Rexbo
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #1
Inspired by @swhme and some great things I found on his thread to upgrade my setup, I wanted to post up some gear winners and lessons learned from my winter camping trips in the Sierras and desert to maybe inspire some of y'all. Especially this year as I've essentially lived out of my R1T & tent for close to a month now while on the road, in temps between 5F and 80F. I've tried to be budget-conscious, but sometimes good gear costs a bit more, and in other places corners can be cut.
For context, I like to set up a base camp and hang out for a while and do day hikes, backcountry splitboarding, 4wheeling or just let the dogs guide the way. Comfort is priority, ease of setup/size/use is a close 2nd, cost comes 3rd. Some other constraints: all items in the bed MUST fit with tonneau cover closed, be robust enough to handle miles of offroading, and wherever possible be multi-season/multi-functional. And as always, I'm not going to list anything I wouldn't recommend, even if it's not perfect for me, it's still worked well.
Warning: lots of photos and bonus points if you identify the camping locations
Sleep
- Home Depot HD Tarp ground cover, for $12 you cant beat the price. It's perfectly sized as a footprint for the tent, reducing moisture intrusion and heat transfer into the cold ground! Doubles as a tonneau cover because mine STILL DOESNT FRIGGIN WORK.
- Gazelle T3/T4 tents, set up in 2min, robust hardware, nice and roomy, don't collapse in the wind, sturdy floor and zippers, and good for everything but heavy rain, but who wants to camp in heavy rain anyway. The T3 fits the mattress perfectly with a nice corridor at the entryway for gear. Can confirm they can handle several inches of fresh snow.
- Exped MegaMat Duo 10 mattress fits in the truck bed and tent perfectly and is amazingly comfy. Pair it with their little electric widget pump and when properly inflated you lose pretty much NO heat to the ground, even when on snow.
- Exped MegaSleep Duo 25/40 double sleeping bag, the halves can be unzipped to be quilts which the pups mostly use but I'll snag one half if it gets REALLY cold (<20F). Dog tested, Rexbo approved.
- Stoic Bivy Suit you laugh, but this is my new FAVORITE piece of gear, and worth the ~$100. They pack down to the same size as a mummy bag, keep me warm and comfy with just pajamas underneath down to about 30F, don't get all bound up and restrictive, and don't fall off like quilts. Also, it makes getting up in the morning (or middle of the night) just that much easier because you don't even need to get out of the bag! Get some of that Phil energy:
- Mr Heater brand Buddy heater on a 20lb bottle will comfortably run on low 2-3 nights when all of the above just isn't warm enough (generally <10F), keeping me and the dogs toasty warm in the tent when it got down to 5F overnight. Built-in tip-over switch has saved me several times when the dogs get too excited, and safe for indoor use!
Pro Tip: having a door mat outside and a foam mat inside helps to keep everything cleaner, and the foam mat doubles as a dog mat by the fire and hiking rest during the day.
Base Camp
- Snow Peak hexa evo pro canopy tarp. Clutch for desert camping, smaller than an ezup, handles wind better, and has an accessory that lets you have the fire under it if you expect rain or snow. You can drop the sides for some more wind break or keep them up to cool off in summer.
- Snow Peak Takibi large fire pit with floga walls. Hands down the best portable fire pit ever. Minimize your footprint in nature by not having to make rock rings, nearly zero smoke, radiates a ton of heat not only up but down to your feet, and folds flat. There's also a grill addon once you have a nice bed of coals to bbq over.
- Therm-a-rest classic Foam pad, I cut one in half ~30 years ago and never found a reason to retire it, and use it every trip, be it for kneeling, sitting on rocks, in the tent, as a dog bed, or if I gotta get under the truck for something.
- Table, I still haven't found the right solution yet, but so far this cheapo amazon one has been ok. Open to suggestions!
- Chairs, again, still searching for the right solution. The Target backpack folding beach chairs are good, but they don't fold down small enough for my liking.
Pro tip: Especially in the desert, bringing an old carpet to throw down so you can take shoes off is LUXURIOUS.
