Winter gear test

[The Nailer]

A picture I took this week testing a new sleeping bag and tent. I camped in the orchard at my camp on a foot of snow Wednesday & Thursday night, as a warm-up (pun intended as it was -8 Friday morning when I woke up) for our upcoming WinterCamp '03.
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/500/123MH_Tent.jpg

[riverboy]

wow you are a die hard Nailer!!!!!!!!

[kroppe]

Nailer,

Cool stuff. Please post some pics of your 03 winter camp.

[gunrod]

I've done it twice. Once with the boy scouts, the other during deer camp (no snow, but cold). Fun times as you look back at them but crazy at the time. Have fun.

[The Nailer]

kroppe-

We're going up the second weekend in March, I'll post the pictures when I get back. I just hope that there is still plenty of snow, because it'll be awful hard dragging four days worth of gear on a tobboggan through the mud:D

[ih772]

How did your new gear work out?

It really looks different than last years camp and the extra 18" of snow we recieved. See you in a couple weeks.

[The Nailer]

ih772-

It worked good, although I like the way the fly attaches better on the one I sold you. The tobbogan worked GREAT, no tip overs and glides so well you can't even tell you're pulling it.

Imbided a little too much Thursday night staring at the fire and didn't get everything zipped up as tight as I should. I was reminded of it around three in the morning when the temps bottomed out and flooded the inside of my bag w/ artic air.

We should have plenty of snow, but it looks like it may be a bit colder than last year.

[ih772]

I set up the tent in my basement tonight. I'm sure happy that I did. It would have been a pain to figure out for the first time in the snow. The thing went together pretty easily once I figured out how the poles attached.

[riverboy]

Hey guys Im just curious about your winter camp 03. Where do you guys go? What do you guys do? Sounds like a fun time!! Im going to have to give it a try one of these days.

[The Nailer]

Riverboy-

This started out as a just a weekend away w/ the guys and has grown over the years from staying in rented cabins to camping in tents, but near all the convienences ( electricity, etc.) until last year we decided to take it a step further.

The rule was you took in all you needed for the weekend w/ no trips back to the truck for any extras including beer. We used my camp near Hawks because we weren't sure how this was going to work and figured if anything went wrong we were close enough to reasonable comfort and facilities to bail out.

This year we're going back to my camp, but I would like to go to the next level and pick a spot on the map next year and snowshoe in to a more remote location.

Last year staying dry and warm was the main objective because we were dumped on w/ around 14" of heavy wet snow the first day before the temps bottomed out to -8 on the last night.

This year we were talking about just hiking for the day or snowshoeing depending on conditions, but if it's cold between eating and gathering wood for a fire it usually amounts to standing around the fire telling lies and solving world problems. That's why I would like to go somewhere else next year and do a little exploring or maybe find a small lake or stream to camp near. I know my forty like the back of my hand, but fortunately I have good neighbors and they don't mind us exploring their properties.