May 2001
How to Enjoy Winter Camping!
by Mel Baughman
I earned my first frozen toes on Boy Scout Polar Bear camping trips for which the objective was to endure 24 hours outdoors in winter for the honor of wearing a new patch on my Scout uniform. Nothing beyond survival was promised or expected. Nearly 40 years later I still remember rolling up snowballs for the sides of our lean-to and covering it with limbs and slabs of bark from dead American elms. My summer-weight cotton sleeping bag and 4-buckle rubber boots over sneakers were hardly a match for life in the deepfreeze.
My recent winter travel and camping experiences have been mostly in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. A typical trip involves snowshoeing or skiing five miles across a frozen lake to camp for two nights and ice fish. Besides these camping experiences, I’ve taken a half dozen trips to a cabin on the edge of the BWCA from which we took day-trips to ice fish. To reach this rustic cabin, we skied five miles, carrying packs and pulling sleds. I’ll share my strategies for enjoying the winter wonderland, but also encourage more experienced winter campers to come forth with their wisdom.
Staying Warm
On a recent winter trek, the trailhead temperature was -15 degrees. I stayed comfortable while snowshoeing five miles by wearing polypropylene long underwear (top and bottom), heavy wool shirt and pants, heavy wool/polyester socks over lightweight nylon socks, lightweight wool gloves, a headband to cover my ears, and 8" leather boots. (Compared to my felt-lined pac boots, these leather boots are lighter weight, cooler when I’m exercising vigorously, and fit more easily into my snowshoe bindings. I’ve learned that felt liners in my pac boots will absorb sweat when I am exercising and then freeze at night. These frozen boots are really difficult to put on in the morning. To protect the insulating value of my pac boots, I wear other boots for traveling.) Although I started out wearing a windbreaker, I quickly shed it. At the campsite I replaced my headband with a thick stocking cap, exchanged the windbreaker for a goose down coat with a hood, and traded my leather boots for insulated pac boots. This combination kept me warm throughout the day in single-digit temperatures while ice fishing. As the temperature cooled to zero in the evening, I added a fleece jacket beneath my down coat.
When traveling in warmer temperatures, lightweight nylon pants are comfortable instead of woollies. When the wind blows, nylon wind pants can be a lifesaver. Besides lightweight gloves, I take heavy gloves or mittens, but seldom need them. Gaiters keep the snow off my pant cuffs. A rain suit has proven useful on several trips. Twice I’ve seen a foot of snow melt into four inches of water over a frozen lake.
Sleeping
My winter-weight goose down sleeping bag topped with a down coat has kept me warm on several nights when the temperature dipped to around -10 degrees. I haven’t encountered colder nights. My sleep-wear typically includes long underwear, socks, and a stocking cap. On really cold nights I’ll add my wool shirt, thick fleece pants, and fleece jacket. Two closed-cell foam pads insulate me from the snow.
Travel
I carry a full-sized backpack and pull a sled. If there is very little snow or the snow is well-packed, the sled pulls easily and I put as much weight as possible in the sled. When the snow is deep and fluffy, or very wet—causing drag on the sled, I carry as much weight as possible on my back and put lightweight items in my sled.
My rules of thumb are to walk in boots if there is less than 3 inches of snow, to ski if there is 4-10 inches of snow, and to snowshoe if there is more than 11 inches of snow. On some trips I have taken skis and snowshoes and used both. Snow conditions often change dramatically over a three day period. I’m not a real experienced skier and prefer to wear snowshoes when pulling a sled. A heavy sled pulled behind skies will virtually eliminate the skiers glide and it will often roll over in the narrow ski track. In contrast a sled fits nicely in the wide, shallow path left by snowshoes and won’t tip over.
My plastic kid’s sled cost only about $10, but I’ve been very happy that I bought a large one, 17 in. X 54 in. (inside dimensions). The extra length provides the volume necessary to pack gear close to the ground and to carry an ice auger. The people I’ve traveled with that used shorter sleds had high mounds of gear and their sleds tipped over frequently. I laced parachute cord all around the perimeter to provide tie-off points for bungy cords that fasten my load to the sled. This long cord also distributes stress around the sled, not just on the thin plastic lip at the front of the sled which could easily break. I wrap a tow rope around my waist, letting the sled trail 8-10 feet behind me. For skiers that plan cross- country travel that will take them up and down hills, I suggest attaching two long (8 ft.) aluminum poles to the front of the sled. Fasten them to your body at belt line, perhaps by fastening them to a backpacker’s hip belt. These rods will keep the sled from overrunning you on downhill slopes. MCA member Chuck Holst has a nifty sled with this pole arrangement.
Before loading my sled, I lay a plastic tarp in the bottom and then wrap it over my load to protect gear from abrasion caused by the ice auger, ski or snowshoe bindings, and brush. I stow gear inside a 4-mil plastic bag that I use in the summer to line my canoe pack. This waterproof bag repels snow and keeps my gear dry when I encounter slush or water.