Cooking/Kitchen
- Bodega T36 38qt powered cooler, so far, when it works its great, and hard to find ones that fit under the tonneau. Unfortunately, it's not waterproof can't be left out in the rain or snow, which is an issue. I've toasted one faceplate already, and if it rains the water seeps into the storage compartment.
- Lodge 9" cast iron skillet. Last pan you'll ever need in life. The combo here is unbeatable. Season them, cook on them, love them.
- Duxtop 1800W 9120MC induction cooktop, its done well on its own, but I've ordered the double burner here with griddle as recommended by @swhme since the extra side burner would come in handy.
- Aroma ASP-137 grillet electric pot. I really like doing a hot pot or stew/chili and this thing does the trick. Its nice being able to keep something simmering as you eat it, and can also double as a rice cooker (it took the place of the above gas grill). Plus the outside is plastic so it doesn't break easily. This may get obsoleted by the dual burner cooktop though. We'll see.
- Stoke Voltaics Joulle electric kettle. Boils water for coffee/tea quickly and has a continuous setting to make ramen. Solid addition, if only the lid fit properly.
- Snow Peak Ti-Single 600 cup. THIS SHIT NESTS YO
- Insulated stainless bowls, nobody likes when your food cools off instantly, or having to hold a hot bowl! Cheap stainless bowls on amazon are great car camping additions!
- GSI Microlite 720 24oz water bottle, vacuum flask and twist lid with d-ring. Good for backpacking, day hikes and around camp. Keeps shit cold & warm, and cheap, and the lid doesn't freeze shut or have any of those random things to clean.
- Custom made tailgate surface. It always annoyed me at having to work around the ridges, so I made my own that snaps into the features and doesn't move around.
Extra pro tip: For stainless steel vacuum cups, mugs, tumblers and such, weirdly the art supply store Michaels has a huge selection for DIRT cheap.
Truck Packing - where does all this crap go?
Frunk - All the sleep/clothing
- Clothes bag or 35L day pack (same size)
- Exped Megamat Duo 10
- Exped Megasleep Duo
- Stoic Bivy Suit
- Pillow
Gear Tunnel - Dirty/Wet/Bulky stuff
- Gazelle tent (this can also go on bed rack if short on enclosed space), usually stacked on top of my snowboard bag.
- Recovery Gear & emergency tool bag
- Tarp
- Snow Peak Canopy
- Boots and shoes
Bed - Weatherproof & bulky stuff
- Pelican BX135 hard case with all kitchen and other loose camping items in it. Lockable and water-tight, so far it has been worth every penny and keeps things organized and theft-proof.
- Custom tailgate topper
- Buddy heater + propane bottle forward and secured via tie downs.
- Bodega powered cooler
- Folding chair
- Snow Peak Tabiki grill
Bed Rack
- Ace Hardware Shovel, always get the metal-handled ones!
- Husky Axe, in case you need to chop wood, ice or bodies. Lifetime warranty!
- Pocket Chainsaw, I've had to use this a couple times when there are fallen trees from winter storms across the road, and you'd be at it all day with the axe!
- Recovery boards, these things are dumb and gimmicky but I carry them anyway because of that one time they were useful to change a tire.
- ASR 7/8" x 30' kinetic recovery rope w/hard & soft shackles, everyone should have one of these.
- Firewood, to feed the beast.
Helpful Hint: Don't forget to tie things down!
HONORABLE MENTIONS & GEAR
- Sorel 1964 PAC snow boot, I've had my set for nearly 10 years and they have stayed warm and waterproof through snowshoeing, light hiking and many adventures. Add in some thermal insoles and warm socks, and your feet will never be cold. The inner liners can be removed at night to dry out in front of the buddy heater
- Carhartt Yukon Extremes coveralls, I really got tired of swapping pants & jackets all the time, so for around-camp use, these coveralls are the way to go. Wear these during the day, switch into the bivy suit at night! HUGE CAVEAT: the new nylon ones aren't nearly as nice as the older-model duck material coveralls. If you can find the older style, they're much nicer.
