Overnight Solo in the Snow with No Stove or Propane
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- Опубліковано 8 лют 2025
- A late start towards home after visiting family for Thanksgiving has given me the idea to spend the night at a campsite I've wanted to get back to for years. I don't have my stove with me, so I'll have to make do cooking over the campfire for dinner and breakfast. It's the first time camping in the snow with the Leer custom aluminum contractor canopy, and my first night relying solely on electric heat sources.
What turns out to be the biggest difficulty, however, was totally unexpected.
Some of the gear I use:
Jackery Explorer 1500 Power Station:
www.jackery.co...
Odistar budget USB flashlight:
amzn.to/3pW8Yyw
Diode Dynamics SS3 LED pods
amzn.to/341SWv2
Claymore Capon cap bill clip-on light:
amzn.to/3Ewww4j
Get Out Gear Puffy Blanket:
amzn.to/3orklOV
12V electric blanket
amzn.to/3Cn3G67
Waterproof Work Boots:
rockroosterfoo...
Ocoopa USB rechargeable hand warmer:
amzn.to/2LP7MP3
Expedition Research Ultra-light Kettle:
amzn.to/2QfKVxz
Pelican 1520 case:
amzn.to/2SChc3H
de Buyer 9½" carbon steel frying pan
amzn.to/3iwQlky
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My Oregon license plate frame:
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Music Credits - ALL music FULLY LICENSED via artlist.io
Mirage - by Biba Dupont
Song for Tom - by Maya Johanna
Aura - by Veaceslav Draganov
Final Words - by Sid Acharya
Winter - by ANBR
Yes, the passenger side "fog" light is missing. I had removed it while working on designing the front bumper build. I didn't plan on needing it for this trip, so in the busy short week before Thanksgiving, I didn't bother taking the time to reinstall it. :-)
As it turned out, I could still actually see better using the remaining single Diode Dynamics SS3 pod than I could with the stock high beams of the Frontier. :-)
bought my forester with one fog light dead, the ditch side one works and its actually better than having both, I can see really good in blizzard conditions
Looking forward to seeing the finished front end treatment. Enjoy your videos Donald- thanks
I bought some of those SS3's earlier in the year after your review video and I love them. Quality lights for sure.
Donald, you're really becoming a master of the art both in camera work and editing. You really can showcase your adventures!
Thanks for sharing Donald...and congrats on the 50k milestone!
Thank you!
throw some half inch foam insulation in all those gaps of the truck topper, it would have helped retain that heat inside!
100% agree with your comments on fire starter blocks. They are one of those things I always keep a bag of in my camp gear box.
I am the one who left those logs there!! When I discovered your channel about a year ago and binged your videos, I saw the summer trip you took to this lake and was actually able to find it last summer from your thumbnail and Waldo Lake reference. Amazing camping spot, mosquito hell but worth it for weekend at a basically private lake. I’ve been so excited to go back in the snow, and it’s so awesome to see this video!
You are answering so many of my questions for my upcoming build! Thanks for sharing these videos. My plan to insulate my contractor cap is to fill the voids with XPS foam and then use EVA foam (like they use for fishing boat deck builds) to cover the XPS foam and the aluminum frame inside. The EVA foam is only 6mm thick. I picked up one of those usb-c handwarmers awhile ago and was surprised at how well it worked. They even have 2000mAh ones now.
16:55 I've really enjoyed watching your videos over the years. Your editing has gotten very good and you provide a really nice atmosphere. In general I'm a "you do you" kind of guy but I criticize in this case because I care. Your coffee routine is self inflicted suffering. Coffee is burnt above 200 degrees, it should never be made with boiling water or boiled over a flame. Thermometer, coffee filters (or fillable tea bags), pour hot water over the grounds through the filter into the cup. 175-200 degrees, only 20 seconds of brewing is needed. Using the kettle only for water extends its lifetime. Look at the Aeropress Go and the Nanopresso for better brew and filter, they're affordable, small, and low tech enough that you won't feel like you're cheating. Be good to your coffee and it will be good to you. Thanks for the entertainment.
