winter camping in Banff!!!

[jonnyo]

i finally finished my trailer in time for a winter camping trip to Banff Alberta this past weekend. I say, finish but really, it was just completed enough to survive the trip and enjoy some fresh air....

Some info

8X5 aluminum trailer
Total weight 750lbs
3g wirless!
electricty
7 inch screen TV/DVD!
1500 watts ceramic heater
3000btu propane heater
no water yet,....

Pulled by a subaru wrx... it was so easy, could not feel it and was pretty good on gas considering that the wrx isnt a super economic car....


600km drive in the snow and mountain pass, everything was smooth!


Arrived at the campground, 188 spot and only 3 other big rig. Plenty of option, for our first trip, we kept it simple and use electricity. Banff in feburary can be very cold so creamic heating was the best option......

amazing place....breath taking mountain, lots to do!!!




We even had breakfast in the morning outside on the picnic table, it was -17 degres C!!!! but everything work flawlessly!



I was actually amaze at how well the trailer stayed warm at those very cold temp...the little ceramic heater only work half the time....plenty of window open and about 1 inch of insulation everywhere on the trailer. We even had a little movie night!





i also made a head of the bed as a little box that can store lots of clothing...but the good thing is, it s barely higher than the pillow so give us another full 10 inch of room for our head. The bed is about 76 inch long by 56 inch wide and with this head bed box... it s a extra 10 inch to a total lengh of 86inches...plenty for most!



a few extra image of the build and trip..... now, i just need to find a new matress as the futon we use was too soft...what does people usually use for teardrop bed matress? any recommendation?











how it all started!!!

[Martiangod]

Looks like an awesome maiden voyage.
Sharp lookin trailer

[PKCSPT]

I am jealous you got snow! Beautiful.

[campmaster-k]

Awesome, thank you for posting the great story and great pics.

[Evan Gaffney]

Walmart carries memory foam mattresses in a variety of thicknesses. Comes rolled up and compressed, so easy to put in through the door and then unwrap. I'm getting this one based on the reviews. Some people go deeper with 6" or 8".

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Classic-Brand ... s/15078018

[Redgloves]

Memory Foarm will freeze solid in the cold!

Contact a mattress factory to inquire about a latex overlay. The lates will not freeze and will be warmer in cold temps.

I had the local mattress factory create a 2 inch latex pad to place over the factory installed mattress.

Jean

[absolutsnwbrdr]

Nice trailer AND nice tow vehicle!

Looks like you had a good time despite the cold temperatures!

[Miriam C.]

Memory Foarm will freeze solid in the cold!

Contact a mattress factory to inquire about a latex overlay. The lates will not freeze and will be warmer in cold temps.

I had the local mattress factory create a 2 inch latex pad to place over the factory installed mattress.

Jean

Not memory foam in that cold. It is hard as a rock and will suck the heat out of you. I had a heated mattress pad for mine....Needed to turn it on several hours to get the bed soft.

[Shadow Catcher]

Looks great, and a great first experience. Based on what was said here (memory foam in cold=cold) we opted for a 5" foam mattress from mattress by mail.

[kirkman]

Cool trailer and cool trip. It's nice to see other people don't stop camping just because it gets cold.We go out all the time.

[IndyTom]

Great report! Thanks for sharing. If I had scenery like that to enjoy, I would be out as often as possible too.

Tom

[Vedette]

Nice to be young! I got cold just looking at you guys.
Glad to here you were warm and cozy inside your new trailer.
We are looking forward to having ours finished by May.
May is when our camping season starts.
Thanks for posting the great pictures.
Good Roads
Brian

[droid_ca]

where bouts in Banff did you camp as I know all through that area there are the hostel signs for places to stay and always thought wouldn't it be cool to check them out as well. love the pics

[jonnyo]

we stayed at Tunnel mountain Campground, village 2. They keep a few open spot with electricity and hot showers for the winter crowd!!! It s very quiet at that time of the year but only 3min out of town and overlooking the valley and the mountain. cant ask for better!

i will have a look at the walmart matresses, i m trying to find a reason to go out again in the coming week!!!!

[Wolffarmer]

Looks like a nice trip. I am probably going to go camping next week. But it will be down in southern Utah, Arizona, Death Valley. Like you I found my first mattress to soft. I was sleeping on the floor in the bottom of a 5 inch hole as my first foam was way to soft for me. This is what I tried next.

Foam

I now have 5 inches of that stuff. It is now just a bit to hard but is a whole lot better than before. I have the memory foam toppers. Took them off, just not for me. If I was to do it again I might get 3 inches of this foam and put a softer kind on top of it.

Randy