- Buff neckwear, aka the snood if you're English. I didn't think it would be as useful as it was, but these are great for quick and easy body temperature regulation.
- Outdoor Research Methow Pants, these things are durable, warm, instant drying and not hideous. These are great for not only every day use, but also hiking, snowshoeing and even spring snowboarding. Their lightweight cousin the Cirque light pants are great for summer too.
- LED rechargeable headband, yes, its cheap & Chinese, but its the most useful thing. hang it around your neck and turn it on, and you've got your own floodlight, waterproof and gets ~6hrs of light hands-free. At $10 you dont need to worry about breaking them.
- Zippo hand warmer and power bank. Having two of these running in the breast pockets of coveralls to grab onto when your fingers get cold is incredible.
- Ruffwear Powder Hound dog jacket, Blaster gets cold easily with her short hair and this kept her cozy. Master goes commando and is good down to ~25F before he starts getting chilly. Hardy little bastard.
Final winter/snow camping thoughts
- Sure, it can get cold. But nature has seasons, and each of them have their own beauty. Appreciate them all. This one just takes a little more preparation and gear.
- STAY DRY. Bring enough under layers to change out of wet/damp clothes immediately, and avoid cotton (except for sleepwear) because it will stay damp forever.
- MANAGE SWEAT. Remember staying dry? Getting sweaty means getting wet, which will make you cold. It's easier to wear one less core layer than you think but more accessories (gloves, neck gaiter/buff, beanie) that you can take off if you start too warm than it is to dress down a core layer. Most of the time in the cold, you can regulate core temp just by adjusting how insulated your extremities are.
- STAY CLEAN. Seriously, don't forget to wipe yourself down at the end of the day, brush your teeth, and wash your face and hands with nice soap. Everyone appreciates personal hygiene!
- BE COMFORTABLE. Its camping, not punishment! There's no reason to not find the solution that keeps you toasty if it means you're more likely to get out there. All the little quality of life upgrades add up.
- ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE. Eat good food, exercise your body, sleep well, and bring friends. If you're not enjoying it, fix what sucks.
Guess what? CORGI BUTT
For context, I like to set up a base camp and hang out for a while and do day hikes, backcountry splitboarding, 4wheeling or just let the dogs guide the way. Comfort is priority, ease of setup/size/use is a close 2nd, cost comes 3rd. Some other constraints: all items in the bed MUST fit with tonneau cover closed, be robust enough to handle miles of offroading, and wherever possible be multi-season/multi-functional. And as always, I'm not going to list anything I wouldn't recommend, even if it's not perfect for me, it's still worked well.
Warning: lots of photos and bonus points if you identify the camping locations
Sleep
- Home Depot HD Tarp ground cover, for $12 you cant beat the price. It's perfectly sized as a footprint for the tent, reducing moisture intrusion and heat transfer into the cold ground! Doubles as a tonneau cover because mine STILL DOESNT FRIGGIN WORK.
- Gazelle T3/T4 tents, set up in 2min, robust hardware, nice and roomy, don't collapse in the wind, sturdy floor and zippers, and good for everything but heavy rain, but who wants to camp in heavy rain anyway. The T3 fits the mattress perfectly with a nice corridor at the entryway for gear. Can confirm they can handle several inches of fresh snow.
- Exped MegaMat Duo 10 mattress fits in the truck bed and tent perfectly and is amazingly comfy. Pair it with their little electric widget pump and when properly inflated you lose pretty much NO heat to the ground, even when on snow.
- Exped MegaSleep Duo 25/40 double sleeping bag, the halves can be unzipped to be quilts which the pups mostly use but I'll snag one half if it gets REALLY cold (<20F). Dog tested, Rexbo approved.
