Winter Camp 2015

[Jaeger]

Fred: Well, let's see. One night I had a can of stew for dinner, and the next kielbasa and sauerkraut. I know...I know...not exactly 18th century Michigan cuisine.... :haha: ...but I enjoyed it. Next year I'm bringing small steaks to fry up. No..we did no hunting.

 

[wattlebuster]

Very cool :thumbsup: I loved the pics

 

[Spikebuck]

Excellent pics. Thanks for sharing. :hatsoff:

Many years ago when I was in my early 20's, a group of us used to do a winter camp every year. Mind you, this was not "period" camping, but it was still "roughing it." Some in tents, some not. None of us really had gear for it. Mostly we stayed up all night by the fire passing around refreshments and dreaded actually climbing into freezing cold summer-type sleeping bags. One year is was about -25. Even though it wasn't period camping, your pictures brought back some memories for me. :grin:

 

[zimmerstutzen]

Thitry years ago, a buddy lent me the use of his cabin in the mtns for a weekend. I drove up Friday night through a terrible winter wind storm. The gal that I was taking along cancelled, called into work because of the weather. Undaunted I went alone, only to find the power knocked out and the heat did not work and the inside temperature was the same as the 2 degrees outside. At least the blankets from the car were warm. I piled them up on the couch and snuggled in. draping blankets over top the couch like a tent as well. I actually slept quite comfortably. Finding firewood under the snow the next morning was about the coldest I had ever been in my life. Even with a roaring fire, the best indoor temperature was only 50 degrees in that drafty old cabin. I spent a good part of the day bundled on the couch reading a book and drinking anything hot. The second night was not bad, but by Sunday morning my drinking water was frozen again. I had enough and high tailed it out of there in a nice warm car to the nearest restaurant for a hot meal and a trip home.

 

[Ron LaClair]

This was our "Tree Rat Rendezvous" camp a few years ago, near Mio in northern Michigan. It was late Sept so it wasn't too cold. That's my small wall tent on the left with the stove pipe sticking up.

I'm planning on setting it up this spring during turkey season, hunting in period garb and flintlock fowler of coarse.

Venison back straps for breakfast

Venison ribs and a couple squirrels for supper

 

[Ron LaClair]

The little tent from the front

Winter campin totally primitive is an entirely different experience, ya gotta have a lotta hair on yer arse ta pull it off. :haha:

These stoves are really nice. gives you heat, a cooking surface and a hot water tank on the side. I have the small scout in my tent and it's just right.

 

[coloradoclyde]

:thumbsup:

 

[Jaeger]

Nice-looking camp and food pictures, Longhunter.

 

[Spikebuck]

Very nice pics. I do believe that a nice turkey or squirrel hunt combined with the camping would be a lot of fun and not so darned cold! Neat to take some game and then cook and eat it right there. :thumbsup:

 

[Ron LaClair]

Neat to take some game and then cook and eat it right there.

Hmmm :hmm: turkey on a spit. That sounds like a good Idea

 

[tenngun]

Fine looking camp.I have spent nights below 0 in blankets. With litter below and on top you can stay warm enough to sleep. I dont own a sleeping bag. Still when your movig a camp for a few people wieght and space makes a difference. You would not have had more fun, or realisticly been more hc to have camped without sleeping bags. We are doing this to have fun, not to make are selfs misarabel. Cold enough to ache aint fun for anybody.

 

[Snapper]

I was lucky enough a couple of weeks ago to do attend a weekend program at Fort Ticonderoga on Lake Champlain in NYS. When we walked into the fort at 9 AM the temperature was a whopping -5 F and it didn't get much better throughout the day. This wasn't my first time in that kind of cold in period clothing so I knew what so many other people already know...wear wool. I had on a pair of heavy wool long socks, wool breeches, a wool shirt, wool short jacket and, when it really got cold, my wool coat. I also wore a pair of double knit wool mitts and a Dutch mutsen hat (like a ski cap). That evening when I laid out on my pallet (they let us sleep in the original unheated barracks) I kept all that on and slipped under 2 wool blankets. On the whole, it was a warm and toasty evening. I really hated getting up in the morning. I don't know what the interior temperature was in the barracks but I've used this same set-up for winter camping trips in NYS and have been fine down to near 10 F.

All that being said, I commend you on your trip. I'm almost 62 and usually have a tough time finding folks who want to go out overnight in the winter so it's great you have a group to go with. Keep at it. We only really get old when we stop doing the things we love.

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

snapper

 

[Mickc01]

Good-golly that looks like fun! Wish I could have been there!!....Mick C :thumbsup: :hatsoff:

 

[Grumpa]

We only really get old when we stop doing the things we love. snapper

True, for sure.

 

[Marc Adamchek]

Hey, whatever you guys had to do for even a small bit of comfort was well-deserved. Freezing your arses off is period correct ENUFF!