People have been making “cowboy” coffee for at least 150 years and probably by a different name for centuries before that. In all that time I seriously doubt anyone ever used a thermometer or filters lol. The coffee tastes great using this method and truly it’s a “you do you” style of making coffee and it very much tastes like putting it through a french press which every time I have ever seen used it was with boiling water poured into it then stirred and steeped for 3-5 minutes before pressing and pouring. Also, if as you say coffee is burnt above 200 degrees how do you explain the large espresso machines being used all over the world that force super heated water in the form of steam being forced through the ground coffee and into the cups? It would seem based on your guidelines that espresso drinkers all over the world have been drinking “burnt” coffee. Rather than criticising because you care it seems that you are bloviating about a subject that you know very little about or at the very least you have a narrow and limited amount of knowledge that you probably gained from a coffee table book or some website promoting and selling coffee paraphernalia. I have seen similar “criticising because you care” comments so many many times over the years that I usually don’t comment on them but I am making an exception in this case because the person you are criticising happens to be one of the nicest people I have ever encountered on UA-cam or even in person. His niceness is at a level that he won’t address your comment himself rather he simply ignores it and moves on because he has better and more important things to do with his time such as watching paint dry or grass grow. So how about showing that you actually do care by apologising to him for the criticism of how he makes his coffee? Now that would be something to behold, an internet troll actually apologising for what they had posted previously. But I seriously doubt that you have it in you to rebuke yourself for criticising someone who is held in high esteem by a rather large number of people and who has done nothing wrong and doesn’t deserve to be treated the way you have done so especially taking into account that your advice is completely and utterly rubbish. While typing this comment I took the time to go back and look at how coffee is supposed to be made when not using a machine and low and behold all of the various sources I found, some of which going back hundreds of years, and more than a few coming from places that have been making coffee for centuries upon centuries before Europeans even knew it existed. All of the sources talk about bringing the water to a boiling point then either pouring it over the coffee or adding the coffee to the water and then bringing it to a boil while stirring it. So it would seem that not only do the experts in making coffee from our present day disagree with your methodology but the masters of coffee going back centuries also disagree with you. Now I don’t know where you got your information from and I dont want to know but if I were you I would stop listening to them. If for no other reason than they have caused you to attack and criticise a very genuine, honest, and humble person who doesn’t deserve to be treated the way that you have treated him. He goes to considerable lengths to include us, his subscribers and viewers in general, in his adventures and because he is so honest and humble, he even shows us his misadventures and the various mistakes he makes along the way. It’s doubtful that you will have an apology for him forthcoming but to be fair I will wait and see what you do next. My money is on you skipping the apology and instead projecting some feeble attempt of an attack on me personally and/or the information I have presented in my critique of your so called “I criticise because I care” nonsense. Time will tell and we shall see whether you take the high road or the low road. Now since my water is boiling I will pour it into my french press and let it steep for a bit. Cheers
This is one of those videos that really makes me appreciate how brave you are about solo camping. The snow, cold and hard packed snow make for a hostile environment. I'll do everything you did, except for cook and hang out in the cold like that :P
Haha, I'll take this over an 80°+ day anytime. :-)
I vote for insulation. Warmer in the Winter. Cooler in the Summer. Keep up the great work.
first thing I thought when I saw the raw aluminum
Any opportunity to get out in nature is a blessing!
I think this is your best episode ever. Thanks.
You’re really lucky to have such wonderful places so closeby. Enjoy it!
Ok Donald, that summer mosquito infested photo op with the Subie by the lake was totally worth the setup time! Of course that's easy for me to say as I'm sitting at my computer ;-) I'm hopeful the full res picture is available on your Patreon site! Thank you for bringing us along on this trip. The mood set by the music and the oh so relaxed dialog is spot on. You make me feel like I'm right there with you! I sure appreciate you! All I could think of while you were starting that fire in the snow was, "Oh my, Jason sure would be teasing you!". You've given us a great example of why you use the pans that you do. They work equally well on the camp stove or the camp fire! I love your flashlight hint for campsite searching at night. So simple and so obvious but those are the things we often don't think of. Also having an old tarp for wood while there's a chance of rain or snow. Perfect! Turquoise kettle, water bottle, and lake with a stump is clearly Instagram material!
I'm *really* liking the carbon steel pans. As long as I maintain the seasoning, they're remarkably nonstick, they can go in the campfire like cast iron, but they weigh a lot less, heat up/cool down faster, and have better nonstick qualities than cast iron. I have a big cast iron skillet at home that I LOVE cooking in, it's an absolute pleasure, but I'm happy not to lug that kind of weight around on camping trips. :-) On top of all that, a quality carbon steel pan from one of the well-established French manufacturers is surprisingly affordable, and because you can redo the seasoning whenever you need to in order to sort of reset the nonstick-ness, it's really a lifetime+ pan...it can become an heirloom passed down to subsequent generations. Even the most expensive "lifetime guarantee" nonstick pans I have owned over the decades - costing three to four times more than my carbon steel pans - have all eventually failed and had to be tossed. I wonder how many no-longer-nonstick nonstick pans go into the landfill every year.
Oh and yeah, I can certainly make that photo available on Patreon. :-)
Great video i used to have a similar camper shell I would take a canvas tarp I had and just lay over the top and down the side it would keep the frost off made quite a bit a difference to keep the heat in
thanks Man, as an oregon camper myself there are many times I'd like to get out there but can't. sharing in your adventures is the next best thing! Great content very entertaining!
I think yours is my favorite camping videos now.
