Brace yourselves......winter is coming.

Ok so brave question here. Does anybody camp out bush in winter? I mean like when it snows. Tent? Swag? What kit do you use so you don't freeze to death if you do? Anything you do differently to other times of the year?

I slept in a tent in a sleeping bag once in Roma, the temp went below freezing that night, we were all very very cold, it was then that I realised a few microns of tent fibre don't have much of a thermic effect on the inner temperature over all from the outer temperature on the grass, and little sleeping bags offer little comfort in the grand scheme of things. :|

went trout fishing a few years ago at Lithgow in mid winter, really cold....no really!
had a summer sleeping bag inside a winter sleeping bag, in my swag. Just had a hootchie over the top of that, and it was as warm as anything inside.
Problem started after I got out of bed! With ice forming inside the guides of my rods and oil frozen in the gears of my reels!
All in all, I like cold weather camping, but the fingers get a bit sore.

I like a sleeping bag rated to -5, you can always unzip it if to hot; but hard to make it warmer if your cold.

Yep -7 bag & sometimes another on top, preferably tent but swag sometimes.
olive oil frozen and stove ignitors won't light the gas.

Is there a winter trip on the cards? Sounds like your tempted

I love winter camping here in the Ballarat region,
Last year I was camping at minus 4, I was warm as toast in my swag.
You need a bit of insulation under your back to keep the chill from the ground coming through.
I use an old sleeping bag for that and make sure you have plenty of fire wood.
I usually put a big tarp up in the winter to keep everything dry when it rains too.
Cheers Steve

Think I'll be in for a bit of a cold shock when we move to Ballarat from Cairns.

Have to collect all the hot rocks to keep you warm bushpig.

stoyve said:

I love winter camping here in the Ballarat region,
Last year I was camping at minus 4, I was warm as toast in my swag.
You need a bit of insulation under your back to keep the chill from the ground coming through.
I use an old sleeping bag for that and make sure you have plenty of fire wood.
I usually put a big tarp up in the winter to keep everything dry when it rains too.
Cheers Steve

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What's it like detecting with snow shoes Stoyve.

What's it like detecting snow covered ground? Do you kinda pick a patch and clear the snow to get closer to the ground? Or just skim the coil over the snow?

goldengoose said:

Is there a winter trip on the cards? Sounds like your tempted

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Dunno yet GG. I've never been camping when it's really cold and I'm not a big fan of it as I seize up a bit. But the desperation for more time with the coil on the ground has me considering the unthikable. Lol But if I freeze to death mrs Chewy will get the shizzle up with me, so I want all the info so I know what I'm in for and if it can be done. I know it can be done now. Just have to get the right gear.

Used to go fishing at Dartmouth in winter, big fire and heaps of hydration; p down rain and snow in the boat. Couldn't do it now, must be getting soft in my older youngself.

bushpig said:

Think I'll be in for a bit of a cold shock when we move to Ballarat from Cairns.

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You sure will BP,
A friend of mine in Bendigo recently married a girl from Toowoomba, she was at our house on Friday and even with the heater on 20 degrees she was cold and she had 4 layers on.

Jaros said:

stoyve said:

I love winter camping here in the Ballarat region,
Last year I was camping at minus 4, I was warm as toast in my swag.
You need a bit of insulation under your back to keep the chill from the ground coming through.
I use an old sleeping bag for that and make sure you have plenty of fire wood.
I usually put a big tarp up in the winter to keep everything dry when it rains too.
Cheers Steve

Click to expand...

What's it like detecting with snow shoes Stoyve.

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Ha haa Jaros,
I haven't had it quite that bad yet but who knows down here.
We had decent snow in September 2014 for one day but it melted within the hour.
Mt Buninyong had a foot of snow which melted over night.
But you never know, I might have to invest in some.

Cold night, camp oven roast chook and veg, rum and coke, beanie, gloves, swag.....been a while, I might have to do a trip down south soon, infact im going to Adaminaby in july, then to Sydney, and on to Port Macquarie, Adaminaby will be cold, doing an over nighter there, build a snow man with my daughter, and take the indo inlaws to see snow, will see if I can steal some gravel from around Kiandra! a shopping bag full maybe. wont be doing any camping though.

I moved to Brisbane from Melbourne in 1994 and for the first cuppla yrs was walking around in shorts and polo shirts. After 3-4 yrs was feeling cool at 20deg. C.
You do acclimatise to where you live. It's 22 deg in the house and i'm sitting in a pair of tracky dacks and an long sleeve tee. Slippers go on in a minute.
Jaros

Yep, that's how it is Jaros.
I high pressure clean new houses for a living and wear shorts at work all year round.
You adjust to the climate your in eventually.

Been down in the New England Ranges area for the last 4 weeks and it is certainly coldrr than Townsville. The last week has been on the east side of the range and it has been very pleasent. Heading back north tomorrow and will be back home on Tuesday. I can see why the grey nomads head north for the winter.

Cheers

Doug

Chewy said:

What's it like detecting snow covered ground? Do you kinda pick a patch and clear the snow to get closer to the ground? Or just skim the coil over the snow?

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Where the hell are you planning to go Chew? Snow covered ground, bloody hell! :lol: :lol: You're not allowed to prospect up around Kiandra anymore mate :lol: Typical south Ozzie, soft, get over mate and get detecting :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: