Camping in Central WY

[Cedarsavage]

I've read a couple things here about Wyoming and wind. Anyway, I have a point for WY, and thinking about doing a diy hunt this October. With other adventures I can't really afford to do them and sleep in a motel. Do you think it's reasonable to try and camp on BLM in a walmart tent with cold weather bags and clothes that week? Or would you try and sleep under a tonneau cover in your truck? I guess my only real fear is if it's blowing like crazy being miserable, and having my tent get trashed, cuz I've had that happen before. Is the wind that bad? How likely is nasty weather the first few days of rifle? Could you just camp in a low spot or on the downwind side of your pickup? I've camped quite a bit, so that's not a big deal, but other than Nebraska in '17 I haven't hunted open country. That was cold and windy but I stayed in a motel. I deal with alot of wind here but we have enough trees that you could stay out of it. From what the biologist said it seems like weather can be windy and 20 degrees up to 70, which honestly isn't too different from here.

Thanks

 

[JLW66]

i hunted southwest of Casper a few years ago, area 23 for elk. You have hit on some points that i was wondering about before i went. I had a topper on my truck and slept in there. The wind gusted up to 35-40 one day, but for the most part it was 5-10. You are correct about the lack of trees in most of the areas of BLM. You might find some broken hilly terrain and get out of the bad weather that way, but I believe that most people will say go for it. Its worth the possible discomfort of sleeping under the tonneau cover a night or two. Best of luck.

 

[sgdevries]

It shouldn't be too cold, but it will be windy. If you are from the UP, you probably have an ice house and a buddy heater, good way to truck camp too if its looking to be really cold. Be a little careful running a heater in there, but they have auto shut offs and you can get a CO detector. I also run 8 inch lag screws for frozen ground stake outs that work pretty well, just bring a cordless impact. Living in ND we deal with the winds too and the truck doesn't offer near the protection nor comfort a guy wants at the end of a long day of hiking and glassing. You honestly wont have to stay any longer than you want though for most antelope units in Wyoming.

 

[manitou1]

I have had 5 mph winds in October, and I have had 65 mph winds the next day. I suppose you go with the tent and if it gets shredded, move to a motel.

 

[Cedarsavage]

I have had 5 mph winds in October, and I have had 65 mph winds the next day. I suppose you go with the tent and if it gets shredded, move to a motel.

That's a good idea, I have gotten my money's worth out of that tent so if it gets trashed it wouldn't be the end of the world. My wife's cousin went there with the same plan, he said after a few days of the wind he was glad to get an excuse to go to a motel.

 

[Cedarsavage]

It shouldn't be too cold, but it will be windy. If you are from the UP, you probably have an ice house and a buddy heater, good way to truck camp too if its looking to be really cold. Be a little careful running a heater in there, but they have auto shut offs and you can get a CO detector. I also run 8 inch lag screws for frozen ground stake outs that work pretty well, just bring a cordless impact. Living in ND we deal with the winds too and the truck doesn't offer near the protection nor comfort a guy wants at the end of a long day of hiking and glassing. You honestly wont have to stay any longer than you want though for most antelope units in Wyoming.

Yes I have a buddy heater. I try not to use it in a tent, usually use my floorless with a stove when it's cold, but that early I figured snakes might still be out. I planned on buying one of those soft tonneau knock-offs but maybe I'll look around and see if I can find a decent topper. I was thinking 3 days would be enough from what I've heard but the biologist recommended more like 5 in case they were on private for a day or so. Honestly I wouldn't be too picky, I'd go for a bigger buck, but if I came home with any buck I'd be satisfied. I'm mainly in it to get my feet wet on western hunting. Idk enough about their horns to be able to say anything other than he's big or he's not so big.

 

[wytx]

You could get a foot of snow, just never know. A walmart tent is not one I would want to camp in but that's just me. Truck camping works fine. Can you borrow a topper instead of a tonneau cover?

 

[BeaverHunter]

I’ve camped in a Walmart tent in west central Wyoming at 8000 feet in October and I never had any issues. Besides it being cold as hell and a foot of snow falling in one night. After I punched my tag on a small 5 point bull I noticed I was the only guy in a tent. I’ve camped in there in a tent multiple times since and always been ok. And that was in an area thick with grizzlies. You should be fine. In my opinion.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

I'd bring the tent to stretch out if its not windy but provisions to just crash in the truck if the weather sucks. I run a pop up truck camper which with the top down is similar to a truck canopy (a bit more headroom) and find that handy for just pulling over and jumping in the back to sleep on BLM or a rest stop for a few hours, etc. (I usually leave the top down when solo, I have enough room to sit/lay down/etc.) I can move around wherever I want and don't have to get back to anywhere in particular at the end of the night, that's what's nice about sleeping in the back of the truck (mine is just a more contained situation). Antelope hunting is cushy compared to back country, I pack a portable DVD player and have a beer/watch a movie at the end of the night.

 

[Ndbowhunter]

We do it.

Get a mountainsmith lt shelter

85$ and good to go up t 80 or 90 knots. It had died a bit when we made it back to the truck.

