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Camping in Cold Weather #7677213 12/02/19 01:13 AM
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I'm going after a buck in the Flint Hills of Kansas this season and plan to go right after the semester ends for me, which is December 10. My family has a house just a few minutes away from my stand that we usually stay in, but my dad has told me that he won't let me stay there because it's leased to someone. We have an uninsulated sheet metal storage building on the property where my stand is, which is going to be about a 5 minute drive. I could stay at a hotel, but the closest one is at least a 30 minute drive away from my stand, so it wouldn't really be convenient for me at all to stay there. Anyone have some advice on camping in the building in that kind of weather? Should I just set up a cot and a sleeping bag? I'm also needing some advice for staying warm when I'm in there. Don't worry about the shower part, I've already resigned on skipping that entirely while I'm there.

Re: Camping in Cold Weather [Re: RPG1997] #7677219 12/02/19 01:16 AM
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Oh, and I don't have too much money to spend so I'd like to keep costs on equipment down.

Re: Camping in Cold Weather [Re: RPG1997] #7677223 12/02/19 01:17 AM
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"Advice for staying warm". Go to the hotel.

Re: Camping in Cold Weather [Re: RPG1997] #7677224 12/02/19 01:18 AM
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What I do is use a good sleeping pad on my cot with a high R value. Then use a bag that is rated a decent amount lower than the temps you will be facing. I then wear wool long underwear and a knit beanie cap. I also carry a cheap wool surplus blanket that I can drape over my sleeping bag or under as additional insulation as needed. This has worked for me with temps in the 20s. You didn't mention the temps.

Re: Camping in Cold Weather [Re: thegrouse] #7677229 12/02/19 01:19 AM
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Temps will definitely be in the 20s.

Re: Camping in Cold Weather [Re: RPG1997] #7677257 12/02/19 01:58 AM
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What thegrouse wrote except I use a Polar Fleece blanket, it is not scratchy like wool. Try Goodwill for a deal, get a couple.
If the shed is not too drafty a propane heater could take the edge off the cold morning when getting dressed.

M

Added. I hunted with a guy who brought an old ice chest, he put his boots in it with a hot rock (not too hot) for the night. In morning they were still warm!



Last edited by MClark; 12/02/19 02:02 AM.
Re: Camping in Cold Weather [Re: RPG1997] #7677282 12/02/19 02:33 AM
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Hunting in the Rockies staying in a cabin tent. Somehow the cool down blanket my wife used for her 17 hand horse “found” its way in my gear bag. I could roll up in that thing like a burrito and slide into my sleeping bag. It ain’t easy climbing out but I was toasty sleeping in my thermals.

Re: Camping in Cold Weather [Re: RPG1997] #7677285 12/02/19 02:36 AM
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If I were staying in the sheet metal storage building and knew I would have access to it for future trips, I would consider buying a small 10,000 to 30,000 btu radiant or blue flame propane heater. Not talking about the ones that use the small propane bottles. The ones that people usually mount to the wall and are safe to use indoors. The smaller ones come with legs to bolt on for a stand alone option. Ad an extended regulator/hose and borrow your grill propane bottle to power it for the trip. If you have a turkey fryer, you probably already have the extended hose kit with it that you could borrow off of it for the trip. Then you would be able to safely run the heater all night each night and a full grill bottle will last you the entire trip. I have a radiant heater mounted on the wall in my camper stand and works well for my small space. I recommend one of the blue flame over radiant as it will better heat the entire area. The Radiant will have to be pointed in the direction of your cot to work effectively, but the Radiant ones are usually cheaper. For example you could get one of the small radiant heaters on amazon for under $90 and free shipping. The hose will probably run half that in additional cost. If you go that route make sure your buying the propane version instead of the natural gas version and check all your connections for leaks in advance with soapy water. Search Amazon Mr Heater Radiant and Mr Heater Blue Flame.

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Re: Camping in Cold Weather [Re: RPG1997] #7677289 12/02/19 02:38 AM
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I can tell you a thing or two about staying in a metal building in the cold. We used to stay in an old grainery on the property in OK. The metal will suck all the cold out of the air and intensify it two fold! Your best bet would be to insulate it and install a wood stove. That's what we ended up doing. Short of that, get a mr buddy heater with a hose that will attach to an LP tank. We did that a few times. It will at least keep it above freezing in there. Honestly, you'd be better off in a tent with the mr buddy heater than the metal building. I'm telling you, that dude will get COLD!

Re: Camping in Cold Weather [Re: RPG1997] #7677290 12/02/19 02:39 AM
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A big buddy heater would help


Originally Posted by Chunky Monkey
Never been to a camping world. I prefer Dick's to be honest.
Re: Camping in Cold Weather [Re: RPG1997] #7677292 12/02/19 02:40 AM
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Buy this and you will be warm for the rest of your life under any circumstances in Texas.

Military MSS

Re: Camping in Cold Weather [Re: RPG1997] #7677294 12/02/19 02:43 AM
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30 minutes?

I’ve done a fair amount of cold-weather camping, but in these circumstances the hotel option is a no-brainer IMO.


Originally Posted by Russ79
I learned long ago you can't reason someone out of something they don't reason themselves into.


Re: Camping in Cold Weather [Re: RPG1997] #7677302 12/02/19 02:50 AM
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Any electricity? How big is the metal shed?


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Re: Camping in Cold Weather [Re: RPG1997] #7677309 12/02/19 02:54 AM
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Go to the hotel. My drive from camp to stand is 20 minutes. My drive from hotel to stand is 1 hour 20 minutes. If it means staying warm, I’ll stay in the hotel.


