Has anybody ever thought about doing this?

[Crusoe]

I have often thought about having several semi permanent campsites tucked away in the mountains up here in Maine where I could set up camp for a weekend or a week when I wanted to.

Cold camping in the winter is OK but not great. I have often thought about having a base camp type tent or a large, say 12 ft. dia. tee-pee placed in a bear proof container. Take a GPS fix on it and then hike in and set up a camp site where you could dry out stuff spend some warm nights with friends and use it as a base camp. Then when you were done put it away. There are places where a lot of people hike in the winter like the whites or the Bigelow range but there are a lot of places where, because its just too hard to get to, almost no one goes, like Saddle back Jr. Or the horn. Or any of a dozen other places I know of. With two or three set ups like this you could be very comfortable and see some great areas in the winter.

Am I crazy?

 

[Jaytrek57]

Just my $.02.

I don't know. Why not platforms, or {drumroll} huts?!? (I don't think either BTW) I don't think just because a place may be "hard" to get to, you make it, on paper at least, a little easier. Where does it stop? Also if one were to plan a trip based on a "tent" or "tee-pee" being there...could lead to problems. Who maintains it?

People do basecamp and explore in the winter quite a bit w/o any additional resources {shelters}.

Again just MHO.

peace.

 

[Crusoe]

Perhaps you did not understand my meaning completely. I am not talking about setting up a permanent camp. I'm talking about stashing a tent or tee-pee large enough to get into and get warm. Hiking in and using it for the period you are there and then taking it back down and stashing it again, until the next time you use it.

I've done a far amount of winter camping and getting out of the bag when the thermometer is rubbing the zero mark will test anyone’s will power believe me.

I would be like conventional camping except you’d have a warm place to stay and I don’t know of anyone that would turn down that to sleeping in the cold after a few days out there.

 

[KayakDan]

I'm confused. What's the difference between backpacking in with a tent and winter camping,and having a tent stashed in the woods? How much warmer will your tent or teepee be?
It sounds like you are talking about a fairly big tent or teepee. This sounds like it would be an ordeal to set up and take down in winter conditions.
Personally,my favorite is to bushwhack off trail,do the snowshoe dance for a tentsite,and drop a tent.

 

[Tramper Al]

Yes, but . . .

I think maybe you are talking about something like this?

Kifaru tent & stove

I think if you are camping legally, and leaving little trace, then it's all good. Even if you want a base camp so luxurious as to have a lightweight woodstove, it can easily be hauled in (and out) by sled when you go. There really is no excuse for leaving gear (or other litter) in the woods of Maine (or anywhere else) for any extended period of time.

And as for Saddleback's Horn being inaccessible in winter? Please.

 

[Bolivia]

I support your idea

As a voice crying out in the wilderness (isn't that the best place to be?), I think it's a good idea. If nothing else, you'd have a built in excuse to go back to each site in the spring to retrieve the stashed goods.

Might get a bit costly though; depending on how many 'stashes' you set up in the woods - tents, bear-proof containers, etc. aren't free.

 

[SherpaKroto]

It will be interesting trying to get to it under 5 feet of snow and ice. By the time you've dug down you could as easily have built yourself a snow cave.

I shudder to think what it will look like after a few seasons. I'll stick to stealth camping, dragging my tent in on "the Beast", LNT on the way out...

 

[Crusoe]

A couple reasons to do this

Like a lot of people my wife just does not like winter camping. Don't get me wrong she likes winter and does things like x-county skiing and in the summer she loves to hike but she gets cold easy and then it's no fun for her.

If I took her once and she was comfortable at night I'm sure she would go more after that. If I wanted to hike somewhere and she didn't, she would feel comfortable staying behind in camp maybe too.

I found free plans for a 12 foot dia. Tee-Pee on the net. It takes 32 yards of material. For about $300.00 and some work I could have a winter shelter that I could heat either with a campfire or a portable stove.

Most people hike in the same areas. But places like Kibby Mtn. or Snow Mtn. near Canada or Tumbledown Mtn. (The one just south of Kibby) see very little traffic. I would dare say Tumbledown or Deer Mtn. in Cupsuptic has not been climbed in a number of years by anybody except me.

Tramper Al's site is about what I'm thinking about. As far as having it stashed somewhere in between uses I could see not doing it where there are a lot of people. What’s the harm if no one every sees it but me? After all people have done this type of thing for hundreds of years. The Indians did it the Europeans did it, squirrels do it and there is a good chance your own ancestors did it.

