WinterCampers.com

The American Hiking Society is searching for the best frontcountry and backcountry recipes for its new Volunteer Vacations cookbook. Submit your recipe with a photo and a short story about the Volunteer Vacation or outdoor excursion where you made your masterpiece (no more than 300 words please).

Volunteers across the country will test recipe submissions throughout the summer and fall, and winners will be included in the American Hiking Society cookbook, printed in 2009. The top camp cook will receive an Outback Oven from Backpacker’s Pantry.  Deadline for submissions is July 31, 2008. E-mail entries to Volunteer@AmericanHiking.org.

Maybe we should submit one of these goodies from Mark’s Ziploc Bag series?

Pudding in a Bag

• Instant Pudding
• Powered Milk
• Mint Cookies (chopped)
• Water
• Ziploc Freezer Bag

Place pudding mix in ziploc with chopped mint cookies. Add enough powered milk as per amount of milk needed. At camp add necessary water to bag. Seal bag and shake to mix. Place bag in snow or cold stream or lake. Allow pudding to set then serve

Omelet in a Bag

• 2 eggs
• Chopped Ham, Onions, Cheese, Milk, etc.
• Ziploc Freezer Bag

Before leaving add eggs, milk, ham, onions etc. to bag. Allow to freeze overnight if hiking in warmer conditions. When ready to eat place bag in boiling water until eggs appear to be cooked. Breakfast is served!

Mashed Potatoes in a Bag

• Canned Chicken Breast
• Stove Top Stuffing
• Instant Mash Potatoes
• Good Gravy

Place the stuffing and potatoes in separate ziploc bags and note amount of water needed with a marker on the outside. Boil water necessary and add to mash potatoes. Massage bag to mix thoroughly. Place chicken in boiling water that will be used for stuffing. Add this water to stuffing bag and massage to mix. Prepare gravy in a separate pan or simply open can and place in coals in fire to warm. Dinner is served.

Or this one from the non-ziploc section of his cookbook.

Tortillas…aka…An Unwrapped Wrap

• Butter
• Tortilla
• Seasoning of choice

This tasty treat comes to us courtesy of the folks at Wintergreen Dog Sledding in Ely, MN. Heavily butter the bottom of a pan. Place the tortilla flat in the pan and cook lightly. While cooking season the top of the tortilla. Cook until lightly brown and serve.

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The Swedish Fire Steel fire starter comes in three models:

• The Mini model is available in orange, weighs .5 oz., is 3 inches long and is rated for approximately 1500 uses.
• The Scout model is available in red, weighs 1 oz., is 3 inches long and is rated for approximately 3000 uses.
• The Army model is available in black, weighs 2 oz., is 3 3/4 inches long and is rated for approximately 12,000 uses.

The fire starter consists of a steel striker and a composite metal rod attached together on a lanyard to keep everything together.  The metal rod is composed of ferrocerium, an alloy of iron and mischmetal (primarily cerium) and iron.  When you first get your Fire Steel it will have a clear protective coating on the metal to prevent corrosion, simply scrape this coating off before first use.

The fire starter produces numerous hot (5,400 degree F) sparks when the attached striker is stroked along the main shaft.  The sparks lodge in tinder (not included) and voila!  Fire!

Having good tinder is key to the success of this process.  My favorite tinders are cotton balls saturated with petroleum jelly or a few shreds of birchbark.  In fact, my fire kit now includes a small ziploc bag with both items.  One technique to keep your tinder from scattering when striking is to hold the striker still and pull the shaft upwards or away from the tinder so that you can create sparks without scatting the tinder.

Starting a fire with a Swedish Fire Steel

1.  Build your fire platform/layout and organize your tinder into a pile.  Have additional tinder and small kindling available.

2.  Holding the striker in one hand and the Fire Steel rod with the other hand make contact with the striker at an angle to the rod over the tinder.

3. Using some force to keep the striker and rod engaged, pull the  “slowly down” with the thumb of hand holding the Fire Steel.

