The weather has been extremely cold these last few days, and it's forecast to stay cold for quite a few more! Today the mercury was showing -16 plus wind-chill which I expect is significant as it's very windy, nothing unusual here on the east coast!

No one else was available to join me today, so I threw Project 6x6 on the trailer for a short back roads drive to Bauline and an afternoon ice fishing.

With brisk temperatures, freezing winds and a machine able to carry everything, I opted to take my Woods Glacier 4 ice fishing shelter on this adventure. This is a 90"x90" pop up shelter which sets up in minutes. I purchased it last year as its big enough to fit a cot for overnight outings. With such a poor winter last year, I only tested it once and that was in my backyard.

This drill adaptor for installing the screw in ice shelter pegs is a game changer and made the task even in today's very hard ice an absolute breeze. In high winds, install one corner peg before popping up the shelter, this makes it very easy and not take flight!

I didn't take my woodstove today as it was only a short trip, but having a shelter break the wind is a game changer for being comfortable! If you don't have one, I highly recommend this style shelter for harsh winter conditions.

After a bunch of rain this past Tuesday, these super cold temperatures have everything frozen solid again. There was 16" of ice on the pond with no water/slush or soft rotten ice layers anywhere I travelled and checked! This is a big improvement over the 6" found in this same spot just 10 days ago.

Lunch today was low key and uncomplicated. Although it was windy and super cold outside, inside the shelter was beautiful, my little MSR Superfly stove (which doesn't like string wind) had no problem boiling the kettle for coffee in my GSI Coffee Press and heating up a tin of stew.

This all in one coffee press works great. Take the 2 halves apart, spoon coffee into the bottom section, add hot water, stir, wait a couple minutes and press the 2nd half down slowly just like any other press. From here you can pour the filtered coffee into a cup, but this unit is designed to drink straight from the press. It has a closable opening and an insulated grip!

No record breakers today, just a few small toss back-ers.

All in all a great way to spend a Saturday, a little run in the Argo, boil-up, and a few trout on the hook.

Cheers, MIKE

Copyright © 2011 Michael Smith