat, but you're often stocking the fire.

Had a fun and relaxing trip out to K country, surprised how many other campers were out there too.

[blueshark]

Great photos, it looks an amazing experiance!

[Albertadiver]

Got a very informative PM from another AO member, and he noted another teepee manufacturer I am going to check out.

http://seekoutside.com/products/ultr...8-person-tipi/

Had some great tips in this pm. Thx all.

[greylynx]

Originally Posted by Albertadiver

Got a very informative PM from another AO member, and he noted another teepee manufacturer I am going to check out.

http://seekoutside.com/products/ultr...8-person-tipi/

Had some great tips in this pm. Thx all.

Will this tent be allowed to cross the border?

The cabalas tipi tents can not be sent to Canada due to fire restrictions.

[classiccanadianblizzard]

Hey Diver, I have a question for you.
We have a 21' Bigfoot and have camped to -26 Fahrenheit (Day time temps, too scared to go out after dark and see what the temp was haha) and have been more than comfortable wearing shorts and tee-shirts in the trailer. Anyway, we are thinking about getting something a little bigger and have looked at the Arctic fox, but my question to you is... If you were looking to buy a four season trailer again, would you stay with the Fox or go to a Bigfoot and why?

[Albertadiver]

Originally Posted by classiccanadianblizzard

Hey Diver, I have a question for you.
We have a 21' Bigfoot and have camped to -26 Fahrenheit (Day time temps, too scared to go out after dark and see what the temp was haha) and have been more than comfortable wearing shorts and tee-shirts in the trailer. Anyway, we are thinking about getting something a little bigger and have looked at the Arctic fox, but my question to you is... If you were looking to buy a four season trailer again, would you stay with the Fox or go to a Bigfoot and why?

I don't have any experiance with the bigfoot, but here's my comments on the fox.

I would absolutely purchase another fox again.

Many upgrades that standard trailers never see. For example:

- Shocks on the tandem wheels. rides WAY smoother than our previous trailer.
- Real wood cabinetry (not the cheap stuff I saw in my previous puma)
- Thermal pane windows (I've only got single pane on my current fox, and we had a lot of condensation this weekend)
- solar rough-in (installed a 135watt panel this spring) Doing solar in a trailer not roughed in would be a nightmare!
- Hardware is upgraded (everything from door hinges, to exterior hold-opens for the access panels)
- plumbing lines are ran on the interior, and in a smart manner so that line freezing is avoided. very easy to winterize your trailer. I re-winterized mine today by taking the hot water tank bung out, and turning two valves. Very simple.
- Heated underbelly. Have had ours out in -20C and had a shower and never worried about freezing tanks.
-factory tires are better than the standard stuff you see on average RV's. That being said, I need to get a new set of tires if I want to tow in bad weather.
- Lots of 'little things' that we noticed from our Puma to our arctic fox. Ours is a 2007, and we are very happy with it. It is a heavy trailer for its size, but it is worth it. Tows great, and living in it is great too.

One thing that has quit working, is the instrument panel for fresh water. No idea why, and I'll trouble shoot this spring. Another issue is that some of the aluminum brackets got corrosion damage from last winter and siezed up. Our front window has a rock guard cover over it, and it snapped off when I tried to open the rock guard. I have a replacement in the shop but haven't picked it up yet. Similarly, the keyed locks that close the access hatches on the sides got corrosion in them from last winter and I have to replace them. Broke a key off in one of them trying to open a hatch. I think the key is that you have to wash your trailer down after winter camping to combat corrosion from road chemicals, which can be tough to find a place to accomodate in the winter.

We have a 22H. If I were to buy again, I would look for a model that would allow for a little more space, with a slide out. With the two of us and our black lab it can be kinda crowded.

http://www.northwoodmfg.com/index.ph...=traveltrailer

I would probably go for a 25ft model, although our 22H can get into some pretty tight spots, so it certainly has it's avantages. If you're looking for a luxurious interior I'm sure there are other trailer models out there that will accomodate that say they are 4 season. The AF is not really family friendly as they don't have bunk models etc. So it's down to personal preference I suppose. For my wife and I and our dog, the 22H works very well.

Being able to have a shower at -20C, and spend some quality time on the 'throne' in warmth has its benefits!

[Albertadiver]

And a little bump to the thread. Please, add your photo's of winter camping too!

We went out a few weeks ago to K-country and stayed in Elkwood. Not really true winter camping, but it was pretty chilly.

I built a tarp lean-to with the firepit on one side, and our yukon stove on the other. We put our chairs between the two, and were toasty warm. In the pics, one side is up high, but when the weather cooled down, we brought the other tarp closer to the ground basically making a old-style tent open on each end. Very warm inside.









We did a walk around the upper lake, and Duke went swimming in the kananaskis river, diving for rocks. He'll swim in -30c if you'd let him and there was open water.

















