BWCA Mirth's 2016 camping log Boundary Waters Group Forum: 2016 Camping Challenge
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      Mirth's 2016 camping log     

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12/30/2015 09:58AM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
I'm up for the challenge!

Here's my plan for camping in the new year. I do most of my camping with my son's Scout troop, so provided I'm attending the outing chances are good I'll have an opportunity to sleep outside.

Much of the camping I will do will be within a couple hours' drive of NE Illinois since that's the area our Boy Scout troop operates out of.

41 nights on the calendar as of now. We'll see how it actually works out. I'd like to do at least one weekend camp somewhere with my family and chances are there'll be a weekend in the Baraboo area with friends.

January:
15 & 16 w/Scouts

February:
12, 13, & 14 w/Scouts at our council camp in north central WI.

March:
18 & 19 w/Scouts

April:
15 & 16 w/Scouts

May:
20 & 21 w/Scouts

June:
26-30 Dads & daughters @ Turtle Flambeau

July:
1 & 2 w/Scouts (summer camp)
17-29 w/Scouts (Philmont)

August:
5 & 6 w/Scouts

September:
2 & 3 w/Scouts (WI River!)
30 w/Scouts

October:
1 w/Scouts

November:
4 & 5 w/Scouts

December:
2 & 3 w/Scouts

Hopefully I can edit this as the year progresses, if not I suppose I'll just repost it in updates.
 
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01/19/2016 12:17PM  
quote mirth:
January:
15 & 16 w/Scouts"


Successfully completed & set a new personal best low of -3. We also tied the max low record set by one of our other adults. In all 3 adults and 2 Scouts slept out both nights this weekend. Everybody else was in the cabin.

June's plan has changed somewhat and it's looking like I might need to do a backyard campout or take the kids someplace nearby to get my nights. Dads & Daughters has been canceled due to conflicts with Girl Scout camp. The good news is August's campout has been upgraded to a probable BWCA trip with my daughter!
 
SevenofNine
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01/21/2016 05:02PM  
Congrats, setting a new outdoor low temp camp out is always fun to think back on. Those scouts will have bragging rights for years with their buddies who didn't sleep out.

My first real cold was at Split rock lighthouse with a buddy and we were at a campsite right on shore with the wind just a blasting. The tent almost blew away as we didn't have anything to secure it and thought our sleeping gear would be enough. I can't remember what else we put inside to keep it down but fun times were had.

We had a blast the next day skiing. I'd never camp at that site again but we learned.

 
01/21/2016 05:37PM  
Thanks 7o9. Everyone who slept out was successful, I do not recall hearing anyone complain about warmth or lack thereof in the overnight hours. One of the best winter camping 'tips' I've taken up so far is a plastic ragu bottle or similar sized container to prevent having to get up to use the restroom & preserve most of the stored warmth in my bags.

Temps are currently forecast to be more moderate, but still below 32 for the entirety of our trip up by Antigo next month. I hope more of our youth seize the opportunity to sleep outside.
 
02/17/2016 09:39AM  

February:
12, 13, & 14 w/Scouts at our council camp in north central WI.


I was able to sleep out one of the nights last weekend - 2/12. Set a new personal best low at -15 in the tent. Slept decently although the site I pitched my tent in left much to be desired. Didn't have many choices at the time, setting up at 9PM in already below 0 temps.

We were cabin rich and adult poor, so I had to sleep 2/13 indoors so one of our other adults could sleep out. The two adults and two Scouts outside ended up setting a new unit record that night at -22.

Had to leave a day early due to a last minute business trip.

The camp is pretty in the winter. I swear it felt like most of the time was spent preparing meals, eating, or washing up from the previous meal.

Here's a couple pictures of camp:



3 nights on the year so far, next month's campout is a cabin outing due to lots of crossing over Webelos (15+ this year) and uncertainty if they'd have equipment appropriate for sleeping outdoors in late winter.
 
03/21/2016 04:12PM  
+2 nights in the log. Great early spring weather... nights were in the mid to low 20s and days were in the upper 40s with minimal wind.

Two nights in Indiana planned for April! Hopefully can get some canoeing in that weekend too.
 
04/25/2016 05:16PM  
quote mirth: "
April:
15 & 16 w/Scouts
"


Had a great time a week ago on this campout. It turned into a family outing and I was able to convince my 11 year old to come along. I've been working hard in recent weeks to get my canoe available for the trip and was able to get it done, or so I thought.

We paddled 13 miles down the Sugar Creek in Indiana, passing through Shades State Park & Turkey Run State Park. The creek isn't terribly deep but has a quick moving current. Water was a little high due to recent rains and as a result there were many fun 'riffley' areas to pass through.

The new gunwales on my canoe came out needing a repair after the weekend. Both outwales on either side had the scarf joint fail. I think it was an issue with the epoxy as the break was almost completely clean on the cut and minimal breakage occurred in the wood.

Next month's campout involves canoeing on the Kickapoo river in mid May!
 
05/23/2016 10:47AM  
quote mirth: "May:
20 & 21 w/Scouts"


I don't think we could have asked for better weather last weekend for camping. Summer during the day, cool at night. Minimal bugs and no humidity.

On top of that, we paddled down the Kickapoo river on Saturday!
 
06/08/2016 03:53PM  
quote mirth: "
June:
26-30 Dads & daughters @ Turtle Flambeau"


Well, it didn't work out as planned this month. The two other daughters were going to be involved with summer school and couldn't miss for the trip. So, instead my son & I planned a backpacking weekend on the Ice Age Trail to help prepare for Philmont in mid July.

All in all we hiked about 21 miles, going from Shelter #2 Friday night to Whitewater Lake on Sunday with an overnight at Shelter #3. Highlights on Saturday include sharing the trail with 100 mile race runners and the nice light rain we had while hiking.
Sunday was windy, warm, and sunny. Got some good non-canoe camping use out of my Platypus filter at Lake La Grange where we filtered water for our whole group. The water tasted a little like lake, but that didn't seem to bother anybody.

I might get a bonus night in June if I go up to summer camp for the first night. Still on the fence about that one.
 
08/01/2016 11:35AM  
quote mirth: "
July:
1 & 2 w/Scouts (summer camp)
17-29 w/Scouts (Philmont)
"


Dates panned out exactly as I planned. Spent the first couple days of July at our council summer camp witnessing my oldest go through his Ordeal for OA.

Just rolled back into town Saturday night from 12 glorious nights on the trail at Philmont.

Next up - a week on the Granite river starting this weekend!
 
08/15/2016 10:16AM  
quote mirth: "
August:
5 & 6 w/Scouts
"


Turned into 8 days & 8 nights on the Gunflint with my daughter, a friend, and his daughter. We had a great time, blueberries were awesome.

 
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