My Winter Camping Trip

[immortal_ben]

Hello all. Decided to join the forum because I am fixin to start up camping, hiking, and hunting again.

I am planning a month long (possibly longer) camp/hike trip beginning November 15th. The plan is to drive to a secluded spot somewhere in the White Mountains of Arizona, then hike in to an even more remote lake.

My dog and I will stay out for about a week, come back to the truck to resupply, head back out, and repeat until I feel like coming back to civilization. :D

My little buddy is a Catahoula who loves to hike and camp, so I just got him an Approach Pack from Ruff Wear, and am already getting him used to walking around with it. I plan on having him haul a weeks worth of his food, bowl, HIS sleeping bag and blanket, ball, and a couple of pounds of .22 ammo. That pretty much fills his pack, and weighs in at 10lbs, pack included. Since he is a 60lb dog, I think that's a pretty good percentage of his weight. (yep, I know dogs can generally carry about 1/3 of their own weight)

I myself do not subscribe to the minimalist mentality of packing for a hike, but I can certainly understand why a person would do so. I was always the guy in my unit that had dang near anything needed (not wanted) while out in the field or on mission. My gear isn't glamorous, but it will get the job done.

My pack is a Hi-Tec Tioga 80, which I have modified a bit for weight savings. I happen to like having extra webbing on my pack so that I have options for lashing gear wherever/however I need, as the situation dictates.

My tent is a new Eureka Apex 2XT. Yes, I know it is a 2 person tent, but I do not have the funds to buy a bivy AND something else to take when someone else wants to go too. It weighs in at about 5lbs.

My sleeping bag is a 0 degree unit from an unknown manufacturer. I have used it a couple of times, and i think it will do well. It also weighs in at about 5lbs.

I have set of Apex Designs trekking poles which weigh about 1lb 4oz.

I have a Katadyn water filter that has proven itself to give great tasting water from highly questionable sources on past hikes. I have been known to pack nearly 7 liters of water on a hike. :eek:

My cooking will be done with a Jetboil (yes, i KNOW how heavy it is with its fuel) and will consist of a lot of ramen soup, supplemented with small game.

My pack has a dedicated water bag pocket, into which I will place a bare camelback bag with no tube insulator. I will also carry a couple of Nalgene bottles, so I have quickly available water for the pooch. (yes, I know Nalgene bottles are "heavy")

My boots are Merrels, waterproof, and not as heavy as I like my boots to be. Oh well.

I will have a small sewing kit, a small first aide kit (including items for the dog), and quite a bit of 550 cord. I will have a small, skeletonized skinning knife, a Leatherman Wave, a lockable folding pocket knife, my .45 1911, and my Ruger 10/22. Oh, and my hunting license.

I can see half of you out there now, having an anurysm over all the gear and weight I will be packing in. Havent even thrown in the clothes I will need for 8k feet where I may get a foot of snow.

I am quite looking forward to this, and several of my buddies are insanely jealous. I love fieldcraft/woodsmanship, and hope I get to practice igloo making, as it has been many years since I got to do so.

So.... let the flaming begin :p

[ontariocamper]

Sounds fantastic............just remember one thing.
Let people know your plans, location, truck location etc......
also a good idea to take an EPIRB, or SPOT satellite with you.

Even the best outdoors people are not immune to falling in a crevice and breaking a leg.
Hoping it doesn't happen of course:eek:......but it can.
Keep us posted!!

[Yukon Jack]

So.... let the flaming begin :p

Carry what you want, it's your pack.

[immortal_ben]

Carry what you want, it's your pack.

My thoughts exactly.

On the safety side of things, I wont have a set return date, but I will have check-in dates set up. Will pick up a topo map and comp**** as well.

[trishaz717]

Awesome! I'm jealous. Have a great trip and be safe!

[Bigdog57]

You speak like a military vet - if you humped a pack on long hikes there, this weight isn't bad. I would switch out the 2XT to a bivy once you can afford it.
My bivytent is 2.5 lbs and fits my big 6'4" bod.......
I also have the 2XT, just bought recently but haven't been able to test it yet. I will be interested in your "after action report"!
Carry a few foilized meat packets, just in case the bunnies and tree-rats don't co-operate! :D

I too am jealous - sounds like a great trip!
A riding buddy down here has a Catahoula Hound - great dogs!

