Good advice, after daytime highs of 15 for 3 days straight, we bailed this year. Even with the stove pumping, we couldn't thaw our water jugs. The nights were just plain brutal.
What’s too cold to tent camp.
- Thread starter OzWildlife
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No worries, I can recognize a soft flatlander just as quick as anyone.
I actually try and get ready. I live at 8k, most nights when I get home it's a 2 mile walk with the pups, a lot of times its 25 degrees or lower out.
During Turkey season I'm out at 9-10k walking in the snow all day, every weekend.
I random snow hike a lot.
None of that matters when you are sedentary in a tent.
wllm1313 gave great advice of not making it into a camping trip. Don't lollygag. Tremendous advice as I have done just that, tried to make a camping trip/elk hunt combo.
Normally I get into hunt mode where it's me vs him and chances are, it's bad news for him. Out here I have so much to learn, I haven't ingested enough info to get into that mode, yet.
I was actually born in Alaska and I have pics of me hunting early on, in snow as tall as I am. But most of life and hunting was done way down south and it is a social/camping affair.
I actually try and get ready. I live at 8k, most nights when I get home it's a 2 mile walk with the pups, a lot of times its 25 degrees or lower out.
During Turkey season I'm out at 9-10k walking in the snow all day, every weekend.
I random snow hike a lot.
None of that matters when you are sedentary in a tent.
wllm1313 gave great advice of not making it into a camping trip. Don't lollygag. Tremendous advice as I have done just that, tried to make a camping trip/elk hunt combo.
Normally I get into hunt mode where it's me vs him and chances are, it's bad news for him. Out here I have so much to learn, I haven't ingested enough info to get into that mode, yet.
I was actually born in Alaska and I have pics of me hunting early on, in snow as tall as I am. But most of life and hunting was done way down south and it is a social/camping affair.
I just spent 13 days hunting in the backcountry sleeping in a tent in below 30 degree weather with normal nights in the high teens (18 degrees). I have a zero degree bag as well. I just slept in my clothes to make getting out of bag in morning easier. The only thing I suggest and will be getting is a better sleeping pad(4 season). I could fill the cold seep up from beneath. Hilleberg tents are awesome, I have one but used a Seek Tent this time [/QUOTE]
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Dinkshooter
Well-known member
Bushman
Car camping when its cold, put your water jugs inside a cooler inside your tent. Open it at night when the stove in running and close it when your gone.
I'm baffled how you couldn't get your tent warm with a wood stove. I've camped in a wall tent in -15( ask Big Finn he was at the hotel that week) and was plenty OK inside the tent with the wood stove going. Gotta get up and stoke it.
I'm guessing you were on a cot? You absolutely must have a thick good pad on your cot when its cold.
I went on a elk hunt for 2nd season this year. For what ever reason (retrad) I skipped the wood stove and still took the wall tent, had a propane heater for the awake time. When I was shivering in the morning I thought " I've never been cold inside my Hilly Billy 1 one man tent". I even thought about setting it up and sleeping in it next to the wall tent but then it warmed up later in the week.
Finally, I truly believe when its super cold most of the time we all over do it in the sleeping system and the sweat it up then pay later in the morning. As mentioned above, fluffing up the sleeping bag in the AM and making sure it drys out is mandatory.
Car camping when its cold, put your water jugs inside a cooler inside your tent. Open it at night when the stove in running and close it when your gone.
I'm baffled how you couldn't get your tent warm with a wood stove. I've camped in a wall tent in -15( ask Big Finn he was at the hotel that week) and was plenty OK inside the tent with the wood stove going. Gotta get up and stoke it.
I'm guessing you were on a cot? You absolutely must have a thick good pad on your cot when its cold.
I went on a elk hunt for 2nd season this year. For what ever reason (retrad) I skipped the wood stove and still took the wall tent, had a propane heater for the awake time. When I was shivering in the morning I thought " I've never been cold inside my Hilly Billy 1 one man tent". I even thought about setting it up and sleeping in it next to the wall tent but then it warmed up later in the week.
Finally, I truly believe when its super cold most of the time we all over do it in the sleeping system and the sweat it up then pay later in the morning. As mentioned above, fluffing up the sleeping bag in the AM and making sure it drys out is mandatory.
I think a lot of ppl tell tall tales when it comes to camping and cold. I've been absolutely hammered by the cold on my only 2 elk hunts. 1st season last year and now 2nd season this year. It's completely frustrating because I'm not actually elk hunting, I'm trying to survive.
You know what they say about the best laid plans, this year I was confident I had it figured out. 13ft bell tent, full cast iron wood stove, 0 degree bags with multiple blankets. Setup camp on nice day at 12k, quickly devolves into the same exact problem I had last year.We couldn't get the tent above 32 degrees even with the stove absolutely cranking on perfectly split oak chunks. Even my dogs were like "wth, get us out of here." The only other non-camper/tent we saw at that high altitude had a double tent thing going on.
When I first moved out west 3 years ago, I met a dude at work originally from Montana who now hunts Colorado. He told me not to mess with rifle because the cold and the orange army, I'm starting think he wasn't BS'n. September sure sounds a lot better about now.
This year 2nd season. Arrive on a nice day. Fly the Florida flag to show how out of place we are and to foreshadow the upcoming problems.