Winterwonderland at its finest. Thanks for sharing.
The quality of your videos just keep getting better and better. Love your channel
you are clearly becoming one of the best. Exceptional video. Love your work
Excellent vid! Winter camping obviously isn't for everyone. But when you're prepared it's quite beautiful.
What a beautiful spot...thx
This answered a lot of my heating questions, thanks man
It's neat how you are turning your adventures into mini movies with dramatic music.
What a fun winter adventure.....
Congratulations! Enjoyed the drone shots.
Love winter camping, No Bugs. But I also love ice fishing 🎣
Don.... nice video!! Your photography is very good and your commentary is excellent. Love your sense of humor too. Nicely done. I"m glad I subscribed. Best wishes.... Ax
Congratulations on reaching 50,000 subscribers!
I enjoyed your video and watching you make do with what you had to work with.
Such a beautiful snowy camp spot!
Excellent footage. I’d love to see that spot sometime. So peaceful!
Really enjoyed this video. Great mood created by scenery, music, fire in the snow……..You wove in the how to content very smoothly.
Great work and yahoo on 50 thou!!!!!
I love those milk can heaters they will blow you out of the room. Although they can be a bit loud.
Had the fan go out in our HAVAC system and I used it to keep my room more then warm.
Congratulations for reaching 50k subscribers
Thank you! When I started doing this, that seemed like an impossible, unattainable number. It's still surreal. :-)
50.1K subscribers Great job!!! Thanks for the one day trip in the snow! It made me cold just watching it. Great video!! Take care and don't get stuck in the snow. HaHA You need that winch for campong solo in the winter. Bet one is coming soon. Thanks again for all the hard work you put into the videos
Thanks Frank!
Great mini adventure! I really enjoyed the sections of the video in the dark. It added to the atmosphere! Campfire cooking requires YOU to be the heat knob... on the fire, off the fire, closer to the fire, farther from the fire. :D As a Mainer, I could hear the tone of that snow underfoot and knew it would be a bit slickery getting out. lol
Haha...I knew it was slushy when I drove down into that campsite, but I've generally had decent luck driving in it when the slush freezes back up in the morning. I was at 5,500' here, at the end of November...usually a safe bet that it would freeze pretty good overnight, but I was not lucky with this unusual little warm spell. Still, I was not expecting a struggle, haha. That was supposed to just be a standard end-of-video drive-off shot. :-)
@@softroadingthewest Dec 1st we set an all time record high here of 63 degrees
Exceptional video Donald!
Great video. Makes me wanna go find some snow and camp. Safe travels
Firewood can be seasoned or unseasoned. Also it can be wet or dry. Seasoned firewood can be wet and still burn very well. Unseasoned wood can appear dry but still spend most of its burn time boiling moisture out the cut ends. Once you get a fire going (firestarters for the win, btw) you can pretty safely toss on deadfall from the area despite weather, rain, snow. Toss those cheap BIC lighters and get yourself a small butane torch.
One more tip now that you are going electric...go to a wrecker yard and buy an alternator, swap that into your truck and send your "good" alternator out to be rebuilt. Just Google alternator rebuild to find the closest one to you. Mine came back with its output a bit less than doubled.
I can be down to 20% battery and either take a short drive or a longer idle and charge it right back up. My newly hot rodded alternator puts out more at idle than the untouched one did at RPM.
Something you might consider is your sleeping bag and what its rated for. I have two bags that I use in the colder months. Both are from Sportsmans warehouse and one is called the Deer Hunter and its rated to 0 degrees Fahrenheit and the 2nd is called the Elk hunter and it’s rated at -35 degrees Fahrenheit. Besides the excellent temperature rating they are made oversized compared to other bags. The elk hunter is a full 39” wide and extra long as well. This means that while sleeping in it you can actually turn over and move about as if you were in a twin size bed lol. The outside is kind of a canvas material not unlike a carhart coat and the inside is a nice flannel material. Also the elk hunter comes in a left and right designation so you can zip two of them together or depending on your bed you can choose the one that will place the zipper on the correct side. I have tested both in some pretty extreme conditions. Last year I was up around 6,000 ft in early January and I was testing out my Hennessy Hammock with the rainfly over it and I had the elk hunter sleeping bag inside the hammock with a foam pad about 1” thick under the bag. Overnight the temperature dropped to -4 degrees Fahrenheit and I couldn’t tell how cold it was because I was seriously toasty warm in that bag. Also, I forgot to bring the under quilt for the hammock and there was a pretty good wind blowing under the hammock. Again I couldn’t tell what the temp was because of how warm I was. I even opened the zipper once to wiggle the bag up and down to let some cold air in lol. It’s definitely not a bag for backpacking as it weighs about 17 lbs but thats ok because I have a truck and my backpacking days are gone lol. Anyway this bag is well worth what I paid which was about $100 and it will probably out last me lol. After watching this video and seeing that you use an electric blanket I thought I would suggest you consider getting the Elk hunter bag and you wouldn’t need the electric blanket anymore lol. So the energy you save could be used for the heater or whatever else you need it for. Also the bag has plenty of room for you to put some clothes in it with you so that in the morning you have warm clothes to put on. And when the weather is warmer you can sleep on top of the bag because its like having an extra layer of foam bedding when you factor in the bottom and top together. Thats what I do in the hammock during warmer weather. Ok that’s my suggestion for today.
