Camping on the ice.

[lowaccord66]

I'd be down for this but I guess I'd have to reg my snowmobile in VT. I can't drag my setup by hand at all, it's just a beast.

If we wait for later Feb we can just drive on the ice. 

[bassin212]

Iowaccord i'm sure knows way better than me. But I believe in Vermont if you're not using any trail systems to access the lake. You're good with a valid NH Reg. NY I think is the same, but requires proof of insurance? I'll be heading to champlain for a friends birthday February 4th and might head to lake George or back to Champlain around the 19th.

[lowaccord66]

I actually do not know.  Ive always used my vehicle up there, ice permitting.

[Nosaj]

Eyes at night sounds perfect!  Keeping late February open.  Sleds or vehicles we are in.

[lowaccord66]

Awesome!  Will start planning now.  Green lights are ready.  I ha e a pike spot a but north if where I typically camp that is bananas.  Like 6 dozen baits or more bananas.  Your son will enjoy that.

[ctbob]

After all the helpful info in this tread, I finally spent my first night on the ice this past Sunday, and I still have alot to learn. Since I rarely used my last pop up and sold it, I opted for an uninsulated 3/4 person amazon cheapie that I can probably use during the regular camping season. My first problem was I didn't want to step on the skirt with cleated boots, and the wind was blowing enough to cave in one side, and I was just praying I wouldn't loose my grip and have to chase it down the lake. When I finally got it set up I found out that one of my pre drilled holes was on the edge of the tent meaning I couldn't set up a tip up there overnight. A 3/4 person tent may be big enough for just fishing, but for camping, I wish I had more room as you can see from the picture.





I started fishing around 3 and only managed 3 small perch on a jigging rod. Nothing on a deadstick using a medium shiner.
After dark I used the buddy heater with a paint grate to heat up a precooked hamburger, but on high it didn't take long for the bun to start to char and leaving burger just warm. Probably would of been better on medium heat. 



 When I got ready for bed, it was great advise to change cloths. No cotton on my undershirt and long johns. I felt warmer immediately. As suggested, I should of stayed with that, but added sweatpants and a hoodie.  I slept on a pad with a zero degree mummie inside a summer sleeping bag and was actually too warm. When I woke up in the morning the sleeping bag was wet with condensation although the exposed mummie bag around my head was bone dry. Made some instant coffee on the buddy heater,  and jigged for a couple of hours with only a single light tug on the line.
 I avoided a potential problem when I woke up to check my phone that I put on a table a few hours earlier. It was so cold that it wouldn't turn on until i warmed it under the covers. I litterally would of been lost without my google maps.
After loading some loose stuff in the sled I made a trip to the car. Came back, jigged a little more, then decided to pack up as snow started falling.
I'm going to give it another try eventually, but not sure if my 69 year old overweight body is up to the task. There were alot of things I wanted to try but I was beat after lugging 2 overloaded sleds, hand drilling thru 12 inches of ice, and struggling with the popup on a windy day. My next trip will have a drill set up for the auger, and am looking into ways to lighten load. And if anyone could let me know. If I just sleep in longjohns and t shirt, can I put back on"sweaty sweaters and coveralls" from the day before. I had alot of layers with no where to store them.

A look on my lightened load as I headed home.

[bassin212]

Good for you for getting out!

I keep my clothes in a dry bag, but you could also throw them in a large trash bag (just to keep them dry). Base layers are most important. I’d say you can definitely put on yesterdays sweaty clothes but dry base layers would be best. If you want to limit the clothes. Sleep in the clean dry stuff but hangout yesterdays base layers to dry out for the next morning. I usually sleep with my phone in my sleeping bag or put it in a soft lunch box with a hand warmer. I would dress extremely light on the walk out, you’re working hard and warming up so try to reduce sweating. When setting up your pop up, put an anchor into the wind, attach a corner to it and then pop it out. That way the wind will open it up and actually make it easier and it won’t blow away.

[lowaccord66]

Glad you got out CTBob.  The fun is learning and fine tuming the approach to where it becomes comfortable.  Cant beat waking up ready to fish.

[ctbob]

thank you bassin212, all good tips especially the anchor one. Other questions you or others might help me with. Can you store the popup in the bag not completely dry. It's been a day and a half and I've flipped it once, but it's still wet in spots. And what about walking on foam mats with your ice spikes. Thanks in advance anyone.
And thanks lowaccord66 for your tips and offers of help. I've already thought of a few things to lighten the load.

