Returned yesterday from our Scout Troops annual cave caming expedition. I must say it was a bit colder than other years. almost posted this on the weather site. It was a good twenty below Faraheit. (Did I spell that right?)
Anyway. Had a good crew of lads, with only one having ever gone before, as well as a new parent. all got properly dirty from crawling around in tight spaces. Even had one timid lad, after some gentle prodding, crawl through a hole called "The Birth Canal," behind the others. Unfortunatly non of the adults were capable of following in this feat.
The only drawback was the cold. Usually it is warmer inside the cave, but the area we slept in is near the back entrance, and is also lower than the rest of he cave, so the cold seems to rest there. Made for a chilly sleep.
All in all there seems to be a positive consenses about returning next year though. So we hope to "Be Prepaired" as the motto says, and bring warmer sleeping bags.

Nice to see this thread bumped up again! Despite the mountains of snow outside, I'm already planning this spring's camping trips.

I salute you, Puddleglum, for camping in such cold temps. I'm getting to be an old wimp. The coldest weather I've camped in was 18F/-8C one night in December a number of years back. The stargazing was great, though, given the long, cold night.

Haha, sounds like quite the adventure, Puddleglum!
Some day I want to try winter camping, but I need to do backcountry camping in the summer first to actually learn how to do it. So far I've bought a backpack, sleeping bag, and a tent (I got a 2 person, the 1 person feels too small!). I need to get a water purifier, my sister was saying maybe we could just use bleach, but I just took a class in microbiology and I REFUSE to be without a purifier.

We also learned how to make a hangman's noose, but I'm keeping that one on the down low.

haha, Thats the first one i learned...My BSA troop is very opposite of the stereotype

Anyways, last weekend I went to my friends ranch with my troop...he has an epic tree house about 30 feet in the air that we climb in, its kind of scary your first time because it looks a lot less stable than it actually is, and we but a swing up in at last year that we swung on about 20 feet high, in addition to whirlybirds at about 20 mph. we also roasted marshmallows (obviously) and saved the chocolate for later to eat on the way home.

This spring break were going to the Davis Mountains in Western Texas to do a 3 day equestrian camp out, and were going to the grand canyon in the Summer

I thank you Stargazer. But I assure you our little act of boldness was un-intentional. If we had knowen that the chamber was going to be so cold we would have been better prepaired. As it is was, the only part of me that exposed as we slept was my nose, which has finally thawed.
However, I do intend to look into an award for our scouts. As it turns out if a scout sleeps out in tempratures below freezing they are awarded what is called a Polar bear. the stickler is the word out. As we were in a cave I am afraid I might get some argument.
theGeneral. I suggest you look into a bag rated at below 30. then work together a sleep system around it. If you are not allergic, have a wool blanket as an liner. Then duct tape a water-proof tarp arouind leaving the head open. Be sure not to allow the head to close. Besides suffocating, you do not want your breath to moisten the insides, and make you damp.
If you are using a tent to stay out oft he wind, you want to leave a little ventalation for the same reason.

Wow Puddleglum, winter camping must be fun. I only went camping in summer, but my family has gone out for picnics in the winter

theGeneral. I suggest you look into a bag rated at below 30. then work together a sleep system around it. If you are not allergic, have a wool blanket as an liner. Then duct tape a water-proof tarp arouind leaving the head open. Be sure not to allow the head to close. Besides suffocating, you do not want your breath to moisten the insides, and make you damp.
If you are using a tent to stay out oft he wind, you want to leave a little ventalation for the same reason.

Glad to hear you say that because mine is rated for 0. Thanks for the tips!

Just out of curiosity, has anyone ever camped at Boundary Waters, Canyonlands, or Kings Canyon? Would love to hear any first-hand experiences with these places.

