EGL Winter Hang 2016 - Winter Is Here!
Double Weekender Hammock/Bushcraft Hang
Jan 29, 2016 - February 7, 2016
Hey all,
Believe it or not, we're just around our 20th EGL hang and I'd like to do something extra special to mark the event; a back to back two weekend winter hang somewhere spectacular like Killarney Provincial Park or the like. Of note, a couple of chaps out of the UK will be joining us this year; CaptainHaddock, Bob and Teepee. I ran across their post on the BushcraftUSA site looking for information on doing some extended winter camping in Ontario and I thought it would be a blast to show these guys our backyard and get some serious winter camping in at the same time. They're experienced winter campers and have even done a winter survival course in Sweden. After quite a few emails and a long telephone call I got the sense that these gents would fit right in. While we're still trying to work out the details, they seem keen to just come out and spend a long week in the bush.
http://stefan.buettcher.org/atw/killarney-2004-12/panorama.jpg
So with that being said, here's one possible trip plan:
The Hang starts in our normal manner on the first weekend with us snowshoeing in a couple of kilometers, setting up a basecamp and lollygagging in style. The midweek period would be an opportunity to do a light cross country trekking for a couple of nights to a pre-determined location for our second basecamp weekend. If we did Killarney and the conditions permitted we might even think about trying to summit Silver Peak mid-week. That being said, the Hang might look something like this...
- 1st Weekend - basecamp near (within 2km) highway (Fri, Sat, Sun)
- 2 days in and establish basecamp at foot of Silver Peak (Mon, Tues)
- 1 day to summit Silver Peak* and return to basecamp (Wed)
- 2 days out back to 2nd Weekend Basecamp (Thurs, Fri)
- 2nd Weekend - new location basecamp near (within 2km) highway (Fri, Sat, Sun)
Killarney's not the only option on the table. If fishing and natural shelter-building are a priority then there's Crown Land may fit the bill better and I'm open to any suggestions people might have. For example, there are places aplenty along the Western border of Algonquin that might suit. Either way I think it would be a hang to remember. Gear could run the entire spectrum from ultra-light to heavy, depending on what part of the hang you're interested in. Just be sure to inform yourselves on the challenges of keeping warm during extended periods in the bush, particularly as it relates to down quilts.
NOTE: Of course there's absolutely no requirement for everyone to join us for the entire ten day hang. Between work schedules, holiday vacations and a not wholly unjustified and perfectly reasonable apprehension about staying out in the cold for so long, maybe the full ten days aren't feasible. If you can't join us for the entire week, then maybe one or more portions would suit your fancy; come out for a weekend or two, join in on the mid-week trekking. The choice is yours. We'll try to clearly mark where the basecamps will be so people can come and go as they please.
With the amazing turnout we had last year in mind, I think this could be our best hang ever! So let's get the ball rolling.
Note: Some early reconnaissance of the area might be in order. Anyone interested?
Yup, Winter-camping
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