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Hot Tenting

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This is a subject that has been itching me for some time but I've not found the solution I'm looking for.

The idea of winter camping with a small, portable stove is a nice idea but for me, I'm interested in minimal fuss.

My idea is that I probably would use it for close to car camping or maybe with a boat in late fall, so weight is not a huge concern.

My issue is fuss (and frankly, cost) - a lot of these designs seem like they require a fair deal of effort to setup and take down. For this to be something I would use it needs to be useful for weekend trips.

The simplest I can figure is the Snowtrekker EXP Crew. Seems like it has the minimum amount of staking and guying.

The Kifaru Sawtooth also maybe seems like it might not be so bad. I watched the setup videos though and it seemed a bit fiddly. It is light, but also made of a material that may not be as tolerant to a spark. Also the frame is pretty minimal so you are relying more on the stakes which may be an issue in hard ground without snow.

I'd love to find an aluminum pole tent with the proper material adapted to using a stove. In all my looking, I don't think such a thing exists.

Any suggestions?
 
The Snowtrekker tents are easy peasy to set up. We have one. I got it off ebay for about 70 percent off retail Retail price is shocky. Hopefully Snow Walkers Rendezvous will be held again this November. Tour of the Tents is always a highlight

The hardest part for us is because we want to car camp in the winter..finding an open campsite where we can access the campsite easily while the car is not getting plowed in.
 
Ahh yes, good point about the car being plowed in. I'd be sure to carry a good shovel (good idea anyway).

I think I like the safety and frame of the Snowtrekker better. I'll have to keep my eye open for used.

Do you use with or without floor?

My thought was to use a small bit of tarp for changing shoes and such and sleep on cots. Then put the stove on a piece of sheet metal. Floor seems unnecessary to me.
 
Snowtrekkers don't have a floor. Many people use something non slip for a floor that does not cover the whole tent area..( below the stove is always kept bare) We use minicell workshop flooring for under our sleeping pads and along a walkway. We did get cots to try this upcoming winter. Heat rises in a hot tent and the coldest is on the floor.. Its often forty degrees different between head and toes standing up. Whatever you get for the floor..( and canvas seems wise) make sure its not got a zip slip factor. Silnylon is not a good idea....

We left our Snowtrekker in the yard one year when we got 200 inches. We learned that while the sloped roof sheds snow . the accumulation at the bottom of hard compacted snow is very hard on the tent and frame.. So its best not left as a winter residence but rather nomadic domicile.

I did think it would be a great idea to take the cot and Snowtrekker for car camping in Florida this past March. That way I would not have to run to the restroom to change into pjs etc.

The Snowtrekker hated FL. The first night it rained seven inches. Florida is underlain by limestone and some areas don't drain worth jacksquat. My campsite was one of those areaa. The entire floor was a lake. The pillow slid off the head of the cot and landed squarely in the water. The tent the next day weighed about 90 lbs. Its Florida. It never dried the rest of the time I was there. I threw it loose in the back of the truck and slept on the ground in my normal solo canoeing tents.

From now on Snowtrekker stays north where the ground usually drains and the precip if seven inches will be 70 inches of soft stuff.
 
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Oh I know they don't have floors... but they sell burly ground tarps for them. The seem a bit slippery by the looks of it.

I'd honesty just rather wear shoes inside and not mess with a floor which will get puddled with water. As long as the cot legs don't sink into the snow...

Cot seems like a better idea. I'd rather deal with convection and keep the fire going than deal with conduction and moisture on the ground.

dang expensive to get all the gear though... almost need everything different for hot tenting than for the other 2.5-3 seasons.
 
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I'm a bit of a hardcore winter camper, and I made my own tent that uses minimal stakes. I can get away with two (side tieouts) without snow and zero with. a cot is warmer than the floor and you can stop it from sinking by cutting a couple of runners to go under the feet (2x4's with a groove to put each pair of feet in). You can put a thermorest on top to stop convection.
I use a piece of waterproof canvas about 2x6' down the centre of the tent and poly tarp under the sleeping area, that way the canvas can be taken out and shook off if snow gets on it, and it is sure warmer on the feet when changing!
 