- Stoic Bivy Suit you laugh, but this is my new FAVORITE piece of gear, and worth the ~$100. They pack down to the same size as a mummy bag, keep me warm and comfy with just pajamas underneath down to about 30F, don't get all bound up and restrictive, and don't fall off like quilts. Also, it makes getting up in the morning (or middle of the night) just that much easier because you don't even need to get out of the bag! Get some of that Phil energy:
- Mr Heater brand Buddy heater on a 20lb bottle will comfortably run on low 2-3 nights when all of the above just isn't warm enough (generally <10F), keeping me and the dogs toasty warm in the tent when it got down to 5F overnight. Built-in tip-over switch has saved me several times when the dogs get too excited, and safe for indoor use!
Pro Tip: having a door mat outside and a foam mat inside helps to keep everything cleaner, and the foam mat doubles as a dog mat by the fire and hiking rest during the day.
Base Camp
- Snow Peak hexa evo pro canopy tarp. Clutch for desert camping, smaller than an ezup, handles wind better, and has an accessory that lets you have the fire under it if you expect rain or snow. You can drop the sides for some more wind break or keep them up to cool off in summer.
- Snow Peak Takibi large fire pit with floga walls. Hands down the best portable fire pit ever. Minimize your footprint in nature by not having to make rock rings, nearly zero smoke, radiates a ton of heat not only up but down to your feet, and folds flat. There's also a grill addon once you have a nice bed of coals to bbq over.
- Therm-a-rest classic Foam pad, I cut one in half ~30 years ago and never found a reason to retire it, and use it every trip, be it for kneeling, sitting on rocks, in the tent, as a dog bed, or if I gotta get under the truck for something.
- Table, I still haven't found the right solution yet, but so far this cheapo amazon one has been ok. Open to suggestions!
- Chairs, again, still searching for the right solution. The Target backpack folding beach chairs are good, but they don't fold down small enough for my liking.
Pro tip: Especially in the desert, bringing an old carpet to throw down so you can take shoes off is LUXURIOUS.
Cooking/Kitchen
- Bodega T36 38qt powered cooler, so far, when it works its great, and hard to find ones that fit under the tonneau. Unfortunately, it's not waterproof can't be left out in the rain or snow, which is an issue. I've toasted one faceplate already, and if it rains the water seeps into the storage compartment.
- Lodge 9" cast iron skillet. Last pan you'll ever need in life. The combo here is unbeatable. Season them, cook on them, love them.
- Duxtop 1800W 9120MC induction cooktop, its done well on its own, but I've ordered the double burner here with griddle as recommended by @swhme since the extra side burner would come in handy.
- Aroma ASP-137 grillet electric pot. I really like doing a hot pot or stew/chili and this thing does the trick. Its nice being able to keep something simmering as you eat it, and can also double as a rice cooker (it took the place of the above gas grill). Plus the outside is plastic so it doesn't break easily. This may get obsoleted by the dual burner cooktop though. We'll see.
- Stoke Voltaics Joulle electric kettle. Boils water for coffee/tea quickly and has a continuous setting to make ramen. Solid addition, if only the lid fit properly.
- Snow Peak Ti-Single 600 cup. THIS SHIT NESTS YO
- Insulated stainless bowls, nobody likes when your food cools off instantly, or having to hold a hot bowl! Cheap stainless bowls on amazon are great car camping additions!
- GSI Microlite 720 24oz water bottle, vacuum flask and twist lid with d-ring. Good for backpacking, day hikes and around camp. Keeps shit cold & warm, and cheap, and the lid doesn't freeze shut or have any of those random things to clean.
- Custom made tailgate surface. It always annoyed me at having to work around the ridges, so I made my own that snaps into the features and doesn't move around.
Extra pro tip: For stainless steel vacuum cups, mugs, tumblers and such, weirdly the art supply store Michaels has a huge selection for DIRT cheap.
Truck Packing - where does all this crap go?
Frunk - All the sleep/clothing
- Clothes bag or 35L day pack (same size)
- Exped Megamat Duo 10
- Exped Megasleep Duo
- Stoic Bivy Suit
- Pillow
Gear Tunnel - Dirty/Wet/Bulky stuff
- Gazelle tent (this can also go on bed rack if short on enclosed space), usually stacked on top of my snowboard bag.
