My friend and I went winter camping last March
(first weekend)... cold tenting at a state park along the north shore... we plan about the same time frame again - but this time into the BWCA and in a hot tent.

For some reason we are way more nervous for a hot tent experience, like, how much work is it going to take to chop enough wood to keep us warm....

I went on a run tonight and was thankful that we've already been on a winter camping trip - cold tenting...

Why are we so nervous? We've got this right?

Nervous beats oblivious. Until you have done it in all conditions of winter you should feel some level of "can I?". Even then winter and conditions can throw you a curve. If you can cold camp and bring equipment to cold camp you will survive. You just may or may not have the trip meet your expectations.

quote DanCooke: " If you can cold camp and bring equipment to cold camp you will survive. "

Truth right there. Bring stuff for cold camping and you won't have to worry about how much wood you got. Plus, you don't want to have the stove going overnight while you are sleeping.

I am too cheap to buy a hot tent. I bring cold camping equipment to sleep in and make a hot fire outside. Sitting around a hot fire really changes the nature of a cold camping trip.

To me the most important part is making sure you have sufficient sleeping gear and if you have cold camped you will know what that is. Don't plan on the stove running all night as you will be miserable waking up every 45 minutes or so to keep it going. With two people getting enough wood won't be too difficult. I would say we spend a little over an hour getting enough wood to warm up the tent in the morning and again at night for 3 to 4 hours.

Thanks guys!

The work involved with processing enough firewood to meet your needs is not just a function of how much you burn, its also a matter of how efficiently you process the wood. For summer trips I always brought a small folding saw, and maybe an inexpensive hatchet for splitting and was content. For winter I upgrade these and happily bring a 24 inch Bahco which is only about 25 clams on Amazon, and a bigger axe. It seems a fair number of folks who get more interested in winter camping eventually invest in a better axe like a GB or Wetterling. Of course, better cutting and splitting power means more caution is needed to avoid accidents, but can certainly speed up the wood processing.

Just remember to gather your wood early while there is enough light. Finding suitable trees with a headlamp is no fun. It is easier to cut more smaller diameter trees than fewer larger trees.

Once the wood is cut, sit back with a glass of Cabernet and enjoy the instant payment for your hard work.
. Irwin CoarseCut Saw is another to consider

"Irwin CoarseCut Saw is another to consider"

Thank you for the saw recommendation! I picked one up at Lowes. It looks plenty beefy and inspires confidence.

Knowing species of trees and their burning / woodstove / heat properties as well as the difficulty in cutting and splitting takes some of the sting of wood gathering out. I prefer Cedar or Spruce (black or white) as they burn fairly evenly although quicker than birch or ash, but they cut and split easy. I never try to keep a fire going through the night. Often the stove is cool enough to touch before my eyes shut.

For folks checking out sleep systems a good back up is the thermo care back heat wraps, if you wake up cold put one on to make the night more pleasant and then go back to the drawing board to adjust your sleeping system.

quote DanCooke: "Knowing species of trees and their burning / woodstove / heat properties as well as the difficulty in cutting and splitting takes some of the sting of wood gathering out. I prefer Cedar or Spruce (black or white) as they burn fairly evenly although quicker than birch or ash, but they cut and split easy. I never try to keep a fire going through the night. Often the stove is cool enough to touch before my eyes shut.


For folks checking out sleep systems a good back up is the thermo care back heat wraps, if you wake up cold put one on to make the night more pleasant and then go back to the drawing board to adjust your sleeping system. "

Interesting idea on the heat wrap. I could see it being a nice luxury.

As long as you are competent in your cold tent sleep system you should be fine.

As I'm sure you're aware everything freezes. And I mean everything, even minor things like unscrewing a lid can mean a broken lid or being unable to get in a jar. So plan your food, eating utensils and gear accordingly. It's the reason people bring wooden bowls, utensils, and metal cups (so you can warm your drink on the stove) instead of plastic versions.

Chemical body and hand warmers should be in everyone's supply kit when they winter camp. They help warm up your hands quickly when you've had to take your mittens off and so many other reasons as well.

Have a great trip.

Remember to bring a hot water bottle with you into your sleeping system before you retire---
When you gather wood, remember to look "up" and not down especially if the snowpack is quite deep. Your driest wood (and therefore more BTUs compared to the same being damp or wet from on the ground) is caught in trees in the "Y"s and lying on another tree etc. and if you lucky is rather snow/ice free. -- also less sparks/smoke to worry about. The drier wood the better especially in the smaller stoves,, better then most think.
Enjoy

Well great news!!!! My friend and I upgraded to a party of 4!

One of our new friends husbands wins the Arrowhead 135 each year, so they have LOADS of winter camping experience... and our other friend has been on 8 winter trips as well.

We have all been cold tenting - so our sleep systems are robust. We're also in the process of upgrading our winter boots, or other key items.

With more hands on deck, camaraderie, and experience, we're feeling a TON better!