Thousands of stars and the Milky Way can be seen above ice campers on the Flaming Gorge in southwest Wyoming. Michael Smith/For the Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Ice camping and fishing gear are pictured outside a shelter on a recent camping/fishing trip to the Flaming Gorge in southwest Wyoming. Michael Smith/For the Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Interior view of a Jose Vasquez’s shelter set up for ice camping on the Flaming Gorge in southwest Wyoming. Michael Smith/For the Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Foam floor times help insulate your shelter and provide a dry surface to walk on when ice camping. Michael Smith/For the Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Two ice camping shelters are seen in use during a recent trip to Flaming Gorge in southwest Wyoming. Michael Smith/For the Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Thousands of stars and the Milky Way can be seen above ice campers on the Flaming Gorge in southwest Wyoming. Michael Smith/For the Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Ice camping and fishing gear are pictured outside a shelter on a recent camping/fishing trip to the Flaming Gorge in southwest Wyoming. Michael Smith/For the Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Interior view of a Jose Vasquez’s shelter set up for ice camping on the Flaming Gorge in southwest Wyoming. Michael Smith/For the Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Foam floor times help insulate your shelter and provide a dry surface to walk on when ice camping. Michael Smith/For the Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Two ice camping shelters are seen in use during a recent trip to Flaming Gorge in southwest Wyoming. Michael Smith/For the Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Have you got a bad case of cabin fever? Are you looking for a little adventure? Spending the night on a floating sheet of ice is one cure for winter boredom.
With the right gear and a little outdoors spirit, ice camping is a great way to target night feeding fish and get out of the house.
The advent of durable, lightweight pop-up ice fishing shelters over the past 10 years has given a home both to the hardcore and the not-so-hardcore ice fishing community. Pop-up shelters are affordable and come in sizes that fit your needs. These quick-setup ice tents can be secured to the ice and are the first item you need on your ice camping list.
Another essential ice camping item is a heater. The Mr. Heater Buddy brand propane heater is a lightweight solution to keeping the shelter toasty warm on frigid nights. The heaters come in various sizes, and can either be fueled using a one-pound bottle of propane or can be connected to larger 20-pound propane bottles for extended stays.
Mr. Heater buddy heaters also have safety features like an Oxygen Depletion Sensor and accidental tip-over safety shut-off. Using a propane heater will require venting the shelter (most shelters have them built in) and a carbon monoxide detector for overnight stays. Elevating your heater off the ice on a cooler or crate will also help keep your floor dry.
Two other must-have items for ice camping are a warm sleeping bag and a sturdy cot. Sleeping on the hard, cold ice is a great way to wake up grumpy and cold.
The last important item to consider is a light source. A combination of head lamps, rechargeable lanterns and flashlights will help keep you safe and oriented inside and outside the shelter.
A few other items that are not essential, but help quite a bit are foam floor tiles, slippers, a rechargeable fan and a wool blanket. Floor tiles help insulate the shelter and give the camper a dry surface to walk on. Slippers help with tracking in snow and make it easier to move around in the hut. A rechargeable fan helps circulate the warmer air stuck at the top of the hut down to lower areas. A wool blanket is great for a quick warm up or sleeping on warmer nights.
Hand warmers, food, water, a bluetooth speaker, pillow and a wide range of gear can make your stay on the ice more comfortable. An overnight stay will require a couple of loads in your sled to get it all on the ice.
The stars on a clear night, coupled with the frozen surface of the lake, can feel like camping on the moon. Waking up to catching a fish in your pajamas is pretty sweet, too.
As with anything you do in Wyoming, check the weather a few times. Camping in wind greater than 20 mph could be a challenge and noisy inside the shelter. Setting up camp during the day with time to check ice thickness is also a safe practice.
Good luck out there, and if you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to email fotosmitty@gmail.com.
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