Of course I believe in leave no trace and believe me that's what I would do, but I find it odd that people do not have a problem when someone hauls an ice shack out on a pond all winter but then think's it’s bad when someone else uses a heated tent and hides it between uses. Is it a conditioned response or politically correct or what?

 

[peakbagger]

Assuming that you are concerned with legalities, landowners would have the right to dispose of the "abandoned property" when they encountered it. I know that on the AT, any "personal property" (like fishing boats on remote ponds) left in the corridor gets a bright orange sticker telling the owner that it is illegal to leave it there and it will be disposed of. This is a long running issue on several of the lakes in the 100 mile wilderness.

 

[bridgeman]

a group of friends have an outfitter tent, stove, cooking gear, etc. stashed in a 55 gal drum that they use as a hunting camp in the southern daks. they have been using the same site for years and this makes for a very comfortable base camp. DEC might frown upon certain situations like this, but I've come across several "semi-permanent installations in the woods, on State Land. I know of another person that built a lean-to on state land to use as a hunting camp. The front has a removal frame, plywood and a door. A small woodstove is used for heat and cooking. If I'm not wrong, they even entertain the local forest ranger on occasion.

 

[Tramper Al]

So many reasons not to do this

As far as having it stashed somewhere in between uses I could see not doing it where there are a lot of people. What’s the harm if no one every sees it but me? After all . . . squirrels do it.

Squirrels do it, right. It's hard to argue with that logic.

While I certainly do not remember saying I was in favor leaving ice shacks on lakes all winter, I'm still pretty sure that leaving crap in the back country, on public land, is just not right. Sure, it might be nice if I had my little private camp waiting for me in my favorite spot(s). But I'd feel pretty selfish actually doing it.

 

[Warren]

Of course I believe in leave no trace and believe me that what I would do, but I find it odd that people do not have a problem when someone hauls an ice shack out on a pond all winter but then think it’s bad when someone else uses a heated tent and hides it between uses. Is it a conditioned response or politically correct or what?

I think that stashing gear/ supplies is a noble and time honored technique, however:

1. I believe that everywhere I go in the NE it's not allowed or frowned upon. Can't speak for ME, though I would think it would be rude at least on paper company land.

2. There are safety issues in winter. What if you can't find it? What if it's stolen, or cleaned up by a ranger or some such?

3. You compared it to a hunting camp set up. I've come upon old ones. Interesting, but junk in the woods, people react to this. Granted your method avoids this, but the image has been invoked.

4. If everyone employed this technique it would be a problem. Think thru hikers.

5. I use the same justification, no one goes here, no one will see it, when I scatter coffee grains. Still, it's a justification to make me feel better.

6. I've never come upon an ice shack in a wilderness area. I do think I would have a problem w/ it. Again I don't know what it's like in ME. *Note* I would be less bothered by season long ice house fishing in the wilderness for sustenance. Odd that way, I am.

That said a heated tee pee is a great way to intro someone to winter sleep outs.

I'd love the link to those plans. I've always wanted one of the Kifaru tent/stoves, they are great sled shelters from the look of them.

 

[Crusoe]

Warren, Here's the site I found

http://www.inquiry.net/outdoor/native/skills/teepee.htm

I guess I can see everybody’s point on this issue. If everybody did it then in places there would be a problem and I am sure some landowners would take issue if stuff were left on their property even if just over the winter months. I do not think it’s an issue with large paper companies that own 20,000 + acres.

I was Up on Farmer Mountain located South of Mount Abram in December. I found a jar wired to a tree at the top. It had been left there in 1989 as a register. Five people had signed in, the last one was a hunter two years ago. Now how many of you really think it’s going to do harm if there was a large tent stashed in that area for the winter? There are a lot of areas like that up here.

 

[RoySwkr]

Miriam Underhill left a cache near but outside Grey Knob for her last winter 4K and had trouble finding it.

A hunter built a cabin on state forest land near the Long Trail and let hikers use it except during hunting season.

There are a couple of similar places in the Belknap Range.

So yes, a lot of people have thought of it

But as previously mentioned, it is probably illegal on state, federal, or private land and you might arrive to find your stuff gone and get a summons if you complained.

Incidentally, I'll bet that both Deer and Tumbledown have been visited within the last couple years by 3K baggers if not fire tower enthusiasts. If they left no evidence that is a good sign

 

[sardog1]

It's illegal in federal Wilderness Areas to stash gear in this manner. I haven't heard of any prosecutions in the Northeast, but I know of some in other parts of the country.