Cheers
Great work as always Donald, really enjoy how you weave in the DIY aspects of your setup as well 🤙
Great video..! Felt like I was there..! Nice job..!!
Hey, off roading can be tricky. The surface can make you happy or get you stuck in deceptively easy looking places. But then, that's the fun of it to me. :D
Beautiful video :) Thank you.
Looked like a great little trip. Good job cooking with the fire and cowboy coffee too! Guess the mosquitos weren't too bad this time.
Indeed, finally got to enjoy this spot without being assaulted by voracious insects. :-)
Gread vid....good skills with the fire...might loose the rubber handle on the tea kettle though. Enjoyed the beauty of the forest there...good spot it looks.
If you’re looking for fire pits, I’d suggest the snow peak one. It’s perfect for camping. The price is steep but this thing will last forever. Congrats on 50k subscribers.
I have camped with friends who have the Snow Peak and I agree completely, I really really like it. It looks well built, I like how it packs flat, it heats super nicely even with a fairly small fire, and I love that you can tuck your toes up underneath it and warm them from above. :-) I'm still struggling a bit with the price, but I suspect it would only take me a few damp western Oregon nights to be happy I spent the money. May be time to get myself a Christmas present. :-)
@@softroadingthewest In case you're considering a slightly larger and much cheaper option -- I picked up a Lifedoo brand flatpack unit made from heavy stainless. Although it looks stout enough to perform well, review videos indicated it could have some warping issues in the long direction when exposed to a sudden pile of red-hot coals. So, at some considerable trouble (stainless is hard), I screwed some 1 inch steel flat bar on to both sides as a preemptive measure. Haven't tested it out yet, but, as the aeronautical engineer said, "confidence is high" . . .
@@robertphillips93 Nice, I'll take a look for sure!
@@softroadingthewest the lifedoo little fire pit is great it is pretty well made I did a review on Amazon brim is the name I used
@@softroadingthewest buy once cry once is the old saying haha. My experience with it has been nothing but positive. It definitely helps with these cold NW nights.
looks cold but beautiful
Awesome video thanks. Craig. Pa.
Aaah the life of a you tuber. Drag it in for a great shot take the shot then leave then come back for the camera. Great exercise. 👍
I know everyone just runs an all terrain tire with a snow rating....
But they are NOT a dedicated snow tire. They're an adapted all terrain.
My wife's nicely lifted cherokee on 33 inch faulken wildpeak at3's WITH SEVERE SNOW RATING are worthless side hilling in that same sort of snow up on my parents property on the mountain.
My 91 astro awd van on 235/75r15 blizzaks crawls up it.
Options for tires that are SNOW tires first, and all terrains second are very limited in big sizes-everything seems to be an adapted all terrain or a truck tire-but we just ordered some 285/75r16 cooper snow claws.
Excited to see the difference they make
Blizzaks are awesome for sure, loved them when I had them on my jeep liberty for sure, I'm running some studded snow tires right now that will get tested in the snow that are e rated on my sequoia, forget the brand at the moment as I bought them second hand but they have good directional tread at least.
But when seeing him trying to go up that, would have suggested going up that in 4 low and in the lowest gear
I don't get into snow often enough to warrant the investment in an additional dedicated set of tires. It doesn't snow where I live, and for the most part I *try* to only hit snow in the mountains and desert during the cold months when the KO2s actually handle fresh sticky snow with no problem. In spring, I actively avoid the rotten melting slush and plan trips where I'm less likely to encounter it.
In this case, I admittedly did not count on a freak warm spell to turn the recent snow into slippery mush. :-) I would not have driven miles in this stuff...I was on gravel all the way to the short campsite spur. My experience with the KO2s has generally been that slush like this becomes manageable first thing in the morning when everything is still frozen so I really wasn't concerned. It was highly unusual that it didn't freeze that night, being at 5,500' at the end of November. :-)
@@bajasoobnut I definitely still have the Subaru habit of "If at first you don't succeed, use more momentum and wheel spin," haha. Crawling in low range did not even occur to me. I suppose I would've eventually thought to try that if I hadn't been able to power my way out. I need to remember to test that approach first next time!