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Re: Camping in Cold Weather [Re: RPG1997] #7677347 12/02/19 03:35 AM
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If you decide to go the propane heater route, please take a carbon monoxide detector. That is one thing that terrifies me. Have seen first hand how that can be deadly.

Re: Camping in Cold Weather [Re: dogcatcher] #7677357 12/02/19 03:44 AM
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Electricity is at the building. It’s a fairly large building, enough to fit several John Deere 4000’s in.

The shed itself has some insulation in it already, but it isn’t really fully insulated against weather.

Re: Camping in Cold Weather [Re: RPG1997] #7677361 12/02/19 03:46 AM
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Just stay in the hotel - 30 minutes isn't that much time. You'll probably end up getting more sleep there.

JR

Re: Camping in Cold Weather [Re: RPG1997] #7677391 12/02/19 04:09 AM
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If you have nothing to camp with and don't plan to do it regularly, the hotel will be cheaper.

I sleep in my fiberglass blind with no heater going and an Ascend sleeping bag that's a 0-20' bag, in my shorts only and I'm just as toasty as can be, even when it's in the 20's.

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Re: Camping in Cold Weather [Re: RPG1997] #7677396 12/02/19 04:14 AM
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If it were me and you were dead set on not staying in the hotel....

Pitch a tent inside the metal building. Get a good air mattress or cot, then put a few blankets inside your sleeping bag. I normally sleep in my thermals and socks and a beanie.

I do this in the mountains where temps have gotten down into the single digits and have been comfortable. I don’t use any propane type heaters in the tent but one outside in the barn might not be a bad idea.


I love the flint hills of Kansas.

What kind of game lives there? Didn’t see much deer habitat but would look like a good place to have a herd of buffalo


For it is not the quarry that we truly seek, but the adventure.
Re: Camping in Cold Weather [Re: RPG1997] #7677405 12/02/19 04:25 AM
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Originally Posted by RPG1997
Electricity is at the building. It’s a fairly large building, enough to fit several John Deere 4000’s in.

The shed itself has some insulation in it already, but it isn’t really fully insulated against weather.


A shed that size would be impossible to heat, so I would set up a "family size" tent inside of the building and use electric heat. I would also get an electric blanket. I would also get a half sheet of plywood to attach the heater to. https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/ma...lighted-cabin-tent#repChildCatid=6717513

Get an insulated pad to go under your sleeping bag,

On edit, Get one of these, https://www.harborfreight.com/9-ft-x-12-ft-canvas-dropcloth-38109.html Set u the tent with rain fly, and throw this canvas over it. It will help keep the heat in.

Last edited by dogcatcher; 12/02/19 04:34 AM. Reason: add tarp info

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Re: Camping in Cold Weather [Re: RPG1997] #7677412 12/02/19 04:34 AM
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Electric blanket

Re: Camping in Cold Weather [Re: RPG1997] #7677421 12/02/19 05:22 AM
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Originally Posted by RPG1997
Electricity is at the building. It’s a fairly large building, enough to fit several John Deere 4000’s in.

The shed itself has some insulation in it already, but it isn’t really fully insulated against weather.


When I go goose hunting in OK we stay at a campground with electricity. I take a large tent and place one or two of the oil filled space heaters in the middle between sleeping bags. it keeps everyone in my tent plenty warm. Set up your tent inside the building to insulate you from the cold. Those Oil Filled Radiator Space Heaters are only about $30 $40 bucks and for sale everywhere right now. One of the other guys who went goose hunting with us used to take an electric blanket to use in his tent.

Re: Camping in Cold Weather [Re: skeeter22] #7677569 12/02/19 02:46 PM
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Originally Posted by skeeter22
Electric blanket


You are out of the wind and you have electricity, this is easy. Cot with a a cot mattress, good sleeping bag and or electric blanket. If you don't have a mattress for your cot use a 2nd sleeping bag under you and drape a blanket over the cot to keep the draft out from under you. Sometimes I'll toss a couple handwarmers in the bag next to my feet when its bed time.

Sleeping in the cold is easy, getting out of a warn sleeping bag into sub freezing barn in the morning is the problem. Take and electric or propane heater to kick on and stand next to and warm up in the morning. Sleep in your long underwear and a beanie, keep your jeans, socks, tshirt in the sleeping bag and slip them on before you get out.

Assuming you will have a campfire outside for the evening.


Shoot. Eat. Repeat.
Re: Camping in Cold Weather [Re: RPG1997] #7677581 12/02/19 02:53 PM
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Originally Posted by RPG1997
Electricity is at the building. It’s a fairly large building, enough to fit several John Deere 4000’s in.

The shed itself has some insulation in it already, but it isn’t really fully insulated against weather.


OK, a building that size, you will never be able to heat up. You will need to make a smaller space to heat. Either throwing together a makeshift room out of plywood, or bring a tent. You can just sleep in the bag with blankets and stay warm enough, but getting out of bed like that sucks!

Re: Camping in Cold Weather [Re: ntxtrapper] #7677661 12/02/19 03:38 PM
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Originally Posted by ntxtrapper
Buy this and you will be warm for the rest of your life under any circumstances in Texas.

Military MSS


I picked up one of these new military multi bag systems a while back. Not sure if there are different sizes but I am right at 6' tall and don't fit in it. I have a couple older surplus down intermediate bags, they are ok to about 20 degrees.

Bought one of Teton sports queen size 0 degree bags 3 years ago. Use it on top of a Cabelas XL camp mattress and XL Cot. Sleep better than ever. Plenty warm, plenty of room. Definitely not a backpacking setup though.


Teton bag


Shoot. Eat. Repeat.
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