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10-03-2012, 10:24 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 10,200
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10-03-2012, 10:25 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 10,200
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10-03-2012, 10:31 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Edmonton, AB
Posts: 16,988
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Looks like some serious fun. Great pics.
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Alberta Bigbore
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10-03-2012, 10:35 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 10,200
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alberta Bigbore
Looks like some serious fun. Great pics.
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Thx ABB, lots fun memories in those pics. Hoping to make many more!
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10-03-2012, 11:30 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 135
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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?
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10-03-2012, 11:39 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 10,200
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Quote:
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?
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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.
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10-03-2012, 11:48 PM
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Join Date: May 2007
Location: Calgary
Posts: 11,576
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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.
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10-04-2012, 07:24 AM
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Calgary
Posts: 4,962
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Albertadiver
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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.
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10-04-2012, 08:48 AM
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 10,200
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Quote:
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.
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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.
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10-04-2012, 09:03 AM
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Calgary
Posts: 3,857
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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!
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10-04-2012, 09:12 AM
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 10,200
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Quote:
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!
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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!
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10-04-2012, 09:27 AM
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 10,200
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10-04-2012, 10:20 AM
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Just this side of no-where on the edge of common sense
Posts: 1,468
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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.
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10-04-2012, 10:20 AM
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Banned
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Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 12,078
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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.
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10-23-2012, 12:39 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 154
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Albertadiver
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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/
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