Winter trekking group

I have signed out of the winter trekking group. I can't handle the contentious attitude of that group. When I first started I made a comment "Gee I didn't realise this group is only for Canadians who hot camp and wear voyager clothes". A moderator told me that they welcome input from anyone who camps on frozen water and that they want to hear about other peoples experiences, but they don't and they are hostile to anyone who suggests other ways of doing things. I do this for fun. I have however done quite a bit of research into the canvas tents and stove thing, enough to know that I'm not interested. I'm not saying they're methods are wrong, however I feel no need to spend $100 on a "sash" which is a fancy woven belt, nor to add 45 pounds to my pack to keep warm - of course phat has a UL hot tent, but then I think hes a lot smarter than his brethren. I think the Canadians are stuck in the 18th century though. They might drum him out if they new he carried a 5 pound hot tent made of something beside caribou skin, err I mean canvas.
Jim win some lose some...

Heh. I warned you.. That crew is a nice repository for the "traditional" stuff - which I use when the situation is appropriate, but they really aren't into anything lightweight

Funny part is I'm very comfortable kind of with "half and half" their traditonal heavy stuff and modern goo.

I use a cotton anorak in the winter. No sash and I actually like a zipper down the front I also use wool
pants. Love 'em. love wool. But I also wear fleece, and synthetic liners.

I own two canvas wall tents, they're great when you're getting there by truck. For anything else, forget it, I'm
in my hammock in warm weather, or a tent - cold or hot - that
deosn't weigh a ton. but I have a 5 pound solo hot tent rig! - ok three of that is the stove. but I'll take three pounds for out of wind warmth - just not 50

I was also a little taken aback about the comment of the site being for traditional winter campers. I know for a fact that most of those members have a 'cold tent kit'. Yes, somewhat stand - off - ish. There lose. Other than that, I don't recall any slagging of your style and knowledge.

On a somewhat different note, I'm becoming somewhat sensitive to the references being made to Canadians and this style of winter camping. How would you categorize the folks from Wisconsin and Minnesota and Maine that subscribe to this style and who might form the majority on that site. Don't forget the Conovers are from Maine. The only winter camping symposiums are located in the northern U.S., with none in Canada (we don't have the numbers).

There, I've got that off my chest. eh!

Rick
Rick its not fair to stereotype all Canadians as a bunch of bad Pierre's, there's jerks from everywhere. I never confused having a big mouth with having brains.

Rick my comments are not at all meant to slag the Canadians or that style of camping, I don't have a problem with how anybody camps, and fire camping silliness was not about the silliness of fire camping, it was about the way many of the people who do that have some pretty silly ideas about it being light weight, or the only way to go, or the only intelligent way to go and are very defensive and belligerent about protecting those ideas. Not to mention the guys who want to shave with their axes - oops I mentioned that.

I'm sorry I hurt yer feelings eh...
Jim

I only lurked over there Jim. They do camp differently up there. I have relatives in Canada, my mom sends cards to her aunts up there at Christmas and an occasionaly letter other times I think.

Just remember that we can be just as stuck in our ways and belligerent as any one. I like that site. I haven't registered or posted anything because I have no experience in that area. But I read a lot there. Because of that site, I bought a wool blanket and made a jacket with it. It is by far my favorite jacket. You can learn a lot from someone who does things differently. I use the same philosophy on this site. And to be fair, as a third party observer, some of your comments on that site sounded a little condescending. It didn't surprise me that they felt threatened and responded negatively.

I would say the same sort of contentious attitude exists here only in regard to being ultra light rather than traditional. The geat thing about the web is you can find a group which fits your wants and desires.

Hey, those folks have been very nice to me and I've asked some very basic questions about traditional v. modern gear.

I really don't see the contentiousness you are talking about and it has nothing to do with being Canadian, which I think everyone here knows I am not. I fessed up to being in California and just a curious interloper up front and that didn't seem to bother anyone.

Harlan and Hoop, who run the site are Canadian and American, respectively and many of the members are on our side of the border.

I really enjoy hearing about the traditional way of doing things because it is so different from the high tech focus of forums like this one. There is a lot of great information there about winter camping that I would never had learned without visiting that site. Sure, I may not be buying a Snowtrekker tent and stove anytime soon or walking around on 4 foot long snowshoes, but so what?

The whole sash argument is just silly. If people want to follow some of the old traditions, good for them. If you don't like the idea, don't wear one. Personally, I think they are kind of cool.

I posted my pics from Yosemite and got some nice comments from people, who liked seeing the mountains. I even said I was reluctant to do so since I'm a "modern" camper and people said, hey, we like seeing what others are doing.

I'm sorry to see people from here so upset about the site, but I have to tell you, I don't get it.

TomD
I am not asking you read all those posts, but If I asked about a nonelectric pellet stove for my house people would just tell me it was stupid for hot camping before they read the post. Lonegreeneagle doesn'T "confuse experience with expertise" and [never mind] I found my self getting really pissed off and then it dawned on me - I do this for fun. I signed off of the group because I thought I was letting my my own bad experiences leak through and was offending my friends. I have no intention of writing things that offend people or of being offended because they think other ways are stupid.
So If I had said that I use the same skis that you do, someone would have smarted off, I was in fact surprised that they simpley ignored you.
Jim

I wouldn't worry that much about it. Everyone has their own ideas about what works and what they think is best. Disagreements are what make these sites interesting, as long as they stay civil. I wouldn't take too much of it personally.

I've asked some pretty dumb questions on another site and got slagged a bit, but probably deservedly so, once I thought about it. Newbies tend to get beat around a bit, so I know how they feel. You can't always tell the real newbies from someone who's just new to a site. I've seen that happen here where someone gets offended because they get treated like a true newbie based on their questions. They usually get over it.

Ah, bury the axe and come on back.

Yeah, the one you found in your backyard. You couldn't even shave with it anyways.

Rick and finally me,
If I thought I had something of value to offer that group I would "re-bury" the axe - giggle but I don't, so I may lurk. However since I am not a member anymore I can come back as a "greenhorn" and ask stupid questions and allow others to pontificate as I laugh in my beer, oops that wouldn't be nice... If I become interested in hot tenting I have good friends here that can offer me all the help I need. And I don't need no sash...
Jim

Jim, aren't you leaving the 't' out of that word s(t)ash?