[tplife]

Whoa! You can hunt with rimfire in AZ? OK, for small game. Have fun! :D
Careful with the spice packet in the ramen, the high salt content will raise your blood pressure and make you dehydrate more quickly, not fun at 8K altitude. I suppose your sidearm is on the heavy side, and your long gun too light, but so what. I'm just prejudiced toward ARs in .223.

[Eaglebait Ranch]

Hi Ben, Welcome to the forum. Don't worry, "flaming" isn't something that happens much here. I'm excited for you and what you are doing. Over time, you will adjust your pack and contents as your needs happen.

I don't know your breed of dog, I have only had labs and lab crosses for backpacking. I have to watch what I put in their packs because they find water, lay in water, swim in water, and they don't realize they need to take their pack off first. Pack dog food is freezer zip lok bags, and protect your ammo, too.

My wife and I are pretty dedicated ultra-light backpackers. If you have any questions about backpacking don't hesitate to ask. I will be happy to give my 2 cents worth - NO! you don't have to take it...........

Again, great that you are going out for 30 days. Enjoy, and keep us updated about your adventure.

[immortal_ben]

Yep, I'm a vet. As far as the spice packet in the Ramen, yeah it is high in sodium, but I sweat a LOT, so I need the higher salt content. I will be pitching camp at a lake, and I continually take in fluids in my every day life. I am also from Colorado, and am used to living at elevation.

As to the sidearm, it is my daily carry piece, so I wont be "adding" its weight to what I'm packing in. The .22 will be plenty for me, as I have had my fill of the .223 round and hope to never shoot a military/tactical rifle for the rest of my life.

When I go out in the sticks, anything that has to stay dry gets double-bagged in zip-locks.

I will also be humping in my digital camera, and plan to come home with some stunning photography to share.

Did have a bit of a set back today, however when I was stuffing my sleeping bag into its sack, it had a seam blow out. I will fix it and keep it, but I think I will take the opportunity to grab a new bag anyway. Found a Ledge Featherlight 0 degree bag that weighs 3.8lb, and costs $55 at Sportsmans Warehouse. I will be picking one up in the morning.

[immortal_ben]

Re: My Winter Camping Trip

Holy cow, I had forgotten all about starting this thread!

The trip was fraught with multiple equipment failures, and had to be cut short.

Day 2: Katadyn Vario water filter refused to pump. My water source was contaminated with animal waste. Fix:Hike back to truck, round up 8 empty water/coke bottles. Run water through t-shirt into soup can. Boil. One. Can. Of. Water. At. A. Time. Then transfer to Camelback or Nalgene bottles. I boiled water only in the evening since I would already have a fire going, thus saving firewood.

Yeah. Slow way to get potable water.

Most days I spent laboring for firewood since weather reports had high wind, dropping temps, and snow on the way. I was seeing temps of 50s daytime, and teens at night.

When I hiked out to my truck on day two, I discovered that my truck battery was dead. Luckily there was a hunter driving by who gave me a jump. I drove the truck around a bit to juice the battery.

Day 4: The wood blade on my Gerber folding camp saw broke. Fix: Hike to truck to retrieve backup saw. Truck battery dead AGAIN! Got another jump (luckily it was towards the end of elk season).

The Eureka Apex 2XT tent was flawless. I took the time to use all guy out points, so it shrugged off 30mph winds. I was warm inside, and it was ventilated well. My Big Agnes insulated sleeping pad was extremely comfortable, and between it and my Ledge bag, I was never cold.

Day 6: Day hike with the dog, scouting the immediate area and "summiting" two small peaks. A great day with incredible views.

Day 7: No hunting yet, so the dog and I were out of food. Fix: Hike back to truck and resupply. Truck battery dead yet AGAIN! I resupplied and left the truck sitting there.

Day 8: Backup camp saw, which was of the chainsaw blade design, with looped handles at the ends, broke.

Day 8: Told God that I got the point, packed it all up, hiked back to truck. Waited about 30 mins for random hunter to give me a jump, and had the battery replaced under warranty at Walmart. THEN I went home.

All in all, it was worth the trip and effort, but MAN it was frustrating.

I have since upgraded my water filter and backpack, ordered aluminum poles for my Apex, and purchased various other gear which I will probably end up reviewing st some other time.

Whew!