BWCA Are you aloud to use the campsight toliets in the winter Boundary Waters Winter Camping and Activities
Chat Rooms (0 Chatting)  |  Search  |   Login/Join
* For the benefit of the community, commercial posting is not allowed.
Boundary Waters Quetico Forum
   Winter Camping and Activities
      Are you aloud to use the campsight toliets in the winter     
 Forum Sponsor

Author

Text

12/10/2016 03:00PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
I know you have to stay away from the campsights and make camp on the ice or on shore (or a swamp) but can you camp near a campsight and use the campsight toilet or are you suppose to leave those alone as well. I read the regs and it said to burn toilet paper so am I to assume they do not want you to use the ranger box (toilet)? Just wanted to double check.
 
Reply    Reply with Quote    Print Top Bottom Previous Next
walleye_hunter
distinguished member(1713)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
12/10/2016 03:42PM  
I've always camped at campsites and used the latrines in the winter. I figure the latrine is the best place for my waste. It can be a bit of a hunt to find the latrines if you are not familiar with the campsite and there's a lot of snow.
DanCooke
distinguished member(1271)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
12/10/2016 04:30PM  
Use the boxes in the campsite! If you camp at a campsite, get all your firewood by going down the lake quite a ways from the campsite and go back in the woods where no one will go in the summertime. Easiest to gather wood far from campsites.
A good test of no trace camping is to be the first to visit your winter camping site to see your impact once the snow melts.
12/10/2016 09:03PM  
I'm not a lawyer but I've seen a lot of lawyer shows on TV. I have only found 2 lists of BWCAW regulations listed on official USFS websites. The first, found here, does not mention winter camping that I can see. The second and more thorough regulations listed here in the USFS BWCAW Trip Planning Guide are at best a bit ambivalent. On page 5 the Rules and Regs say stay in official sites, build fires in grates, and use the latrines. On page 7 - Winter Wilderness Travel - they say camp away from established sites, bury waste away from water, and prefer building fires on ice .... BUT these are not listed as Winter Regulations, AND they also say all rules on Page 5 apply - which is contraditory! I take page 7 as recommendations, not regulations, but that is my interpretation. I do practice what's on page 7, but don't count it as strict regulations since it is not stated as such. If you want, I'd say use the campsite latrines.
ZaraSp00k
distinguished member(1470)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
12/11/2016 04:40PM  
my assumption is they want you to stay away from campsites because they know many people will totally rape the site for firewood, so if you have a brain and know how to use it, feel free to use a campsite
not really sure what to make of the make the fire on ice, maybe they figure some moron will set the forest on fire if they don't make it on the ice, or perhaps if you make it on the land, somebody else will come along when the snow is gone and figure it's a campsite and use it
Gadfly
distinguished member (462)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
12/12/2016 12:58PM  
I Think Jaywalker's post nailed it. Think of it as an advantage that we get to camp outside of designated places in the winter. Good firewood is typically scarce around the summer sites anyway and you can find better protection from the wind as well. As far as fire building it is just to prevent fire scares outside of the designated fire pits.
12/12/2016 01:50PM  
It was page 7 I was referring to under rules and regulations...
"When lakes are open, camp at designated sites using
firegrates and latrines.
• When lakes are frozen,camp on ice,in a sheltered
bay, or in a natural forest opening. Locate camp at
least 200 feet from trails or summer campsites, and
out of sight of other groups.
• Make just one trail connecting the shoreline to
camp.
• Bury human waste in snow 200 feet from water,
campsites, summer trails and portages
(pack out toilet paper and all personal waste items.)."

By these rules they do not say don't use the toilet, but they do say you need to be 200 feet from summer camp sights. They say bury waste and pack out toilet paper which implies don't use the toilet but does not say.. do not use toilet
flopnfolds
distinguished member (310)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
12/12/2016 01:53PM  
I have always found it strange that they don't want camping at campsites in the winter. There can't be more damage done to a site during the winter than during the spring I would imagine.

We haven't camped at a site, but have thought about it, especially if its windy and we can't find a decent site out of the wind. We have used the long drops for bathrooms if we are camped close to one.



