>Canada>Ont>EGL Winter Hang 2016 - Winter is Here! Double Weekender Hammock/Bushcraft Hang

[Chard]

EGL Winter Hang 2016 - Winter Is Here!
Double Weekender Hammock/Bushcraft Hang
Jan 29, 2016 - February 7, 2016

Hey all,

Believe it or not, we're just around our 20th EGL hang and I'd like to do something extra special to mark the event; a back to back two weekend winter hang somewhere spectacular like Killarney Provincial Park or the like. Of note, a couple of chaps out of the UK will be joining us this year; CaptainHaddock, Bob and Teepee. I ran across their post on the BushcraftUSA site looking for information on doing some extended winter camping in Ontario and I thought it would be a blast to show these guys our backyard and get some serious winter camping in at the same time. They're experienced winter campers and have even done a winter survival course in Sweden. After quite a few emails and a long telephone call I got the sense that these gents would fit right in. While we're still trying to work out the details, they seem keen to just come out and spend a long week in the bush.


http://stefan.buettcher.org/atw/killarney-2004-12/panorama.jpg

So with that being said, here's one possible trip plan:
The Hang starts in our normal manner on the first weekend with us snowshoeing in a couple of kilometers, setting up a basecamp and lollygagging in style. The midweek period would be an opportunity to do a light cross country trekking for a couple of nights to a pre-determined location for our second basecamp weekend. If we did Killarney and the conditions permitted we might even think about trying to summit Silver Peak mid-week. That being said, the Hang might look something like this...

• 1st Weekend - basecamp near (within 2km) highway (Fri, Sat, Sun)
• 2 days in and establish basecamp at foot of Silver Peak (Mon, Tues)
• 1 day to summit Silver Peak* and return to basecamp (Wed)
• 2 days out back to 2nd Weekend Basecamp (Thurs, Fri)
• 2nd Weekend - new location basecamp near (within 2km) highway (Fri, Sat, Sun)

Killarney's not the only option on the table. If fishing and natural shelter-building are a priority then there's Crown Land may fit the bill better and I'm open to any suggestions people might have. For example, there are places aplenty along the Western border of Algonquin that might suit. Either way I think it would be a hang to remember. Gear could run the entire spectrum from ultra-light to heavy, depending on what part of the hang you're interested in. Just be sure to inform yourselves on the challenges of keeping warm during extended periods in the bush, particularly as it relates to down quilts.

NOTE: Of course there's absolutely no requirement for everyone to join us for the entire ten day hang. Between work schedules, holiday vacations and a not wholly unjustified and perfectly reasonable apprehension about staying out in the cold for so long, maybe the full ten days aren't feasible. If you can't join us for the entire week, then maybe one or more portions would suit your fancy; come out for a weekend or two, join in on the mid-week trekking. The choice is yours. We'll try to clearly mark where the basecamps will be so people can come and go as they please.




With the amazing turnout we had last year in mind, I think this could be our best hang ever! So let's get the ball rolling.


Note: Some early reconnaissance of the area might be in order. Anyone interested?


Yup, Winter-camping

[Bubba]

10 days would be epic and I'd love to but I'll be limited to either weekend. With the inclusion of our friends from across the pond, I'm guessing the dates are firm so I can request the time off from work?

[Chard]

10 days would be epic and I'd love to but I'll be limited to either weekend. With the inclusion of our friends from across the pond, I'm guessing the dates are firm so I can request the time off from work?

Hey Bubba!

The dates are as firm as Jello pudding at -40c. Flights have been booked.

[Bubba]

Hey Bubba!

The dates are as firm as Jello pudding at -40c. Flights have been booked.

That's pretty firm.

[80083r]

Starting a new job January 18, not sure of participation, but will stay tuned.

[1csleptonkayak]

Ahhh man! Killarney? In the winter? You're making another long drive north sound very tempting. Lots of things for me to consider, though.

Would you think it unwise for a somewhat inexperienced winter camper to take this on? I won't be able to do the Valens warm-up trip too, but I should have at least a couple Ohio outings under my belt by then with my recently-ordered Smokehouse shelter and wood stove. I have all the remaining gear to make it work minus snow shoes and pulk, but I should be able to work something out by then. Come to think of it, that nice lad Chard portaged my 42 pound inflatable kayak for me in September. Hmmm!

[76 highboy]

Recon? What did you have in mind? Walk,drag a toboggan or dare I say it paddle
I'm off dec 4,5,6

[Chard]

Ahhh man! Killarney? In the winter? You're making another long drive north sound very tempting. Lots of things for me to consider, though.

Would you think it unwise for a somewhat inexperienced winter camper to take this on? I won't be able to do the Valens warm-up trip too, but I should have at least a couple Ohio outings under my belt by then with my recently-ordered Smokehouse shelter and wood stove. I have all the remaining gear to make it work minus snow shoes and pulk, but I should be able to work something out by then. Come to think of it, that nice lad Chard portaged my 42 pound inflatable kayak for me in September. Hmmm!

Unwise? It all comes down to the weather. Put it this way; prepare for the worst and hope for the best. If you are confident that you can coldcamp in the expected temperature range then you're good to go. I'll readily defer to the experience hot-tenters in the group since I haven't hot-tented yet myself, that's for this season, but it's my understanding that those nylon tents will cool off quickly in the wee hours unless you're committed to keeping your fire going all night, which certainly is possible. The nice thing about winter camping is that you can afford to bring a little extra bulky gear and just pack it onto the sled, just in case. Winter's the time that we pull out all the tricks to keep warm and comfortable. That being said, jumping into a 9-10 day sub-arctic trip with temperatures well below freezing without being confident in your gear might just be asking for trouble. Test, test test. Maybe you want to try the first basecamping weekend and then reevaluate. The option to bail would be there. I'm sure we'll have a lot of discussion on the topic.

Oh, and last winter the "portaging" situation was reversed and a couple of the guys went above and beyond to help me with my overloaded sled. I likely wouldn't have made it back if they hadn't.

Recon? What did you have in mind? Walk,drag a toboggan or dare I say it paddle
I'm off dec 4,5,6

Not sure, but those dates sound pretty sweet. Killarney's at the top of the list, but I was even thinking of checking out some possible Crown Land spots west of the park as an alternate to allow for fishing and bushcrafting/shelter building. Paddle or hike, I'm good either way. Who knows, it might even be fun!

[Lofty]

Dates marked on my calendar

I'm pretty sure I can make it mid week ( I would love to hike to silver peak ) Liam has exams that time - possible that he can come as well
I never know 100% until 1-2 weeks before


As a thought - I know some of you have smoke houses or use a hot tent - what if we had a group / community hot tent as a warming hut if needed.

[TZBrown]

Man this sounds like a sweet adventure. Will keep my eye on it for sure.