OT: Winter Camping

Hey there TKPers!

I'm going camping in Green Ridge State Forest in western MD this coming weekend and as I've been getting ready for the trip I've been thinking about some of the fun stories that have come out of my annual winter camping trips so I thought I'd check in with TKP and see who has done it? What kind of wild experiences have you had? Would you do it again? So drop in and share some of your wild camping stories (winter, or otherwise)!

A little background: My brothers and I (4 of us, and I'm the youngest by a good clip) try to go camping every year. For some reason, we always end up camping in February and for a few years we've managed to pick a date (usually months in advance) that happens to be the coldest weekend of the winter where we're going. Last year it got down into the single digits over night and was windy AF. We usually go camping at primitive sites and have grown fond of the selection Green Ridge State Forest offers. It's relatively close to a couple of my brothers (which is good for them since they have families, young children, etc.) and the sites are, well, primitive. Fire pit and picnic bench. That's the full list of amenities. That's how we like it. (they are drive-up sites which is good but 4WD is recommended since the roads aren't terribly well maintained. A civic will make it to most sites on a nice day in the Summer when there hasn't been a week of rain but 4WD is almost certainly going to be required if there is a fresh 6+ inches of snow on the track)

What I'm walking into this year: I've been looking at spotwx.com (a great resource for outdoorsy folks) and the various models show that the campground we're going to is expecting anywhere from 3-13 inches of snow the day before we arrive (I think realistically we'll see about 6+). Some predictions on the low temps are projecting 9 degrees Saturday night. It's gonna be chilly! We're planning on arriving after lunch and 4X4ing into the woods to set up camp.

Gear: We usually try to keep it pretty simple. We all kind of like "roughing it". For this trip I'm taking a 0 degree sleeping bag with two sleeping pads and a really cheap (shi**y) tent I got for free. I'm also bringing some tarps for a little extra layer between the ground and the tent as well as some wind-block. I'll be relying on good base layers and other cold gear to stay warm. Otherwise, it's going to be fire and good food to keep the spirits up. We don't have camping stoves so we'll be cooking all our meals over the fire.

I'm really excited for this camping trip and I'm looking forward to getting out into the snow! I want to hear some of your crazy/funny/unbelievable camping stories!

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Directions from Blacksburg to whoville, go north till you smell it then go east until you step in it

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You will see this game, this upset and this sign next on ESPN Sportscenter. Virginia Tech 31 Miami 7

His decision was made after a phone call with longtime Virginia Tech assistant coach Bud Foster. All Foster told him was, "We win. They don't."