AT pulk trip.

[Woods Walker]

AT pulk trip.

The trip I had planned for last weekend got delayed so decided to go mid week instead. Took the pulk sled, EMR, Kifaru 4-man tipi with liner, Kifaru small stove on the Appalachian Trail for a little winter camping.





Loaded the Kifaru EMR with large POD on the pulk and headed off.





The classic 4-man tipi camp.



The temperature was dropping like a stone so cut extra wood for the stove. But overdid it. My fingers froze during the 45 minutes spent finding then cutting up small stove sized wood chunks. Even now my finger tips don’t feel right. Should have set the stove up first then cut the bulk of the wood. The stove was burning though wood much faster than normal. The weather was a bit funky. Felt like a very large cold air mass was moving in.



I used a very fluffy down sleeping bag and the Downmat 9DLX. This is a whole lot of down.



Corn beef hash. Canned food is one of the advantages for using a sled.



Messing around in the bush looking for wood, some light snow and sitting on my butt chopping wood resulted in some wet clothing. The stove dried it all out.



Tipi liner keeping the frozen condensation off my back and reducing drafts.



The pulk was a nice way to take a load off my back. Also worked good to push cut wood into the tent. I was on a 5-mile stretch that didn’t have any steep climbs beyond 1000 feet with good switch backs. I don’t think the sled would have worked as well in the higher elevations. Was a fun trip but got cold on the trail during some downtime and looking for wood.

[Molon Labe]

Sounded like my kind of fun.

Why do you think the pulk wouldn't have worked as well in the higher alts.? The sleds my plt. used in Alaska worked flawlessly, for the most part.

[Woods Walker]

The terrain in those sections of the AT would be less friendly to the pulk. On the level it is a free ride. Basically your load has almost has no weight or at least it feels that way. I had 75-80 lbs in the sled. Now going downhill it pushes on my harness. Uphill it drags some. With snow shoes or spikes that is not so bad and still far easier than humping a pack. But scampering over large rocks and ledge is another matter.

[Molon Labe]

The terrain in those sections of the AT would be less friendly to the pulk. On the level it is a free ride. Basically your load has almost has no weight or at least it feels that way. I had 75-80 lbs in the sled. Now going downhill it pushes on my harness. Uphill it drags some. With snow shoes or spikes that is not so bad and still far easier than humping a pack. But scampering over large rocks and ledge is another matter.

Ah, so it's a more rocky type of terrain, gotcha. Yeah, areas like that can be a bitch on sleds.

[Lenny]

Thanks for the post. In two weeks I was planning on trying this idea for my self. I have never done it this way. I have NO idea what do about a harness. Could you please post a picture of your harness or idea's on how to rig one. Thanks, Lenny

[crypto]

In a pinch, web gear like a LBE or a molle FLC would get the job done for cheap.

[Woods Walker]

In a pinch, web gear like a LBE or a molle FLC would get the job done for cheap.

Yup in fact I use a MOLLE 1 harness and it works great as the belt attaches to the load bearing vest. The FLC of later Gen molle gear has a much thinner belt. This is the only part of the trash Molle 1 system I like and only do so because of the pulk. Guessing the newer FLC would work almost as well. I have two 200 round saw pouches and a zippered medical pouch on the vest. The belt gets one canteen pocket. This system works great as I can drink and access clothing items like hats etc that are sometimes removed so I can cool down. Here are some photos from last year.

[Zoltan]

Wow, that is pretty cool!! Shoulda brought a doggie to pull the sled for you and for company!! j/k

That Kifaru stove looks really nice, how much does it weigh? And is it only really good to bring along when you have something like the sled to drag it on?

[Lenny]

Thanks a lot!

[Woods Walker]

Wow, that is pretty cool!! Shoulda brought a doggie to pull the sled for you and for company!! j/k

That Kifaru stove looks really nice, how much does it weigh? And is it only really good to bring along when you have something like the sled to drag it on?

Without that add on homemade stack robber around 3lbs and packs down to smaller than a lap top. I backpack the thing all the time and it is part of my BOB for the coldest winter months.

[Zoltan]

Damn, that's pretty good and I can definitely see why you bring it. That thing is a morale booster like no other in the freeze!!

[Woods Walker]

Damn, that's pretty good and I can definitely see why you bring it. That thing is a morale booster like no other in the freeze!!

When you been out for a few days in the cold it is nice to remove the clothing, heat up some water and take a hot fake shower using a camp towel in an over 100 degree shelter. Something that is taken for granted every day is oh so good given the right environment.

[Lenny]

This may interest anyone else who wants to pulk.
http://www.skipulk.com/images/pulkbook.pdf

[Woods Walker]

This may interest anyone else who wants to pulk.
http://www.skipulk.com/images/pulkbook.pdf

Ed is a stand up guy. I got the pole kit from him and used my own Paris sled.

[Dark Cloud]

You're bumming me out. This is some of the kind of stuff I sued to do in 10th Mountain, but bad lungs (bronchitis/pneumonia - never could get hooked on cigarettes) limit my field tiem to blue skies and sunshine in summer.

[WILLIE]

Wow, great post. You are far better set up for northern winter camping then most. Good information along with fantastic photos. Does the snow on the ground inside the tent melt? If so, does that create a messy situation, or does it dry/evaporate as it melts?

[mk_ultra]

Wow, great post. You are far better set up for northern winter camping then most. Good information along with fantastic photos. Does the snow on the ground inside the tent melt? If so, does that create a messy situation, or does it dry/evaporate as it melts?

