Living large in the Teepee

Glowing woodstove and Lucy Light makes for happy campers

Another great aspect about fly out camping is that you can bring along a bit more camp than you would if you had to hike up to the alpine.  We tried to keep it somewhat light because the floatplane rates are based on weight - if you can get under 800 pounds total weight there is a significant cost savings.  But 800 pounds is a lot of gear (even with people weight included) and we managed to carry 100 pounds of firewood, an extra 'meat shelter' tent, an electric fence, and even a cooler of beer and still 'make weight'.  It helped that both tents, woodstove, and fence all together weighed under 15 pounds total.

Living in a teepee with a woodstove is living large.  We did most of our cooking on the woodstove, and heated water on Gregg's MSR Reactor.  A 'Lucy Lantern' gas mantle that fits onto a propane can provided both light and extra heat.  Every morning at 5 AM Lisa's barking dog iphone alarm would go off and I'd ignite the Lucy Lantern and light up the woodstove.  And then, as Gregg put it, he'd get up when he felt the 'heat of the woodstove' on his face.

Our general routine was to hunt from first light until around noon (when we'd arrive back at camp loaded down with deer meat), eat lunch, and then siesta time until dinner and 'hang out by the stove time'.  The teepee would get a little too warm from the sun in the afternoon, and yet it would still be a little too cool if you napped outside, and so we moved about quite a bit.  We'd glass for deer on the hillsides, Lisa would do her art, and we'd read books.  Lisa remarked, 'it's rare that you get to nap by a lake and not feel guilty'. Evening was all about cooking the big meal.  And then after an all too brief sleep the barking dog signaled the beginning of another day.  Patrick

Quesadillas on the woodstove

Teepee Kitchen

Glassing from camp - Afternoon down time

Scary pre-sunrise ritual

Waiting for pick up with all our gear and meat