NNY2011WCT! February 4-7

[laditek]

I'm good with whatever, but the 4th-7th works for theLight and I since our theater troupe has their closing night event president's day weekend too.

As per clothing layers I find a nice thick wool sweater to be a god-send on cold weather trips as the isulating layer. In the past I've gotten away with a thin windpant as my last layer over 2 base layers, but this year's upgrades are actual pants and some new boots actually rated to -40 rather than my "unknowns."

Also, my poor nova will be new and improved for the winter trip. Turns out there is a recall on the stove for a defective O-ring and some other problems with the pump. Sending it in to the company and it will be good as new. Better even!

P.S. In Derek's defense he is cooking up a delicious storm for the holidays. Including homemade applesauce, sourdough bread, fresh ham, etc. Poor thing still gets ribbed for the catfish four years later though....

[CrackMunk]

I'm open for either dates. I think I should be all set for insulation. I'm going to be using a tent this time, a 2 burner stove. Is there going to be a pot luck? Did I read that? I have a Chili that will melt your eyebrows!

[Festus Hagen]

My vote is to stick with the original date.

We did do something of a potluck the first year and there has been chatter about it this time around. Different people who will be attending will have different limitations as far as cooking gear, space and $$, so the best way to put it is probably "bring a dish to pass if you like". I did do chili the first year and koshary the second, I don't really remember passing anything around the third year but considering I was cooking everything with my alcohol stove, that makes sense. I do remember other folks preparing stuff to share, though.

I wonder if i can safely use my DIY camp oven with my propane burners... not too sure on that one, I think I'd at least have to mod it.

[Bster13]

Same date it is.

[feuer]

4th thru 7th is what i'm down for.

I'll be bringing my "big" grill from home too, a Weber Q200 propane grill, to see how well it works in the cold temps.

http://www.weber.com/explore/Grill_details.aspx?glid=5&mid=35

[CrackMunk]

Can't wait. Santa brought me a new Down coat, 2pr of wind pants, fleece bag liner, some new knifes, & bunch of other goodies. It's OK if I bring a Friend or 2, right? A couple of my boys have a interest in winter camping.

[Jamie]

http://www.zsny.org/wct/nny2011wct.html - this year's informational webpage

N 44 20.380 W 074 21.030

[CrackMunk]

I'm bring this up to the group. I was going to bring a friend or 2, but now I have about 5 asking if they can go. As I'm new to the group I'm asking if that is OK with everyone, If not I will not be offended and still plan on going. they are like minded and enjoy the same things as the group. you may fined them a little twisted at times. They know what to expect and will be prepared, I will make sure and bring X gear if they need it. I don't want to make it look like a invasion from outsiders as this is a ZS function. Please let me know what everyone thinks. And again I will not be offended by any Na's
And for those that think I might woos (SP?) out again. NO WAY! I don't care if I look like a yeti and stay in my tent its my goal to go the whole weekend!
some are so psyched up to go one tried to build a snow hut in the backyard as this is what he wants to sleep in or under a tarp, and like Bryce, Ryan is NUTS for trying this.
we didn't much snow:

this it what I will be hold up in with a heater! edit:(returned, design flawed)

edit: new tent test out

[Horatio_Tyllis]

This trip seems like a ton of fun. I would like to attend, but will be slightly short on gear. I have cookwear, clothes and can get a good sleeping bag. What I'd need is crash space I can share, (I don't have a good tent, especially for cold weather) and perhaps someone in the area who wouldn't mind me showing up thursday night at like 11pm and lend me a couch til morning. (I want to sleep somewhere warm after a 7 hour drive before heading out.) Anyone think this is possible? If so, then you may well have one of your Canuck ZS bretheren on your hands.

[Rush2112]

This trip seems like a ton of fun. I would like to attend, but will be slightly short on gear. I have cookwear, clothes and can get a good sleeping bag. What I'd need is crash space I can share, (I don't have a good tent, especially for cold weather) and perhaps someone in the area who wouldn't mind me showing up thursday night at like 11pm and lend me a couch til morning. (I want to sleep somewhere warm after a 7 hour drive before heading out.) Anyone think this is possible? If so, then you may well have one of your Canuck ZS bretheren on your hands.

Not sure exactly what my sleeping arrangements will be at the moment, but if there's enough snow, I'll be building another quinzee like last year. If you have a good sleeping pad and a shovel, we could make a double-size one and share that. My other plan is if I get the new car I plan on getting, I may just sleep in it as it's a wagon that I can put the seats down in. If there isn't enough snow, it'll probably be mud, and I don't want to set up a tent in mud.

