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Duck Mountains
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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
strandedatricerivercanyon
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

Eight Lessons from a First-time Winter Camp

February 29, 2016 in Outdoor Adventure

I'm back home with all of my extremities intact, so I'm going to call our first back-country winter camp a rousing success— more or less. Although we were well-prepared (and I've somehow had colder sleeps in the woods) there were several lessons we picked up along the way. 

As promised, here is the follow-up to our last article, Essentials for Winter Camping in Saskatchewan. This is what we learned: 

Gear sleds are not the saving grace we assumed

  • They're necessary— don't get me wrong. But the gear you're hauling doesn't magically become weightless, and you definitely need to pay mind to how you arrange everything. Keep the heaviest stuff on the bottom and make sure it's easily distributed and secure. Otherwise, your capillaries will explode from frustration as your gear dumps all over the snow every time you hit a slight incline.

Propane can freeze

  • If you're going to rely on heaters or stoves, keep in mind that propane will start to gel and freeze in our cold western Canadian winter hell. Find a way to keep them warm, or you might find yourself freezing your fingers off trying to put together a last minute bonfire.

Carbon monoxide is sketchy

  • Even with a large tent, combustion from a heater invites the 'silent killer': carbon monoxide. Make sure it's properly ventilated and try not to keep anything burning while you sleep. At the very least, you'll avoid waking up with a splitting headache and confusion from nightmarish, fume-induced dreams.

Boiling water sucks

  • I expected water purification to be somewhat of a chore, but really, it's worthwhile to bring out your own water. If it freezes, all you have to do is melt it. This beats having to stoke a fire long enough to boil a giant vat of snow, which usually ends up with bits of dirt and twigs floating in it anyway.

Portable heaters rule the roost

  • If you're not setting out to be the next Survivorman, then there's no reason you shouldn't be bringing along this bit of luxury. Portable heaters make the trip comfortable (enjoyable). Nothing beats a pre-heated tent, or flipping a switch and making things nice and toasty in the morning. Just keep that fuel from freezing. (We had trouble igniting at -15C.)

Camping on ice has its drawbacks

  • If you're a fisherman, then you'll want to camp where the fish are. Besides testing the thickness of the ice, there are a few things to anticipate: the wind will eventually try your patience, access to firewood is limited, tent pegs/nails are a pain to remove once they freeze into the ice, and the repeated melting and freezing of snow beneath the tent floor (usually a tarp) will make things very slippery. Afford the extra time to grab that shovel and build some wind barriers and weigh down anything you don't want to chase halfway down the lake.

Everything freezes eventually

  • This one's for anyone considering going winter camping the first time. Prepare for the likelihood that, no matter how hard you try, you will be inconvenienced in new and exciting ways. If your morning coffee freezes or your camp-stove spontaneously shoots flames, it pays to have a backup plan.

Tags: Camping & Travel Tips, Winter Camping, Carbon Monoxide, Fuel, Lists
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