Topic: Winter Camping Tips and Tricks

[JFanaselle]

Yowza, I'm surprised there was a black widow there in the first place! It's not really the kind of place I'd expect a black widow to live/reproduce/survive. I wonder if it was transported to the campground in someone's box of firewood or something, probably even another group well before we got there. If so, she probably spent days looking for the perfect place to stake up a new homestead before the Tyler family came along and set up a wonderful tent for her to occupy.

[Celt]

I love sleeping out in the open desert but it does come with some risks as has been posted. Last year, I went down there and crashed on the sand and just threw my sleeping bag over me because I tend to sleep hot. After getting up, I found a nice scorpion under my air mattress. I shoed that scorpion on his way because I looked at it like he didn't bother me so I'm not gonna bother him. I've crashed near a fire just wearing a jacket on numerous times and have never been bothered although it is a risk I know but I do that in the dead of winter when hopefully all the snakes are hidden somewhere taking a long winters nap and unable to venture anywhere at night.

If I'm somewhere far away from anything I'm a heck of a lot more cautious and carry things like Epi-pens and Benadryl for such emergencies. I'm constantly reminding myself where my feet are going when I jump out of my X at night to take a whizz as I usually am barefoot rain or dry. I think a black widow in the tent might get them a squish though because they are downright dangerous even though they are skiddish creatures. GeoYota/Ghost gave great advise about leaving your tents zipped up at all times and your sleeping bags wrapped up.

[Ghost65]

ah now i get why the tent went in for repairs, the spider was daphne's last straw with the zipper debacle

BTW...the Big Agnes Co's customer service has been spot on.  J

ust spoke with our dedicated rep and the tent is "at the repair loft" for warranty evaluation.  They have also sent emails confirming it's status and receipt.

A+++ service if anyone is considering a ground tent purchase. 

[Alex]

I used to be active in Scouting/backpacking/camping for years and years, so I'm no stranger to sleeping on the ground - and it's still the most enjoyable way to be outdoors - but the critters that like to crawl around can be no joke sometimes. So far I've been sleeping in the back of the X just for the convenience that it's always there and that it always works as backup plan, but I do want to get back outside of the X during the nights, maybe getting one of these: http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=19616336
But then part of me wants to save up for a RTT. Decisions, decisions...  

I've noticed that desert camping usually has a higher percentage of the more dangerous things in regards to things crawling around like snakes, spiders, other bugs, etc. Camping in the forest, the main concern are bears, mountain lions, and the occasional bold squirrel looking for lunch.

[Celt]

Alex, those tent cots always intrigued me. Great way to not have to spend a semi-miserable night in the rain or snow using a bivy bag. I think the biggest drawback is they aren't packable but for car camping they are probably really nice.

[JFanaselle]

Sage Bromax has an awesome cot tent. He used it on the entire Death Valley trip. He had camp set up and torn down before any of us every day, and was just as protected as I was in my big 'ol ground tent, maybe even more because he was up off of the ground. Seems like a great option!

[chrishaynesusa]

I want to be high enough that a bear wont try to come up and eat me.
or that I can get to a gun while he's trying to come up.

We had a bear in our camp(Sierras) when we did our Bodie/Aurora trip, and I had no gun in my RTT

I had a tarantula at my camp in the Big Sur area, scared the sh!t out of me.

I'll take the RTT with the foldout internal cushions and zip on lower annex, with door.