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Featured
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Canoeing, Parkland & Boreal Transition
Dec 30, 2019
Long Haul on the North Saskatchewan River
Canoeing, Parkland & Boreal Transition
Dec 30, 2019
Canoeing, Parkland & Boreal Transition
Dec 30, 2019
black beaver duck mountain.jpg
Winter, Backpacking, Duck Mountains
Apr 8, 2019
Booze, Balance and the Art of French Cooking
Winter, Backpacking, Duck Mountains
Apr 8, 2019
Winter, Backpacking, Duck Mountains
Apr 8, 2019
P1200997.jpg
Canoeing, Parkland & Boreal Transition
Jun 7, 2018
Rowing Down the Red Deer River
Canoeing, Parkland & Boreal Transition
Jun 7, 2018
Canoeing, Parkland & Boreal Transition
Jun 7, 2018
P1190415.jpg
Backpacking, Porcupine Hills
Oct 25, 2017
The Path to Armit River Canyon
Backpacking, Porcupine Hills
Oct 25, 2017
Backpacking, Porcupine Hills
Oct 25, 2017
35913808504_7bfbe26921_k.jpg
Canoeing, Canadian Shield
Sep 29, 2017
Mission: Missi Island
Canoeing, Canadian Shield
Sep 29, 2017
Canoeing, Canadian Shield
Sep 29, 2017
Backpacking, Duck Mountains
Aug 24, 2017
Three Camps, Three Stories
Backpacking, Duck Mountains
Aug 24, 2017
Backpacking, Duck Mountains
Aug 24, 2017
Canoeing, Parkland & Boreal Transition
Jun 30, 2017
Cracked Canoe on the Assiniboine
Canoeing, Parkland & Boreal Transition
Jun 30, 2017
Canoeing, Parkland & Boreal Transition
Jun 30, 2017
bainbridge river pasquia
Backpacking, Pasquia Hills
May 12, 2017
Beaten at Bainbridge River
Backpacking, Pasquia Hills
May 12, 2017
Backpacking, Pasquia Hills
May 12, 2017
badwater-river-kalinsky
Canoeing, Canadian Shield
Apr 18, 2017
Six Days on the Badwater River
Canoeing, Canadian Shield
Apr 18, 2017
Canoeing, Canadian Shield
Apr 18, 2017
spirit mountain
Hiking, Porcupine Hills, Winter
Feb 21, 2017
Hiking Spirit Mountain
Hiking, Porcupine Hills, Winter
Feb 21, 2017
Hiking, Porcupine Hills, Winter
Feb 21, 2017
grasslands-mars
Hiking, Prairies and Badlands
Jan 14, 2017
Life on Mars
Hiking, Prairies and Badlands
Jan 14, 2017
Hiking, Prairies and Badlands
Jan 14, 2017
Canoeing, Porcupine Hills
Nov 24, 2016
Breaking Snail Lake
Canoeing, Porcupine Hills
Nov 24, 2016
Canoeing, Porcupine Hills
Nov 24, 2016
pasquia river sawkiw goodson vanin hootz
Backpacking, Pasquia Hills
Oct 10, 2016
Unearthing the Pasquia River
Backpacking, Pasquia Hills
Oct 10, 2016
Backpacking, Pasquia Hills
Oct 10, 2016
Stormy Killdeer Badlands - Grasslands National Park
Backpacking, Prairies and Badlands
Sep 8, 2016
Escape from Killdeer Badlands
Backpacking, Prairies and Badlands
Sep 8, 2016
Backpacking, Prairies and Badlands
Sep 8, 2016
waskwei river - pasquia hills
Backpacking, Pasquia Hills
Aug 18, 2016
