So we have decided to become Winter Campers! We have both always loved winter- we love to ski, snowshoe, ice fish, and snowmobile- so the leap to camping has always been a goal. A recent work bonus made the purchase of a hot tent set up the final piece to our winter fun!

We are in the planning stage of this coming winter- obsessing on all the prep is fun but we need some expert help!

I think we have the gear figured out- with many lists available from here and the wintertrekking site I am relatively confident we will have what we need.

I really want some help in figuring out where to go. If the goal is- snowmobile trails to the most remote areas- with the plan to ski and pull from there if necessary. We want to fish- so camp set up has to be near the fish!

Questions for those who know- not necessarily limited to BWCA areas as a destination-

Can you hot camp on lakes (of course well frozen) use the stove and not turn to slush sinking into the water by morning?

Are lakes "free space" in general to camp? Any tips you want to share I would love!

Since you have a stove, my advice would be to go to the Bdub and camp at a campsite. Finding a spot big enough and level enough for a stove tent can be a real challenge in the woods. Most campsites will have at least one good spot to set up (and a latrine, which is nice). Remove as much snow as you can and the ground will dry out after about a day of burning wood in your stove (especially this year as the ground is very dry). Put a tarp down under your sleeping pads and bags and during the day you can just roll it all up into one end of the tent, the stove will thaw and dry out the ground. I would personally not set up on a lake as your stove will melt the ice and snow and make a mess.

Good luck, you'll love it.

the forest service would like you to camp on the ice or in a nondesignated campsite such as bog or otherwise back in the woods-to minimize impact on the flora (hard to see what you are stepping on when its covered in snow-besides designated campsites get abused throughout the soft water season). i have setup my hot tent on lake ice and you will get some melt under your stove but this can be minimized with a reflector of some sort beneath or by laying out wood logs to line the stove area.

tg

I think most of the Forest Service regulations and recommendations for winter camping are outdated and are focused around fire scars, which are not relevant to stove tents. In the spirit of "leave no trace", other than lake ice camping, campsites are the best place to insure you are not damaging the native flora and fauna (i.m.o.).

you may be right arlo...not trying to start an argument but i think someone could also make the case that camping in an area not used as a campsite during the soft water season would leave a "less noticeable" impact.

i was only trying to say what the current recommendations were from the forest service. i don't know that these are anything more than guidelines or if there is any enforcement of these things.

this is all i could find published...

"On the ice, in a protected bay, or in a natural
forest opening such as a swamp.
• At least 150-200 feet from trails, summer
campsites or other groups.
• Make just one trail connecting the shoreline
to camp."

You are right about the regs. for sure tg, I'm not disputing any of that. Personally I think that swamps have some really scarce and fragile fauna, seems like you could definitely leave a matted down area for some time. Also, a lake or swamp is going to be quite a bit colder then a mid elevation area. To your point, the vegetation in the areas in and around the campsites need to be protected for sure. In the past I have just used a tent pad and made one trail to the latrine and one to the lake. Firewood can be hauled in from down shore a ways.

right on man-it is obvious that you are aware of your potential impact on the land and a conscientious LNT practicer. here's to more users like Arlo!

cheers

I'm no expert but have a few tips.

Once you go to sleep the fire quickly goes out and your hot tent becomes a cold tent, until someone gets up in the morning. Therefore, things like boot liners still freeze at night unless you put them in your sleeping bag with you. I don't care for the hot tent style of camping but one advantage is you can plan on taking your time to cook a good breakfast and dinner as you enjoy the comforts of your tent. Plan on gathering about twice as much wood as you think you will need. Those little stoves burn up wood really fast.

Bring lots of those little hand warmers; it is amazing how wonderful a little heat source can be on a cold winter day.

I always bring an extra headlamp. It seems I manage to break them one way or the other in the cold.

Take a couple trips to find out what time of year you like. I like to go winter camping in late March when it is warmer and the days are longer. Most years the lakes are melted down pretty good by the end of March and travel is fast. Some people love to be out there in January when it is dark, cold, & often slushy.

Try some vehicle based camping close to home to try out your winter camp gear! Don't forget, drinking water needs some planning, getting it, storing it over-nite.

butthead

Are there no campgrounds accessible by vehicle open in Superior National Forest?

There are a ton of campgrounds but no link that seems to give that specific info without clicking on each one.


Wondering since White Mountain National Forest does leave some open and plowed. Thats where we started winter camping.

Besides the water issue there is also the firewood issue. You cant just whack wood in campgrounds even if dead.

While campground camping is convenient in the respects above with no need for a sled, wood does remain an issue. Being near a stream that never quite freezes but is safe to approach is very handy.

quote yellowcanoe: "Are there no campgrounds accessible by vehicle open in Superior National Forest?

There are a ton of campgrounds but no link that seems to give that specific info without clicking on each one."

Here is a website that lists developed campgrounds in the Superior National Forest and whether they are open year round. Not all developed campgrounds are listed since they didn’t meet the website’s listing criteria. I don’t know the accuracy of this information, but one year did see that Devil Track was open. I suppose if you knew the concessionaire of the campground you could contact them. For instance Sawbill Outfitters maintains Sawbill and Crescent Lake (they live there year round). It also would be more likely that campgrounds off roads with year round residents may be open since the road will be plowed. Most of the dispersed sites are probably inaccessible. I am more familiar with the state campgrounds along the North Shore in winter.
Campgrounds list

Ripple: be aware that camping on a frozen lake can be very noisy from the ice expanding and contracting.

