Sorry if this is a dumb question, but I am new to winter camping in the BWCA. Are folks just bringing insulated containers and burying those in the snow away from the tent, or are bear-resistant containers still the best bet? I have a few Ursacks but I'd be worried about those freezing up like a rock if I bury them.

AlexanderSupertramp: "Sorry if this is a dumb question, but I am new to winter camping in the BWCA. Are folks just bringing insulated containers and burying those in the snow away from the tent, or are bear-resistant containers still the best bet? I have a few Ursacks but I'd be worried about those freezing up like a rock if I bury them."

Camped at -35 degrees F. and most things meaning water will freeze no matter what you do. Yes, snow is a good insulator. Your water source is usually cutting a hole in the lake.
Winter camping is a different ballgame and the first time out I would not venture too far in. Winter camping has a lot of tricks to the trade and a learning process.

Pinetree: "

AlexanderSupertramp: "Sorry if this is a dumb question, but I am new to winter camping in the BWCA. Are folks just bringing insulated containers and burying those in the snow away from the tent, or are bear-resistant containers still the best bet? I have a few Ursacks but I'd be worried about those freezing up like a rock if I bury them."

Camped at -35 degrees F. and most things meaning water will freeze no matter what you do. Yes, snow is a good insulator. Your water source is usually cutting a hole in the lake.
Winter camping is a different ballgame and the first time out I would not venture too far in. Winter camping has a lot of tricks to the trade and a learning process."

Yeah, I plan on just staying on Sawbill or Alton for our first time out for 1-2 nights, within 2 miles of the car. I will be in a hot tent, just wasn't sure if the bear resistant container was worth utilizing in the dead of winter. I have several, but I was planning on an insulated REI soft cooler that I have.

Keeping it pretty basic the first time out.

25 or so trips and we have never used anything bear resistant. We've had our food checked a few times and we've never been told we were doing anything wrong. We typically just use a soft sided cooler and have never had any issues.

Bears are in a deep sleep then. Any bear wandering out must be something wrong. I usually go much lighter than hot stove campers. Always cold camped. A change might be nice.
I would worry more about your clothing and the extras your taking.

From at least mid-December to mid-March do not even think about the bears. They will all be asleep in anything even close to a normal year, and in the extremely unlike case a bear does wake up and wander around at that time it will be so lethargic it won't bother you. I've done plenty of BWCA winter hot tent trips then and always keep my food in a small cooler (that doubles as a seat) or in a box and all in the tent. I also fry ham or bacon or fish on my stove in the tent without concern (if I ever planned to camp in griz county I would modify that).

Pinetree: "Bears are in a deep sleep then. Any bear wandering out must be something wrong. I usually go much lighter than hot stove campers. Always cold camped. A change might be nice.
I would worry more about your clothing and the extras your taking."

I was more concerned about curious wolves or other varmints digging it up and chewing into it. Figured the likelihood was low but ya never know. Soft-sided cooler it is! I figure frozen food gives off less odor anyway, if any.

Jaywalker: "From at least mid-December to mid-March do not even think about the bears. They will all be asleep in anything even close to a normal year, and in the extremely unlike case a bear does wake up and wander around at that time it will be so lethargic it won't bother you. I've done plenty of BWCA winter hot tent trips then and always keep my food in a small cooler (that doubles as a seat) or in a box and all in the tent. I also fry ham or bacon or fish on my stove in the tent without concern (if I ever planned to camp in griz county I would modify that). "

Ok, so that clears one thing up then. I was curious about keeping it in the tent or not. I would like to do that and not deal with walking in and out for it. Then for sure I'm going cooler and cooking all the best things.

Thank you for that!

AlexanderSupertramp: "

Pinetree: "Bears are in a deep sleep then. Any bear wandering out must be something wrong. I usually go much lighter than hot stove campers. Always cold camped. A change might be nice.
I would worry more about your clothing and the extras your taking."

I was more concerned about curious wolves or other varmints digging it up and chewing into it. Figured the likelihood was low but ya never know. Soft-sided cooler it is! I figure frozen food gives off less odor anyway, if any.


"

yes wolves get brave once in a while and have come into camps. Wolves took a carton of unfrozen eggs once, but they broke as they carried them away. They took the lid off a cooler. This was summertime when they should of been up a tree or a barrel. Likelihood is extremely low.

Marten can be an issue with fish or bait but not very often. I’ve also had vole and shrew problems if I stay in one spot more than 2 nights. Only a few times in either case but still a pain once they discover your camp. I usually keep my food in a combination of stuff sacks and a small action packer or Rubbermaid tub.

I've had a mouse in my tent a couple nights in a row. I got up and chased him around a bit, but not worth the effort. He got a few bites of my Snickers mini and into some other food items a little bit. I've never worried about any larger animals.

bobbernumber3: "I've had a mouse in my tent a couple nights in a row. I got up and chased him around a bit, but not worth the effort. He got a few bites of my Snickers mini and into some other food items a little bit. I've never worried about any larger animals."

I had one chew a hole in the bottom of the tent.

Finnboy: "Marten can be an issue with fish or bait but not very often. I’ve also had vole and shrew problems if I stay in one spot more than 2 nights. Only a few times in either case but still a pain once they discover your camp. I usually keep my food in a combination of stuff sacks and a small action packer or Rubbermaid tub."

martins are little camp robbers and had them try to steal a lake trout lying on the ice. He dropped it and ran off. Once a buddy slept in late with the tent door open and a Pine marten crawled into the tent. Both jumped and ran their own way.
It adds excitement to camping.

20+ years of winter camping, never an issue with bears. Food kept in nylon stuff sacks, hung from a reachable tree limb. No bears.

I bring my Ursack and store my food in it to deter any mice that may get into the tent. And it feels like half the time I am out there I do have a mouse looking for any opportunity.

Jaywalker: "From at least mid-December to mid-March do not even think about the bears. They will all be asleep in anything even close to a normal year, and in the extremely unlike case a bear does wake up and wander around at that time it will be so lethargic it won't bother you. "

Or not. February 17, 1981, on the Kekekabic Trail, in a warm winter. We had just aborted a planned Gunflint - Ely traverse because the ice went to hell. Then a decidedly non-lethargic ursine visitor cost us some sleep:













I don’t expect midwinter bears and I don’t bring my canister. I also don’t repeat the once-in-a-lifetime error of eating sardines and smoked herring in a tent …

Minnesotian: "
I bring my Ursack and store my food in it to deter any mice that may get into the tent. And it feels like half the time I am out there I do have a mouse looking for any opportunity. "

Hopefully my dog will deter any mice from coming into the tent. They are brazen little bastards though.

One thought to avoid mice is camping on the ice. If you have a thinner tent you would want to find a protected bay but if you are using a pop up fish house or something that can hold up in the wind you can camp anywhere. As long as conditions aren't too slushy we camp right on our fishing spot.

Agreed with camping on the ice. I actually prefer it instead of campsites. Finding wood is a lot easier as well.

Just be advised that if there isn't a lot of snow, and you are setting up directly on the ice, you may get a lot of ice melt in the tent from the stove constantly going. Make sure you have a good reflector system for under the stove to mitigate melting or you may end up with a small lake inside the tent.

I mostly hang my food. Never have used a bear cannister even in summer. We have run into plenty of bears but never sleep near our food. My dogs run the bears out of camp and they don't come back.

ppine: "I mostly hang my food. Never have used a bear cannister even in summer. We have run into plenty of bears but never sleep near our food. My dogs run the bears out of camp and they don't come back. "

I also hung my food like 10-12ft above the ground