-26° Solo Camping 7 Days | Snowstorms and a Smitty Sled 

Get a lot of questions and some think I'm lying about the temperature (no, I never have). If the title says -30, it should go without saying that that's the LOW for the trip...the temp fluctuates, of course (it's -26C at 1:12:08). So I made a video for the top 11 FAQs I get about winter camping: *1) If it's so cold, why can't you see your breath?* ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-a_nrGUte8dM.html *2) If it's so cold, why is there slush on the lake?* ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-a_nrGUte8dM.html *3) Why aren't you melting snow for water?* ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-a_nrGUte8dM.html *4) What is the temp inside the tent?* ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-a_nrGUte8dM.html *5) Why winter camp at all?* ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-a_nrGUte8dM.html *6) Why aren't you wearing snowshoes?* ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-a_nrGUte8dM.html *7) How do you poop when it's that cold?* ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-a_nrGUte8dM.html *8) Aren't you worried about carbon monoxide from the stove?* ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-a_nrGUte8dM.html *9) Aren't you afraid of animals attacking you? Where's your gun?* ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-a_nrGUte8dM.html8 *10) How you you power your devices?* ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-a_nrGUte8dM.html *11) Why don't you use a floor?* ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-a_nrGUte8dM.html Hope it helps clear some things up.

I’ve done a lot of winter camping in my day. I’m going to offer a few tips I hope you won’t be offended. 1) Pine boughs around your tent make great windbreakers. By the end of the first day you want to have the outside of your tent covered in pine. 2) seal up the bottom of your tent with snow it breaks the wind and insulated. You can pour hot water around the packed snow to create ice, almost making a foundation for your tent. 3) maybe you covered this but food barrel? 4) there might be a reason you didn’t bring a ground sheet or sleeping pad, but again soft pine boughs on the ground before you sleep. 5) I find early early morning is best for ice fishing. You might have better luck that way. Thank you and I hope I didn’t come off as pretentious, I’ve just done this a lot and wanted to share.

Your closing monologue was beautiful and profound! “Nature crawls through time with indifference to my hurried state. The longer I stay in wilderness the more I align with its pace.”

A senior who can no longer make a journey like this so am very grateful to be able to vicariously enjoy your experience. Thank you.

My favorite thing about cold weather camping is the ability to bring perishable foods. The world is my fridge!!

I don't usually follow camping videos. I remember the feeling of the cold. The smell of the wood smoke and the dampness of the sweat from cutting and splitting the wood. The heat from the fire and the sounds of the burnig wood and crunchy snow. You never forget living a life in nature, but memories fade with time. Thanks for helping me remember.

Reminds me of the great philosopher Glenn Villeneuve who said “when I’m out here for a certain amount of time, I stop thinking in words”. To quiet the voice of our inner monologue and go back to a state of being more connected to nature without the frivolities of the modern world and the constant nagging of the ego is powerful, and something we should all strive for.

This video got me motivated to get out in the nature. Packed a backpack with a small tent and went for a day hike to the bay. Kids stayed in the tent, played in the sand and I was fishing near by. And then we hiked back in the dark for one hour. My kids were champs, we all overcame our fears of hiking in the dark, thought we had a flashlight. It was an amazing and refreshing day trip. Thank you for sharing your experience with us!

I am sitting in a bedroom with the central heating on, rubbing my feet to take a little bit of the chill off my skin. While I am watching your video, it reminds me of how extremely grateful I am that I have shelter, clothing and heating and all of the modern day convenience at my disposal. But your video showing how you have endured days of freezing weather, suffering the discomforts, being completely alone and self dependent, it takes a lot of courage and mental fortitude to push through that entire experience. It also makes me thinks of how much tougher that people more than a century ago did not have all of the modern day gears to be able to survive in these cold conditions. I wonder how they did it. Thank you for capturing and sharing your experience (good and bad) to give us a dose of reality and to learn how to do it. I see you do a lot of reading. I recommend reading the Bible too during your down time while camping. God bless you and stay safe as you continue to document these experiences. It helps you appreciate God's creation even more.

