Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Winter Camping and Activities :: Are you aloud to use the campsight toliets in the winter
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Canoearoo |
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walleye_hunter |
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DanCooke |
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. |
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Jaywalker |
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Gadfly |
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Canoearoo |
"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 |
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Canoearoo |
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flopnfolds |
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. |
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Jaywalker |
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Pinetree |
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 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. |
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Pinetree |
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. |
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Canoearoo |
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Soledad |
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. |
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MNLindsey80 |
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schweady |
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. |
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ZaraSp00k |
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 |
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Pinetree |
quote Soledad: "I've camped with a US Forest Ranger for the last few years. 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. |
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Merlin |
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