View topic - Winter camping and snowshoeing, Algonquin park (jan2017)

Well new here to the site and wish I would have found it sooner so will start off with hey everyone

Last week a buddy and I went for a 2 night 3 day trip in Algonquin to test out some new winter gear before pushing it too hard. I'm a big fan of DIY projects and faithfully trust my mini wood stove and alcohol stoves even in -25 C ( yes my alcohol pop can stove works great even in the deep freeze. Will add some info on that in another section). My hammock is a gathered end hammock that I made myself and I have never slept so good in my life. The thought of a tent makes me cringe being 6'4" tall and sick of having a sore back in the morning because of uneven ground or my shoulder rolling off my pad to the cold ground ... Back to the trip...

We decided to head out on the Minnesing trail on a short trip about 3.5-4km total with a day set just for off trail exploring and doing some ice trekking since areas off limits in the summer are fair game for winter use. We found a nice little valley to the west of the trail with a small hill blocking wind off Canisbay lake to our east and a massive hill blocking everything from the west. It was a nice chunk of old growth Forrest with a good mix of huge cedars and some fair sized maples. We lucked out having a lot of standing deadwood around of varying sizes. The softwood was great for getting a fire going fast and the maple was great for cooking and long lasting heat with those coals smouldering away. My buddy was trying out his new hot tent and wood stove setup and it seemed to work great for him but as for myself I like the cold camping and stick to my trusted hammock skills.

This was also the first time I have ever used a pulk in the winter and I am now a firm believer. The sled made my 60lbs of gear feel like it was only 15-20 lbs and the steep terrain did not cause a problem at all not to mention my back was thankful. My buddy just had the string on his pulk and had about 4 rollovers in some knarly areas but that's expected. My pulk I added two 5' poles crossed and attacked at waist and had no issue at all maneuvering threw thick off trail bush ( I found turning your hips one way or the other would also turn the nose of my pulk making navigating trees much easier) but even I was not spared and still had 2 rollovers but a quick twist of the hip and a push on the side of the sled with my hiking pole got me back on track quickly and easily.

Anyway here's a vid of our few days so aside from my horrible editing job I hope you enjoy it. Feel free to ask any questions and I'm looking forward to meeting some of the local members and maybe plan a future venture on a trail or in the canoe.

Happy camping everyone
https://youtu.be/wKa6ABLoDEg

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When in doubt hang a line and sway between the trees.

Welcome to the forum! I just got into the world of Youtube myself so i respect anyone that has the dedication to making a video. Sweet stove btw!

Thanks man was kind of just thrown together. The trip was more of a trial for the cam and make sure it would work in the cold lmao the GoPro doesn't like below -15 unless you keep it inside your coat but this thing was a champ.

That wood stove in the tent was my buddies and surprisingly it weighs less than 1lb plus the stack rolls up to 4" thick and 8" wide. Once open you curl it long ways and put on a couple rings to hold and bam your ready to burn. Probably the best wood stove I have seen for weight and ease of use. The little wood stove by the fire was his as well but the alcohol stove was mine. Surprisingly I get almost 20 min burn time in -15 to -20 it's just a diy pop can style that I made slightly different but will have a few videos of my gear soon.

Must be nice flying around with the birds. Bet that's an expensive hobby lol

_________________

When in doubt hang a line and sway between the trees.