 

[Cedarsavage]

Lots of good info here, thanks. I think I'll run with the idea of take the tent sleep in the truck if I have to, motel if need be. those mountainsmith tents look good, but I think I'll hold off til the walmart tent takes a crap. I have a decent amount of nights in it might as well keep going til it's toast. If i don't draw a bear tag here I'll probably do nodak in september so I can get an idea of the wind there too.

 

[WyoBowhunter21]

I would sleep in the truck. I am not sure exactly where you are planning to hunt but this year in Casper we have had a couple days with clocked wind at 90 mph. Not gusting. While hunting this year there was definitely times my truck was moving and I was glad I wasn’t in a tent. There are people that were in tents where I was but they had springbar or kodiak canvas. My advice is to try and find one on a classifieds ad or sleep in the pickup. I have a topper not a tonneau so I have some more room in my camp so I really enjoy that.

 

[Jimss]

I grew up in Wyo and hunt there just about every year. If it were me I'd put a topper on your truck and not worry about dealing with a tent getting shredded and your gear ending up in Nebraska! A topper on the truck allows you to remain mobile and enjoy your hunt rather than worrying about your camp! I would also advise a shovel and possibly chains. Most roads turn to gumbo when wet. Bring lots of water and possibly an extra gas can. I hope this helps!

 

[tntrker]

Kuddos to you all. Years ago I bought Cameron Haynes Backcountry hunting to get prepared for my "Jeremiah Johnson dream hunt". I'm not scared of running into black bears here while camping or hunting, but I just got that deep Soul feeling of DANGER while planning a trip out there. Mountain Lions and Griz, a griz like the movie "the Edge" stopped that. Headed to my 2nd guided hunt, Montana last year & WY 2021. I guess it's like getting into a cold pool, ease in maybe...But then again, I'm from back East..

 

[Historybuff]

I camp cental Wyoming blm multiple times a year. Most the time I use a Kodiak canvas swag 1 person tent. I've been in it at 20 degrees and 50+ mph winds and you can't even tell the wind is blowing. It has a big pad in it as well and I always sleep like a baby in it. Just no room for anything but sleep in it.

 

[hutty]

Myself and my buddies have camped in Central Wyoming the last 3 years for lope and mule deer (deer region 29/31 and lope 113). We usally do 7-10 days every year from late sept to mid october. We have experienced all weather. Snow, sleet, rain, cold down to 10 degrees, heat up to 89, and one day of wind gusts up to 65.

We use cabelas the Alaskan guide series tents and never had a single issue. 30 plus days of use and no issues. For fold weather we all have mr heaters which do a great job of keeping it comfortable in the tent. Look forward to that trip every year.

 

[NateK]

We did it in 2017 on our first trip. I think it was a Columbia 4 man tent. We tried pitching it immediately downwind of our vehicle on the downwind side of a small ridge and it still got pretty dang loud when the wind kicked up. The tent never failed but it was difficult to get a good nights sleep! We ended up sleeping in the back of our explorer and using the tent for gear storage so you could always take your cheap tent as plan A knowing you could move to the truck bed if it came down to that. I think (but don't know) that pretty much every smaller shelter is going to be moving and noisy in central Wyoming winds its just a matter of to what degree and will it fail.

 

[rbljack]

If it were me I'd put a topper on your truck and not worry about dealing with a tent getting shredded and your gear ending up in Nebraska! A topper on the truck allows you to remain mobile and enjoy your hunt rather than worrying about your camp! I would also advise a shovel and possibly chains. Most roads turn to gumbo when wet. Bring lots of water and possibly an extra gas can. I hope this helps!

x2/ this! Do a few searched on the net showing camp set ups in the back of pick up trucks, and get some ideas. I wouldn't go with the tonneau cover, Get a topper so you have some headroom and comfort IMO. There is another option as well....they make tents that can mount in the bed of your truck. Gets you off the ground, and they seem to be fairly sturdy in the windy conditions. I have one for the back of my avalanche, and it held up fairly well in 30 mph wind gusting to 40. Don't know how well it would fair above that though. I think camping in the back of the truck under a topper is your best option though because gear is dry, you have a place to sleep out of the wind, and you can remain mobile/switch spots at a moments notice.

 

[Pro953]

On a side note, one essential piece of kit for me when sleeping in the wind is earplugs. Nothing worse then trying to sleep and every gust waking you up. Bring extra stakes and lines.


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[EDW]

I have made two trips to WY to hunt speed goats, both trips were in late September. The first trip was uneventful. My second trip could not have been different. I had a 14X16 wall tent which survived the wind with some damage. All of the internal frame pipes were bent a couple 90 degrees. On the third night the wind forced us out of the tent for fear of injury. During this time the winds were sustained 45 MPH with gusts to 70 MPH. After spending a second night in the truck my brother rifle hunted the fifth day. The wind never let up and we struck camp on the morning of the sixth day. I never took my bow out of its case. It was a total bust of a hunt for me. My brother did get one shot. Love WY winds. In the future I will camp in something more stable than a tent. Even in the truck the wind rocked the vehicle to the point where it was very difficult to sleep.