These days, as winter approaches, the ice is dotted with more and more camper-style wheelhouses that can be more comfortable than your living room. But a growing number of ice anglers are venturing into winter camping in hub-style, folding shelters. They’re a great way to spend a weekend on the ice on a budget, or to explore areas where wheelhouses can’t fit.
If the idea of sleeping on ice piques your interest, seek out therapy first. Then follow these tips.
Winter camping on the ice in a petite shelter isn’t for everyone. It’s actually quite a bit of work, especially if you’re camping far from your vehicle, like you would if you ventured into Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. But for the brave, it can be great fun.
There are definitely some challenges. First, you want to balance comfort with ambition.
For example, if you plan to drive your vehicle onto the ice and set up a hub-style cabin right next to it, you can pack as much gear as you want. But if you’re hauling a sled and all your gear a few miles to the BWCAW to hunt lakers for a weekend, you’ll want to lighten your load considerably. Reduce your gear list so you can haul all your gear without breaking a sweat.
Stay balmy and desiccated
The most significant key to having fun winter camping is staying balmy and desiccated. If you get chilly and soggy, you’ll have a terrible time.
While you can stay in a variety of hut styles (on my first trip, I slept in an elderly shell-style hut with a plastic floor), most people utilize pop-up hub huts. The larger models offer plenty of space and can sleep multiple people, although you can squeeze into some of the larger flip-style huts by yourself if you really want to.
Assuming you’re not camping right next to the truck, you’ll need to pack all your gear into the sled, so pack accordingly. You’ll need to be able to pull it—or have a snowmobile or ATV to get the job done.
Choose your camping spot wisely
Once you’ve loaded up and are on the ice, choose your campsite wisely. You won’t be bouncing from one hole to another. Set up in a spot that can be productive both day and night. It’s worth the extra effort to find fish before you set up so you don’t waste time where there aren’t any.
Sure, you can just set up a base camp and look for lodging nearby, but most anglers want to set up camp in a spot where they can catch fish.
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Once you have found your location, clear away the snow and set up your shelter. Nail the shelter down securely and cover it with snow to protect it from chilly drafts and snow drifts.
If you are going to add a floor with some kind of mat, like a puzzle mat, you can scrape the ice. If there is no floor, I like to pack some snow so I don’t slip on the shiny ice.
Floor mats are comfortable enough that you can walk around in socks or slippers instead of stumbling around your shed in bulky boots.
Essential things for a trip
The real trick to staying balmy whenever you’re camping in chilly weather is to have a layer of insulation underneath you. A camp cot with a camping mattress is a luxury, but carrying a camp cot around may not be practical.
At the very least, put some evergreens under the mattress to keep your body off the ground. A layer of ground is the most significant key to staying balmy. I have a couple of roll-up camping mattresses that I utilize when I’m packing a lot (sometimes I’ll even take two), but when I’m packing featherlight, I utilize an air mattress, which saves space and weight but doesn’t keep me as balmy.
A good sleeping bag is a must. Sleeping bags have come a long way. My 0-degree bag from 20 years ago was infinitely larger and heavier than my current bag of the same grade. Good bags are lightweight and take up little space, although they are not economical. But for the price of a weekend hotel stay, you can buy a great bag that will give you years of balmy utilize.
In the morning, my nylon bag usually has a little condensation on the top. I desiccated it carefully in front of the heater each morning, holding my hand on the bag in the soggy spot as a guide. If my hand is too warm, the bag is probably getting too warm and I don’t want to burn it! You’ll really appreciate crawling into a desiccated bag each night.
Radiators are a nice addition
Warmers aren’t imperative if you have a good sleeping bag, but they are a nice addition and, again, it all depends on how much gear you want to carry. I only turn the warmer on when I’m chilly or trying to fish, but I turn it off at night and rely on the bag for warmth
Make sure the heater you choose is designed for indoor utilize, such as the Buddy Heater. These heaters have built-in carbon monoxide sensors and will turn themselves off if they tip over. Carbon monoxide buildup is no joke.
Open the vents in your cabin and don’t be afraid to open the door. Look out for signs of drowsiness or dizziness, which could indicate CO2 poisoning. If this happens, turn off the heater, open the door and get some fresh air in the shelter. It’s a good idea to take a CO2 alarm with you, even if you’re using a heater with a built-in sensor.
Another option is to bring a tent that can accommodate a wood-burning stove.
This is definitely a bulky and bulky option, but you will have plenty of room to move around and you will also stay balmy.
Condensation
Condensation is a real bane of winter camping. As you exhale, moisture condenses and freezes on the roof of your tent in chilly weather. Opening your shelter’s vents and even the doors will facilitate. Leaving a heater on all night will prevent condensation.
Otherwise, you’ll have to deal with it. One option is to simply wipe the frost off with a towel in the morning before it melts and covers everything. However you deal with condensation, don’t let it soak your gear, and be careful to desiccated soggy clothes, sleeping bags, or roll up mats in front of a heater.
Warm meals and hydration
A balmy meal is a real treat on a chilly day. You can cook on an open fire on ice, roast a stick in front of a heater, or take a camping stove with you. If I pack featherlight, I take food that doesn’t need to be cooked.
You also need to keep some things chilly (like meat or cheese) and some things from freezing completely (like fish). Burying these items in snow will accomplish this. It will also keep your drinks chilly and refreshing.
It’s significant to stay hydrated when camping, especially if you’re doing a lot of pulling a sled. We lose a lot of water vapor just by breathing in the chilly air. I usually take at least one or two reusable plastic water bottles with me. You can either bring enough for the weekend, or bring a pot and boil some snow (or get some water from a lake and boil it). But it takes a lot of snow to get some water.
Keeping desiccated and balmy
Another issue is the dryness of clothes, especially socks.
Your feet will probably sweat in balmy shoes, and when they sweat, they get chilly. Bring plenty of balmy socks.
You can desiccated soggy ones by hanging them over a radiator (although this will likely create an unpleasant smell in the shelter).
I also take a desiccated bag with at least one full change of clothes. You can utilize the poles in the hub as a drying rack. Also, take care of your shoes. Not only is it uncomfortable to put on chilly shoes in the morning, it can be complex if they freeze. Sometimes I put my shoes in my sleeping bag to keep them from freezing (make sure they are desiccated).
Also keep your cell phone and chargers in your sleeping bag to keep them balmy at night. I also always put my phone on airplane mode at night to prevent battery drain.
A few more accessories
A few additional useful accessories include an LED flashlight that can be hung from the top of the hub, as well as clip-on rattles that signal bites at night.
As I said, there is a balance between the weight of each item and its value. Be resourceful with the materials you have on hand, especially if you have a long hike and are packing featherlight.
Instead of packing a chair, utilize the bucket you probably utilize to haul your fishing gear. Flip the sled over to utilize as a table or fish cleaning station.
Bring newspapers. Roll them into a ball and put them in your shoes every night to absorb moisture. They also make great kindling and reading material on long nights.
The final consideration is hygiene. Inevitably, when you’re out in the wild, you’ll have to answer nature’s call. A 5-gallon bucket with a trash bag doubles as a handy toilet. After utilize, you can remove the bag, freeze it, and pack it away.
And you can never have too many garbage bags! They’re great for human waste, food waste, fish guts, keeping your shoes and clothes from getting soggy, and so much more.
A winter camping and fishing trip can be an invigorating way to spend a weekend outdoors. If you can stay balmy and desiccated, you’ll have a much better time, even if the fish aren’t cooperating.