Anybody else watch these type vids when you can't sleep? So soothing 😌

As someone who has anxiety before sleep, this helped me wind down this evening and relax. Thank you for this!

I love this show. It calms me down. I fell asleep while watching this last night, woke up and continued playing the video. It's awesome.

As a young child my father was in the army and early on he was stationed in Fairbanks Alaska and he had this obsession about winter camping my mother always thought he was just crazy but she tagged along and so did as kids. We didn’t ever go out for a weekend stay that we didn’t see multiple moose and caribou. We had a fire box just like yours and a military tent that smelled awful it just had that army Oder, but once it was up to smell dissipated immediately. This video took me right back to my childhood with my family thank you for such a wonderful memory.❤

It is 5 am and I can’t sleep. Really lonely. It was really nice to have your hour company and escape “the world” with this nature video!

Wow! I just watched this and it is the first time viewing your channel. I came away with such a sense of peace, awe and wonder. Thank you so much for taking us with you winter camping.

Canadians casually camping in death defying cold while I'm in Texas. I swear as soon as it gets below 60f here, you'll see people in winter coats and it cracks me up. Really nice editing, so many people forget to slow down when it comes to camping videos. Got a sub from me, keep it up.

You're right. A week long trip has a totally different feel than a weekend getaway. You should write a book. You describe your trips in such an awesome way. I've enjoyed this video as I always do!

Thanks for taking me along. You did good .

in college right now and really needed this- been feeling homesick from my small colorado town where camping trips were just a 15 minute drive away, but living vicariously through this video really helped put my mind at ease. thanks a ton, you earned a new sub:)

I'm late to this video so I don't expect you will see my comment, but the production values on this video are incredible and it was so engaging - and also extremely satisfying and relaxing to see your calm approach and quietly competent skills - thank you from the UK! ❄️

Candy for tonight thanks!

I think what most people are trying to say here is, thank you, for taking us with you. We all really appreciate it my friend. The untainted beauty and crisp vibrant colors made us humble.

I am astonished at the fact that you split wood like that, it makes so much sense. So much more economical in terms of effort. It’s just so obvious when you see someone do it the right way.

This was an old one but so needed! You guys are an awesome pair thank you for you time and energy! Know your content is enjoyed!!

New subscriber. Such a relief to watch a wilderness video without all the BS pretense. No craft beer. No fancy strikers. No chef wanna be meals. No phony drama. No pressed coffee. And you are absolutely right, it's not about the fish. It's looking at nature and being amazed by the design. How everything works hand-in-hand. You are the real deal dude. Congratulations.

Les Stroud started all this years ago. It's great to see how many people have taken to th wilderness to fine inner peace and comfort

I was born and raised between Athens and Santorini Greece but I’ve chosen to move and live permanently in the west coast of Northern Norway and now I know a thing or two about blizzards and snowstorms, Greek summer and all that heat was never my thing, I feel blessed and privileged for where I am now! Beautiful video btw keep it up

Now, this guy is camping. Not staying in a cabin, getting his own food when need be, chopping his own wood without a chain saw and in a tent. Props.

Hey, REAL TALK, and I am opening up here.. (deep breathes) So, real life has been .. really, really difficult the last few years. And this is due to loss in the family and a brother fighting over inheritance, global pandemic, social isolation, inability to travel, I hurt myself falling last year, and things just piling up. I haven't had a moment to really work on my health, my mental health, to resolve all these things that just keep happening. But what really gets me through things is tv, movies, and wholesome content like this. Thank you and everybody involved in your youtube channel for sharing your adventures. They aren't 10 minutes and 3 seconds long videos just to please an advertiser. They're an experience and it's hard work under dire conditions sometimes. I wanted to take a moment and say thank you for taking us on these adventures, allowing me personally to escape this stress in life and calm down before going to bed. I have albinism, even with glasses on I have terrible eyesight. And daily headaches, name it.. So being able to get a bit more from Earth through the eyes of others in great quality, and with good narration, .. it honestly means a lot. I can dive a little bit into the Matrix so to speak and be ignorantly bliss from IRL for 30 minutes to a few hours, watching your videos.

