Winter Camping on the Ice - Anyone?

[BP338]

I saw Clayton do this last year and thought it was interesting. I bought a new insulated, double pop up and was thinking about trying this. Does anyone have any experience with this? I feel like the biggest issue could be the unpredictable wind/weather...

 

[dblkluk]

I saw Clayton do this last year and thought it was interesting. I bought a new insulated, double pop up and was thinking about trying this. Does anyone have any experience with this? I feel like the biggest issue could be the unpredictable wind/weather...

We used to do "overnighters" in our 8x8 plywood /tarp portables all the time on Sakakawea 15 years ago.

Most of the time we'd used ATV's to travel miles from the accesses and spent multiple nights. And in stupid cold sometimes as well. One night raw temps dropped to -25 and our LP tanks froze up and luckily we got them inside the shacks in time to warm them up enough to get going again. We let four wheelers run most of the night as well.
I really miss doing it, the middle of Sak on a January night in sub zero temps feels about as remote as a person can be.
Would be much more comfortable now with advances in shelters/ lighting, heaters, cell phone coverage etc..

 

[Bfishn]

I plan on doing it this year, but I’ll be looking for a warmer calm night, No need to be stupid.

 

[LBrandt]

Just too dam old for that shit. 50 years ago dam betcha I do it. Spent many a night in a sleeping bag under a big old pine tree at 8000 ft up a mountain. You had to get above the elk then let the idiots chase them to you. Learn to hunt smart and you eat like a king all winter. LB

 

[PrairieGhost]

LB my son and I did that six or seven years ago. The night before opening season the wind was terrible. We hiked with backpacks to the top and got into a very thick stand of young pine maybe three inches in diameter with branches all the way to the ground. I carry a small hand trimmer so I clipped branches up about 18 inches on one side of the tree, crawled into the bag, set my rifle on the bipod, hung my glassed on the branch above me and went to sleep. The only problem was the slight slope and slippery bag.

Edit: oh ya on the ice. I have stayed all night on the ice. but we didnt sleep we fished until the morning bite was over then went home and crashed.

 

[riverview]

heat source would bother me with most using unvented propane heaters. back in the day our ice house had wood stoves so affectation wasnt a concern.

 

[guywhofishes]

yep - direct vent heat source is only way I'd do it

 

[LBrandt]

LB my son and I did that six or seven years ago. The night before opening season the wind was terrible. We hiked with backpacks to the top and got into a very thick stand of young pine maybe three inches in diameter with branches all the way to the ground. I carry a small hand trimmer so I clipped branches up about 18 inches on one side of the tree, crawled into the bag, set my rifle on the bipod, hung my glassed on the branch above me and went to sleep. The only problem was the slight slope and slippery bag.

Edit: oh ya on the ice. I have stayed all night on the ice. but we didnt sleep we fished until the morning bite was over then went home and crashed.

Used to carry a hachet/hammer and some tent stakes to pin down my sleeping bag so it didnt slide down the mountain. Remember when a squirrel or chipmonk used my chest as a trampoline one pitch black night. That lost me about 10 years in an instant.LB

 

[Bfishn]

Heating is certainly the main issue that comes up with ice camping, each person has to decide, heat or no heat. There are plenty of people out there on different forums that regularly use buddy heaters on low with all vents/doors cracked without issue, a person does have to be careful though for sure and grab a battery operated CO detector to be safer. If your somebody that hits the bed and passes out for 6 hours, I probably wouldn't run heat.

 

[JMF]

I've spent many nights in my insulated double eskimo. I use a big buddy heater with the vents open and a carbon monoxide detector. The biggest issue is the melting ice inside the ice house. Make sure to have gym floor pieces or something to keep you up off the ice. It's not nearly as comfortable as an ice castle though.

 

[johnr]

Climb back into the pickup and let that keep you warm overnight if need be, we never catch anything in the mid of the night anyway.

 

[Captain Ahab]

I used to sleep in my permanent all the time, but it was RVIA certified with fully vented heat. Pulled that heavy SOB out after sleeping through a couple blizzards with the pickup pinned and snow coming over the hood. I enjoyed the hell out of it. Just something about having the rattle reels wake you up the next morning and brushing your teeth with a bottle of Jack.

 

[BP338]

I'm going to give it a go.

 

[johnr]

I'm going to give it a go.

I am going to sleep in my big bed, at my house, with my beautiful wife, and a big smile.

might even pitch a tent if the mood should swing that way.

 

[Riverbottoms]

I always wondered how much ventilation is needEd to keep fresh air in those insulated hub houses? I agree with have CO detectors as well. 1, 2 or the door open? Thoughts

 

[Rowdie]

The nice thing about where I live and fish is I can jump on my 4wheeler, run home take a shit and be back in under 1/2 an hour.

 

[LBrandt]

When your older there is a time limit and a half hour dont cut it.:::

 

[espringers]

Bring a 5 gallon bucket and heavy duty non leak garbage bags for shitting outside the house. For pissing, drill a hole just short of breaking through by a couple of inches. Keeps the place from looking like a shit hole of piss yellow all over. Do the same for things like sausage water.

 

[Rowdie]

When your older there is a time limit and a half hour dont cut it.:::

I Can be at my house n on shitter in under 10 minutes. I can BE BACK fishing in 30 minutes

 

[Rowdie]

Those guys with castles could live on the ice. I thought camping in them was the main idea. Take the family and spend a couple nights out on the ice.