@@softroadingthewest I totally understand that lol, coming from owning 13+ Subarus over the years (mostly old school as in cars that were designed and built mainly in the 70's and 80's and newest being a 91 loyale) I still have that mentality for the most part but I also keep the low range up front in the train of thought lol and yes actual low range is still a novel thing to me even after owning a few rigs with actual transfer cases lol
Serenity
Nice! Loved it, Cheers!!!
Fantastic video!
Takes some balls to drive up a forest track at night in deep snow.👍👍🌲
Donald congratulations with 50k subscribers! Know that you have a subscriber from faraway Siberia! ))
Thank you for another very enjoyable well produced episode! Two thumbs up again!
You've done great and progressed extremely well with your channel in such a short period of time!
CONGRATULATIONS are in order and well deserved for your reaching the 50K subscriber plateau, stay the course!
OBTW...Your breakfast, including your morning cup of coffee that the "Joe Police" have chastised you for (shrug) , looked pretty fine to me.
Thank you sir!
And yeah...I have to think those people wringing their hands over my boiled coffee have never actually made cowboy coffee. It's a very well established technique and in no way burns the coffee or imparts a bad flavor. On the contrary, it produced a rich & smooth cup of coffee that I find to be less acidic and easier to digest than the sacred pour-over. Espresso, arguably the highest standard for coffee flavor, is made by forcing steam through grounds...steam is even hotter than boiling water and yet the coffee is miraculously unburnt. :-)
As a coffee snob I have to say you have to come up with a better brewing technique ! Check out a silicone pour over maybe ? But love your videos and keep up the great work!
Tiny spiders like the Mr buddy orfic and build cobwebs that restrict the gas flow. Try using a time cooper strand to clear it. I've done it twice.
Who the heck would shame people for using firestarters? Heck, I'll use a propane torch and vasoline to start my fires. No gatekeeping should be allowed for making fire. People gotta get warm!
Question: What were you using for a mic on that last shot getting out of the campsite? I need to get something wireless I think.
Donald, you've already bought the electric heater thingie, so this is not a money-saving observation, but rather a space-saving one. By happenstance today after having seen this video yesterday, I was doing some electrical work on my xterra, which required a heat gun to shrink so tubing around the wire, when I was putting it back I remarked the wattage on the box being very similar to what you measured. The bargain basement DRILL MASTER 1500 Watt 12 Amp Dual Temperature Heat Gun from HFT may seen as a multitasker for heating up the small space but also for defrosting the underside of a Subaru Forrester in a pinch :-) Admittedly it is a bit fiddlier, but it should pack smaller than the space heater unit, so something to consider. Cheers, -- .\\
Ha! Just a couple of months ago, I finally had to replace my battered old heat gun I've had for 20+ years with a new one. So I do already have one...but it never ever would've occurred to me to use it as a space heater! I'm very curious now...I wonder if it could produce enough volume of heat to warm that space noticeably. I love it when items I carry can serve more than one purpose. I'll have to test this out and see how it performs vs the heater.
Okay, you may be on to something here. I was too curious, I just had to go out and give it a try. On its highest setting, my heat gun pulls 986 watts...that's ~100 fewer watts than the heater on its lower setting. On the high setting, the fan in the heat gun moves *much* more air than I realized, and the heat coming out is FAR more intense than what comes out of the heater...I think it may very well work better than the heater, while taking up less space AND serving as a potentially useful tool to have along during winter trips. Very interesting. It would not be difficult to rig up some kind of mount for it. Looks like this will be coming with me on my next camping trip, and I'll figure out some way to comparison-test the two.
I wouldn't have thought of it either, but Watts are Watts the world over, are they not? Maybe the heat gun won't handle an extended duty cycle as the heater would, but that's not your use case anyway. Either way it's worth exploring the possibility. Cheers , -- .\\
Great little lake spot!
I’m looking for attachment solutions to attach my spare tire(locked if best), shovel, traction boards and roto packs to my Thule roof basket. Where do we find these kinds of attachment accessories? I can’t seem to find any.
Thx
Yay!
Consider cast iron for campfire cooking. Non-stick, coated and/or aluminum cookware can be hazardous to your health. Reference Cowboy Kent Rollins for some awesome outdoors cooking. Love your vids!
This is carbon steel....pure metal, no coating, safe for campfires. Lighter weight than cast iron, heats up faster but still excellent heat distribution, and when seasoned properly, excellent nonstick properties. I have a couple of these in different sizes and love them. :-)
Congrats on hitting 50K!
Thank you!
Time to break out that little welder and make a rocket stove. There are pre-cut kits available if you don't want to do the design work. Super fuel efficient, way better temperature control than an open fire and a great project to run some beads on.
If your truck has a adjustable manual override like my Tacoma does, you can shift into 1st or 2nd gear and you should get right out of that situation.