This is great. I 'm living vicariously through you right now as i am not in a position to do this type of thing. So Thanks! I used to live in Alaska so I miss the North. I probably don't need to tell you that you certainly better not rip a tendon out there, especially away from your shelter. I ripped a tendon three years ago and it devastated me for two years. One year to be able to walk without EXTREME pain, a year of very limited ability ( to walk) so then almost two years of recovery from atrophied muscles. So ...watch that out there! Cheers!

It has relaxed me to watch this before going to bed. It is amazing how much love you have towards nature and the part you said that it doesn't matter if you catch a fish but the pleasure you get to be out in nature. Thank you.

Wow! I found this by accident and... wow. I've never been camping myself, but just sharing a part of this was a transcendent experience, closed by thoughtful and poignant words. Thank you so much for sharing, regards from London, UK.

As a Floridian who has never even seen snow before, watching this is both fascinating and terrifying at the same time. Very rarely do we get to go on actual adventures these days, it's a treat to listen to your commentary and wonder what it would be like.

What fascinates me about watching someone camping in the snow? I don't know. However, the video hits just the right note and I want to say thank you for letting me be a part of it.

So beautiful up there. Those stars were...no words. Thank you so much for sharing this, we are inspired now! :)

I have throughly enjoyed my stay with you for the past 7 days. Your calmness is heartwarming and your knowledge is endless. What a way to spend time in God’s country. Beautiful. You are a super fun guy to spend time with. Great video.

The lighted tent and night sky on day 3, at 32.50 is mesmerizing!

Always excited for a new Lost Lakes video!

As a duck hunter, I could totally use this!! Most branches can’t hold a blind bag and being able to put it EXACTLY where I want is super helpful! Great idea!!!

What a magical view of your camp, the forest and the stars ❤⭐🏕🌲

Tom Waits said it best,"it's time, time, time's. Well said about a longer trip, you start living in the outdoors, not camping. I had one trip that lasted 5 months, oh that also is the answer to the last riddle I believe. Beautifully filmed and I appreciate your talent. Thank You!

Your comment at the end was really the epiphany of it all: "to appreciate the little things". We've heard that so often it's an instant cliché but it is actually enormously profound if you can get into that space and situation where you realize it. As you did. Well done, very much enjoyed this.

Brother, I am speechless by the scenery, loneliness, and low temps you are surrounded by. Excellent content. Stay safe.

Watching this brought back a lot of memories I enjoyed watching from beginning to end. Love your mind set and the journey your on!

Grew up watching Bear Grills, I got the same vibes from this video lol

There is something so appealing to me being a total novice at camping to go and walk to a local beauty spot and camp over night solo, something about being in the wilderness alone, a meditative type therapy feel towards it.

Verily, this remarkable spectacle of embarking upon the perilous endeavor of camping amidst a merciless tempestuous snowstorm whilst the mercury plummeteth to an astonishingly frigid -26 degrees Celsius doth evoke profound awe and admiration for the unwavering fortitude and intrepid spirit displayed by this courageous soul.

Been absolutely loving your videos. Your filming quality, the personality you bring, and the profound understanding of the simple beauties in life that you portray to us are just a few things that make your channel so refreshing to watch. Your final monologue was incredible, Jon. You seem like a great man and the kind of person I would surely want to be friends with. Keep it up!

One of the best videos I have ever seen on RU-vid. Bravo sir......

"(in the) mind's temporal desert" - my man, that's so beautifully put. Jon, thank you for continuing to share yourself in this way. Your love (for nature) and honesty (with yourself) are a necessary example, in a world that hurtles ever further away from the centre of self-knowledge and compassion. Keep going. Keep slowing down. Keep sharing your process.

I fantasize about a trip such as this, what a blessing to share it with the world! And the fact that I actually watched the full hour speaks volumes to your delivery.. Thank you

Crazy how small of a world it is. Even that far out in the middle of nowhere, you run into an officer. Glad your documentation checked out and that you enjoyed your stay there!