My next three purchases are going to be:

#1 - Chainsaw - I have access to one, but I'm embarrased to say that as much as an outdoorsman as I am, I've never owned a chainsaw. Always broke dead branches with an axe, or used a handsaw.

#2 - cots - thinking about the bunk style cot from cabelas.

#3 - Tipi. Leaning towards tipitent, but havent made a final decision. Budget is pretty tight right now, but we're hoping to go winter camping in December for 4 or 5 days.

[Flyfisher87]

Originally Posted by Albertadiver

And a little bump to the thread. Please, add your photo's of winter camping too!

We went out a few weeks ago to K-country and stayed in Elkwood. Not really true winter camping, but it was pretty chilly.

I built a tarp lean-to with the firepit on one side, and our yukon stove on the other. We put our chairs between the two, and were toasty warm. In the pics, one side is up high, but when the weather cooled down, we brought the other tarp closer to the ground basically making a old-style tent open on each end. Very warm inside.









We did a walk around the upper lake, and Duke went swimming in the kananaskis river, diving for rocks. He'll swim in -30c if you'd let him and there was open water.








My next three purchases are going to be:

#1 - Chainsaw - I have access to one, but I'm embarrased to say that as much as an outdoorsman as I am, I've never owned a chainsaw. Always broke dead branches with an axe, or used a handsaw.

#2 - cots - thinking about the bunk style cot from cabelas.

#3 - Tipi. Leaning towards tipitent, but havent made a final decision. Budget is pretty tight right now, but we're hoping to go winter camping in December for 4 or 5 days.

Believe me. A cot is an absolute lifesaver. I broke down and bought one myself after blowing my back out a few years ago. Mine is 7 feet long, fits in my large tent and is very comfortable. Only downside is it is only good for car camping as it weighs somewhere around 14lbs.

[Flyfisher87]

All of my winter camping trips I remember plain as day. I have stayed in quinzees, lean-to's, tents. Heck, I even did the extra ultralight thing and slept under a downed tree. For me, definitely the best time of year to be camping.

[Rocky7]

Originally Posted by Albertadiver

My next three purchases are going to be:

#1 - Chainsaw - I have access to one, but I'm embarrased to say that as much as an outdoorsman as I am, I've never owned a chainsaw. Always broke dead branches with an axe, or used a handsaw.

#2 - cots - thinking about the bunk style cot from cabelas.

#3 - Tipi. Leaning towards tipitent, but havent made a final decision. Budget is pretty tight right now, but we're hoping to go winter camping in December for 4 or 5 days.

#1. Get chainsaw pants, too. I've handled a chainsaw for years. Even so, I got quick a couple years ago and have some small scars on my thigh. Could've been worse.

#2. Get the Outfitter XL cot AND buy the self-inflating mattress that goes with it. You'll thank me. If the XL is too much for you, get the self-inflating mattress that fits. Put a blue foam under that if you have to and you'll stand a very cold night.

#3. I don't see the attraction to a tipi tent over a wall tent/frame, but I suppose it doesn't matter as long as you're staying dry, off the ground and have a bit of room.

Good job and nice pictures!

[Rocky7]

Originally Posted by Flyfisher87

Believe me. A cot is an absolute lifesaver. I broke down and bought one myself after blowing my back out a few years ago. Mine is 7 feet long, fits in my large tent and is very comfortable. Only downside is it is only good for car camping as it weighs somewhere around 14lbs.

That's why God made quads with trailers.

[gregc]

Originally Posted by Albertadiver

These are the three brands I'm looking at:

http://www.tipitent.com/

http://www.titaniumgoat.com/tents.html

http://www.kifaru.net/TIPI2009.html

check out seek outside tepees as a less costly but made equally as well as an alternative to kifaru. i picked up an 8 man with liner for 640$ when it was on sale. have used it for two years and have been extremely pleased with it. price has gone up a bit since then but still a great item

http://seekoutside.com/

[Flyfisher87]

Originally Posted by Rocky7

That's why God made quads with trailers.

Right you are. I'll have to get you to try and convince the missus for me to break the bank

[Albertadiver]

Thought I'd bump this thread again.

Here's a link to a trip we did courtesy of ThefishermanGuy

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showt...t=78366&page=2

I've spent far too much time in the City the last few weeks. I'm hoping to get out hunting in a week or so, and following that, in December, we'll be going winter camping come hell or high water (or snow).

I think my purchases in terms of priorities are

#1 - chainsaw
#2 - Tipi tent - likely outfitter size
#3 - cots

I really like the wall tents, but when we borrowed TFG's setup, it took up nearly half the box of the truck. A teepee style shelter takes up much less space, although the amount of room is reduced. I would use the teepee shelter for sleeping in and for heat, and have a second tarp shelter for cooking - and having an open fire under.

There's just something special about finding som quiet spot in the middle of nowhere, where you can camp, spend time with family, do some target practice, and just get away from day to day life. Even better when we leave and nobody can tell we were even there....