Snow Camping Oregon - Crater Lake

Jen and I said we wanted to get into snow camping, so what better time to start than a winter storm at Crater Lake National Park in Southern Oregon!
If you enjoyed this video and would like to see more, friend us on Facebook where we post about our adventures in almost real time.
/ outsideandstuff
If you want more visual stimulation, follow us on Instagram where I post select photos almost daily.
/ nickbotner
Happy Strumming by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommon...)
Artist: audionautix.com/

[@ericholder9406]

U guys should hike tuck and robin lakes

[@OutsideAndStuff]

It's on the list! It's also one of the now most popular backpacking spots so we would need to get out there before the weekend.

[@roquemainecoon8046]

I was there in October of last year there was only 10 inches of snow then

[@hiphopvenom]

You guys are awesome!

[@OutsideAndStuff]

Thank you! You're awesome too. :)

[@gingernotturno5365]

its so beautiful

[@terriland1]

Beautiful video

[@flipngrip]

Wow!

[@MrMikevw]

That 3rd day. What views! That be snowshoeing at its best. Fresh snow, little to no wind, crystal clear air, and fantastic views. Love your vids!

[@OutsideAndStuff]

Thanks Mike! The perfect weather on the third day more than made up for the others. :)

[@chiefenumclaw7960]

Thank you, you beautiful people. Your videos are the very definition of the 'long tail. Cheers!

[@AdventuresWithFlash]

Your videos are the shiznit!!!

[@OutsideAndStuff]

Hahah, thank you Rachel :)

[@Hefmier]

Spectacular!!! I will have to get to Crater Lake in the winter, sometime, even if for a short while. Thanks for sharing!! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

[@OutsideAndStuff]

It's so worth it in the winter, plus there are a lot less people to deal with.

[@explorermike19]

Excellent video and great adventure. Thanks for the effort to make the video and post it.

[@SpryDriver]

Pretty!

[@NatureBoy711]

Damn....that is soooooooo beautiful!!! I gotta go there one of these days....... whooooooooo buddy!!!

[@dml5053]

What an epic trip....one of my favorites of yours, , being from New England,I like to see the winter trips. Your videos and editing keep getting better and better.

[@OutsideAndStuff]

Thank you very much! Now that the holidays are almost over, there will be more winter trips for sure!

[@minkos61]

Wow just wow. Ernie P.S. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to yo both.

[@OutsideAndStuff]

Thanks Ernie, hope you had a Merry Christmas as well!

[@imKebino]

Hey, love the videos so much. You two are such an inspiration. You should hike the Duckabush River trail in the Olympic National park! I just did it today and it will surprise you with how beautiful and rewarding it is, I would love to watch you two do it!

[@OutsideAndStuff]

Thank you. I’m going to look into it.

[@NoName-fo7mz]

it sucks

[@8282metalman]

No love for Shasta in the distance?? lol love the vid.... see u at the next trailhead

[@OutsideAndStuff]

Honestly, we are rarely this far south and I did not have the time to try to figure it out. But! Now we know. And thank you. :)

[@flareoutdoors9589]

Great video My favorite part, “Are you going to help me?”

[@Fer.A]

The first two days seemed like an Dyatlov pass expedition footage (which I like as well) but the morning brought to us an completely diferent scenario. Crater lake seems like it was created by a asteroid impact, by its format, or maybe it was a volcano. Anyway, it is wonderful ! It worth the torture, like you've said, and worth the expectation. Congratulations for this sensational adventure ! Such a cute scene you and Jen falling into snow :] See you at the next adventure!

[@OutsideAndStuff]

Jen and I had a lot of fun and learned a lot from this adventure. There will be more snow adventures this winter, for sure. :)

[@marylandflyer]

Sorry, just saw response in Tom Cruz's question.

[@stepheneikmeier1866]

incredible video. Loved every minute. Would have liked to seen more of the camping aspect of the hike. Cooking, tenting, etc. Other than that,,,,, WOW!!!

[@OutsideAndStuff]

Next time around, definitely. This was our first real snow camping trip, so there are some things we will be changing up next round.

[@ChadLubinski]

This is awesome! Question: did you need a permit to do this?

[@jungledbackpackingwanderer9025]

Hey guys, thanks for another great video. My girlfriend and I visited crater lake two summers ago and loved it. It was good to hear your comment on the quietness because it was the quietest place I think I’ve ever visited. I’m curious about the path you took. Did you gps it and can you provide it somehow? I ask because we hiked watchman’s (summertime) but we drove to the entrance.

[@OutsideAndStuff]

Hi Daniel, I only recorded the hike to camp. Here you can see our GPS. bit.ly/2liz5AZ As far as watchmans, we just followed the road and then turned off and blazed a trail up the south slope referencing GAIA GPS along the way to make sure we were headed in the right direction.

[@Callahan1]

What kind of cold weather gear did you bring for this trip? What were the temperature extremes at night and day?