I could never do this physically, so I appreciate all those who document their journeys. You learn and experience so much from them. Thanks for the video.

Loved concluding monologue and photography. We should all be so reflective, now, for sure but always. Hope you keep making these.

Great video..almost impossible to do this in the U.K. as most land is private ie you would not be able to cut trees down and light fires..such a pity..Canada looks great

I am enjoying my first year in Toronto just came from India in April this year. So far it has been depressing for me but I watch these videos to fall in love with winter.

The words and feelings you convey throughout your trip are beautiful….as is the scenery. I’m a 70 yo woman with a lot of blessings…children and grandchildren and a wonderful husband who had to leave me way to soon. The one regret I have is not maybe doing this but doing something that would help me understand myself more and living if even for a short time out of my comfort zone…..or at least see the world around me perhaps in a better light than I normally do…to see more beauty than money can buy….to see truth and honesty….and a quiet beautiful existence in a world that is more times than I wish not quite so beautiful. So glad I ran across this….at least I did get to see pretty much what I wanted and needed to see through your eyes. Thank you from a very appreciative older person. I hope you get to enjoy many more experiences such as this one and to find what you seek. Stay safe.

Such a peaceful and quite environment, must have been a nice experience.

I can’t believe how much work it takes just to go camping. This is so impressive 💪🏼

Just beautiful. Thank you for sharing

Perfect. Thank you for sharing all of that.

32:50 one hell of a camp shot really looks amazing

One thing I love about your channel is it's aways about the trip. It's never about the LOOK HERE, SEE HOW AWESOME THIS IS, HOW GREAT THIS IS!!!!!!!! The channel is honest and real. Keep up the amazing work!

The cinematography in this is incredible. Very excited to see your other videos

Nicely done. Thanks for sharing.

Hello, Jon. I am a new subscriber, and I feel so blessed to have found you. Your relaxed, true to heart, unabashed commentary/story telling allows me to vicariously feel in my heart what you're experiencing. Thank you so much for taking we viewers along for the ride. Your channel, Jon, has become my favorite. Sitting back, savoring a nice cup of tea, and enjoying your videos is pure relaxation to me. Thank you for the "realness" you put into your videos. ❤

From one writer to another i have to say I am pretty gosh darn impressed . Your a mighty fine writer son . I think you should write a book that is an interelated novel of your experiences and your fine perceptions of our sacred mother whose name is Nature . God bless your travels son . I would be carrying a gun for bear protection if your not already . I skipped around the vid as it is late so i did not hear you mentioning if you are carrying if you did mention it . Peace, love and light brother of the woods

The beauty of the nights is the reason I would love to live in the northern lands. Living in Wisconsin, this was my first taste of the beautiful night skies…love it!

What a wonderful trip 😊 Majestic scenery, the ease of Spirit that a relaxed span of time afforded, cute & funny humor (the papers & the cop) that seeped from your mind, and the words that you spoke at the end of this journey were nothing short of hauntingly beautiful. Simply breathtaking, every bit of it 🥲 Thank you for letting us tag along 💖

Thanks for sharing this amazing adventure with us. That scenery is absolutely beautiful! 👍💞

You're doing it right. I used to Love winter exercises when I was in the army. We didn't have it quite so good equipment wise. But it is the most serene and humbling activity I have ever experienced.

What an amazing and beautiful adventure and video. Thank you for sharing.

By God Jon that was beautiful. That sequence starting at 44:10 with the dissolve from the hole in the ice to the sun for the next couple minutes, coupled with the music, was a masterpiece of artistic filmmaking. And that's no BS. You got some kinda talent dude! Edit to add, that outtro commentary was fine writing. We were mesmerized. IMO this channel is 'THE' best in this genre on youtube.

It’s so fascinating to watch these videos! It’s all so far outside my experience as a native Texan. Cold weather unnerves me, and I can’t even conceive of the temperatures you experience. It’s so beautiful up there, I’m definitely going to have to check it out. Love the riddles from “The Hobbit”!

