Coldest Temp you have camped/hunted in?

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Feb 1, 2018
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I was looking at the forecast for my upcoming elk hunt and noticed it is supposed to get down to 3 degrees at night. That got me wondering what is the coldest others have camped and/or hunted at? I love the cold weather for hunting as it seems to really get the animals moving but I sure am glad I will have a canvas tent and Mr Buddy heater to go back to!
 

ODB

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About -2. We slept on the snow and overnight my body heat through the bag and pad created a layer of ice under my tent, so that while sleeping I slid about 4’. That was a fun trip.
 
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Didnt have a thermometer, but was on top of a mountain in the northwest territories during a multi day snow storm, with winds that almost blew our tent away. Get the Zero degree bag, and take good goose down upper and lower layers.
 

FLAK

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Nothing seriously brutal but low teens documented in both Id., and Ak.
Coldest I've ever been when hunting was in Tn.( single digits and a stiff, steady wind).
 
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Joined
Oct 19, 2012
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Western Montana
I've hunted in -40 degree weather but we did not camp out guess I should say we stayed in a camper and not in a tent.. It was COLD. We stayed in a pickup camper and the heater did not work very well! With four of us in the camper it was so cold that a 5 gallon bucket of water on the floor froze solid in the night.

Stayed by myself in a little tent when it was about - 20 to -30 below with no heater. I did have my Jeep nearby so I could warm up if need be. Since I was "truck camping" I had 2 sleeping bags, a blanket, and plenty of warm clothing. It never warmed up in the daytime either, it just stayed cold.

A more recent adventure was a few years ago and it was -20 degrees and I camped by myself for 4 days. I had lots of firewood and built fires to warm up and take the chill off but it was cold in the tent. Worse thing was waking up and then having to get your pants and shirts on and frozen boots!
 

*zap*

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-35 temps in a slide in camper with electric. Snowed in @ that spot for more than a week. N/W Missouri.
 
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Rich M

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Around -10 in a canvas wall tent with buddy heater. The heat just dissipated into the air and only went about 2-3 ft from the heater. It was enough to keep the biting cold off.
 
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I did not have a thermometer with me, but a buddy and I spent a full week in an unheated tent with temperatures that never got close to above freezing during the days. It was brutal.
 
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-8 on the evening I arrived, daily average temp 13* with constant wind and snow for all but two hours then entire week. I stayed off the ground in a Clark hammock.

IMG_0267.jpg

 
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Jun 6, 2013
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IL
Camped on the ice when ice fishing. -37* No stove or heater, just a dog.

Had good bags and draped some tarps over my buddy and I in our bags with the dog in between us. Wore balaclavas to sleep.

We were comfortable for the most part, but had to wake up every hour or so to stuff the tip of our noses into our fists.

To this day, we still admonish each other about perceived selfishness with the phrase, “Quit hogging the dog!”
 

Laramie

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-40 one time when I young and a lot tougher. If you wear the right clothing and have a good sleeping bag, you can endure pretty brutal cold.
 

coiloil37

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Jul 24, 2013
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Oz
I’ve called coyotes in -55 a few times. They respond better when it’s cold.
Big game though, in the -40’s.

That would need to be converted for you Americans so -55 Celsius is -67 Fahrenheit.
 
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ewade07

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Dec 26, 2017
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MONTANA
what a timely thread. my bro and i spiked out last year about 6 miles from the truck in -5 temperatures at night for 2 nights. thank god for the cimarron and a stove. heading out this weekend in MT and the lows are forecasted for -5 to -10. should be interesting...
 
Joined
Dec 22, 2017
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Maryland
Coldest I've slept in a tent is probably 10F, in the Dolly Sods wilderness of WV when I was about 26 (in 96), in the same zero degree western mountaineering bag (kodiak)I have today.

Coldest I've ever been was -40, blowing about 40. --In the south sandwich islands on the deck of a ship. Had good layers on with wet gear over top, and every orifice taped shut with tape, including goggles. And in 15 minutes I was freezing my ass off, hoping i could go back inside.
 

5MilesBack

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One year my thermometer got down to -15 and froze there.....wouldn't budge. So have no idea if it got colder or not. Another time my cousin shot a cow at 0730. We split her open and gutted her then kept hunting. We came back at noon and the cow was frozen solid. Not for me anymore. I'll take 70 degree days every day in September, and prefer the lows in the mid to upper 40's. But I've also shot 3D in February in -8 temps. Those are some hard arrows to pull, even with lube.
 
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