De_De.
It is not that difficult to sleep out in the winter. It just takes the proper preperation, and a bit of nerve. Many people are intimidated by the thought. As I pointed out to the General, the two big worries are keeping warm, and dry. I would not suggest ever going alone, and not trying anywhere below 0 the first time out, just to get some experience. Also look up the subject on line for any tips I missed.
TheGeneral.
I have been up to the boundary Waters, but not in the past fifteen years or so. I hope to get up soon, before this body of mine objects too much.
As with winter camping you want to be prepaired. The biggest issue is haveing a rope to keep your food up, and away from the bears. And if they do get it, do not try to take it back.
I should also add that on an avarage one person a year dies up there. Unfortunatly most of them were preventable. Just people who thought it would be like any other family campground.
Do not let that deter you. There are some excellent outfitters who would be welcome to provide guides.

I've camped in the BWCA a number of times. Puddleglum offers some good tips. The thing to remember is that it's not a "car camping" place like most state parks or private campgrounds (nothing against those!), but is a real wilderness. Hanging your food pack up in trees is necessary to help keep bears away. Yet while bears and wolves are a legitimate concern there, I wouldn't worry about them overmuch. We never actually saw wolves, and bears visited our campsite only twice in all the times we went (perhaps a dozen).

There are restrictions on what kind of food and other containers you can bring in (check out the website).

You'll be packing everything in and out, so pack carefully! (But unlike 'true' backpacking, a lot of the time your stuff will be in the canoe rather than on your back, so it's not quite as much work). When planning your trip, good maps (available at places like REI or Gander Mountain) are essential. They will show available campsites and portages. Remember that you'll have to carry all your packs and canoes over those portages, and plan accordingly.

Also, count on at leas some rain. It rained at least a little bit on every trip we took there, so having rain gear and a good tent along help a lot!

This may make it sound very intimidating but the experience is worth the work and bother. Those glorious summer nights, with the Milky Way and Northern Lights reflected in the still lake, and the loon calls echoing, are among my fondest memories of all!

Getting ready for another outing with the scouts this weekend. We will be hosting Cubs for our annual winter camp. The cub scouts are not allowed to sleep out themselves of course, but are bunking in some buildings.
The only problem might be the weather. It might actually be too warm. The last few weeks have given us some very cold temps, but we are now starting a bit of a warm-up. If it continues we might have slush rather than snow.

^ to bad that weather ever happens to us!

Now that spring *may* be finally here - it did snow just the other night - my thoughts have turned to camping once again. It may be just an overnight trip to one of several state parks within an hour or two of my home, perhaps sometime next week should the weather cooperate (I'm an old softie - camping in the rain doesn't do much for me, and one of the reasons I do so is to stargaze in the evenings). And soon it'll be time to look for spring wildflowers as well.

I hate camping in the rain, lol. Nothing worse than folding up a wet tent while getting drenched!
So far I have two places I'm gonna go to this summer, Theodore Roosevelt NP (in an RV) and Glacier NP (backcountry camping). I really can't wait! It's my last summer 'free', since I'll be way too busy next summer finishing my degree. It'll be my first time ever backcountry camping (minus a test run I'll do first), could be very interesting

I've never really been camping but I've always wanted to try.

(Ignore the fact that I hate pests and sleeping outside! )

Just got back yesterday after finishing a weekend updating my leadership training for Boy Scouts.
After pitching my tent Friday, I began the training session which ran until late. finding some people had not pitched their tents we helped. I turned to mine, only to find I had made the blunder of a tenderfooted tadpole. My tent door was facing into the wind in a driving rain Needless to say, it was already late, and being tired decided to make the best of it. I awoke once to find water fairly streaming through the zipper.
The next morning I bundeled my sleeping bag, still dry , into a trash bag, and went off to sessions. Later after lunch I was finally able to go to the tent, and bail it out with my cup. Unloading the heaviest gear I pulled up stakes, and turned the tent. Thankfully there was a stiff breeze to dry things out, so I left just the screen up.
All throught the evening sessions I watched the weather, just in case I needed to run, and zip up the door. thankfully not
After turning in I was gratefull for the cold weather sleeping bag (rated at -30 degrees F). Waking early I heard sleet hiting the tent, and opened the zipper to find the ground white. Someone looked up the weather on their cell to find it had dropped to 29 degrees F over night.
Ah well.