[Horatio_Tyllis]

Fair enough. I don't have a vehicle big enough to sleep in any longer. Had to sell my xterra and now i'm in a chevy cobalt. It would make a less than perfect shelter. I'll have to experiment a little and see what i can come up with. If i have the trunk of my car to transport stuff, I can probably come up with something pretty solid as far as shelter goes, I just know that the tents I do own are designed primarily for ZCON on the side of a mountin at and average of 3 billion degrees* and not so much for cold weather. The last thing I want to do is freeze to death.


*That might be an a bit of an exaggeration or you can chalk it up to those being canadian degrees

[Bster13]

I have a 4-person tent to borrow (really a 3 person), but it may be difficult in carrying this up to the dacks w/ passengers and their gear, but we can try!

Carol- I personally don't have a problem with others joining us, but I don't speak for everyone. The more the merrier so long as they are weenies like us and can find camping space on out site.

Not to sound like an old man...but if you have newbs doing winter camping for the first time, I'd suggest a tent for the first time as they are more protected and warmer. Perhaps your friends are seasoned winter campers, and if so ignore everything I've said, but the past two winter camping trips, I did it in a tarp and the weather was very easy on us for the most part. Yes it got cold, but not mega-cold and there was no wind. I can't imagine my first year in a tarp w/ lower temps and wind...bad, bad, bad! :p

@Rush, there most likely will be no mud at the temps we generally see. Even if there is no slow, we'll prob see rock hard ground.

[CrackMunk]

Carol- I personally don't have a problem with others joining us, but I don't speak for everyone. The more the merrier so long as they are weenies like us and can find camping space on out site.

Not to sound like an old man...but if you have newbs doing winter camping for the first time, I'd suggest a tent for the first time as they are more protected and warmer. Perhaps your friends are seasoned winter campers, and if so ignore everything I've said, but the past two winter camping trips, I did it in a tarp and the weather was very easy on us for the most part. Yes it got cold, but not mega-cold and there was no wind. I can't imagine my first year in a tarp w/ lower temps and wind...bad, bad, bad! :p.

the one that wants to try the tarp or snow shelter is in the military and has one of those sleep system setups. don't know what to call them( bag in a bag in a bag with a waterproof outer bag) & I just got him a 0* bag for Xmas and I'm saving room in my tent for his ass. they are pretty much like minded as us. Still trying to get them to be more prepared for when SHTF, work in progress.

This trip seems like a ton of fun. I would like to attend, but will be slightly short on gear. I have cookwear, clothes and can get a good sleeping bag. What I'd need is crash space I can share, (I don't have a good tent, especially for cold weather) and perhaps someone in the area who wouldn't mind me showing up thursday night at like 11pm and lend me a couch til morning. (I want to sleep somewhere warm after a 7 hour drive before heading out.) Anyone think this is possible? If so, then you may well have one of your Canuck ZS bretheren on your hands.

I would offer my couch but I'm in the other direction And I do have a tent for borrow just have to put a tarp(have that to) on it as I just fixed a hole in the fly the size of my hand and is not water tight. I might even have a 0* bag too just have to find out it hubby's coming first. He wants to come just not sure if he can make it with his back and hip sleeping on the cold ground.

[Famine]

You'll want a bag better rated...0* isn't going to cut it out there. Most bags that say they are rated for 0* only do their job til around 20*.

[MikeM]

I say: bring them.

How else are we going to swell the ranks of the enlightened, if not by having them come along

We will definitely need to dig out two camp sites and car parks this year though.

-Mike

[Jamie]

I say: bring them.

How else are we going to swell the ranks of the enlightened, if not by having them come along

We will definitely need to dig out two camp sites and car parks this year though.

-Mike

There are 2 other campsite very close (under 50 yards) to the primary campsite...one of which would likely provide more shelter for hammock-hangers...

J

[Festus Hagen]

There's something about the site we usually use and the lay of the land there. The snow generally isn't massively deep for some reason. Maybe the wind whips through there more? I remember one year I went "next door" to check out what turned out to be a ramshackle outhouse. I was post-holing up to my crotch (ya that sounds wrong somehow) in the snow, it was much deeper over there.

It would be good if a few people brought shovels this time. I usually bring a small telescoping one so I can at least dig out my own parking spot, a full-size snow shovel would of course be more useful for digging out parking, paths, and camp sites if desired...