As always this site is a wealth of information from great sources! Please keep the thoughts coming-

Here is a link to Minnesota groomed snowmobile trail maps. There are miles of them. The North Shore State trail runs from Duluth to Grand Marais passing a few lakes in Cook County. There are several other trails and spurs connecting the North Shore to Isabella and Ely, and Grand Marais to the Gunflint Trail area. Many of the trails are not heavily used. My property is very close to the intersection of the Yukon and Brimson Trails and I don’t hear very many passing. The Isabella area will have all that you are looking for, from what you describe.
MN Snowmobile Trail Maps
Moose Walk snowmobile trail

Also, just like a canoe, if you trailer your own snowmobile to Minnesota you will need to get it registered in MN if it is not already registered in your home state, and everyone using public trails needs to get a State Trail sticker.
Snowmobile regs

A great place to learn the great art of winter camping would be to join us at the Winter Camping Rendezvous The folks there are very friendly and love to help others.

quote Soledad: "A great place to learn the great art of winter camping would be to join us at the Winter Camping Rendezvous The folks there are very friendly and love to help others."

Wow that looks amazing!! Thank you Soledad!!

as someone else said, first you should try out your setup near home, I did it in my backyard, the lessons learned will do you well when away from home.

The shipping info says it's due here in 5 days- I'm sleeping in my back yard this weekend!

Erin and Ed,

there is snow at the end of the gunflint trail... in the campground!

quote yellowcanoe: "there is also the firewood issue. "

only if you build a fire, I've never built a fire in winter, but then I rarely do it in summer either.

I've not camped in winter so I have little to contribute. My only experience is accessing the family cabin about 100 yards from an entry point via snowmobile in the winter. The couple questions that come to mind are "is this a good ice year or a bad ice year?" and "when"?

If it snows early before several inches of ice forms it seems like the slush never completely goes away. Hot tents and hiking on slush is not likely to be fun. When? I've been up there in December and it's just so dark and so cold it's unpleasant for my tastes. February is totally different from December- longer days and warmer weather.

being a former winter guide and outfitter in the BWCA I would add a couple of points to the discussion about camping in secluded bays or swamps versus camping on designated summer campsites.

First, summer campsites tend to fairly exposed to the lakes, in the summer that is awesome as it minimizes misquitos and black fly's. In the winter, it can create dangerous wind chill conditions. In addition, the summer "wood" supply is greatly diminished from summer use and winter campers tend to burn a lot more wood than summer. Also, for many inexperienced campers, telling dead wood from green is sometimes difficult and could create far more damage to the summer sites.

As for camping in the swamps, I tended to find a location on the ice in a secluded bay that was out of the wind. If there was a storm or high winds forcasted, I would set my camp up well off of the shore back in the swamp. This would create additional wind breaks providing for a much safer camping experience.

I was also aware of many "winter" campsites that are located on solid ground away from summer sites that provide some awesome camping expereinces. If you know where you are going, sometimes talking with some of the mushers or other winter campers in the area might let you in on some of these winter gems.

But overall, I would avoid the summer campsites and camp on the ice. In the event of a storm or high winds, i would move to the swamps. And if you get a chance talk with some of the locals as there are many winter trails and sites that you will not find on forest service maps.

Good points,make sure your campsite is protected from the wind as much as possible.I have done a lot of winter camping and if possible your first time get someone who has done it before to go along. I think it would be wise to do the first time so you could exit in a few hours at most if you find out you are not ready to dive all the way in,and not knowing all that could happen or not happen. Maybe you found out you had in proper gear etc.. Been winter camping when it got 80 degrees F. in March and been winter camping when it was -35 F. degrees in March.Proper equipment can make the trip so enjoyable.

First time winter camping was on Thomas-Fraiser area. Everything was going good,until about 2/3 of the way in when we started breaking trail and I started getting sweaty,were within a mile of where we wanted to go,so we pushed on and I got soaking wet and started to get close to hypothermia,well we stopped and I took all my sweaty stuff off and got a big fire going and it took a long time before the chills went away. Point is winter calls for a little more precaution.

Great point on the clothing in the last post. Best advice I ever got was NO COTTON! I picked up cheap t-shirts and shirts at Walmart that were called "dri-fit" for about $7 an item. I added a no cotton vest under my coat. Same goes for your long underwear, headgear and socks.

If I were going to go in on long trip (thomas / fraser / knife), I would consider having one of the local mushers haul my gear in. Then I could take a light back pack and ski or snowshoe into the camp. Sometimes, the mushers will let one of the party ride along on a freight haul so that the gear is left in the right location. It might be worth a call to one of them.

quote ripple: "So we have decided to become Winter Campers! We have both always loved winter- we love to ski, snowshoe, ice fish, and snowmobile- so the leap to camping has always been a goal. A recent work bonus made the purchase of a hot tent set up the final piece to our winter fun!

We are in the planning stage of this coming winter- obsessing on all the prep is fun but we need some expert help!

I think we have the gear figured out- with many lists available from here and the wintertrekking site I am relatively confident we will have what we need.

I really want some help in figuring out where to go. If the goal is- snowmobile trails to the most remote areas- with the plan to ski and pull from there if necessary. We want to fish- so camp set up has to be near the fish!

Questions for those who know- not necessarily limited to BWCA areas as a destination-

Can you hot camp on lakes (of course well frozen) use the stove and not turn to slush sinking into the water by morning?

Are lakes "free space" in general to camp? Any tips you want to share I would love!"

As far as camping on the ice goes,I set up on the ice almost all the time. to get around the stove melting the ice problem. I went to my local thrift store and picked up 2 of those windshield sun reflectors for when you are parked in the sun in the summer. I put them on the ice under the floor tarp directly under my stove. In doing this I have almost no ice melt under my stove. atached is a photo of what happened when I did do not do this. under the tarp is about 5 inches of water.

winter trekking