Well done. Just what I needed to start my new year. Thanks

This really is an amazing video. I am so thankful for youtube and people like you who share this type of content !

This is as much a work of art as it is a video of you camping in the winter. What an adventure!

I watch you and admire you, I am in Poland working, I am very sick with cancer, you are super

That night sky looked like velvet with diamonds! Absolutely gorgeous! Thanks for an awesome video! All the best! 😊

An inspiring video! The Stars were amazing - great for the soul and such peacefulness. Wishing you and Erin the best.

THANK YOU JOHN, SO MUCH MAN. YOUR STYLE AND PERSONAL PERSONA ALONG WITH SUCH CREATIVE EDITING BRING A 3RD LEVEL OF ENJOYMENT THAT I DON'T FIND WITH OTHER CREATORS. AS AN EXAMPLE, YOUR HOST DEMEANOR HERE, IN HOW YOU'VE DEALT WITH SUCH QUESTIONS, GOES FAR BEYOND THE PATIENCE I'VE EVER SEEN ANY CREATOR HAVE, EVER! I FIND A SPECIAL EXPERIENCE EVERY TIME I TUNE IN AND FIND YET ANOTHER INSIGHTFUL CONNECTION WITH NATURE THAT YOU ARE GIFTED TO PERCEIVE. WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL JOHN, KEEP ON BEING YOU. ... MIKE.

The fact that you are actually there to enjoy the outdoors by doing something gets you two thumbs and a big toe up. Most of these people not so much.

What a beautiful video this was. Your trip was amazing, glad I came along.

I love videos like these, and I'd love to go camping to somewhere similar, but I'd never be able to do it alone, would get too bored and have no one to talk with, so I'd bring a friend with me. With 2 person it'd be such an enjoyable trip, and you know, if shit ever happens, you can always eat your friend.

Looking at the sky is why I like to camp.

Just beautiful shots you've taken. Love the scenery. It gave me a relaxing feeling. Thanks..

“…then you can call it optimal” I love this call back to the thermometer while discussing just getting out there. It’s of course true but you had the wherewithal to put that comparison together and present it back to us in a very beautiful and profound way. Thank you John! Your’s is one of the best channels on RU-vid.

I loved this video so much!!! Thank you for sharing!! I live in Florida, it’s hot as hell here and escaping with you for 7 days has been so fulfilling!! It’s just so beautiful!!! Not to mention, I just got out of the hospital and I quit drinking alcohol, 13 days strong 💪 Sending you love and prayers for safe travels!! ❤️ 🙏

These kinds of thing take a strong mind and body. Being out in the cold with nothing to do but spend your whole day thinking about survival is not for the weak and lazy thats for sure. Great video!!!

A terrific example of self-reliance and perseverance. Bearing those nightime temps required good preparation and planning. Excellent information for novices like myself. Thank you!~

Wow, what an amazing video. Thank you so much for making this, I really enjoyed it. So calming, great scenes and lovely words that you shared throughout the whole trip. But those closing words were really the cherry on top.

I very much find your visuals of your videos and the volume of information you share in your adventures highly inspiring. It's nice to see you have such a calming personality so it makes for almost a documentary level presentation when you explain to the audience how to go about what you are doing. Thank you for sharing such a breathtaking sneakpeak into your country and your adventures.

Thank you for sharing.

I throughly enjoyed this adventure. Your cinematography and your words are truly amazing.

What a great video. You speak of your pace aligning with nature and I think you were able to convey a piece of that to us during this video. What a treasure. I was 11m minutes in and I like and subscribed, looking forward to going through you other videos.

Marvelous video, beautifully filmed and narrated. Thank you.

75 minutes and 28 seconds of pure amazement! I cried at the end, but It was a good cry. Thank you.

Beautiful video Jon and thank you!

Когда-то мы ходили в такие лыжные походы зимой в России. 5 или 6 ночёвок было. Это одно из самых ярких воспоминаний.

Thanks for taking us along and leaving us with those beautiful parting words. This channel means so much to me.