Extreme Ice fishing Adventure????

[Snake River King]

I was thinking of doing a extreme Ice fishing adventure this winter, like snowmobile in an area and fish for 3 days and sleep in a tent and bring alone lots of food and just fish and sleep in the wild. Has enyone ever done enything like this before? and what would a person need?

[Ryan_V]

I do it all the time.......except for snowmobiling, I bring my wheeler, and instead of a tent I sleep in my permanent on Mille Lacs for 3 days, but i do bring lots of food!!!

anyway, not quite the same I guess, good luck if you do it, I'm to old for that!!

[Squirtis]

That sounds really cool. I have never done that, but I have a couple of aquaintances that do winter camping pretty regularly and it wouldn't be much of a stretch past that. I think the pay off would be much greater. I would love to hear if something gets started.

Curtis

[fishorgolf]

I used to winter camp all the time and really enjoyed it. There is never a dull moment because you are always doing something eg. getting firewood, making meals etc. And everything seems to take 3 times as long when it's cold. Add fishing to the mix and yiu would stay busy all the time. The biggest thing to remember on winter trips is safety. Anywere you go in the winter there will be a fraction of the people there will be in the summer and in some cases you may not see anyone the whole trip. I my opinion this is what makes winter trips so special but more risky than other times of the year. I would make sure to bring a good first aid kit with a space blanket, something to signel with (flares, mirror etc.) and most important a few different was to start fires. If something did happen you can go along time as long as you can start fires and stay warm. Just writing this is getting mw thinking I should do a trip this winter. Do you have any ideas of were you are thinking of going?

[finnbay]

Spent about 15 years skiing into the Boundary Waters in January to fish lake trout - Thomas Lake, Knife Lake. It is a blast, but you have to know what you're doing. My buddies and I almost died a couple of times - really. We used to challange the routes during some bad ice times and you can get into big trouble going through the ice when it's -30.

[Snake River King]

Ya I thought it would be a challenge and fun! I dont know if I will get a chance to do something like that or not but it would be neat to hear some of your guys storys, and mabey I could get something going. I guess If I was to do a big trip It would be in the BWCA or around that area.

[Surface Tension]

I've done it many times. In the BWCA and outside. Theres thread going now in the BWCA/Duluth/Ely forum now. We haven't gone into great detail yet but can. One bit of advice is have a backup plan for everything or at least plan for the worst.

When we camp outside the BWCA we go in heavy and use sleds or ATVs depending on snow conditions. Encountering slush with heavy loads can really put a damper on things. So can breakdowns. Warm temps are great for winter camping but warm temps and slush can be a killer on sleds pulling heavy loads.

We use tents and wood stoves for comfort but are prepared to spend the nights without either. That leads into sleeping bags. Not long after you fall asleep the woodstove will go out. Your bag should be rated to -40. You'll need something between you and the ground too. Your bag will be crushed under your weight giving you very little insulation between you and the frozen ground. I used a closed cell pad and a thermorest self inflater.

We give ourselves plenty of time to get in and get camp setup. Of coarse we give ourselves enough time to get out too. That travel time with no shelter to fall back on is IMO where your the most vulnerable. Be prepared for -30, high winds, blowing snow, and slush.

Keeping warm - Keeping Dry. Layering, layering, layering. You should have enough layers that when inactive you can stay warm. Layers aren't any good without a good shell to stop the wind. A high carb diet and hot meals to fuel the body along with instant snacks you can get at. Google gorp or trail mix. Keep hydrated and avoid caffeine and alcohol. Hot tang is good around camp, when traveling on foot you'll keep a water bottle in a inside pocket. A quick self test for dehydration is, pinch the skin on top of your hand, pull it back and let go. If your skin snaps back with elasticity you OK, if its slow to go back into place your getting dehydrated.

If your new to winter camping take a dry run at home. Whether you packing in on foot or sled, load your all your gear and test run it. Pitch that tent and spend the night in it. Pulling sleds on foot. In deep snow, snowshoes are the way to go, your sled shouldn't be wider then the track you brake so keep to long and narrow sleds. Combine multiple sleds together if you need to.

Thats just the tip of the winter camping iceberg.

[irvingdog]

Wool, calories and experience.

If you don't pack these things, it's gonna be miserable.

[finnbay]

Didn't mean to leave with no info, but this is such a huge topic, tough to address everything you need to know in a post. Info posted already is good stuff. My advice - first time go with someone who's been there and knows what they're doing. You will learn a lot faster and make fewer mistakes. Mistakes in the summer will usually just make you uncomfortable. Mistakes in the winter are much more serious.

[Snake River King]

wow that sounds like some good info thanks guys.