[@OutsideAndStuff]

This is a tough question as there is a lot to go over. But most basic answer, I brought a sleeping pad with the highest R value I had. I Brought a zero degree bag. I Brought a 4 season tent and an 800 down basecamp jacket. We had over 2ft of snow in two days. Lows were below -0F and highs were lower 30F. It was cold as shit and the wind was howling. :)

[@Callahan1]

hahaha sounds about right.. I got into backpacking last year and fell in love. Based in the heart of PNW, the summers are so short lived. I did one overnight last year around late nov. right when the powder just started and we weren't entirely prepared for it even though our gear was rated for the conditions. We probably got 5-6in in a matter of 8 hours it was pretty insane. Definitely a separate beast from summer. This year I want to get into snow shoeing and winter backpacking. Looks like you are ahead of me in experience right in the areas I want to pursue. Did you self educate for winter backpacking, or were there people who gave you knowledge, did you take any classes for things like avalanche safety? Looks like the other woman in the video is pretty experienced as well.

[@OutsideAndStuff]

Our knowledge is a combination of time spent in shoulder seasons where it gets cold on a whim and studying a lot. There were definitely holes in our kit, which we have hopefully filled. But as far as more technical, our friend Kaite who suggested this trip is a big help in terms of talking through logistics we don't yet know about.

[@KJLuke2003]

What month was this if you don't mind my asking? I'm trying to do some research from Fort Worth for a winter hike to do some photography.

[@davidkuhns8389]

Fantastic trip and video. Your friend seemed to do all the trail breaking. What's up with that?

[@OutsideAndStuff]

She was our group leader. :D Actually, there were times I broke trail, but I just didn't film it. Honest!

[@pizzacuzzz]

We’re you guys in TdP today? I think I was on the boat with you from Pudeto.

[@OutsideAndStuff]

That was us. Just finished the W. Should have said hi. :)

[@TimWatsonOutdoors]

This was awesome! I was laughing my butt off when you both fell in the snow. What was your hard shell for the first half? Looked like the outdoor research foray jacket? Crater lake was epic when you finally got a view.

[@OutsideAndStuff]

Thanks Tim. :) In the beginning I was wearing an ArcTeryx soft shell, not sure of the model anymore. And then I was wearing a Outdoor Research helium ii to block the wind and snowmelt.

[@tomcruz7177]

What video camera do you use to record this? Looks amazing!

[@OutsideAndStuff]

For the action shots its a Garmin Virb Ultra. For the slow pans and zooms, it's a Fujifilm XT-2.

[@campinamerica2469]

Love your videos. Would be cool if they were longer and more detailed.

[@skagited9617]

Hi, again! N n J... Yaah.... What's up with that?? You didn't introduce the "Human Snowplow"! (haven't watch entire vid yet). She's a 'GoGetter'! Must have been the weekend of the Full Moon... Again, great camera work, Nick.

[@OutsideAndStuff]

Caitie, the human snowplow will be back for more adventures. I'll be sure to do a more proper intro next time when it's not one hour to sundown and snowing buckets. :D

[@radicalwheel2037]

Can someone tell me if flytop 2 person tent of 3-4 season is good for winter with decent snow fall?

[@OutsideAndStuff]

I haven't heard of this brand until now, but it looks like it's not too heavy. It's at a very good price point, but I might do a bit more research before backpacking with it. Maybe a car snow camp so if it caves in you can escape to your car. :)

[@radicalwheel2037]

Good point. But compared to my other tents it's about 5 steps up :) I only have summer tents or tents for "perfect" conditions and I live in middle Illinois where we haven't had much snow in a few years. So maybe an OK budget tent for around here? Thanks for shedding light on to this though👍

[@OutsideAndStuff]

5 steps up is a lot of steps up. :) Here's what we look for in a snow tent. #1 will it withstand a random winter storm level wind? #2 If it snows hardcore, can we still get out? #3 what's the ventilation like, so we don't suffocate when the snow piles on. #4 can we tie off guylines on the sides so the snow wont collapse the walls. Those are our top priorities, because winter camping in the snow can get nasty and you need to make sure you are safe. Otherwise, if you are going to be in milder conditions, give it a shot and let us know. :)

[@radicalwheel2037]

Outside & Stuff reviewed and rated about 8 out of 10. A couple snow falls and barely moved to the winds near "The windy City". Sturdier than expected from a Chinese budget tent and very happy with the quality of the product. Simple setup and protected me quite well from the wind, snow and cold air. The over hang or stretch of the fly is kind of small but still comfortable. Still usable for putting gear in though.👍☺

[@OutsideAndStuff]

Great to hear!

[@sunsuny94]

Do you have any sort of gear list of everything you brought on this trip to Crater Lake?

[@dwarvenmoray]

I feel a sudden emotional flow of jealousy. I want to do that!

[@marylandflyer]

What camera did you film with?