Tent Camping in November

Toad

Active member
I'm planning a 4-day, 3-night trip around KS pheasant country. Looking for an adventure more than just a hunting trip, so I've decided to tent camp. I'm planning to hunt during the day and then set up camp at night. If I hit a really great spot, maybe I'll stay 2 nights, otherwise just work my way around the state in a big "C" shape and end up pointed back towards home. I may end up buying my lunch in town, but I definitely want to try to cook dinner in camp and really make the most of my time out on the KS prairie.

"SHOCKINGLY", my middle aged friends are not returning my calls right now because this sounds like a horrible idea to them. Looks like I will be travelling solo with the dogs.

I have done a few overnights of camping at this time of year, and it has been a real mixed bag. Some November nights are pretty mild and camping has been fun. One time there was a howling 40 mph North wind, and I was awake all night freezing and praying my tent stakes would hold... You know, a real adventure... Haha.

Any tips or tricks from the peanut gallery? Any essentials that a noob would probably not think to pack? Please let me know about your experiences camping for a few days+ during bird season.
 
Ive done it.It was cold.The hunting was good, we camped all over the place, saw the northern lights, got turkeys, pheasant. Its hardcore, to hunt this way.Bring a good heater!!!
 
I try and get at least one “adventure” trip each season. Like you I’ve had a mixed bag over the years. Some trips have been great and one ended with broken fiberglass tent poles and me sleeping in the truck due a western Kansas thunderstorm that popped up overnight. Air mattress and buddy heater would be the two things that I make sure I have. Good luck and have fun!
 
Buddy Heater and extra bottles , A cot to keep you up off the ground , and a real good sleeping bag .

I spent a night out in the Cimmaron National Grasslands in a tent and what I thought was a decent sleeping bag and I was the coldest I have ever been . I slept in my clothes coat and stocking cap with a wool blanket over me . I was still quite uncomfortable.

My friend who I camped with used his sleeping bag he bought for camping in the mountains of Colorado slept like a baby .

It was cool wake up to Bobwhites calling in the morning near our camp .
 
Buddy Heater and extra bottles , A cot to keep you up off the ground , and a real good sleeping bag .

I spent a night out in the Cimmaron National Grasslands in a tent and what I thought was a decent sleeping bag and I was the coldest I have ever been . I slept in my clothes coat and stocking cap with a wool blanket over me . I was still quite uncomfortable.

My friend who I camped with used his sleeping bag he bought for camping in the mountains of Colorado slept like a baby .

It was cool wake up to Bobwhites calling in the morning near our camp .
I agree
Get a really good -20 down bag.A propane heater, and be prepared to be bored out of yoyr mind.Best advise, get a modern camper.
 
Heater... Check!

"Bored out of my mind" sounds amazing. A few days of peace and quiet and no schedule is exactly what I need.
 
Buddy Heater and extra bottles , A cot to keep you up off the ground , and a real good sleeping bag .

I spent a night out in the Cimmaron National Grasslands in a tent and what I thought was a decent sleeping bag and I was the coldest I have ever been . I slept in my clothes coat and stocking cap with a wool blanket over me . I was still quite uncomfortable.

My friend who I camped with used his sleeping bag he bought for camping in the mountains of Colorado slept like a baby .

It was cool wake up to Bobwhites calling in the morning near our camp .

A loooooong time ago, some friends and I camped overnight in March, crappie fishing, and Winter decided to give one final blast that night. I shivered so hard all night I couldn't fall asleep at all. Ended up fully dressed, jacket and all, inside my sleeping bag. It definitely sucked and I was dead on my feet the next day.

Adventures definitely suck sometimes. haha.
 
Heater... Check!

"Bored out of my mind" sounds amazing. A few days of peace and quiet and no schedule is exactly what I need.
I bought a pop up camper years ago.Tent camping is very hard core.I'm getting 16 mpg with the camper, and i'm snug, as a bug in there.Half ton, 4x4, works best.
 
Temps could be in the 70's or like last year, 50 mph with wind chill close to zero. I don't know how you could have kept a tent in the ground opening morning last year.
 
If really cold, sleep with a beenie on or a hoody. Cooking can be a challenge. A good jet boil stove works great for morning joe. I am assuming you will be staying in the state parks, so a campfire would be in order as well as a good stiff drink.

Sounds like a great time.
 
