Beginner Winter Camping/Meet & Greet Social/Hike

This one-night winter camping trip is designed for both beginner and intermediate camper/backpacker trying out winter camping for the first time or maybe you had a horrible fail last time and bought some new stuff to try out. We’ll provide a safe place to put yourself and your gear to the test for cold weather. We can talk about ideas, what others do to keep warm, and the different type of gear for backpacking and for regular camping. Take advantage of this experience and simulate a winter trip. If you want to expand into winter backpacking only bring your backpack and the gear you will use, if you like loading up your car and doing regular camping bring those items. We will have a large, heated tent set up just in case you get cold in the middle of the night and want to move in there. If you want to try out winter hammock camping, we have lots of trees. We will also have flush bathrooms on site.

We have two very friendly dogs and other friendly dogs are more than welcome. We only ask that you clean up after them, and make sure and bring warm jackets/blankets for them. Don’t forget a chair for sitting around the campfire!

Saturday
Head over to our place any time after 9:30am and get your tent/area set up. We have a large area so don’t worry about the size of your tent if you are doing “regular” camping and not “backpack” camping. Hang out and meet everyone, then at around 11am we will head off to get a nice hike in at either Mirror Lake, Devil's Lake or Quincy Bluff and Wetlands State Natural Area which are all close by. We can decide which one as a group and carpool over. State parking passes will be needed. Afterwards we can head back for lunch that you brought or stop on the way to grab something at a local restaurant in town. After we get back, we can go around and look at everyone’s set ups, discuss what they like about it, what they are trying new, what happened wrong last time, why they chose those certain items, offer suggestions and then relax. In the evening we will sit around the fire, socialize more and have the dinner that you brought.

Sunday
Enjoy the breakfast you brought and for those who would like to, we can carpool and go on a after breakfast hike, or you can pack up and head home.

Weather
This is a winter trip, please check the weather forecast and come prepared for cold temperatures, and with warm sleeping gear for inside your tent.

Directions
This will be happening in the Wisconsin Dells at a private residence, the address will be given before the event.

Fees
This is a free event.