Best time for Winter Camping.

Roybrew

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I've heard that the best time for Winter snow camping is January and February. You get clearer days and nights, and more stable weather. I've never done that type of camping before. I read about it in my Boundary Waters Journey. I try to imagine what it would be like. I would think it would be very quiet especially if it's snowing heavy.

I always associate camping with fishing, but I don't know if I would enjoy sitting over a hole in the ice trying to entice some fish to screw up and bite my lure.

Just dreaming.
 

Northern Dancer

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I really hanker for the snow - to me that is what winter camping is all about. One year I purchased an unusual tent that had a one-inch screen that ribboned around the whole tent. Other than that there were no windows. That was the time I took my tripod and cast iron pot. I made a scrupulous stew and froze it. When I got set up I set up the tripod and cooked my stew. When I finished I just let it sit in the pot and it froze again until I came to the next meal to cook it up. Other than hunks of bread, coffee, and a hand full of snacks that was all I ate for the weekend.

2933

Yes, you do...there are flowers at the base of my night lantern. And yes because of the land usage I'm using a Chiminea as not to build a fire on the ground. This was 2003 down by the Neath River - you can see the frozen river in the background. This was a canvas tent that I purchased from Tent City and if I remember correctly it was made in Sweden. I used a Swedish Military kerosene stove to heat the tent that others referred to as the hut.
 

Roybrew

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I like the chimney under the tripod. That is funny.

I was reading that sometimes at night you can hear the ice on a lake cracking. They claim it can sound like a gun shot.

Snow camping sounds interesting. No bugs or slithering critters.
 

Northern Dancer

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...it's true. I walked out onto MacGregor Lake in Thunder Bay at 12:00 midnight. The moon was high in the sky and had one of those big rings around it. The temperature was - 32 Fahareight. You could hear that piercing crack you mentioned. Every time you exhaled it was liked a tiny cloud hung for a flashing moment. It was so quiet you had this winter glistening sound in your ears. It was dead silent except for the ice crack that was eerie. Nop! We were not in a tent that trip but a cozy pioneer like cabin that had a woodfire blazing night and day. It was the first time I was on a snowmobile camping. I still have my Algonquin style of snow shoes that I used extensively on that occasion.
 

ppine

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The best times are subjective to say the least. The hardest thing about winter camping is the lack of daylight. I get much more interested in sleeping outside by late Feb or March because the Equinox is approaching. I like the desert best in winter, but this year we will be doing some camping around 6,000 feet by March.
 
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