I've tent camped in montana in november.It sucked, but the hunting was good.We had a flock of turkeys come into our camp, that was interesting.It got below zero at night.I don't
 
I did this last year in south central Nebraska, tent was a cabelas guide tent, 8 man geo-dome, I bought some 20 plus years ago with a nice large vestibule. Had a big buddy heater with 20lb cylinder, cylinder was set in the vestibule. Had a cot to stay off the ground and 3 sleeping bags, 1 for laying on the cot and two for the colder nights. I had my rain fly on the tent and most nights I didn't run the heater, temps in hi 20's low 30's, but it was nice to run in the morning to cut the chill. It did not take long for tent to warm up with the Big Buddy heater. Last night the low was 5 and I used both bags and heater off and on, always worried about carbon monoxide, wind was howling all night and we got like 3 inches of snow. Small cooking stove used on tail gate. Toughest part was just cleaning birds in the dark without the amenities. I had the campground to myself so I also had a small heater I put in outhouse to cut the chill as well. Might consider another canopy over the top of your tent like an ice fishing hub to provide addition protection from wind and elements. I had 2 dogs who each had their beds. I just packed normally other than tent stuff. A safety idea might be a co monitor if you are using the heater. Good cooler to keep your food cold or for bird storage, folding chair (gets old on cot), Portable tent light. I was out for 4 nights, then hit a hotel on the way back to clean up. Plenty of baby wipes for cat baths, clean up after cleaning birds or cooking and outhouse.

View attachment 9471
 
I did this last year in south central Nebraska, tent was a cabelas guide tent, 8 man geo-dome, I bought some 20 plus years ago with a nice large vestibule. Had a big buddy heater with 20lb cylinder, cylinder was set in the vestibule. Had a cot to stay off the ground and 3 sleeping bags, 1 for laying on the cot and two for the colder nights. I had my rain fly on the tent and most nights I didn't run the heater, temps in hi 20's low 30's, but it was nice to run in the morning to cut the chill. It did not take long for tent to warm up with the Big Buddy heater. Last night the low was 5 and I used both bags and heater off and on, always worried about carbon monoxide, wind was howling all night and we got like 3 inches of snow. Small cooking stove used on tail gate. Toughest part was just cleaning birds in the dark without the amenities. I had the campground to myself so I also had a small heater I put in outhouse to cut the chill as well. Might consider another canopy over the top of your tent like an ice fishing hub to provide addition protection from wind and elements. I had 2 dogs who each had their beds. I just packed normally other than tent stuff. A safety idea might be a co monitor if you are using the heater. Good cooler to keep your food cold or for bird storage, folding chair (gets old on cot), Portable tent light. I was out for 4 nights, then hit a hotel on the way back to clean up. Plenty of baby wipes for cat baths, clean up after cleaning birds or cooking and outhouse.

View attachment 9471
Looks like you are prepared, and that's really important!! Like I said, i've done it years ago, but cab over campers are the bomb.Not ones made before 1985, way too heavy!
 
If really cold, sleep with a beenie on or a hoody. Cooking can be a challenge. A good jet boil stove works great for morning joe. I am assuming you will be staying in the state parks, so a campfire would be in order as well as a good stiff drink.

Sounds like a great time.

Forecasted highs in the 40's and lows in the 20's. One of my hunting buddies decided he is coming along, so I'm even more excited. This is going to be a great adventure.
 
I did this last year in south central Nebraska, tent was a cabelas guide tent, 8 man geo-dome, I bought some 20 plus years ago with a nice large vestibule. Had a big buddy heater with 20lb cylinder, cylinder was set in the vestibule. Had a cot to stay off the ground and 3 sleeping bags, 1 for laying on the cot and two for the colder nights. I had my rain fly on the tent and most nights I didn't run the heater, temps in hi 20's low 30's, but it was nice to run in the morning to cut the chill. It did not take long for tent to warm up with the Big Buddy heater. Last night the low was 5 and I used both bags and heater off and on, always worried about carbon monoxide, wind was howling all night and we got like 3 inches of snow. Small cooking stove used on tail gate. Toughest part was just cleaning birds in the dark without the amenities. I had the campground to myself so I also had a small heater I put in outhouse to cut the chill as well. Might consider another canopy over the top of your tent like an ice fishing hub to provide addition protection from wind and elements. I had 2 dogs who each had their beds. I just packed normally other than tent stuff. A safety idea might be a co monitor if you are using the heater. Good cooler to keep your food cold or for bird storage, folding chair (gets old on cot), Portable tent light. I was out for 4 nights, then hit a hotel on the way back to clean up. Plenty of baby wipes for cat baths, clean up after cleaning birds or cooking and outhouse.

View attachment 9471

That is brilliant, man, brilliant! A heater in the bathroom... Last year we camped overnight at a hawking meet with temps in single digits and a howling wind. No lights on in the outhouse, so I had to crack the door in the middle of the night. Created a reverse flow of air down the vent and a jet of air blasting up from the toilet. Worst poo of my life... haha.

Anyway, thanks for the pic of your setup and all the info. That is great stuff.
 
I would get a CO monitor and a fan; we've camped out on Lake of the Woods in our Clam hub with a big buddy heater and had troubles with no wind. The heater would take all the O2 without the wind, leaving a high risk for CO poisoning as well as continuously shutting down without oxygen. We had cots and down sleeping bags rated for -30. temps were -10 to 10, but it was the no wind at 4 am that really put us at risk for CO poisoning. Woke up, thank goodness, but with monster headaches on the still night.
 
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