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Quote: Originally posted by Merry on 18/7/2010

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Does your Montreal have a kitchen panel?

If it was me, I'd want a canvas tent which was as small as possible (for ease of keeping it warm) plus big enough for me to be comfortable and enjoy spending time inside. I'd also want to be able to do at least some basic cooking inside - bobbing in and out to a kitchen tent could be a pain and any sort of outdoors cooking would be even worse I think as the food would be chilled by the cold air as fast as the heat source was trying to warm it.

An interesting project to think about. I have camped in April and Sept/early Oct when the weather was very fine by day but freeeezing at night, which was fine. With the right kit and the right campsite I think I could do cold but short days, wet, mud - I'm not so sure. Although I might give it a go if my favourite campsite woul donly stay open beyond the end of September

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Montreal has no separate kitchen, but is highly likely i will cook in the main tent (not faffing with kitchen tent in winter) 

The tent situation is under review at the moment...(maybe a couple to sell and one to buy...)

i am looking at going away in the winter months, but without EHU!!!

Val i would suggest that you invest in a woodburner for the belltent!!

i am hoping that it will suffice as cooking and heating, will keep it shut down at night so should stay snug.

having recently done a bit of a stock take and realised that ihave over 25 'camping' blankets, i dont think that layers will be an issue for us!! feather duvets are better then the polyester variety, for under and over!! if you have any eiderdowns, they are fab to put over a 2/3 season sleeping bag. if you can invest in a feather filled sleeping bag, even better, (but personally i dont like the restriction of a sleeping bag!)

i am sure that in a few months time i will be asking very similar questions!

Quote: Originally posted by tinallkn4 on 18/7/2010

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i am looking at going away in the winter months, but without EHU!!!

Val i would suggest that you invest in a woodburner for the belltent!!

i am hoping that it will suffice as cooking and heating, will keep it shut down at night so should stay snug.

having recently done a bit of a stock take and realised that ihave over 25 'camping' blankets, i dont think that layers will be an issue for us!! feather duvets are better then the polyester variety, for under and over!! if you have any eiderdowns, they are fab to put over a 2/3 season sleeping bag. if you can invest in a feather filled sleeping bag, even better, (but personally i dont like the restriction of a sleeping bag!)

i am sure that in a few months time i will be asking very similar questions!

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I have thought over the woodburner option for the bell tent (a lot!) and may still get one, but I still don't think it will be the best option in the really cold weather

The pipsqueak stoves are about 2.5kw output and the larger woodburners that are still portable are about 4kw.  Bearing in mind I have ehu, i can replicate this heat with fan heater/radiator.  In April when i camped i had about 3kw of heat blasting but it was still pretty cold at night, and if I want to go in more extreme weather, I don't think the bell tent is going to be the best option

I would also worry about running the stove all through the night, the tent will soon chill with no heat

I have tonnes of blankets, throws, sleeping bag etc so bedding isn't really a worry (my nose gets cold in bed and that it)

Love the bell tent for the spring/summer weekends but realistically thinking a smaller canvas one pole option will be better for the colder weather

Will wait for your verdict first with the bell tent, and let you test it!

Winter camping is fantastic - as long as you are well prepared. As many have already said, sites are really quiet so you have choice of pitch. Also facilities hardly used - we we went in february with Andy & gang we had the facilities to ourselves and we were close - nearly as good as en suite  - and me being the only female - well, choice of showers each morning!!

Take lots of bedding - plenty for under the airbed (if you have self inflating mats they are far warmer). Layers of clothes - lots of thin layers are better than a couple of thick layers. Hot water bottle, hat & gloves for in bed keep you cosy. Plenty of good lighting and books, magazines etc as the evenings are really long. Plan warming food, one pot casseroles, rice & curry etc. Hot drink before bed and get your PJ's on early - then you'll feel warm getting into bed.

Propane as mentioned by others - or alternative means of cooking. A small canvas tent is much easier to keep warm and is very snug. Oversized groundsheet lapped up the sides if you haven't got a sig to make an effective seal from draughts and definitely a carpet and rugs in the bedroom pod.

Waking up to snow outside is great!!

how do you stop your nose getting cold?? conundrum!!!!!!! its the one thing that wakes me! and i cant work out how to solve it!!!

my woodburner is a 5kw, so am hoping it will make a difference. (one of the reasons that i didnt get the pipsqueak!!!)

i think that really, at heart, i am just a bit of an old pikey, and want to do it without ehu !!!

i'm a softy

also warn me where you're camping raf, i will sh*te myself if i see a bloke walking around in a balaclava

hmmmm...?!

Quote: Originally posted by valbarley on 18/7/2010

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I've got 2 ehu leads, if campsite is that quiet could snaffle the next ehu if no ones there!

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Psssssssst! That's what I did when I was at Cofton over the New Year weekend!

I batch-cook a lot in the cooler months, curries, chilli, spag bog sauce, soups etc., and portion them in tubs to keep in the freezer. I would take one out to thaw, add some pre-cooked starch like rice, cous cous or pasta, and take to work to heat up in the microwave, along with a small tub of veg.

I would raid the freezer for food for camping over winter rather than to cook from scratch, just need to cook some starch and stir-fry some veg and I am done.  

DK