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

At the risk of being a bit personal Chew. Bring Mrs Chew and a single swag and minus degree sleeping bag, and leave the kids at home, and you shouldn't get too cold mate :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: You might not get much detecting done though, but thems the breaks

Slept in a swag (Unpowered site, 1 night stop over) -11 at Adaminaby in June 97 at the start of a 3 month trip up the east coast & back, what a contrast from start to finish. Anyway earlier that day we came over the top via Cabramurra (Highest town in Australia) from Yarrawonga and finished up at Adaminaby about 7.30pm. It was so cold we went to the pub after parking up so we could down a few Bourbons for thermal numbing, worked a treat. When we woke the top of my swag nearly snapped it was that cold, Camp park operator told us it got to -11. While packing up took about 1/2 hour we pre warmed the motor, jumped in to start the day & I noticed the temp gauge redlining turned it off & started to wonder what was going on. Prior to starting our trip the vehicle (83 Patrol, MQ shorty) had a full overhaul, including all oils, coolant, pressure test, filters, suspension, wheel bearings, diff breathers, 2" lift you name it we did it, took 9 months. Anyway it turned out when we did the coolant we didn't have enough from our initial purchase so my mate who owned a workshop said here just top it up with this, giving us some of his. Turns out if you mix coolant they can cancel each other out thus resulting in a frozen radiator so for the next 45min we boiled the kettle and thawed it enough to make it the 3km to the hot wash down the road, then it was plain sailing.

As far as camping out in winter that's all I did as a younger bloke, summer, winter any season. Chewy you need to work out where your going and plan well in advance for the worst case weather, if it turns out better closer to the time you will enjoy it more, Mrs Chewy might ask what was all the fuss about and why did we need all this. If it's annual you will find the same week the following or 5 years down the track the weather wont always be on your side.

So is it tent, swag or van in either case lets say it's for a week a tarp is a must, large as you can get, don't want to feel claustrophobic in bad weather. Then take 1 or 2 others to keep you and all your gear as dry as possible. Tent or swag option will require a decent sleeping bag with doona if you feel the cold.

Camped out in snow before (Deer hunting) had a big fire and while sitting around eating tea one night a bullet that was dropped on the ground (right where we built the fire) by someone prior to our arrival went off with a huge bang. This happened about 2 to 3 hours after we lit the fire so it was around 1 to 2 inches in the ground from memory, dropped long before we got there. Just missed my mate sitting opposite me, straight between his legs he fell backwards and jumped up as if one of us had pranked him, he was ready to kill someone. When we calmed him down and ourselves we worked out what had happened due to the hole in the ground, before discovering the hole we put the fire out and checked the whole area before we lit another one. Never detected in snow all the best Chewy if you do go, better to have a crack than wonder what might have been.

silver said:

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. :|

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Can relate to that Silver ..................... ring barked for six months out on the cattle stations in the Cunnumulla , Injune areas years ago and we used to have to get up in the morning and put the Tordon spears in the fire to thaw them out. Not sure what was worse the cold or having to shake the snakes out of your sleeping bag before you got in at night .............. they were obviously cold to
Was away for a couple of weeks at Miclere Creek Qld last week and forgot to pack a jumper the nights and early mornings were brisk to say the least

I always roll my sleeping bag up after I get out, open end first for the same reasons; I want to be the only one in it, no crawling or slithering surprises. Mate didn't zip his tent and opened it to look at a black snake, bit of a heart starter. Boots are another favorite for crawlies, keep them in the tent.

Chewy said:

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?

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I've done a snow camp every year in the Victorian High Country above 1400 metres for most of the last 7 years and I'm on the up side of 60yo. My gear is old school and i sleep comfortably and wake up every morning (ie didn't freeze and perish overnight). With at least half of those camps the tent was set up on a snow and ice base. My tent is an Apex style tent with Fly (ie sheds snow), My Bedding is a bed roll comprising a custom zippered 2m canvas bag with a 1m head flap and inside a -6C sleeping bag plus a pure wool army blanket and this is laid on a carpet underlay or more recently those interlocking foam squares that the major outdoors stores now sell. When i get the $s I'll put a sheepskin underlay in the bedroll just like the ol'timers did.

casper

stoyve said:

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.

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Yep that will be me mate haha.

Pm me when you move down here bushpig,
I will show you around some of the spots.
Cheers steve

stoyve said:

Pm me when you move down here bushpig,
I will show you around some of the spots.
Cheers steve

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Will do thanks mate much appreciated.

It's mrs Chewy and my 4th wedding anniversary today, and she got me a new -2 sleeping bag, and a new 5 man dome tent, as my old tent mahal shat itself last trip to the GT. An upgrade of both is already on the cards when we can afford it, but I'm really stoked to get the new kit because it means I can get back over as soon as I have fuel money and a clear calender.