Come Hell or High Water
Backpacking, Pasquia Hills
Aug 18, 2016
Backpacking, Pasquia Hills
Aug 18, 2016
Canoeing, Porcupine Hills
Jul 14, 2016
Overturned and out of Reach: Seeking Snail Lake
Canoeing, Porcupine Hills
Jul 14, 2016
Canoeing, Porcupine Hills
Jul 14, 2016
Cypress southwest sask
Hiking, Prairies and Badlands
Apr 27, 2016
Sleepless Nights in Cypress Hills
Hiking, Prairies and Badlands
Apr 27, 2016
Hiking, Prairies and Badlands
Apr 27, 2016
steiestol-ice-fishing-mitch-doll
Backpacking, Porcupine Hills, Winter
Apr 1, 2016
How the Winter Was Won at Steiestol Lake
Backpacking, Porcupine Hills, Winter
Apr 1, 2016
Backpacking, Porcupine Hills, Winter
Apr 1, 2016
Backpacking, Duck Mountains
Dec 7, 2015
Moose Lake Misery
Backpacking, Duck Mountains
Dec 7, 2015
Backpacking, Duck Mountains
Dec 7, 2015
Duck Mountain_Escarpment_MB
Backpacking, Duck Mountains
Nov 9, 2015
Back Where We Started
Backpacking, Duck Mountains
Nov 9, 2015
Backpacking, Duck Mountains
Nov 9, 2015
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Backpacking, Pasquia Hills
Oct 5, 2015
This is the Rice River Canyon
Backpacking, Pasquia Hills
Oct 5, 2015
Backpacking, Pasquia Hills
Oct 5, 2015
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Hiking, Canadian Shield
Sep 23, 2015
Rock-bottom in the Limestone Crevices of Amisk Lake
Hiking, Canadian Shield
Sep 23, 2015
Hiking, Canadian Shield
Sep 23, 2015
Canoeing, Canadian Shield
Sep 7, 2015
Something is Amisk
Canoeing, Canadian Shield
Sep 7, 2015
Canoeing, Canadian Shield
Sep 7, 2015
Backpacking, Pasquia Hills
Aug 23, 2015
The War of Waskwei River
Backpacking, Pasquia Hills
Aug 23, 2015
Backpacking, Pasquia Hills
Aug 23, 2015
Backpacking, Porcupine Hills
Jul 30, 2015
Storms and Stones with Father Steeprock
Backpacking, Porcupine Hills
Jul 30, 2015
Backpacking, Porcupine Hills
Jul 30, 2015
Backpacking, Porcupine Hills
Jul 6, 2015
Old Trout Stream in Canyon Country
Backpacking, Porcupine Hills
Jul 6, 2015
Backpacking, Porcupine Hills
Jul 6, 2015
buffalo pound lake regina
Hiking, Prairies and Badlands
May 27, 2015
The Quest for Regina's Water Supply: Buffalo Pound Lake
Hiking, Prairies and Badlands
May 27, 2015
Hiking, Prairies and Badlands
May 27, 2015
Hiking, Parkland & Boreal Transition
May 22, 2015
Snake Porn at Fort Livingstone
Hiking, Parkland & Boreal Transition
May 22, 2015
Hiking, Parkland & Boreal Transition
May 22, 2015
shome-seanhootz
Backpacking, Duck Mountains
Apr 24, 2015
Sunrise Hunting Over the Manitoba Escarpment
Backpacking, Duck Mountains
Apr 24, 2015
Backpacking, Duck Mountains
Apr 24, 2015
Duck Mountains
Mar 24, 2015
Failed Fishing Trips and Photography
Duck Mountains
Mar 24, 2015
Duck Mountains
Mar 24, 2015

