Arctic Ocean Expedition: Winter 2007

[Scott Brady]

Along similar lines, put a thermos full of water in your bag and you can use it to make coffee in the morning without ever getting out of the bag. I do this all the time and its awesome! Rob

Great idea! Better than having to draw straws for who has to get outside of the bag.

 

[Desertdude]

After just being in Death Valley over last week the temps dropped to an easy 16-12 degrees - ( which in the big picture is not to cold) it is easy to forget the small stuff like...

no windshield washers
small water bottles frozen
frozen plastic
crispy frozen tent fly
sleep deprivation
butane won't work to well
propane works slower and less efficient
metal parts are dangerous to grab without gloves
video tape does not load without heating up the tape cartridge first

...everything takes longer to do in the cold

Its been at least two decades since I lived in the sub zero climate - I remember now why I left that climate :yikes:

 

[smbisig]

a trick I've learned for cold weather camping is to fill a Nalgene w/ boiling water and throw it in your bag before you crawl in. Keep it in there while you sleep. It keeps your toes nice and toasty! Any 100% lexan bottle will work, but Nalgenes are the most popular. Good luck on the trip!!

i second that trick go on numerous overnight snowshoe trips and this trick works very well.

 

[Colorado Ron]

I see on the page you have pics with and without the trailer. So are you going without the trailer then?

 

[Scott Brady]

We are taking the trailer, but have not decided yet on how far north it will accompany us...

Since this trip has not happened yet, the pictures are just for effect

I.E.: Mods, stickers, etc. are all subject to change.

 

[slooowr6]

I have posted this before somewhere but I use a good old fashioned hot water bottle, much better that a regular water bottle as they have seals for boiling hot water, you don't ever want them to leak. They are much better than an electric blanket as they do not reqire continual power and are much warmer. I grew up with these in the north of the UK where they are still common to this day as Brits don't like eleectric blankets.

http://www.vermontcountrystore.com/...=1&keyword=hot+water+bottle&searchid=inceptor

Fill it with boiling water 30 minutes before bed and put it in its cozy and then put it in your bag, leave it in there when you get in, becareful because it will be red hot (hence the need for the cozy). It'll still be warm in the morning and no aux power required, in those temps you do not want to rely on a battery.

Along similar lines, put a thermos full of water in your bag and you can use it to make coffee in the morning without ever getting out of the bag. I do this all the time and its awesome! If you use a hot water bottle then keep them together by puting the thermos in the cosy with the hot water bottle.

Rob

Wow, we have that in Taiwan but not at $18. The water bag is about $2. I guess the neopren bag cost $16. :smileeek:
Oh, BTW the thing work REALLY well. I should ask my friend bring a couple back from Taiwan.
________
Suzuki GS750S

 

[Robthebrit]

Wow, we have that in Taiwan but not at $18. The water bag is about $2. I guess the neopren bag cost $16. :smileeek:
Oh, BTW the thing work REALLY well. I should ask my friend bring a couple back from Taiwan.

Yeah, I have a couple I got from the UK and they were only a pounds or two each. It must be the cover..

Rob

 

[bigreen505]

Now don't forget to pack your 12V battery powered heated socks dudes!

I'm not sure if that was meant to be a joke, but it actually is not a bad idea. A set of Hotronic's with the universal footbed to go in any boots or shoes runs about $150 - $250 depending on whether you get the 2.5 or 3.5 battery. Might be worth consideration if you plan to be hiking around much.

 

[Shurik]

Sound's like a blast! From reading through the posts, it sounds like you've gotten all the advice you might need. We did a trip in Russia from Yakutsk up the Lena River to Tiksi back in 1996. I wish we had known half the stuff posted here! Of course, we did it in a group of 2 Kamaz's, an Ural, and 2 Gaz-66's (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3017) rather than a Taco.
Good luck, and let me know if I can help at all!

 

[Colorado Ron]

So Im not sure if this has been asked, but is fuel stations going to be an issue? Cant imagine there are too many 7-11s on the way.

 

[freetomeander]

Hello, first post here but been reading for a while. A Canadian friend of mine drove up to Tuk a couple years ago, says it was basically a waste of time and money winterizing the truck. Not that big a deal really, you just drive up there,turn around and drive back. Stay over in Tuk if you want. Large trucks do it alot, just like driving across a frozen lake altho its alot colder when you get out to pee! Lota guys do it just to say they drove to the arctic...not really worth it according to him. He wished he spent the $$$ taking his wife on a trip...she left him shortly after.

 

[Colorado Ron]

Hello, first post here but been reading for a while. A Canadian friend of mine drove up to Tuk a couple years ago, says it was basically a waste of time and money winterizing the truck. Not that big a deal really, you just drive up there,turn around and drive back. Stay over in Tuk if you want. Large trucks do it alot, just like driving across a frozen lake altho its alot colder when you get out to pee! Lota guys do it just to say they drove to the arctic...not really worth it according to him. He wished he spent the $$$ taking his wife on a trip...she left him shortly after.

Hmm, there are a few trips you can say that about. You attitude when on a trip is what greatly predicts its outcome. Maybe he was one of those guys that kinda has a negative attitude(hence the wife leaving him).Please--no disrespect to your friend, just Ive seen 2 guys make the same trip and come back with completly different attitudes.

I say go for it, and keep the right attitude and itll be a trip for the books!:smiley_drive:

 

[freetomeander]

Oh yeah, no doubt it can be a good trip especially if you haven't been in that kind of environment. The cold, the tundra gets a little old for some Canadians who been around it lot of their life. lot of em head to Baja in the winter.
Nah my friends not negative or anything. Divorce just happens sometimes. He had done alot of offroading in Canada and the trip to Tuk was least faverite of all. Once you hit the Dempster landscape is monotnous, according to him. you have to prepare the truck for arctic temps. He spend lotta money on arctic survival stuff like has been talked about here just in case the truck broke down but then never used it,good thing no doubt.

 

[jingram]

Ironically I saw you posting about this trip over at 4wdtrips.net even though I hang out more here, lol. Anyway, I did this trip, albeit in the summer about 12 years ago. I was 17 at the time if you can believe that. I went to Alaska to make my fortune on fishing boats, ended up blowing most of my cash travelling around the Far North at the end up the season and eventually ended up with a totalled truck on the Washingon/Canadian border near a little town called Osoyoos in BC.

I did the trip in an 83 toyota long bed 2wd. I went through 2 tires just getting to Inuvik and back. I was on a shoestring budget running absolute junk equipment on a truck that was way overloaded, but the trip was great.

I stopped and caught grayling early on, the tundra has a lot of color to it surprisingly, although my pictures never were able to capture it. Eagle Plains has fuel and food, tire repair etc. I poked around Fort McPherson for a bit and toured their tent and canvas factory. It is a native settlement and was an interesting experience, especially for a wide eyed 17 year old. Getting to Inuvik felt like a real victory for me until I found out that I could get a flight to Tuk for cheap. So, off I went to Tuk for my dip in the arctic ocean. It was a great trip and I am very envious. I would LOVE to do it during the winter season, especially the ice road to Tuk. You may need permits to run that stretch, so check into that now.

The road was made of sharp slate and from my talks with locals is in neverending flux. It will be interesting to see how it is in winter. Misquitos won't be a problem this time a year, so that is good! :elkgrin:

If you want a partner in an Xterra, you let me know and I will start getting it ready for the trip!! Yes, I am dead serious. :smiley_drive:

Jack

 

[edgear]

Be sure to remember the windshield washer antifreeze!! That was something I never had to consider when I lived in Tucson. But now that I'm up in the cold country, I need to add some of that to my washer fluid reservoir.