12/12/2016 01:55PM  
hmm, has anyone ever asked a ranger station what the exact rules are?
12/12/2016 05:39PM  
I just posted a long comment and then went back and retracted it... I'd still say that what is written on page 7 is primarily recommendations/requests - not rules, but I have to concede on page 5 it does actually mention page 7 for winter (I could swear that wasn't there last year). Anyway, I still also doubt there's much harm in using a latrine, especially if camped elsewhere.
12/12/2016 07:20PM  
quote ZaraSp00k: "my assumption is they want you to stay away from campsites because they know many people will totally rape the site for firewood, so if you have a brain and know how to use it, feel free to use a campsite
not really sure what to make of the make the fire on ice, maybe they figure some moron will set the forest on fire if they don't make it on the ice, or perhaps if you make it on the land, somebody else will come along when the snow is gone and figure it's a campsite and use it"


The fire on the ice the ashes etc disappear in the spring.
I think as you mentioned the big worry is somebody using the summer site will take trees and also use up the summer firewood. As you said Zara in the winter take a walk down the shoreline and gather firewood.
Don't as some do cut off all the dead trees hanging out into the lake,that looks terrible. To me it was Okay if you can break it off.

Depends where your at,but I have found it easier to set up camp on the lake and out of the wind.
To me one of the most important things in winter camping is get out of the wind.
Spring time on the ice may make it necessary to seek high ground and a designated campsite.
12/12/2016 07:29PM  
quote Jaywalker: "I just posted a long comment and then went back and retracted it... I'd still say that what is written on page 7 is primarily recommendations/requests - not rules, but I have to concede on page 5 it does actually mention page 7 for winter (I could swear that wasn't there last year). Anyway, I still also doubt there's much harm in using a latrine, especially if camped elsewhere. "


In the past it was a recommendation,not a set rule.
12/12/2016 08:13PM  
So the consisus is camp out of the wind away from camp but you can use the toilets. Have campfire on ice.. Correct?
12/12/2016 11:16PM  
That's what I got from it as well!

schweady
distinguished member(8070)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberpower member
  
12/13/2016 12:56PM  
I believe you're on the right track.

I've always been told that winter camping on an existing site is discouraged due to a number of problems it causes which are not readily obvious to the winter camper in the moment:
* fire pits created in additional locations on a site that are a mess in the spring
* wood cut off or broken off of a site's trees that "don't look alive" in the winter
* the small percentage of green ground cover on a site in need of rest winds up getting year-round pressure

Encouraging fires to be built on the lake ice aren't necessarily because of a wildfire safety concern, they're just much easier to clean up and spread around and evidence pretty much disappears in the spring. In areas where snowmobiles are allowed, however, larger unburned pieces should be moved to shore.
12/15/2016 03:21PM  
I've camped with a US Forest Ranger for the last few years.

Most of the time our camps are out along the shore. Last year, it was too slushy and we were walking in water just stepping out of the tent. We moved to a campsite and used the pit toilet which was nice. Usually, we camp too far away to use them.

Fires are suggested to be out on the ice so that they don't cause fire scars on land. We usually keep them in our wood stoves.

12/15/2016 05:32PM  
quote Soledad: "I've camped with a US Forest Ranger for the last few years.


Most of the time our camps are out along the shore. Last year, it was too slushy and we were walking in water just stepping out of the tent. We moved to a campsite and used the pit toilet which was nice. Usually, we camp too far away to use them.


Fires are suggested to be out on the ice so that they don't cause fire scars on land. We usually keep them in our wood stoves.


"


Just use common sense in the winter,use a campsite if conditions our otherwise on the ice or other off site campsites. It is flexible in the winter-just enjoy. Too me the worst thing I see is somebody cutting trees along shore etc. Because of ease of access. Break your firewood
off if possible than cut in smaller chunks if necessary. Use you own good judgement.
Merlin
distinguished member (377)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
12/15/2016 06:22PM  
We are camping the week after Christmas. If we decide on the BWCA we will use a campsite. As already mentioned, wood for the stove will be gathered far away from the site and shoreline and hauled back on sleds. Any fire at the campsite will be under the grate.
 
Reply    Reply with Quote    Print Top Bottom Previous Next
Winter Camping and Activities Sponsor:
Visit Cook County