[Akhardwater]

ctbob you will want to take your shack and set it up and leave it up so it can completely dry, if you leave it wet it will mildew and rot the fabric.  As far as keeping warm at night just leave your heater on and sleep in your boxers and a t-shirt.  Make sure you have two windows open for good cross ventilation and a carbon monoxide detector and be warm and comfortable.  The whole purpose of sleeping on the ice is so you can fish all night and know exactly when the morning bite starts.  If you aren’t going to fish all night then sleep at home in a nice warm bed there is no point in suffering.  I get that some guys are just afraid to run the heat all night but take it from someone who has spent literally hundreds of nights on the ice you will be just fine if you use a little common sense.

[bassin212]

thank you bassin212, all good tips especially the anchor one. Other questions you or others might help me with. Can you store the popup in the bag not completely dry. It's been a day and a half and I've flipped it once, but it's still wet in spots. And what about walking on foam mats with your ice spikes. Thanks in advance anyone.
And thanks lowaccord66 for your tips and offers of help. I've already thought of a few things to lighten the load.

In terms of walking on the foam Mats id think it would really depend on how thick they are and how serious your spikes are. For the most part id think you’d be ok. Maybe test it out at home and just step on one and see what happens. I don’t have the luxury of being able to set my hut up inside but I usually just open the bag, put the shack on top and run it next to my dehumidifier for 24 hours, flip it, 24 hours and call it good.

[ctbob]

 Thanks guys for the tips. Akhardwater, my purpose for camping on the water is different from yours. I don't see well driving in the dark, and all the good lakes are at least an hour from home. I miss alot of the morning bite, and don't have the patience to wait around for the late afternoon/night bite. I'm not interested in fishing all night, although I'll have lines in the water. I just want to head out from home around noon, with plenty of time to catch the evening bite, and also  be able to fish the early morning bite. Then  pack up and head home by mid day after rush hour. I was planning on using my buddy heater if I got cold, had the co detector, but I never needed to once I was in my sleeping bags.   

[Bern73]

Just tested new tent and heating device for camping.

I did camping on ice 5 and 6 years ago , 3 nights usually . Learned some lessons and decide to upgrade  equipment . I was busy last 4 years  and didn't have chance to get on ice .  I've got a Snowdog 3 years ago, and now much easier to move all camping stuff.

Also I tried to minimize everything as always .

Propane was changed to woodstove .   Woodstove is much more powerful , reliable,  cheaper , I can use any type of fuel, firewood or bricks from Lowes or home depot, even wooden tip-ups  .    I was tested my stove on  bricks from Lowes , works perfect !   One brick was last 3.5 hours with decent amount of power ,I just started fire and forgot .  3 bricks cost me 6 $.   Next time I want to test it on firewood from my home. No more Propane, it was always problem , low oxygen, low pressure in tank e t c. and it's not enough power.

Cooking is much easier on woodstove.

Also tested new tent.   It is yellow , no black inside, European style , but one minus- made in China, have to replace straps and hooks, they are garbage.  It was already made for woodstove chimney.   
On my Transport -Snowdog,  I replaced motor (much more power 420cc)  and put big car battery .   With new battery on machine  I have endless electricity 12V and can connect chargers or Lights directly. No more worries about dying phone or stupid power bank .

Here some pictures  Old camping





New tent and woodstove.

[Steamtrain]

Great report!
Any more info on the stove?
Weight?

[Bern73]

Great report!
Any more info on the stove?
Weight?

Stove is about 11 lb  , all pipes goes inside and don't take extra space .   It is Stainless 304 steel .  (high% nickel and chrome)  It is changed color to dark a little and surface , but it's a Stove!  Very fast cooled down when I finished using it. It has a bag to keep it.
I think this is the best investment in ice camping gear.. 
Fire controls by holes on a cup , how much air goes inside, I don't think I need CO detector, but I am going to buy a little one, for  better sleeping.

This Stove was a gift from my relative in Russia.

[Bern73]

I did video , just to save it.

[cdubbs]

ctbob
Very cool. your a better man than me.. what was the temperature at night. I guess after a day of work on the ice, in the wind and cold you slept well anyway. Good for you !!

[mr.clean]

 CTBob, thank you for sharing a report and photos from your trip.

Bern73 nice looking set-up, couple of suggestions look into some type of heat shield to protect shelter from the stove and if the stove pipe does not have a spark arrestor purchase and install one on the pipe. You do not need any stray sparks going up the pipe and at minmum landing on the shelter and burning holes worst case igniting the shelter on fire.

Steve

[bassin212]

I’ve done a handful of overnight trips in my clam 1660 thermal six pack, sold it and bought a monster lodge. This was my first overnight in it and it was great. Set up Friday afternoon and fished until Sunday afternoon. The more tips I do the better I’ll get at pictures hopefully. To eager to get set up and fishing rather than taking pictures. Friday night was nice and warm (about 40 degrees so we slept without heat. Saturday night dipped into the 20’s so we just run a small buddy heater on low with a CO detector.