[CrackMunk]

to the hammockers got a hammock for hubby, it has web suspension. was hoping someone could show me what the best way to hang with it. it's gotton to the point that I'm going to switch out the webbing for static line. But he wants to keep the webbing.

[Jamie]

This trip seems like a ton of fun. I would like to attend, but will be slightly short on gear. I have cookwear, clothes and can get a good sleeping bag. What I'd need is crash space I can share, (I don't have a good tent, especially for cold weather) and perhaps someone in the area who wouldn't mind me showing up thursday night at like 11pm and lend me a couch til morning. (I want to sleep somewhere warm after a 7 hour drive before heading out.) Anyone think this is possible? If so, then you may well have one of your Canuck ZS bretheren on your hands.

My house is a shithole filled with: junk and mess, cats and dogs from our local shelter, an occasionally grumpy wife, and an early-rising 8 boy...if that sounds OK, then we've got a ratty couch down by the woodstove that you can have for the night, and I'll even bring you coffee in bed Friday morning before heading to camp...I'm not trying to dissuade you, just laying out the horror that is my house in advance so as to avoid recriminations and lawsuits later...

Jamie - nfa

[Festus Hagen]

Between (in no particular order!) myself, Jamie, Derek, Melissa, and Mike, plus any other hammock-hangers attending that I'm not thinking of, we probably can work out any hammock suspension you might have with you.

I'm a big fan of the whoopie sling-tree strap-toggle method myself, but it does have downsides (on a backpacking trip I left my straps and toggles behind, it's easy to do). Nothing at all wrong with web-only, especially if weight and space are not overriding factors.

to the hammockers got a hammock for hubby, it has web suspension. was hoping someone could show me what the best way to hang with it. it's gotton to the point that I'm going to switch out the webbing for static line. But he wants to keep the webbing.

[CrackMunk]

Between (in no particular order!) myself, Jamie, Derek, Melissa, and Mike, plus any other hammock-hangers attending that I'm not thinking of, we probably can work out any hammock suspension you might have with you.

I'm a big fan of the whoopie sling-tree strap-toggle method myself, but it does have downsides (on a backpacking trip I left my straps and toggles behind, it's easy to do). Nothing at all wrong with web-only, especially if weight and space are not overriding factors.

to the hammockers got a hammock for hubby, it has web suspension. was hoping someone could show me what the best way to hang with it. it's gotton to the point that I'm going to switch out the webbing for static line. But he wants to keep the webbing.

I'm I supposed to have straps and toggles? told you I have no idea!

[Festus Hagen]

I'm I supposed to have straps and toggles? told you I have no idea!

Wrapping a tree with Amsteel or similar would be seen as "cruelty to trees" and not in line with the Leave No Trace philosophy.

So yeah, we like to use tree straps, generally polyester 1" wide or better. I think my straps are 6' long, and have a sewn eye in each end. You need a way to attach your whoopie slings to your straps, I like the Marlin Spike Hitch and a toggle, some people use the MSH with a carabiner or just wrap the tree enough times to clip the carabiner to the second sewn eye and go from there.

[Rush2112]

I say: bring them.

How else are we going to swell the ranks of the enlightened, if not by having them come along

We will definitely need to dig out two camp sites and car parks this year though.

-Mike

There are 2 other campsite very close (under 50 yards) to the primary campsite...one of which would likely provide more shelter for hammock-hangers...

J

I'm thinking I'm going to dig up a nearby campsite and build a quinzee off the ice this year. I want a roomier one, so I think the weight gain might warrant solid ground rather than a frozen pond. I'll make a final decision when I arrive, though.

BTW, I shot a message to Impus on Facebook, not sure if anyone else has yet.

[CrackMunk]

I'm I supposed to have straps and toggles? told you I have no idea!

Wrapping a tree with Amsteel or similar would be seen as "cruelty to trees" and not in line with the Leave No Trace philosophy.

So yeah, we like to use tree straps, generally polyester 1" wide or better. I think my straps are 6' long, and have a sewn eye in each end. You need a way to attach your whoopie slings to your straps, I like the Marlin Spike Hitch and a toggle, some people use the MSH with a carabiner or just wrap the tree enough times to clip the carabiner to the second sewn eye and go from there.

I've been rapping the webbing around the tree and tyeing off. I have tree straps for my HH. didn't know I needed to add a set to a webbing set up. although didn't really look it up yet as we aren't going to use it till spring. I'm a new born baby when it comes to hammocks. we wanted to try hummocking so Tom could do some LOW Impact (on him) hiking & heard it was better for him then ground camping. but as you see I need HELP! LOL