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[starlagurl]

Is anybody into it?

Got any tips/recipes/fun things to do?

I'm going this weekend, I know it's last minute, but it would be fun to talk about your experiences if you've had any, camping in the snow!

[aopaq]

I would thoroughly recommend trying out sleeping in an iglu if you have the knowledge and skill to make one. It is a great experience and obviously a lot warmer than a tent. Just don't drink too much tea beforehand and if you do, make sure you know the easy way of dealing with "nature calling" in the middle of the night!

[wakingdream]

My husband loves camping in the winter. he and his best bud have gone a few times. I'll have to ask him if he has any suggestions.

Me? I think you're nuts! Ahem, I mean, brave!

[cheli]

Well yeah, but it ain't as hardcore here as it is for you

[starlagurl]

We are building a "quinzhee" which is similar to an igloo:



And I know what you mean about nature calling...you definitely have to make sure you pee before you go to bed, because your body wastes SO much energy keeping your pee warm that you'll get REALLY cold if you don't go before you go to sleep.

[aopaq]

We are building a "quinzhee" which is similar to an igloo:

And I know what you mean about nature calling...you definitely have to make sure you pee before you go to bed, because your body wastes SO much energy keeping your pee warm that you'll get REALLY cold if you don't go before you go to sleep.

Actually, I made the mistake of not peeing before bed and so had a very restless night trying to hold it. Meanwhile my partner somehow managed to get up and fill 3-4 small styrofoam cups (how she did that in the dark I still don't know!). The next day, I learned that the Inuit just dig a small hole in the floor, do their thing, cover the hole with snow and go back to sleep (often without even getting up!). That would probably work in a quinzhee as well.

[starlagurl]

We have a cabin with a wood stove we can sleep in if we want, so no one will die.

I forget what our facilities for going to the bathroom will be like. If it's for one night, I guess maybe you could go inside your shelter, but longer than that, I'm not sure about it.

I think we'll be digging a hole somewhere for everyone, but I'm not sure. I definitely would not do the cup thing! I'd rather just take my chances with the cold for a second, it's not so bad, peeing in the snow.

Hahaha! what a discussion!

[aopaq]

Hahaha! what a discussion!

Yeah!!....Just remember not to eat the yellow snow!!

[uktokyoite]

I spent two nights in the desert in Jordan at New Year this year - it was really fantastic and I've never seen so many stars in the sky. Definitely agree about going to the loo before you go to bed - especially as you definitely don't want to get lost!

Cooking food over a fire was great and pathetic as I am, my lovely warm coat still smells of the fire/smoke and I love it! It's my escape the madness smell

[starlagurl]

How cold was it?

[uktokyoite]

At night it was freezing - when you got up there was frost on the sand. Actually I have to update my blog but time seems to have got away from me. I'm going to try and do it tomorrow - I really want to upload my photos!

[starlagurl]

Frost?! Oh pshaw, frost in Canada means it's spring!

[uktokyoite]

Lol

I know - but somehow it never occurred to me that it would freeze in the desert! I knew it got cold at night but never thought I would see frost - silly me.

[starlagurl]

Yeah you're right, that's pretty cold...oh well, you survived, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger right?

[travelmonster]

I'm surprised you didn't get frostbite at the weekend

[starlagurl]

Actually, I think I did on my cheeks a little, but it's gone now.

[sibways]

Winter camping is usual matter for mountaineers f.e. When using a tent try to isolate the floor by mats and clothes cause the body loses major heat by bottom. And build a wall of compacted snow bricks around a tent to withstand a wind. There can be a dirty trick when you mount a tent with trekking sticks in evening and can't pull them out of tough snow in the morning.
Once it was -42 Celcius here and the plastic transparent pieces in the portal of our's tent cracked. Vodka became with icy crumbs.
If interested see my fun in the blog sibways.blogspot.com how I buided the whole snow house!

[starlagurl]

-42! Gross. What did you do the next night? Did you patch the tent up, or go home?

[sibways]

yap, -42. It's good chance to repeat this extreme cause now it goes up to -38 with cold air from Kara sea (say hello to Taymyr peninsula ). In January I intend to spend few days in tayga. This time we are with the portable stove.
As for tent, it isn't the reason to stop the journey if you are without tent at all. One major reason to use it is to resist a wind and snow on your head when you haven't proper conditions to build igloo or snow cave or use tree shelter. When the temperature is pretty low the wind stays (anticyclone) you can sleep on the outside in down cocoon. But care about the face. While sleeping the nose could hurt as you don't feel it. I use fleece cap to isolate the face and to breath together. The best results of withstanding the cold a group of persons cuddling like penguins shows

[starlagurl]

Whoah... you are HARDCORE! How often do you camp like that?