Happy anniversary Chewy & co. Is that a 2 person sleeping bag. Good luck on your next trip.

I was camping next to the Snake Valley pub 2 weekends ago when that horrid cold wet front came through. I was dry and warm in there and it was only my nearly bursting bladder that forced me out into the weather. I have 75mm foam mattress with my old army sleeping bag and a doonah...I actually got hot.

Jaros said:

Happy anniversary Chewy & co. Is that a 2 person sleeping bag. Good luck on your next trip.

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Thanks Jaros, only a 1 person but the upgrade might be a 2.

MJB said:

I was camping next to the Snake Valley pub 2 weekends ago when that horrid cold wet front came through. I was dry and warm in there and it was only my nearly bursting bladder that forced me out into the weather. I have 75mm foam mattress with my old army sleeping bag and a doonah...I actually got hot.

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Hi MJB, good to hear you're still kickin about mate. Hope your well. Yep the bursting bladder thing is a real hassle. They should make tents with an ensuite.....and central heating lol. My old tent had a cpl of holes in it and the outer door zip went bung back at Creswick last September. So I've been using it with just the fly mesh door (and the fly over the tent obviously. ) But it can get a bit breezey and chilly overnight. Last trip a few weeks back, the zip on the fly mesh door malfunctioned. Duct tape didn't stick long. So new tent time. Sounds like a choice camping spot, next to a pub.

yeah it was a great spot....hic....hic....tried a pan in the creek opposite but all the land is privately owned. The publican lady did tell me of a cricket ball sized nugget she saw come out of the ground across the road from the pub....hic...hic

Chewy said:

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?

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I haven't camped in the snow but I did head out for a winter camp for the first time June 2015 up The Central Tablelands along the Turon River [NSW].

The coldest night at camp was -5C and the coldest day down on The Bridle Track South of Hill End [NSW] was 9C. Absolutely glorious weather with the sun shinning and dressed in a singlet, tee shirt, long sleeve flannelette shirt over the top, beanie on the noggin, King Gee Tradie Pants and Blundstone work boots! Did I mention "absolutely glorious weather"?

All the camp water was frozen solid in the mornings also the fringes of the river hitting the bank had crystallized. Didn't stop me wading with 5mm neoprene waders at 9:30 in the morning, couldn't feel a thing other than the water pressure.

I line the bottom of my swag with a hikers mat for insulation and then 10cm self inflating mattress covered with flannelette sheet with elastics sewn in the corners, hot water bottles, thermals top and bottom, winter sleeping bag that I open up as blanket rather than cocoon it and your set I recon snow and all. Oh and don't forget your beanie

Don't load yourself up as I did with clothes before getting into swag with hot water bottles in and thermals on otherwise you will overheat and sweat regardless how cold it is outside then becoming a mission undressing while in a confined space if in the swag

After dinner and a few beers in front of camp TV I fill up the billy and then load up 2x hot water bottles and stick in the swag, one at the feet and the other just before the pillow at torso position about 45 minutes before settling in and oh boy I am toasty az all night. Hot water bottles are still warm in the morning.

Also I wrap up gas canisters for cooking in a towel and leave them in the car over nite otherwise you will find them completely frozen as compressed gas turns to liquid which will freeze solid if left outside in minus temps. If left outside then slowly rotate near fire and shake before rotating but be warned and keep your wits about yourself doing this if gas canister is too close to the fire and not rotating so keep your guard up and an eye on that method.

Your windscreen wiper bottle and lines will be frozen so I pour bottle water that's been in the car for the windscreen and glass if heading out early and still frozen over, hot water might crack your glass when shocked.

You will feel the cold with a polyester tent but not with a canvas set up and a tarp shelter, gold! with pun intended

The good ole Ln106 3L runs like a Ferrari in that cold weather up in the mountains

Cant wait for the next one

Cheers,

Ross

Wow! Just Wow!

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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Umm, yes. Yes you will.
Been down 4 months now, and I'm still not use to the cold.
Heater has been set on 19 every day.
If it drops below that, the girls complain.

XIV said:

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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Umm, yes. Yes you will.
Been down 4 months now, and I'm still not use to the cold.
Heater has been set on 19 every day.
If it drops below that, the girls complain.

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You will get used to it 14,
And then you might even appreciate the 4 seasons as in the weather, not the music.
Cheers Steve

Thank god there is a place called Qld. We have a few places that get bloody cold but not like Ballarat. When i was a trainee tech we were sent to Ballarat for some training courses and all the courses were in WINTER. The school had a small pond out front which was frozen more times than not.
BRRrrrrr!!!!!

Ahhh, such fond memories Jaros
And now after all these years you have been able to share them with us