Couple of pictures from recent backpacking trip.

[Archbishop]

Deam Wilderness, between Christmas and New Years.

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[dtkw]

It looked cold to me.

 

[muncie1]

What gear did you use?

 

[Archbishop]

It looked cold to me.

Actually roasty toasty! Zero degree bag, never got below 25. I could have went with my 15 degres bag.

 

[Archbishop]

What gear did you use?

I had a poncho/tarp for shelter. A neoair for a ground pad, and a Kelty down filled 0 degree bag. Slept very comfy.

 

[climber409]

Nice pics!

 

[Redskinsfan]

Looks like a great time and a beautiful place. I love being out in the winter with the snow and the lack of people.

 

[PappyD]

fun

Could be the road to the firetower- yes?

Where did you park? Did you just go back in far enough to be "stealthy?"

Wow- I bet you had the place to yourself too!

 

[Balinor]

Great Pics was there in the fall (lot less snow) Would like to go in the winter but would want to stay close to my truck till I was comfortable with my camping skills/equipment.

 

[DHolder]

Camped down there two winters ago with Boy Scouts for our winter rondevious.. Temp was -16 at the Bloomington airport that weekend. Be Prepared was never more true.

 

[indiver]

I camped at Chain O Lakes on the 29th of dec. when we had the snow. LL Bean 0 down mummy and my Mountain Hardware Drifter 2. Cross country skied in not enough snow for the snow shoes. Glad to know theirs someone else in Indiana who love to winter camp. I haven't slept under just a tarp yet.

 

[Archbishop]

Could be the road to the firetower- yes?

Where did you park? Did you just go back in far enough to be "stealthy?"

Wow- I bet you had the place to yourself too!

I parked at the parking lot right before you get to the fire tower. First night I way back on of the loops, but I stayed in a designated camp site. So probably not so stealthy. Second night I left the trail and went off several hundred yards. (So probably stealthy.) I did pretty much have the place to myself. I crossed paths with one or two people the 3 days I was there.

 

[Archbishop]

Great Pics was there in the fall (lot less snow) Would like to go in the winter but would want to stay close to my truck till I was comfortable with my camping skills/equipment.

Totally a great place to practice. All of the trails loop, so you're never really too far away. One point though. The trails are not "blazed" like an other parks. (Markings on the trees.) If you have a lot of fresh snow on the ground this can make it difficult at spots to stay on the trail. Not really to bad though, just something to be aware of.

 

[Archbishop]

Camped down there two winters ago with Boy Scouts for our winter rondevious.. Temp was -16 at the Bloomington airport that weekend. Be Prepared was never more true.

That's crazy cold. My temps never got below 25. I had a 0 degree down bag. I really was roasty toasty. Coldest I've been out was around 4 degrees.

 

[Archbishop]

I camped at Chain O Lakes on the 29th of dec. when we had the snow. LL Bean 0 down mummy and my Mountain Hardware Drifter 2. Cross country skied in not enough snow for the snow shoes. Glad to know theirs someone else in Indiana who love to winter camp. I haven't slept under just a tarp yet.

WInter camping? I love it! One of my favorite times to get out. (Fall is #1 Winter and spring tied for #2 followed by Summer in at #4)
If your bag is otherwise warm enough the tarp deal really is pretty nice. Needs to be a clear night, or a fairly large tarp to keep snow from blowing in on you though. Love the fact that there are no bugs so I actually can use my tarp.
Still haven't got up to do the Chain O lakes. I didn't realize they had hiking trails. I'd like to get up there this year with my kayak.
I trudged through the snow, it's been years since I've done the cross country skiing.

 

[jbell_64]

You parked at the Grubb Ridge Trailhead

 

[indiver]

WInter camping? I love it! One of my favorite times to get out. (Fall is #1 Winter and spring tied for #2 followed by Summer in at #4)
If your bag is otherwise warm enough the tarp deal really is pretty nice. Needs to be a clear night, or a fairly large tarp to keep snow from blowing in on you though. Love the fact that there are no bugs so I actually can use my tarp.
Still haven't got up to do the Chain O lakes. I didn't realize they had hiking trails. I'd like to get up there this year with my kayak.
I trudged through the snow, it's been years since I've done the cross country skiing. (Sorry I don't know how to highlight)

There are hiking trails but you have to camp at camp sites. I parked at the camp ground and hiked back to the canoe camp, about 1.5 miles. A year ago last fall I kayaked 45 min. back to the canoe camp, spent the night and got up about 4:00am and hiked the 1.5 miles with my headlamp in the rain to be back to my truck to be at work that morning. If we get another good snow I want to go up and do the North country trail Manistee loop, I did it last May. Fantastic trip.

 

[larrylegend]

Some friends and I recently went winter camping in the Deam. The temps were around 15-20 at the coldest. However, it did get rather windy one evening. Overall, winter camping is fun if you have the right gear.

 

[El T]

Looks like one of the benches on the Sycamore Loop.
Those pine-stands are nice, but burning pine in the cold sucks. Those logs burn up like cotton.

 

[Sailor]

Some friends and I recently went winter camping in the Deam. The temps were around 15-20 at the coldest. However, it did get rather windy one evening. Overall, winter camping is fun if you have the right gear.

Or the right skills.