Oh I was in first gear, I always manually operate the gears off pavement. Issue here was traction control stopping my progress by applying brakes to spinning wheels. I could've tried low range, but this warm slushy stuff acts more like greasy mud than snow, and a slow crawl uphill usually won't work. Momentum and continuously spinning wheels got the job done. :-)
@@softroadingthewest
You might need better tires! I bought myself some wild peak E rated tires. I have a Kimbo Camper on the back. I also have my truck in four-wheel-drive. 🖖
Congrats on your 50K! Wondering if you have or are considering a diesel heater for your rig. Seems like a perfect part of your kit. Safe travels!
Definitely considering it. I don't think the electric heat is a sustainable solution. With a number of other projects already on my plate, I just didn't have time to dive into a real heating system this year and had planned on just using the Mr Heater Buddy for one more winter. :-) Hopefully for next winter, I'll have a better solution in place.
That was so glad you were able to get back to that spot once again. No mosquitoes now for sure!
And there's no shame in using fire starters to get a fire going. I agree with you if the pioneers had such technology they would have used it. It beats the heck out of flint and steel on dryer lint!
It's always fun watching you, have a Merry Christmas.
Looks cold! Though for a moment you would need your traction boards to get out of there. You still using the 0* Guide Gear sleeping bag? I have the -15* version and was comfortable in it on a trip that got down to 13*. Not sure if people know it or not, but the rated temp on sleeping bags are a survivable rating not a comfort rating in most cases. Thanks for taking us along on the adventure. George.
I still have that bag, but this winter I have been using bed sheets and blankets (plus the 12V blanket) and have found myself sleeping better than ever. And yeah, my 0° Guide Gear bag starts getting chilly if it dips much below 30° and needs an extra blanket on top. My Coleman 0° mummy bag keeps me cozy enough down to maybe 25° but is much less comfortable to be crammed into. :-)
@@softroadingthewest Yes the Guide Gear sleeping bags are quite comfortable to sleep in. Next time you use it make sure to fluff it up some. I have found many sleeping bags need to be fluffed up once they have been compressed. Otherwise, they may be colder than expected.
Do you use winter/snow tires or all seasons? I've never been out that way so not sure if you get enough snow to justify winter tires but they are a lifesaver up here in Ontario, Canada.
No, it doesn't snow where I live, and I generally only get into snow when I go looking for it, which I try to do only when it's fresh & cold. My snow-rated all terrain tires do quite well in fresh snow, though they're not much help on frozen hardpack or ice. Or in slush, as seen here. :-)
Have you considered having your canape spray foamed. It will make a big difference in heat and condensation.
Definitely an option I am considering.
How come you dont Insulate your camper my dad slept in his van an hung plastic up an with the electric hester he had he satyed very warm
When are you going to try and insulate the shell?
Have you tried cooking with one of the induction burners with your Jackery? I'm contemplating using one for my boat and perhaps have it replace the propane that I'm using now.
I took a look at them as an option at one point, but most of them seem to draw an impractically high amount of power. While there are some models that could run off my Jackery 1500, it would suck so much power that I think I would be in a constant struggle to recharge the Jackery...and I think what would happen is I would end up thinking twice about cooking or heating anything. Filling my 5-lb propane bottle only costs a couple bucks and keeps me cooking as much as I want for months.
@@softroadingthewest Thanks. I've enjoyed your channel. I started watching your channel because I had the same Subaru Forester that you were driving. Sleeping in the back of the Forester worked but my claustrophobia was kicking in.
Also I measured my induction burner at 1650 watts at full power. My situation is different as I have 400 Amp Hours of AGM to work with.
Oh man! Great little one nighter! You mentioned in one of your videos about possibly doing some insulation in the metal topper, I would be curious to see how much that helps. Rigid foam?
Yeah, I think that'll likely happen eventually. I do want to get a solid feel for winter camping without it, so I can fully appreciate the time & money I put into insulating it. :-)
@@softroadingthewest any insulation at all will be better than an aluminum skin! Plus it’ll help in the summer too. Ever stood next to an un-insulated garage door during the summer?? Brutal heat. I know you’ll do the best budget concision option for insulating.
Nice outing. Peaceful… I haven’t used my buddy heater in a while but I remember I can load it up with D cell batteries and it has a fan. Must be a different model. There something I always wonder… Cooking over fire must cover pans and pots with soot? Doesn’t that get all over or is it as simple as wiping it away? Thanks for taking us along.
Mine has no fan. The heat it puts out is so intense however that it still works pretty well via natural convection.