View attachment 118523
This year's freezer, I mean camp.
View attachment 118522
You need a different stove. I’ve had it so hot in my wall tent I was about ready to heat stroke.
Khunter
Well-known member
I remember that trip. minus 15 was about the high temp day or night for a week. We burned a lot of wood, thats for sure. We made out fine.
I know, I had visions of kicking back and reading Hunting Big Game under solar lamp light. Maybe opening the door because it was getting a little toasty.
Ya, didn't happen. To your point, the stove was 100$ and by the end of 4 days was falling apart.
Ya, didn't happen. To your point, the stove was 100$ and by the end of 4 days was falling apart.
This year we had cots with pads. Pretty good bell tent and a crappy stove. The stovepipes would drip sap directly on top of the heating surface, the entire night. One leg and the door eventually fell off. Functionally though, it would burn a piece of wood.
Last year we did the My Buddy Heater dance during 1st season. Never again, that thing had a dependable habit of freezing up at around 15 degrees and not returning to working order until the next day.
Looking around this year, 99% of the people I saw at high altitude in Unit 67, had campers. I'm 44, it may be time to trade in my pride for a pull behind.
Last year we did the My Buddy Heater dance during 1st season. Never again, that thing had a dependable habit of freezing up at around 15 degrees and not returning to working order until the next day.
Looking around this year, 99% of the people I saw at high altitude in Unit 67, had campers. I'm 44, it may be time to trade in my pride for a pull behind.
eddytheeagle
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My breath condensation kept freezing the lip of my bag. every other part of me was warm or manageable. I’m guessing some kind of face covering to help/prevent that?
commando668
Member
Cold has never kept me from going out in the woods. The thing that I really hate is if it is pooring rain, but usually by gun season it will just snow. I personally love the cold because I seem to always see more deer when it is cold out, and it also makes it much easier to heasr them coming. Maybe you should look into getting better layers like polypropelene (i think that is how it is spelled) or Raven Wear. It can be expensive but being in your stand when a huge buck is in front of you is priceless.
pre6422hornet
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We survived temps in the mid teens and winds in the 30's (-5 wind chill) in a Jimmy tarps Hudson and Liteoutdoors 18" stove two weeks ago in NM. I will be honest I was up every 45 minutes feeding the stove but I never got cold. 20 degree Hammock Gear Econ Burrow quilt and Alps Mountaineering pad. Undies and stocking hat and thats it. About 3 am I put on a light Merlino sweater. The winds were a howling but the stove never wavered and the Hudson shed the wind and snow like a champ.
Duck-Slayer
Well-known member
That’s weird, we were in 20mph winds and 13 degrees in this tent see pic, my big buddy heater ran like a champ for 4 days,
Matt
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Dingalls2121
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I did a hunt in Eastern Mt a few weeks ago and was 7 miles back in and had a rough go as it was 15 degrees and blowing snow with wet socks. Bring at least 3 pairs of woolies. I used all of mine up and it was honestly not fun after that.
squirrel
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-15 last week and our opening evening "fried chicken dinner" was froze solid from the hike in. Taters and onions too. but during the hunt all my buddy did was bitch about how damn hot the tent was ( I was fireman) Whiskey did not freeze but butchering had to be done quickly before those elk quarters would have repelled an axe.
Putting "champ" next to "My Buddy" would have been fightin' words 1st season rifle 2018, for myself, my best friend and my brother. 
I kid, but really, no one will ever forget the sound of me clicking that ignition button from 4-5AM every night. cussing, praying, cursing the thought of the thing.
I kid, but really, no one will ever forget the sound of me clicking that ignition button from 4-5AM every night. cussing, praying, cursing the thought of the thing.
Duck-Slayer
Well-known member
Putting "champ" next to "My Buddy" would have been fightin' words 1st season rifle 2018, for myself, my best friend and my brother.
I kid, but really, no one will ever forget the sound of me clicking that ignition button from 4-5AM every night. cussing, praying, cursing the thought of the thing.
That sucks! If you get a long lighter for a grill all you need to do is get the pilot light lit and you should be good, I’ve gotten mine caked with snow ice fishing, dug all the snow out I could and took the metal grate off, used a lighter too warm up the pilot light till it lit and it was good to go.
Matt
We ceremonially left it sitting on the trail, a gift to the next hiker/hunter in the Troublesome basin.
Duck-Slayer
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D
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I went tent camping this past weekend on a late season cow hunt. Nighttime low was around 0 maybe a bit below.
We car camped and it was nice to be able to defrost our gaiters before putting them on in the morning.
I slept on a cot with a big agnes pad, I doubled up on bags slept in 15 degree down bag with a 20 degree synthetic bag above it.... toasty warm.
It would have been a pain to pack in two bags, but I feel like I could have backpack camped with the setup.
Down booties were an absolute must.
We car camped and it was nice to be able to defrost our gaiters before putting them on in the morning.
I slept on a cot with a big agnes pad, I doubled up on bags slept in 15 degree down bag with a 20 degree synthetic bag above it.... toasty warm.
It would have been a pain to pack in two bags, but I feel like I could have backpack camped with the setup.
Down booties were an absolute must.
Stay Sharp
Well-known member
The coldest tent camping I did was -19 F. Food storage and cooking is really challenging at 19 below zero.
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