- Recovery Gear & emergency tool bag
- Tarp
- Snow Peak Canopy
- Boots and shoes
Bed - Weatherproof & bulky stuff
- Pelican BX135 hard case with all kitchen and other loose camping items in it. Lockable and water-tight, so far it has been worth every penny and keeps things organized and theft-proof.
- Custom tailgate topper
- Buddy heater + propane bottle forward and secured via tie downs.
- Bodega powered cooler
- Folding chair
- Snow Peak Tabiki grill
Bed Rack
- Ace Hardware Shovel, always get the metal-handled ones!
- Husky Axe, in case you need to chop wood, ice or bodies. Lifetime warranty!
- Pocket Chainsaw, I've had to use this a couple times when there are fallen trees from winter storms across the road, and you'd be at it all day with the axe!
- Recovery boards, these things are dumb and gimmicky but I carry them anyway because of that one time they were useful to change a tire.
- ASR 7/8" x 30' kinetic recovery rope w/hard & soft shackles, everyone should have one of these.
- Firewood, to feed the beast.
Helpful Hint: Don't forget to tie things down!
HONORABLE MENTIONS & GEAR
- Sorel 1964 PAC snow boot, I've had my set for nearly 10 years and they have stayed warm and waterproof through snowshoeing, light hiking and many adventures. Add in some thermal insoles and warm socks, and your feet will never be cold. The inner liners can be removed at night to dry out in front of the buddy heater
- Carhartt Yukon Extremes coveralls, I really got tired of swapping pants & jackets all the time, so for around-camp use, these coveralls are the way to go. Wear these during the day, switch into the bivy suit at night! HUGE CAVEAT: the new nylon ones aren't nearly as nice as the older-model duck material coveralls. If you can find the older style, they're much nicer.
- Buff neckwear, aka the snood if you're English. I didn't think it would be as useful as it was, but these are great for quick and easy body temperature regulation.
- Outdoor Research Methow Pants, these things are durable, warm, instant drying and not hideous. These are great for not only every day use, but also hiking, snowshoeing and even spring snowboarding. Their lightweight cousin the Cirque light pants are great for summer too.
- LED rechargeable headband, yes, its cheap & Chinese, but its the most useful thing. hang it around your neck and turn it on, and you've got your own floodlight, waterproof and gets ~6hrs of light hands-free. At $10 you dont need to worry about breaking them.
- Zippo hand warmer and power bank. Having two of these running in the breast pockets of coveralls to grab onto when your fingers get cold is incredible.
- Ruffwear Powder Hound dog jacket, Blaster gets cold easily with her short hair and this kept her cozy. Master goes commando and is good down to ~25F before he starts getting chilly. Hardy little bastard.
Final winter/snow camping thoughts
- Sure, it can get cold. But nature has seasons, and each of them have their own beauty. Appreciate them all. This one just takes a little more preparation and gear.
- STAY DRY. Bring enough under layers to change out of wet/damp clothes immediately, and avoid cotton (except for sleepwear) because it will stay damp forever.
- MANAGE SWEAT. Remember staying dry? Getting sweaty means getting wet, which will make you cold. It's easier to wear one less core layer than you think but more accessories (gloves, neck gaiter/buff, beanie) that you can take off if you start too warm than it is to dress down a core layer. Most of the time in the cold, you can regulate core temp just by adjusting how insulated your extremities are.
- STAY CLEAN. Seriously, don't forget to wipe yourself down at the end of the day, brush your teeth, and wash your face and hands with nice soap. Everyone appreciates personal hygiene!
- BE COMFORTABLE. Its camping, not punishment! There's no reason to not find the solution that keeps you toasty if it means you're more likely to get out there. All the little quality of life upgrades add up.
- ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE. Eat good food, exercise your body, sleep well, and bring friends. If you're not enjoying it, fix what sucks.
Guess what? CORGI BUTT
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