Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum
Fishing in British Columbia => General Discussion => Topic started by: jettabambino on September 14, 2005, 07:07:31 PM
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With the fall/winter months comming around the corner i was wondering where you guys sleep when you go fishing.....and it cant be a hotel...
The reason why i ask this is that in 2 weeks i am leaving on a fishing/hunting trip and will be camped in an area that was as cold as 2 degrees last week. I bought a tent from JYSK believe or not. The tent is a 3 man tent and makes no reference as to whether it can be used in cold weather or not. My sleeping bag is good til minus 10..... do you think this is safe.. Just dont want to wake up frozen.... All the guys will be sleeping in the back of the pickups but i feel like a sardine so i am looking for an alternative....
Thanks :-\
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Every year I go to a lake in the Merrit region. Usually in mid September or end of September. Its gets as low as -5 at times and we wake up to snow as its 5000ft in elevation. I sleep in the back of my truck despite the cold. I use one of those sleeping bags rated to -30. It helps but I usually wake up a few times during the night and turn my truck on and the heater for a good 20mins. Its hardcore but its always worth it. The usually stay 5 days at this lake and my record in those 5 days is 35fish and the biggest is 10lbs!! That alone is worth the cold. Its a fly only lake and thats the only way I would have it ;D
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but eddie the question is would you do it in a tent....
do you guys think i would wake up before hypothemia set in or i was to get ill...
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but eddie the question is would you do it in a tent....
do you guys think i would wake up before hypothemia set in or i was to get ill...
You can tent it my buddies do it. You can buy one of those tent heaters where they operate with a stubby ( small propane cylinder ) I would also get the same sleeping bag as I do. They sell any of this at Canadian Tire and Army & Navy.
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oh great now i wanna go
I met you this past weekend at Derby Reach I would be glad to tell you. You are going to the cleanup on Saturday right? If so just ask me and I will tell you all about the lake.
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wouldnt it hotbox the tent with propane fumes ;D ;D ;D... i have a minus 10 bag so i might be ok... i was thinking if it got to cold i could always go to the truck...
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hey jett a trick i learnt in the past is light a candle or 2 in ur tent for a while it warms u up if ur cold and also it gets the heat going in the tent... it a nice cheap way to heat up the tent and maybe even throw on some marshmallows if ur hungry lol 8)
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yah but with my luck i would knock the candel over and burn the tent.....
as for the marshmallows.... dude you got an idea....
i hope i will be ok :'(
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You'll be fine just have to tough it out. Like I said I do it every year. It feels like crap at night but the fishing and experience make up for it. I get frost on my windows, I can see my breath etc etc but I still go back every year. 2 years ago they still had the campfire ban on during 3 of the 5 days we were there. Now that was tough but I still had fun.
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maybe i can find a little lady on the mountain and bring her in the tent with me... hehehe..
i am sure i will be fine.... and worse comes to worse i guess can sleep in the truck
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Bring a glass jar put a small candle (those with metal cup and about 1/2 inch tall) put it in the jar. drill come holes on the lid.
It take about 10min to warm up a two person tent (at minus 10). Make sure you tuck yourself in well and wear vest and socks.
Was in Churchill Manitoba for a while doing. It's -10 at night by end of Aug. and +15 at noon.
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do i have to put the lid on it....will the candle burning cutt off my air supply...
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No it won't. Tent is not airtight.
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Yeah BwiBwi's got the right idea with the candle... also buy some heat packs that u can buy at any snowboard or ski shop and army navy .. lol pretty much anywhere.. and throw them in ur socks and gloves, they are amazing...
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i am going to do the candle thing... to be honest with yah i dont like the heatpacks becasue they run out and before you know it you spend a fortune on it...
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By the way. For winter preperation it is a good idea to keep match and candle in car when going to remote areas. One candle can keep whole car warm.
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yah we always do that... we are also goign hunting for half the trip so should there be no food we can arange for some... ;)
Just a little concenrned about the cold while i am sleeping.. dont want to wake up one morning all sick..
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Dont' worry. I didn't, and it was months long project we were involved. Vest, socks and candle.
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i am excited with the candle idea.. makes it a little more like survivor... hehe
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how cold was it biwi
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When we arrived end of Aug. it was -8 by end of Sept it was -15. Starting to see polar bears gathering waiting for that ice to form.
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wow...... what were you doing up there...
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geophraphic survey. diesel spill. check for extent of contamination under permafrost layer.
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go to any army surplus store. buy yourself an army blanket (dark grey in colour) and lay it beneath your sleeping bag. they're pretty raspy, but even wet, they'll keep you warm.
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Comfort of sleeping in the tent differ from person to person. Where somebody will be freezing another person will feel hot. General rule is that sleeping bags are made for an average person which is not tired, has a full tummy, and overal feels good. If you are hungry, or ... sleeping bag for -10 will work as a +5 sleeping bag. I would get a terma rest (if you do not know what it is, just go to MEC on West Broadway, Sport Check, or any other store that sells outdoor equipment and ask them). You will need it. I would not go camping without it.
Just keep yourself dry, rested, fill up your tummy, do not burn down your tent :) , and you should be OK.
Good Luck Fishing
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a liner made of fleece and a sleeping pad will go a long ways to helping you stay warm....I'll b in the back of my B2200 in 7 days for 5 nites...haven't camped in years...but I'll b prepared for the cold...;)))
mojo
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Further... Don't use an open flame in your tent: Unless you have a penchant for melted nylon stuck to your skin and burning :(
Try this.