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Thank you Mr. Griz. I used to be a bit of a hardcore winter camper. In fact the majority of the camping I did when I was in my teens and twenties was cold weather camping. I only did cold tenting though. The thought of doing that again isn't very appealing to me (cold boots, cold fingers while cooking, etc) and my wife would never even try. She gets cold in the early spring and late fall.

I often wonder do people keep the fire going at night? Or do you just rely on a warm bag. I see some do and some don't in my other readings. To me, I'd like to keep the fire going and use a minimal bag but I am unsure about the safety and practicality of this.

Anyway, it's still just a pipe dream now... but if I get educated enough I may take the plunge.
 
This another great topic. I used to chase deer and elk around in the Big Mountains when I was younger and a canvas wall tent with a stove is standard equipment. There is nothing like tramping around all day in the snow and coming back to camp and a warm tent. You get the chill out of your bones, your clothes get dry, and best of all your bedding gets dry. I have been on summer trips even in the Rockies in Colorado when we brought wall tents. It rains a lot and we were up around the Continental Divide at 10,000 feet and more. The stove feels good then too.

I have used Townsend lean-tos for winter xc trips, with a fire in front. In deep woods with wind protection it is pure luxury.

I have a 10 foot canvas Baker tent with a stove hole that would easily fit in a canoe. It weighs under 20 pounds.

The new tents like the Arctic Oven are really worth considering for those late fall trips. Some of the new stoves are really light, but kind of small and hard to keep stoked. Compared to no stove they would still be perfect.

I have been having winter tent parties with wall tents and canvas tipis for 35 years. We cook on Dutch Ovens over a fire, and have a ball. It is always amazing to watch people step into a stove heated tent in bad weather. They can't believe how comfortable it is. The tipi for some reason really gets to people. Watching the moon rise through the smoke hole, the firelight bouncing off the white canvas, the soaring shape, etc. Mine finally rotted out and hasn't been replaced. For those that tramp the wet woods late in the year, get yourself a tent with a stove and you will never look back.
 
WOW! Those Arctic Oven tents are pretty expensive. For that kind of cash you could purchase a new Snowtrekker and have some change left over; although there's definitely more weight to haul around.

l'oiseau - You might want to check out the Go-Lite "Shangra-La 5" tent. They tend to go fast when in stock but from all reports they work very well as a hot tent for winter camping. If you're not familiar with the tent, it's a nylon teepee like shelter that can be fitted with a small stove. Everything I've read says to go with the 5 person instead of the 3 person because the extra room is well worth it. Being nylon it's not particularly heavy (5 lbs. 10 oz. according to their website) but you will have to have a specially adapted heat resistant flap added for the stove pipe to go through. Again, I haven't done it myself but by all accounts it can be added fairly easily. If you'd like to check out the tent itself, here's the link: http://www.golite.com/Shangri-La-5-Tent-P46714.aspx

You might also want to check out the Winter Trekking website. Lots of folks there have made this same transition so you can get some words of advice from them as well. The main site's web link is: http://wintertrekking.com/

As I get older the thought of staying out of the woods during the cooler paddling seasons, as well as the winter, has no appeal for me. For that reason, this is the solution I'm currently looking into for myself. Between overall cost, weight and convenience, I think it may be the way to go. Still will need to figure out what stove to go with but there are some good ones out there that are also lightweight so don't be discouraged...I'm sure you'll be fine. Best of luck in finding what you're looking for.

That's all for now. Take care and until next time...Be well.

snapper
 
Snapper,
Good ideas. There is a company called Appalachian that has some of those tarps that can be left open for a fire in front or closed up in a tipi shape. Their large one is tall enough to stand up in and could take a stove.
 
https://www.sierradesigns.com/produc...ain-guide-tarp

Here's another option that seems to be in stock. Similar to the Go-Lite "Shangra-La 5." just a bit different. One advantage to this shelter over the Go-Lite is there's snow flaps already attached (and you don't have an inner nest that isn't needed if you're only looking for a winter shelter). Of course, if you're looking for a do everything, all season set-up then the nest is great during bug season.

BTW...can you see that it's not a busy day at school (LOL)???

Until next time...Be well.

snapper
 
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