[Bern73]

CTBob, thank you for sharing a report and photos from your trip.

Bern73 nice looking set-up, couple of suggestions look into some type of heat shield to protect shelter from the stoveand if the stove pipe does not have a spark arrestor purchase and install one on the pipe. You do not need any stray sparks going up the pipe and at minmum landing on the shelter and burning holes worst case igniting the shelter on fire.

Steve

Will see , some users recommended to keep pipe strait in case of wind.  Snow and rain do not affect process. I am back to camping on ice . It is so cool 

[ctbob]

ctbob
Very cool. your a better man than me.. what was the temperature at night. I guess after a day of work on the ice, in the wind and cold you slept well anyway. Good for you !!

cdubbs, I think the outside overnight temp was around 20. I know my water bottle had started to freeze before I went to bed. I was warm though inside my sleeping bags, but if my face got hot and came out from undercover, it was cold within minutes.

[Bern73]

Spent first night on the ice with new setup .

Wind was 10-15 mph  (on video) with no problem,  very comfortable . But wind  was brutal lately after 11 pm.    I have to do homework to modify tent skirt for strong winds.

Wood stove works like it should,  no problems at all. With Very strong wind for an hour it was just reduces heat output.  No smoke or something .

Bern73 nice looking set-up, couple of suggestions look into some type of heat shield to protect shelter from the stove and if the stove pipe does not have a spark arrestor purchase and install one on the pipe. You do not need any stray sparks going up the pipe and at minmum landing on the shelter and burning holes worst case igniting the shelter on fire.

Steve

Thanks Steve,  Stove already have second metal shield to protect from very hot main chamber , that second metal almost normal temperature , I can move stove  with gloves..  If I use bricks, no spark arrestor need , I need to try regular firewood next time . I keep pipe straight as recommended.
  No moisture is a Big plus ..  Heat is not even comparable with propane. A little wood smell is ok for me )

The biggest problem with strong wind is noise from everywhere , from cables, pipe and tent itself .

The skirt is always problem on glare ice, instead of freeze it to the ice , I am thinking to make a cable or metal bar that will hold it down.

I have to do homework on transport too. All sleds need different hithes.

[mr.clean]

Bern73 thank you for the short video. Interesting stove design with the attached heat shield.

 Steve

[lowaccord66]

Its almost time for some ice camping.

[WARRIOR_ON_ICE]

Ice camping is something I believe everyone should try at least once. I have done it maybe for 10 nights in total ( none consecutive ) through the years.

I mostly do tipup fishing, so camping on the ice only makes sense to me anymore when the overnight temp. will remain above the high 20's so that the tipups can be left in all night. Trying for overnight crappies and possibly walleyes.

If it is going to get cold enough that the tipups need to be taken out for the night, then it is too cold to enjoy being inside the popup all night, with the stuff that I own. Anyone can make themselves stay warm if they buy the right gear, but I don't have any real winter camping gear.

A good strategy that I use, because I am never fishing more than about 3/4 mile from my car anyway, is to leave the popup all set up, and all of the equipment inside it, tipups wrapped up etc. and just walk off at sunset and go sleep in the car, running it for heat throughout the night as needed. Then just before sunup, walk back out in the half-dark and start putting tipups in again and get the early bite. If the overnight temp stayed high enough, you can just use yesterday's holes as-is or just kick out or hatchet out a skim of ice on them if needed. You can even skip resounding the holes if your tipups are already marked and the depth there is constant.

Keep the stories coming, they are interesting to read

[SLAYERFISH]

I have camped on the ice twice many years ago.  Drove my 1976 Chevy 4x4 with a slide-in camper on it just drove out to the middle the lake.  It had a propane furnace and all that stuff.  Very comfy!

[muskyon46]

Its almost time for some ice camping.

Yes it is! Been working away on the X200. Got some good upgrades done this year. Lots of pics here in the ice shack section

https://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=359640.msg4319254#msg4319254

[Finnt]

Who's lived in their shanty for a weekend?  What did you do right?  What could you have done better?   How cold was it?

Im going to stay on the ice all weekend.  Bringing a cot and cold weather bag.  Just curious whos done it and how it went!

Thanks guys.

I have done it lots of times in a insulated hub used a wood stove and bunk style cots and foam mats in halve of floor we used charcoal in the stove at night . The wood stove don't make all that condensation like propane. We cooked on a Coleman grill / stove that was propane. The wood stove is the way to go.

[POk3s]

This was my second attempt at camping on the ice. My first attempt my drunk buddy barged in yelling about how I was going to die from my heater, so I went to the truck. His head wasn’t in the right place, but at least his heart was. Learned some things and caught some fish!

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[jethro]

Its almost time for some ice camping.

Ok! Lets do it this year for sure. We need to plan a weekend!