(http://www.nalgene-outdoor.com/store/images/subcategory/Wide-Mouth_Bottles_Grey_LEXAN_Round_Loop-Top.jpg)
Get 2 lexan/nalgene wide mouth water bottles (http://www.nalgene-outdoor.com/store/subcategory.asp?categorysubcategorycode=5) (the clear, coloured, not translucent ones) and pour BOILING water into them before going to bed. Put a sock around the bottle (bottle in sock) and then toss them into the bottom of your sleeping bag.
Double benefit:
1) if it's really cold, at least when you wake up, you'll have some LIQUID water
2) Hot water bottle.
We use this for our scouts when we're at Manning in November, and it sometimes gets down to -20 at night. Haven't had a kid die yet ;)
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i dont know.... then you get alot of mosture in the bag which makes you cold... plus waste of fuel to boil the water.....
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I'm amazed at these suggestions of using external heating sources to keep warm, like candles, propane heaters and bottles of boiling water in sleeping bags, they seem dangerous to me :o The technology of outdoor fabrics and materials has made surviving in cold conditions so much easier now. If your going to be sleeping in sub-zero temps, I suggest that you purchase a good down mummy bag that is regulated to be atleast 10 degrees lower than the temperatures that you will be encountering. Hiker is right about a Therma-rest, or other sleeping pad, which will protect you from losing heat from where the sleeping bag is in contact with the ground. The clothing you shoose to wear in your sleeping bag is very important in cold weather. You should wear moisture wicking clothing, such as Polartec Powder Dry type long johns and polartec fleece pants and tops. Another over looked item are socks, a good pair of merino wool blended socks can prevent that annoying cold feet feeling. Your head is also important, you should wear a toque and cinch up the mummy hood in very cold conditions :) Yes, this stuff is not cheap, but well worth the investment.
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you know the hotel is looking better and better...heheh.
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when i go on hunting trips up in the northern part of the province in october/november it generally has gotten to minus 25 on many trips with snow being expected everytime. I use a 6inch thick foam mattress to insulate myself from the ground and 2 thick comforters, i hate sleeping bags. I will wear a fresh pair of -20 rated socks each night ( change to fresh ones in morning) and i wear fleece underwear and a hoody pullover fleece so i can pull the hood over my head. I have only occasionally been woken up by cold but only when it has really dropped on the thermometer. I have a 4 man canvas in which we use a early 1980's coleman kersone dome heater, placed just inside the door to allow for fumes to not build up. works awesome. I also have a small 2 man tent which we use the propane type heater mentioned by others above. most important thing regardless of all else, insulate yourself from the cold ground and you will reduce at least 50% of your exposure to the cold while sleeping. And DO NOT use any open flame in your tent... unless you are lighting a smoke or...
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??? Not candles in sleeping bag that's suicidal. In TENT. Outside of sleeping bag.
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After reading this thread I can't help but think of the people found dead in tents on the local mountain., Alot of the time they had some sort of lamp burning inside for heat, which burned all the oxygen while they slept.
Layer your clothes for extra heat. Today's moisture wicking fabrics have come a long way in helping the body keep dry and warm. Keep your head warm, as (I think it was) 60% of your body's heat can be lost through the head. A nice wool toque can keep your head warm, even when wet. Cotton has a tendency to retain moisture, but I've found that wearing cotton socks when skiing keeps me from sweaty feet more so than dry wicking thermal socks.
Mojoman, that's a good truck :)
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buy the best sleeping bag you can afford, some arctic 3 star or yukon robe's are made so as you can remove a layer (bag within a bag),
as suggested before army wool surplus blankets go a long way. I had a couple sown together to form a lite bag and had a flannel liner made worked great in a cheaper bag until I could afford a more winter friendly model .
don't wear to many layers in a bag, once you sweat you are going to feel miserable real quick
Re: sleeping in the bed of a truck, I have often found that I was more comfertable sleeping under a tarp draped over the side of the truck what with the residual heat from the fire can be quite cozy.
Dragonspeed's idea with the hot bottles is great ,I just packed a real hot water bottle, many laughed at first but they sure was a few more appear in camp before long.
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i dont know.... then you get alot of mosture in the bag which makes you cold... plus waste of fuel to boil the water.....
No moisture. CLOSED bottle ;)
It's tough to boil it once it's frozen ::) You're going to need energy to generate heat somehow....might as well be doing double duty of keeping your water from freezing.
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ya don't have an open flame in your tent. especially after piggin' out on beans... you might blow yourself up. ;D
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hmmmm i think i have reached a decision....here goes
Tarp on the botto..... tent on top of that... air matress then sleeping bang and of course tarp ontop..... before i got to bed i will do the candle thing but stay out of the tent..... let those warm up... then go to bed all bundled with my rifle beside me... (sorry i had to put that in)... 8) if it gets to cold to the car i go.. i will bundle myself up real nice and i will go from there...
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lose the air matress.....will just help you keep cold....foam cushion would be a better alternative,...;)))
mojo
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Chrome Mykiss and Mojoman gave you great advice . Outdoors always put the extra blanket , pad or whatever under instead of over. Reason your weight sueeses the air out by compressing the fifers and the cold can come in real quick and you can't pile enough on to of you to keep warm while a bit extra on the bottom does wonders . Not too many clothes on during the night though as when you get up in the morning you freeze . Before I leared this I spent a lot of uncomfortable nights in the bush .
Keep smilinh