Martyn
Supporting Sponsor, Overland Certified OC0018
I have a nice hot water bottle that's covered in a pink polar fleece jacket. Only a real man can sleep with a "hotty" like this.
winter camping tips
- Thread starter LimaKayak
- Start date
I have a nice hot water bottle that's covered in a pink polar fleece jacket. Only a real man can sleep with a "hotty" like this.
Here the trailer that i going to put the tent on http://www.activitytrailer.com/. I've talk to both the trailer rep and adventure trailer . Not going to be a problem for the model 1600 or 1800 . A little mod and adding a third yakima rail . I've been looking at the the heater on adventure trailer web page. No dealer here . The mfg. is in maryland. How would i hook this up to the trailer ?
deepmud
Adventurer
Well - it helps me some - what are you doing for a tent on the trailer? Cabela's tent - so how to fit it on the trailer....a wooden platform maybe? And this platform will be large enough for a Cabela's tent plus more space? Why not just stake the tent to the ground? How cold where you plan to camp?
I sort of like their car-top tent built into the trailer like they show - but it's NOT cheap. I do like their swap-out tongue, so it can be longer for kakaks or whatever.
I sort of like their car-top tent built into the trailer like they show - but it's NOT cheap. I do like their swap-out tongue, so it can be longer for kakaks or whatever.
deepmud
Adventurer
for non-built-in heat (not a furnace), you could do this:
http://www.zodi.com/web-content/Consumer/zodihotvent.html
But that's just to be comfortable - I still believe you should have a good enough sleeping bag and mattress to sustain yourself in whatever temperature you are camping in. Heat can be a bonus, it's great for getting the girlfriend/wife to come along if you can get up and get the tent warm before she awakes :ylsmoke: If things are so cold you need heat all night, you need a better system than a tent on a board on a trailer.
Cooking is different, I've cooked in -30 in a 2 man tent, on the floor of the tent, on DEEP snow, by using a small board to place the stove on - it works fine - CO could build up, but modern tents are usually very well vented anyway, and you don't cook for hours at a time - it's quick meals in a small tent, too much hassle to do more.
http://www.zodi.com/web-content/Consumer/zodihotvent.html
But that's just to be comfortable - I still believe you should have a good enough sleeping bag and mattress to sustain yourself in whatever temperature you are camping in. Heat can be a bonus, it's great for getting the girlfriend/wife to come along if you can get up and get the tent warm before she awakes :ylsmoke: If things are so cold you need heat all night, you need a better system than a tent on a board on a trailer.
Cooking is different, I've cooked in -30 in a 2 man tent, on the floor of the tent, on DEEP snow, by using a small board to place the stove on - it works fine - CO could build up, but modern tents are usually very well vented anyway, and you don't cook for hours at a time - it's quick meals in a small tent, too much hassle to do more.
Zodi used to be sold by adventure trailers. Safty issues if i remember.
No you don't necessary have to put a board or cargo carrier to adventure tents. You do have to have the right spacing and a third rail for support. The cargo carrier is an expensive solution for support.
No you don't necessary have to put a board or cargo carrier to adventure tents. You do have to have the right spacing and a third rail for support. The cargo carrier is an expensive solution for support.
One of nice feature of this trailer is the ability to store it in small location , instead of taking allot of space in garage or driveway. Also , it can be towed by a small vehicle like vw tdi . The tdi is another subject. (milage , etc ) . If pickup got allot better fuel milage i would go that route. But you won't seen the better milage diesel trucks for few years . : (
Martyn
Supporting Sponsor, Overland Certified OC0018
Zodi took them off the market some time ago.
I believe it was a problem of the gas not having a shut off if the flame went out, or if the fan stopped working, may be both.
Nice small unit, inexpensive, not ideal for a portable application as they were a little unstable.
valkyrie
Adventurer
Also, cram tomorow's clothes in your bag with you- extra insulation and you get to put on warm clothes in the morning. :ylsmoke:
Mr. Leary
Glamping Excursionaire
Both are good points. Filling the void in your bag will reduce the amount of space your body has to heat... and things that warm you up are a bonus. I have even gone so far as to stick my feet inside my backpack... inside my sleeping bag (Cold night).
Eat before you go to sleep. Makes a big difference.
Something I have used on the ground while snow camping that may or may not fit your application is pine branches. They insulate well against the cold. When I backpack in snowy conditions, I lay out a barrier of line branches, cover them with a tarp, and pitch the tent on top. I then pack snow around the tent up to a foot or so to provide some insulation and deflect the angle of wind as it passes the tent.
Cooking in the vestibule is always the safer way to do it. No suffocation worries, and your tent does not smell like food when you use it in the spring. I have vestibule cooked several times in rough / winter weather. IMO, cooking inside the tent is asking for trouble for a number of reasons.
If you are camping with your wife, zip your bags together. Sharing body heat in a sleeping bag works well. The_Mrs. and I either use our double bag on car camping trips or we carry our bags separately, then combine them at night.
As stated above. Most important. Stay dry, no cotton. Safety issue.
Sorry to ramble, but many of these techniques work best when used in conjunction with each other.
EDIT: Ventilate your breathing area. The moisture from your breath can compromise the insulative properties of your sleeping bag.
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deepmud
Adventurer
you were saying Cabela's tent? The tent sold with the trailer is fine, but you will have a difficult time cooking in it.
deepmud
Adventurer
yeah - I had to do a kit from www.acmeadapters.com to make my Samurai to run a TDI
I used to get 28-30 mpg at 65mph like this:
Now, I doubt it :elkgrin:
But I haven't bothered licensing it since I went insane on it, lol.
The tent for the trailer will be from adventure trailers. The cooking tent will be from REI . I may go with a tarp . i don't thing the tent that cabelas sells is of the same quality as adventure trailers. The reason why i brought up cabelas was to find a solution for a cooking tent or vestebule.
camp'n_hunt
Observer
Custom Tent
Though it's not "custom" this cabelas tent will take anything i can find in WA during Elk hunting season or late deer season. I use a Big Buddy heater to keep it warm, i wish i could get one of those Zodi heater but they stopped production more then a few years ago.
For cooking in a tent... well most people use a wall tent to put the kitchen in and it makes a good gathering area if there's a heating stove in there too.
Though it's not "custom" this cabelas tent will take anything i can find in WA during Elk hunting season or late deer season. I use a Big Buddy heater to keep it warm, i wish i could get one of those Zodi heater but they stopped production more then a few years ago.
For cooking in a tent... well most people use a wall tent to put the kitchen in and it makes a good gathering area if there's a heating stove in there too.
teotwaki
Excelsior!
I would put the hot water bottle in my boots (or liners for my climbing boots). I'd put the boots in a bag of some sort to keep them from dirtying the sleeping bag. Then my boots would be relatively warm and dry first thing in the morning. The water can be recycled for morning cooking rather than melt more snow.