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Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) definitions relative to fire and firewood.

An Open Fire is any outdoor fire or outdoor smoke producing process from which air contaminants are emitted directly into the outdoor atmosphere. Open fires include burning in barrels or modifications thereof. Open fires do not include burning in outdoor furnaces or boilers that are used to heat buildings when the devices are actually used for such purpose.

A Camp Fire is any outdoor open fire less than three feet in height, length and width or diameter.

NYSDEC regulation §190.1 regarding fire
a. No fires are permitted except for cooking, warmth or smudge. No fire shall be lit until all flammable material has been removed from its perimeter as is necessary to prevent its spread. No fires shall be left unattended until extinguished.

b. No person shall deposit lighted matches, cigars, cigarettes or other burning tobacco where they will cause fire.

c. No wood, except from dead and down trees or from supplies furnished by the department, shall be used for fuel.

§192.5 Firewood Restrictions to Protect Forests from Invasive Species - An emergency regulation in effect for 90 days June 3 - August 31, 2008.

The purpose of this emergency rule is to ban hauling, importing or selling untreated firewood in NY in an effort to stop the spread of tree-killing insects. DEC prohibits importing out-of-state firewood unless treated to eliminate invasive insect species, fungi and pathogens. Transporting any untreated firewood within the state is limited to less than 50 miles. The DEC plans to develop permanent regulations after public comment.  You can read the frequently asked questions at  http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/44008.html

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I have gone winter camping with other members that bring their dogs. The dog carried some of his own food and slept in the lean-to at night.

To date I haven’t brought our dog winter camping even though as a Bernese Mountain Dog he would seem well suited for an overnight in the cold.  Our dog, Trey, has gone on numerous snowshoeing and skiing day hikes during the winter.

What do you think about taking a dog winter camping?

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After an overnight at the camp we were able to easily following our in-bound path making it an easy hike out.

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Canister stoves typically see a decline in performance in cold weather.  During burning the fuel inside the canister evaporates, causing the canister to cool.  Moisture in the air will condense or freeze on the outside of the canister further chilling the gas inside the canister.  The temperature inside the canister can drop to a point where the liquid fuel inside the canister won’t evaporate appropriately.  Setting a canister in a pool of water, it can be as little as an inch, it keeps the frost from condensing on the canister and chilling the gas inside. Other ways to increase the effeciency of the canister is to start off with warm canisters.  Keep them deep in your pack or in your sleeping bag so they start off warm.  Use a windscreen and keep a lid on whatever you are cooking.

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WinterCampers.com enjoy a fire as a focal point for a long evening when camping.  Other posts at here and here have talked about the importance of a fire platform.  Of course, equally important is an ample supply of dried cured wood.  Below Ian and Mike have a nice start cutting some dead birch trees.

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Tirrell Pond can be reached using a portion of Northville-Placid Trail which heads north from Route 30 near Lake Durant.  From the trail register on the north side of Route 30 the trail extends 3.5 miles to the south end of Tirrell Pond. It is a roller coaster of a trail which begins on state land and passes through primarily hardwood forests. Shortly after crossing a finger of O’Neill Flow, the trail crosses Finch Pruyn Paper land and then re-enters state land before O’Neill lean to on south end of Tirrell Pond (1,918′ elevation.). Since our visit the O’Neil Flow lean-to has been removed, the site of the old lean-to is closed to camping and new lean-to has been constructed nearby.

The trail continues along the western side of Tirrell Pond reaching a 2^nd lean to at 4.6 miles. Blue Mountain Village can be reached by continuing another 4 miles.

Below WinterCampers.com snowshoes into Tirrell Pond.

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Kathryn and Matt taking it easy on a dog sledding trip through the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA).

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There are a few times hiking through the snow where flexibility is desired.  Beth demonstrates as she limbos under a dead fall.  It helps to have a well balanced pack and a desire to protect your snazzy red pants!

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