With the current "winter" weather we are having here in Iowa, and some recent posts about camps/shelters/gear, it got me thinking about some winter treks I and some friends have taken. I looked, but I couldn't find any digital pics of me, but I here are a few of some buddies/friends from trips in the last couple years.
We try to limit all clothing and gear to what was available in the late 1700's. It gets ... challenging. Either humping our gear in on our backs, or pulling it in on toboggans when there's snow. And using snowshoes when it's deep enough. For safety, we tend to pack along a modern water filter stashed in our gear somewhere. For drinking water, we usually chip a hole through the ice instead of melting snow - it takes a long time and a lot of snow to melt into a little bit of water.
Over here, many of the State Forestry Departments offer a "browse cutting permit" for a $10 fee. It was set up for people to go onto State owned land and cut pine branches for making wreathes and garlands. So some friends in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin purchase that permit for when they head out for a winter trek and camp. They can then cut pine boughs to use for their shelters and bedding. A two foot thick layer of pine boughs does make a pretty good "mattress" - with lots of insulation from the frozen ground. You might want to check with your own local forestry departments to see if such a permit exists.
Yes, winter has arrived. Now the FUN camping begins!
Mikey - yee ol' grumpy blacksmith out in the Hinterlands
We try to limit all clothing and gear to what was available in the late 1700's. It gets ... challenging. Either humping our gear in on our backs, or pulling it in on toboggans when there's snow. And using snowshoes when it's deep enough. For safety, we tend to pack along a modern water filter stashed in our gear somewhere. For drinking water, we usually chip a hole through the ice instead of melting snow - it takes a long time and a lot of snow to melt into a little bit of water.
Over here, many of the State Forestry Departments offer a "browse cutting permit" for a $10 fee. It was set up for people to go onto State owned land and cut pine branches for making wreathes and garlands. So some friends in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin purchase that permit for when they head out for a winter trek and camp. They can then cut pine boughs to use for their shelters and bedding. A two foot thick layer of pine boughs does make a pretty good "mattress" - with lots of insulation from the frozen ground. You might want to check with your own local forestry departments to see if such a permit exists.
Yes, winter has arrived. Now the FUN camping begins!
Mikey - yee ol' grumpy blacksmith out in the Hinterlands
