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Anyone have any suggestions as to how I might be able to hang a hammock on the ice?
I've been wanting to camp out on the ice for a couple years now. Anyone have any suggestions as to how I might be able to hang a hammock on the ice?
For those that put a floor down overnight: is there a problem with the floor freezing to the ice? or is the insulation sufficient despite splashing water and condensation. Thanks.
We didn't cover the entire floor, only a section in front of the bunks where we changed clothes or warmed toes. No freezing problems for us.
we used to winter camp. didnt mess with heaters in the tents though. just get in your bag and remove cloths. put cloths on before you get out of the bag in morning. its not really that bad till it gets in the teens. i wouldnt do it these days though. lol a lot wimpier now than i was in my 20s. fun times fun timesyour best buddy at night is an empty 2 liter with a cap. amazing how warm a bottle of used beer is in a sleeping bag.
I got a polar bird 3 T with an insulated floor. It makes camping on ice totally comfortable. It also has vents so heater stays on. Add an air mattress and a zero degree bag, and I was totally comfortable.
My cleats would destroy that floor in a few steps...the interlocking garage mats are a life saver...and I didnt have to buy a new shanty either! Pull up one or two to jig and then back in place when done...works perfect! Ill be camping on ice again in 2 weeks or so...
I just got back from an overnight stay out on the ice. I was in my new Polar Bird 4T hub style shanty. 2 guys fishing, plan was to stay up all night and give 'er heck. Well, I couldn't take it any more, and crashed around 2am. I used a thermarest pad, my so-so sleeping bag, some base layers from Cabelas, and a pillow. We had a Mr. Heater in the shack with us, kept it on low. The wind was blowing a good 15-20 mph the whole time we were there, and the temps started at 20° and ended at 7° when the sun came up. The Polar Bird did an amazing job of keeping us warm and out of the wind. The only problem we had was bringing new snow into the tent after checking the tip ups. Next time I will bring a beach towel to keep the floor dry. These were about as bad of conditions I ever want to be in, but it worked out well. I did buy a CO detector as well, and it never went off. Picture of the morning sun.
I stayed on Champlain last weekend as well. Saturday night into Sunday. I made adjustments...and I slept hard! I had trouble getting up Sunday to get more bait. Low of 27 was much easier to handle than -6. So I used no heat which worked fine. I can't wait to get a multi night trip in during last ice. That should be awesome.
I have a buddy that does this every year in January at the derby we go to. He Has a wall tent that doesn't have a floor. He just uses ice screws to anchor it down. Then he whips out the wood stove and lights a fire in it. His wall tent is super warm and by the end of the night he has a nice little stream running out of his tent haha. The ice is about 3-4 feet deep. He gets the cots out and then wraps his fishing line around his finger so if a fish bites he doesn't miss it.
Its always great to hear about people camping on the ice. Especially when the memories and stories come with it!