My pan got a little sooty on the fire, but it's a reasonably well seasoned carbon steel pan, so a) it's already kinda black all over, and b) the perpetual slight oiliness of a well seasoned pan helps make it easy to wipe stuff off. I gave it a good wipedown with a paper towel and it was fine. I won't hesitate to do it again...cooking over the campfire was definitely kinda satisfying, and that's some solid heat...I got a really tasty sear on my steak while keeping it nice and rare inside. :-)
@@softroadingthewest yea I watch a number of channels where they cook over a fire with pans and small pots placing over the flames or on the fire and you can see the black spot build up but now that I think about it, not one shows how they clean their stuff before repacking it’s into their bags.
Since you have a huge Jackery, why not get a cheap diesel heater ? I`ve been camping in my Pro-4X with chinese diesel heater in Colorado and it`s a game changer for the winter camping. I build a weatherproof case for the heater from a tool box so I can place the heater outside, don`t have to think about clicking noise or smell etc.
Something along those lines is certainly in the future. I had too many other projects going to dive into researching and implementing that this year, and had planned to just keep using the Mr Heater Buddy for this winter and look into a better system before next winter. For now, the electric heater was a quick, cheap, easy way to have at least a little heat at key moments this season without derailing other things I'm trying to get done. :-)
First off..great video!
I might be out of the loop on this but does your canopy have a window facing the cab? I was thinking if you had cab access through those windows you could draw the heat from your rig right back into the bed area with a 12v fan of some sort during your travel times...Then the inside would be heat soaked making it a bit easier getting things warmed up.
Of course if it's, let's say around the -8F mark...then yeah I don't know..lol🥶
Alas, the rear window of my Frontier is solid and doesn't open. :-( I do have a window on the front of the canopy, but I had them build it with a solid window there since the back window of the truck doesn't open. I have nonetheless pondered what it would take to pipe the truck's heat into the canopy while driving...it's heat that's just going to waste otherwise and any joules or BTUs or whatever that could be absorbed by materials in the back of the truck theoretically seems like it should make it easier to warm things up like you said. Though, yeah, would I be able to perceive a difference between -8°F and +2°F? Not sure, LOL. :-)
I am curious what brand is the coat you were wearing. I'm in the market for a new one. Thanks!
Looks like it might be time to invest in some foam insulation board for the canopy, easy to install just takes some time with liquid nails construction adhesive and possibly strips of metal screwed into the support structure to secure it into place
Absolutely. That would make a huge improvement. That aluminum topper is a huge heat sink, instantly moving that heat outside. A layer between the ribs, flush with the ribs, then, for winter, a thin layer over that maybe to cover the ribs as well. That's probably overkill and more difficult than the return but certainly between the rib structure.
@@ujjc001 for the ribs, of there is enough room for purchase maybe pipe insulation and just Pac-Man the ribs
I think some kind of insulation will eventually happen. I do first want to get a good feel for it with no insulation in winter so I can perceive the difference the insulation makes and appreciate the time/money investment. :-)
Have you thought about spray foaming your box ?
Congrats on 50K Donald. The ice looked fishable.....just saying. 😉
Using electric heat to warm the inside of your canopy (in my case, truck tent) does work, but the cost of a power station big enough to support it is prohibitive for most of us. I guess I'll stick to propane, along with its drawbacks. In my canvas truck tent condensation is pretty minimal. An idea for you: if you want to charge the big 1500 quicker in the morning, get an in-line 12 to 24 volt converter for your charging cord. It will double the charging input up to 200 watts at 24 volts (the Jackery 1500 can accept an input of up to 30 volts and 500 watts). The only drawback is that you will need a separate 20 amp circuit to power it as the input will be about 15 amps at 12 volts.
That makes it too much for an accessory outlet to handle (they are fused at 10 amps). The converters are available on Amazon for less than $20.
The electric heater only made sense as a quick cheap interim solution for me because I already had the power station, and really it's still not ideal because I have to be verrry careful with how long I run it. I agree completely that it doesn't make sense to buy a massive power $$$tation just to be able to run electric heat.
On a recent trip, I made the mistake of plugging the AC charger for the 1500 into my 500-watt AC inverter...which was plugged into an accessory outlet. The AC charger pulls something like 265 watts, so I didn't think twice about it, until a bunch of stuff suddenly stopped working, LOL. Yet another new project on the list is to wire up the inverter properly. :-)
How much power loss could one expect if you used a standard Mr . Coffee percolator, with the jackerý 1500? % wise...
It depends on the size/wattage draw of the coffeemaker, and how long you run it. Anything that produces heat consumes a lot of electricity, and a quick Google search indicates that most drip coffeemakers draw around 600-1000 watts. I don't know how long it takes to brew a pot of coffee...15 minutes? A rough guess would be 15-20% of the 1500's capacity depending on the numerous variables.
I am having one custom built for myself. However my dealer could not tell me what the frame tubing is dim wise . I would like to put in insulation and have everything bought in advance. Can you tell me what thickness of insulation you used and if it was the correct size or under/over sized ?