Choosing a Campsite
Traveling on a wind-swept lake is relatively easy because the snow is compacted, but on land, two-feet of fluffy snow makes travel more difficult. For that reason I usually camp on the shoreline to minimize the need to stomp through knee-deep snow. Campers are not required to use designated campsites in the BWCA in winter. I look for a small shoreline cove that provides wind protection on three sides (especially north and west) and with relatively flat ground clear of trees. Two feet of snow can soften a lot of unseen rocks. Packed down with snowshoes, the snow will harden in a couple of hours into a level tent platform. It doesn’t matter that there are rocks and logs beneath the snow. On this frozen platform I pitch a lightweight, nylon tent. Stakes won’t hold in snow so I tie my tent to logs buried in the snow.
Cooking
I prefer to build a campfire on shoreline rocks that will be washed by wave action when the ice melts. A folding saw is handy for cutting wood. A campfire is cheerful and warming, but a nuisance for cooking. I cook over a single-burner stove. Although I’ve had difficulty starting my stove in sub-zero weather, on a recent trip I discovered that by warming it just a bit near the campfire, it started easily.
My menu and food preparation mimic what I take on extended, summer canoe trips. That means dried foods. They won’t freeze! If you haven’t been winter camping, you might not realize that peanut butter, cheese, salami, and candy bars will freeze solid in sub-zero temperatures.
Breakfast is usually oatmeal and a breakfast bar. Lunch is often crackers, gorp, dried fruit, cheese and salami. I try to find dry cheese because it’s easier to cut when frozen, but a sturdy knife is still required. I precut salami and stagger the slices so I can separate them when they’re frozen. Powdered hummus tastes good, but freezes on cold days if not eaten quickly. For supper I’ll prepare macaroni with spaghetti sauce; chowder with potatoes, vegetables, soup, and fish or dried hamburger; and rice concoctions with poached fish on the side.
Ice Fishing
Lake trout are my primary quarry, but we often catch a mixed bag that may include northern pike, whitefish, and walleyes. Of course we don’t always catch fish, but that’s why the sport is called fishing, not catching! I use a 7" hand auger, but plan to get a 6" auger in the future to save weight and space. I set a tip-up with a ciscoe suspended about 6 feet off the bottom. Then I jig with a short spinning rod. My favorite jigging lure is a diamond-shaped brass spoon tipped with a minnow. But jigging spoons in other colors, airplane jigs, bucktail jigs, and blade baits or Sonics are effective. Good lure colors include brass, white, red, and chartreuse. I like to tip most spoons and jigs with a 2" to 3" minnow. Frozen minnows work fine. We’ve had our best fishing luck along cliffs and steeply sloping shorelines that drop into 50+ feet of water. Most of our fishing, though, is done in 20-35 feet of water. Northern pike frequently inhabit shallower water. Fish may be found at any depth from the bottom to just beneath the ice. I change my lure depth frequently.
Equipment List
I never take all of this gear, but select items depending on the expected conditions.
Personal Gear:
Sunglasses, eyeglass strap, watch, stocking cap, headband, insulated hood, down coat, fleece jacket, polyester vest, wind jacket, rain coat and pants, gloves heavy, gloves light, mittens, wool shirt, wool pants, nylon pants, insulated pants, belt, handkerchiefs, nylon socks, heavy wool socks, underwear, long underwear, top & bottom, felt-lined boots, extra felt boot liners, leather boots, skis, poles, boots, snowshoes, rubber boots, gaiters, towel, hand soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, chapstick, sun screen lotion, medicine, hand lotion, toilet paper, compass, maps, whistle, flashlight, spare batteries & bulb, matches, money, credit card, birth certificate (if in Canada), sleeping bag, foam pad - 2, fillet knife, leatherman tool, canteen, camera, film, backpack, daypack, large waterproof bag, stuff bags, plastic bags for fish fillets, sled, bungy cords, thermos bottle, fishing license & trout stamp, ice fishing rod & reel - 2, tip-up, jaw spreader, nail clippers, split shot, snaps & swivels, lure box, depth weight, assorted hooks, ice scoop, plastic bags for bait.
Group Gear:
Ice auger, extra auger blades, sharpening stone, gaff, minnows & ciscoes, small tarp, tent, poles, ground sheet, bowls, cups, spoons, table knife, large spoon, measuring cup, cutting board, can opener, stove, wind screen, stove fuel, fuel spout, pots w/ lids, pot gripper, skillet, water purif. tablets, pot scrubber, powdered soap, matches, fire starters, thermometer, parachute cord, folding saw.
Sewing kit:
Needles, safety pins, thread, thimble, fabric, velcro, buttons.
First aid kit:
Gauze pads, bandaids, steristrips, 1" tape, tweezers, triple antibiotic cream, muscle relaxant pills , pain pills.