Yeah , I am wondering about this as well , and also what sort of condensation issues you have to deal with .

As always , great post .

[Woods Walker]

To melt snow and ice takes a massive amount of BTUs. If the snow base is under 18 inches I stomp and kick the stuff aside often leaving maybe a few inches. The stove will melt the snow 18 inches all around. I think there is a photo of frozen condensation on the outside of my liner up against the tipi’s outer wall. Often unless it is snowing etc the frost raises to about the height of the stove. Check the frost photos in this thread for a reference. But once the stove dies down the whole inside of the shelter if conditions are right can frost over with the exception of the small area just above the candle lantern that is sometimes run all night. The lantern lights up the inside of the shelter and adds 5-10 degrees if the floor gaps are covered. But if the wind hits the tent hard and overnight conditions were just right I can get a little frozen mist inside the tent. This will be dried up after ½ an hour of AM stove burn. If using the liner I have ZERO condensation issues at any time.

Now if on a deep base of 2-5 feet I need to float the whole camp. I stomp down the snow with the snowshoes and allow it to set for 45 minutes. Use this time to construct the stove, chop wood and do all the camp jobs minus setting up the shelter. Once the snow hardens I use a pole platform to support the tent and stove. Use snow pegs for the tie-offs. Later this weekend I am going to make some new snow pegs for a trip upstate. The snow is about 3-4 feet deep in the mountains. The stove will the melt this base some but not enough to affect the pole/stove support. The next day I add a little powder under the platform which by now has some hard ice from the previous day’s melt.

Condensation is more of a personal preference as to its effects. All single walled shelters will develop condensation issues. A wood stove is one of the best anti condensation device known as the heat unlike propane is very very dry. So even with any melt the stove will dry off clothing items as was done on this trip. I have taken hot snow baths inside my shelter with an outside temp far below zero. Water dripping all over the place but after a few hours the stove ate it all up. As stated a liner puts a stop to all of this as it does not allow any drips to fall back into the shelter. My smaller Paratipi does not have a liner however between the stove and my general lack of too much consern for these issues it is not a problem.

[Woods Walker]

On a side note here is a trick for pitching a grounded tarp shelter over moderate snow. I use a combo a Ti nail pegs with 6-8 inch tie-off loops and Easton tubular Aluminum pegs without loops. This way I can follow the contours of the ground and raise the shelter a bit higher.



Then I kick snow over the gaps.



So inside the shelter it is less drafty and will hold stove/body heat better.




The same would work for any grounded tarp pitch. Just remember to allow some air flow into the shelter but this would not be a problem with more commonly setup modified A-frame tarp shelters. Still even with those open ended tarps covered sides do help keep the wind out if pitched with sides to the prevailing winds.

[mk_ultra]

Awesome , thanks for the new info .

[Dak Kovar]

Another great post. Nice use of the Molle harness. I really like your tent.

DK

[Zoltan]

Cool, nice post. I like the idea of kicking the snow to cover the gaps.

What about tents that come with floors? Are you against them, or it's just that the Kifaru tent has the exhaust opening for the stove and you can't use a tent with a floor because the stove might damage it?

Have you found a good tent with a floor tough enough to lives up to your needs when you aren't using the stove?

[Woods Walker]

Cool, nice post. I like the idea of kicking the snow to cover the gaps.

What about tents that come with floors? Are you against them, or it's just that the Kifaru tent has the exhaust opening for the stove and you can't use a tent with a floor because the stove might damage it?

Have you found a good tent with a floor tough enough to lives up to your needs when you aren't using the stove?

The no floor thing is hard for people to get a handle on. The wood stove would trash the floor. A floor adds more weight and bulk to a tent. A floor traps water. I can walk into the tent with my boots on. I can scoop up snow to melt inside the tent. Dump water and not worry about it. I can pitch the tent over rocks etc and not worry about it. Take a snow bath when the stove is running hot. I do use a ground cloth under my sleeping pad/bag. Also hang out on a closed cell pad/mat but would do that in winter with a floored tent too. Being a tarp camper at heart I am often drier under a tarp/floorless shelter during extended rain as I know where and how to pitch the shelter/tarp.

But I am not against tents with floors. In heavy bug season I like a floor but can keep most out with the bug net doors. I did have this big nasty spider crawl on my eye one Fall outing in the tipi. Tossed the SOB into the stove. Also a waterproof floor is nice if the shelter is pitched on ground with poor drainage but this can’t be counted on 100%. For some a floor adds a feeling of security. Sure that for the most part is physiological but still it can’t be discounted. I get the opposite feeling with a floored tent. I don’t like not being able to see around me. So the Hennessy hammock or tarp and bivy combo is the most comfortable shelter when it comes to the things that go bump in the night for me. I like my Golite Hex as it can be used floorless or with the addition of bug nest a fully enclosed shelter for heavy bug season. Also own an OR double bug bivy that in effect is a little inner floored tent that I add a tarp over the top. Basically a floored tent in all but name. I sometimes use a Gortex bivy tent. This is like a USGI bivy but has small poles and a door with bug netting. It is nice and keeps the wind off my face. Sometimes use the USGI 2-man tent for car camping.

[Towanda]

Nice photos! Sounds like a good trip. Thanks for the essay about floorless tents, too. I've looked at the Golite Hex before because Kifaru is simply out of my range.