Wilderness camping tips and articles by The Saskatchewan Border are featured on Regina-based cultural blog, The Bicycle Gang. 

Essentials for winter camping in Saskatchewan

January 15, 2016 in Outdoor Adventure

Let's start with a disclaimer - I am writing this article while my friends and I plan our first camping trip into the deep-freeze this January... However, this will be even better than having tips passed down from your "professional" survivalists! Stay with me. Firstly, you can see exactly how well these tips pan out once our story is published on our Stories page. Secondly, pros tend to gloss over details that come second-nature to themselves, but not necessarily to those who are venturing out for the first time. Thirdly, we're terrified. We're going the extra mile to research what we need to make this comfortable, especially since we'll be setting up camp a fair distance from the vehicles.  

Hope for the best. Prepare for the worst.

Here is a list of essential gear and strategy for camping in Saskatchewan's most unforgiving season:

  • Clothing

    • It's good form to avoid cotton in any season, but winter can be especially dangerous. Wear a base layer (long sleeve, pants and socks) made from wool or polyester since they wick moisture away from your body. Wool can also keep you warm when it's wet, but that's not a point you want to reach in winter. Dress in breathable layers so that moisture can escape, and remove layers to avoid sweating. Never sleep in the clothes you wore during the day -- bring an extra pair of everything. 

    • Cover up. If the temperature drops suddenly, or the windchill picks up, skin can freeze in minutes. Bring a face mask, scarf, toque, parka, ski-pants, well-insulated boots and gloves (preferably heavy duty mitts). 

  • Shelter

    • Unless you own a canvas tent decked out with a furnace, you're probably looking at your three-season tent thinking, "No way that's happening." But four-season tents don't offer much for insulation either. All you can do is build a shield from the wind and keep yourself off the ground. 

      • Use heavy/canvas tarps over your tent and as a footprint beneath your tent to prevent moisture from seeping in.

      • Avoid wind -- set up camp away from lakes, rivers or open spaces. Try to use a ridge or build a snow bank to shield your tent from wind blowing from the north-west.

      • Put a blanket over the bottom of your tent to help separate you from ice/snow beneath your tent.

  • Sleeping Liners and Mats

    • If there's one piece of gear I recommend, it's the Thermolite Reactor sleeping bag liner. This alone has been the difference between waking up like an ice-block or nice and toasty. Bring an extra heavy blanket and a thick goose down sleeping bag if you have one.

    • Avoid sleeping directly on an air mattress (I mean an ultra-light mat, not that big one you let your parents use when they visit). Remember that the ground is constantly stealing your heat by thermal conduction, and any moisture or condensation in the mat will freeze. To prohibit this, put a blanket between your mat and the tent-floor, and top the mat with another blanket or reflective padding if you have it. Putting an emergency blanket inside-out and around the mat should help reflect heat. 

  • Water Purification

    • Boil it. But use a camp-stove and bring extra fuel. Melting snow to a boil over a fire might be reasonable if you plan on dedicating a lot of time. Pump filters won't work because they'll freeze when you're not using it and could break. Purification tablets take longer to work because the cold air keeps them from dissolving properly (also, the taste of pool-water anyone?)

    • Bring a large thermos to keep your hard-earned water from freezing. 

  • High-Calorie Food

    • Bring on the fat! Bring out the meat and cheese! Nothing's going to spoil in the sun, but whatever you bring should require minimal work to prepare or clean the dishes (cooking with tinfoil helps.) 

  • Snow Shovel

    • This seems like an obvious necessity -- clear a spot for your tent, build pathways, wind-guards, etc. 

  • Axe and Saw

    • Dry wood is hard to come by in the wintertime. Extra time will be needed to gather enough kindling to start and sustain your fire. Replenish your stock of firewood before letting it run out at night so that building a fire the next morning is as easy as possible. 

  • Utility Sleds

    • There's a lot of extra gear involved with winter camping. Unless you own the mother of all backpacks (I'm imagining this), load up a utility sled.

  • Portable Heaters and Lanterns

    • Nothing wrong with bringing along a little modern luxury if you can fit it. These should help dry out your tent (or burn it down), as well as provide some extra peace of mind. 

    • Lanterns are a good idea to have around since headlamp batteries die quicker in the cold. The nights are very long. 

  • Back-up Plan and Emergency Provisions

    • Let people know where you're going and for how long. Know the options for alternative accommodations in the area.

Tags: Winter, Winter Camping, Lists, Snow, Gear Lists, Water Purification, Survival, Camping & Travel Tips, Gear
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