Solo Winter Tent Camping, MSR Elixir 3. Below Zero At The Deadwaters.

Solo hiking and camping adventure.. in a tent! (I'm mainly a hammocker).
Apologies for the long absence. My work and home schedule made it near impossible to get out over the past few months. I did have two trips planned but they fell through due to extreme weather. This was a single night, but a lot goes into winter camping and so it felt like two full days.
If you have been following along with previous videos, you know that I had plans on trying out a tent. I was fortunate enough to pick up a MSR Elixir 3 and this was it's maiden voyage. I'm fairly inexperienced with tents, so this was a great experience. I doubt that I'll be trading my hammock in, but the tent is going to be a great solo option for the dog and I but also for trips that my wife can go on.
The location was fairly remote, accessed by 4km of hiking roads and ATV trails, ending in about 300m of bushwacking to find a suitable spot. Ended up with a good pitch and a beautiful view. No other humans to be seen and almost none heard during our time out (which is always a bonus).
I put a little bit of work into the meals, but nothing crazy and I think I carried the least amount of food in recent memory. Supper was still delicious and accompanied by coffee, stout and bourbon.
We got about 2-4 cm of snow over night and temperatures around -5 to -3c (I didn't have a thermometer).
More trips are already planned and I have some new and exciting gear arriving (hopefully before the next trip in a couple weeks).
Here is some of the gear used:
MSR Elixir 3 tent
Hennessy Hammock Hex Fly Tarp
Klymit insulated static V pad
Thermarest memory foam pillow
Hultafors carpenters axe
Mora Companion
Fjallraven Vidda Pro Pants
Outdoor Research Feedback Flannel shirt
Scarpa SL Active Boots
Mountain Hardware puffy coat
Arcteryx Alpha coat and pants
Jetboil flux frying pan
GSI cookware

[@aliceandrus]

So glad to see the audio version. It made more sense. 😊

[@thecoffeefuelledwoodsman]

Someone asked for one without talking, so I pieced the ASMR one together 😉

[@aliceandrus]

Thans for answering. We just discovered your channel tonight and are looking forward to watching more videos.

[@thecoffeefuelledwoodsman]

@@aliceandrus Thank you! Hopefully you find some of them interesting :)

[@rhondaayres8290]

Real men drink it straight. Way to go Kris!! Another great video. Thanks for sharing.

[@thecoffeefuelledwoodsman]

Hahaha, you are very welcome👍

[@DodgeMan360]

Have had an Elixir 3 for almost ten years now, no complaints at all! Perfect tent for me and the dog, and it was a great price.

[@thecoffeefuelledwoodsman]

I'm really impressed with the features and size for what I paid. Kinda wish I could have picked a diff colour, but that is a very minor consideration.

[@freedommusicireland7398]

hi, have u used the tent in heavy rain a lo? did it hold out dry ok? thanks

[@thecoffeefuelledwoodsman]

@@freedommusicireland7398 I've actually only had it out twice with light rain. My friend has had his 2 person in heavy rain many times with no issues👍

[@Flossi]

So excited for a new video!

[@thecoffeefuelledwoodsman]

Yeeeeeaaa

[@ervinslens]

Fantastically captured surroundings bud, simply enjoyable content.

[@thecoffeefuelledwoodsman]

Thank you very much, I really appreciate it!

[@pacediver2594]

Looked like a good spot ,enjoyed watching thanks

[@thecoffeefuelledwoodsman]

Thank you, yes it is pretty nice there for sure. Up off the end of the Myra Road if I didn't mention that in the video ;)

[@thomasbeazley239]

Tuc tape that tarp, will make a hood spare. Thanks for the new video, enjoying my coffee and catching up 😊☕️

[@thecoffeefuelledwoodsman]

Thanks Tom, I'm gonna try to do a proper fix, but I have a feeling the tuc tape will have to do for a little while!

[@jameter21]

Good to see your latest video. We used to fish there over twenty years ago when it was less accessible. It's a shame how much garbage has accumulated along your route since then.

[@thecoffeefuelledwoodsman]

I agree, and I left a lot of the extra debris/haphazard cabins out of the video. The snow covered up a lot of stuff too. Further up where the waterfall steps are would have been beautiful before a lot of it was clear cut.

[@JoshuaJohnsonOutdoors]

Looks like a fun adventure, friend. Bummer about the tarp.