Some of the tubing is 3/4" and some is 1". I used 1" insulation and it's nearly perfect everywhere. Most of the places where there is 3/4" tube, it is a bit offset from the canopy skin. I have a dedicated video about the insulation:
ua-cam.com/video/B0sfuKsUpkQ/v-deo.html
sounds like a little bit of rod knock when you started the engine and took off...
Did you have some issues with one of the yellow fogs, or do you have the switched individually?
I had started working on completing the front bumper build shortly before Thanksgiving, and had removed one of the lights in the process. I wasn't planning on needing it on this trip so I didn't bother reinstalling it before we left. :-)
Just wondering how do u think the Subaru would have done in the snow vs the frontier.
The one time I got the Forester stuck, it was in this same kind of warm slushy snow. The Forester on aired down KO2s was fabulous in fresh snow, as I suspect the Frontier would be. Warm slush shouldn't even be called snow. It's like trying to drive in inches of marbles. There's just no grip to be had.
👍
What is the brand name of your camp knife? What would you recommend?
This is what I have:
amzn.to/2ZvWUfL
It's just a cheap thing I found on Amazon, but I've had it for years now and what I like about it is that it is a solid piece of metal all the way through the base of the handle (which is not the case for many even much more expensive knives).
One can easily spend a LOT of money on some beautiful, impressive adventure knives, but I wanted something I wouldn't have to worry about abusing if I needed to, and that wouldn't be catastrophic if I lost it, as it's exactly the type of thing I would be likely to set down in some random spot in camp then drive off without it the next day. :-)
Might be time to insulate the canopy and see what a difference it makes 👍
That'll certainly happen eventually. I do want to get a solid feel for how it goes without insulation, so I can truly perceive the difference it makes. In any case I have other projects that need to get done sooner, so I expect I will push through this entire winter without insulation. :-)
@@softroadingthewest keep up the fine work Sir I always look forward to your adventures
An Aluminum Cap is a excellent conductor of cold/heat.. I'd insulate it..
How about this: insert flat thin metal bars into top and bottom hems off curtains. Install cheap magnetic knife holder blocks ( harbor freight) onto the aluminum rails above and below windows. Then unroll curtains and slap them up on magnetic strips.
That is a *great* idea! That's much better than my magnet approach here!
Definitely no shame in doing things as easy as you have the means to do so.. I mean if it were Jason, he would probably throw some of his Whisky on there to get it going. You know he has plenty on hand.
what’s that truck bed unit called?
Donald, I have a mid-sized truck also (Chevy Colorado). It has "true" 4-WD by adding compressed air to lock the wheels. This is something you might want to consider. I really enjoy your adventures in such beautiful country as Oregon. I have been in all western states EXCEPT Oregon.....hope to get there some day now that I am retired. If you should ever decide to come east to the Appalachian Mountains, we have lots of interesting/beautiful places to camp. Thanks for you videos and hope you and your family have a Merry Christmas!
My Frontier has a rear locker. I would've eventually turned it on if I hadn't been able to get out.
Someday, if I can manage to turn this into my full-time gig, I really hope to get beyond the west and see what else is out there!
Is this in the Summit Lake area?
Great video one thing you might consider also for an option for insulating your canopy is using moving blankets there very heavy and should be cheap that would help keep the heat in too what a great camp site too
Donald, have you considered carrying more than one cooking stove in the event your primary doesn't want to work, left at home or out of LP? I usually carry my LP two burner stove, MSR Dragonfly (multi fuel), and a small converted aluminum water bottle stove that runs on HEET. Then I carry two of those MSR fuel bottles, one with white gas, and one with HEET.
I thought the campfire made a pretty good backup. :-) That obviously doesn't work during burn ban though, which is getting longer and longer each year. Actually my plan for the upcoming "final" camping build in the canopy is to incorporate some kind of small single burner inside so I can make coffee inside on cold blustery mornings or heat up a quick can of chili on a night that's impossible to be outside, so yeah, eventually, there will actually be two cooking options. :-)
@@softroadingthewest Living in the PNW, I don't rely on fire. In the hot months I don't even bother, in the wet months it can be a chore to find dry wood to bother with. I do have a compact fire pit similar to what Jason has, only it is a bit more robust that gets used in the spring and fall mostly.
You might find something like a small backpacker stove or even a Jetboil might be a good backup unit. My MSR Dragonfly is fairly compact and will run on pretty much any liquid fuel and efficient. It will cook light gear at a simmer, or support a full sized cast iron Dutch oven at full boil/fry. I use it primarily with my 9" x 9" x 13" backpacker oven for camp pizza, but always have it as a backup if my LP tank or 2 burner goes on the fritz in the middle of nowhere.
Very good Making it work video! one tip if you have room for a bag of charcoal brickets in the truck it can be used on a fire ring, charcoal is great for cooking over if you're cooking on a grate or in a pot...