[@thecoffeefuelledwoodsman]

Thank you! Fortunately I think it will mend nicely enough👍

[@mochmoch9453]

Very nice, especially your loving contact with Tilly! Yes also prefer the Hammock, Blackbird XL and Chameleon Hex 1.0. Especially when Canoe / Kayak Camping. All the best Moch from Berlin

[@thecoffeefuelledwoodsman]

Thank you! I prefer hammock camping, but its nice to have the tent when out in the cold with the pup 🙂

[@freedommusicireland7398]

really enjoyed your video. i lived in canada up north for a few months. beautiful country, wild and free

[@thecoffeefuelledwoodsman]

Thanks very much, it's always nice to hear. Are you in Ireland? I visited the west coast, north then down through the centre and back to the west back in 2005. Absolutely beautiful place there as well.

[@freedommusicireland7398]

@@thecoffeefuelledwoodsman yes im in belfast. heading west soon in my wee van.. cant wait to be at the atlantic and visit the ancient sites

[@matthewcollins6466]

Being someone who has struggled to find the best ground dwelling sleep system I can offer some advice. The Klymit is a great budget friendly option(I have owned one), however if you have a bit more of a generous budget the Sea to Summit Ether is by far and way the most comfortable sleeping pad I have ever slept on. I have owned just about all of them and the Ether is leaps and bounds ahed of the rest. Awesome video, it's great to see someone who is local doing trips on YT, it gives me loads of ideas for my next trips.

[@thecoffeefuelledwoodsman]

Thank you very much! I'm planning on trying a Nemo Tensor insulated (wide version... learned that a standard pad width isnt enough for my shoulders). Hoping that will be comparable? It has loads of good reviews.

[@matthewcollins6466]

@@thecoffeefuelledwoodsman I had the same problem, the extra width that was available on the Ether made all the difference.

[@rajibjoshi9647]

just seen a good tip to keep snow off by using a tarp ( once my ( same tent ) collapsed from the snow )

[@thecoffeefuelledwoodsman]

Yea, its nice to have a bigger area protected outside the vestibule too if the tarp is big enough👍. Thanks for watching!

[@AndrewMossOutdoors]

new sub here my fellow maritimer! great video my man! cheers!

[@thecoffeefuelledwoodsman]

Welcome aboard, glad to have ya! 👍

[@AndrewMossOutdoors]

@@thecoffeefuelledwoodsman thanks my friend! I'm from Newfoundland, stop by my channel if you have the time

[@johnnyman2333]

You Joey. Clearly you have not read the 'how to care for tarp' sections on any of your products... lol. That sucks - although forever here after you will be reminded of that dead water tent set up when you use that tarp! I think there is a tarp repair tape or product out there. Looks like a great little getaway - Thanks for the vid!

[@thecoffeefuelledwoodsman]

I was just being so lazy.. Kinda surprised I haven't sliced one of my tarps like that before lol. Thanks for watching!

[@swedishhobo2995]

Hey brother. I also just got my first tent and am trying to become a tent camper. The only reason is I wanna be able to bring my new puppy in a safe way. Opted for the Elixir 1 though. May be a bit to small but he’s tiny and we’ll make do I think. Nice little adventure. I’ll stay tuned 💪💪

[@thecoffeefuelledwoodsman]

Yes indeed.. we just got a new pup and I may have to tent more than hammock in the future. I may opt for a 2p tent though.. 1p may be all you need though! Thanks for watching.

[@swedishhobo2995]

@@thecoffeefuelledwoodsman Thanks for sharing. Awesome channel name by the way 🙂

[@thecoffeefuelledwoodsman]

haha... there is a lot of truth in it as well! 👍👍👍@@swedishhobo2995

[@parkerswaxmuseum3746]

Your Static V has got to be filled with mold by now... Please fill it once more and POP it! heh

[@thecoffeefuelledwoodsman]

Its a borrowed one anyway. I'll tell the guy just not to deflate in an enclosed space lol

[@hikesome]

Looks like you guys had a beautiful time outdoors. I really like the style and atmosphere of your videos! And in case you want to join me and my pup on our recent adventure, feel free to come over and have a look. Stay safe out there. Best wishes, Mario (your new subscriber)

[@thecoffeefuelledwoodsman]

Thank you, it was a great trip, and welcome to the channel!

[@richardsmith5941]

What camera(s) are you using. That's some serious high definition. That shot of the fire before you went to bed is so real, it looks fake.

[@thecoffeefuelledwoodsman]

Good to hear, thats what I was going for. It is a Canon Rebel SL3, I believe I have a 50mm prime lens on for the fire footage. 👍

[@nginfodimari6887]

is the tent warm if used in winter

[@thecoffeefuelledwoodsman]

It blocks most of the wind and does retain a small amount of heat, but I dont think I would say "warm". A few degrees warmer than the outdoor temp for sure.

[@elliottwright3772]

Where's your jumper from?

[@thecoffeefuelledwoodsman]

My wife knit it, the pattern is from designer Jenn Steingass of Knit Love Wool. Pattern is called Fern&Feather