Getting away from car camping

[Frankx]

My wife and I are kind of stuck in the car camping mode.
what are some good tips/ tactics to transition to getting away from that to pack toboggans and getting out ?
Any palaces to practice this in MN is a plus.

[Bothwell Voyageur]

Work on reducing the volume more than weight. A six foot kids sled is a good first load hauler, better than the heavy fishing sleds. Look for somewhere you can park and walk a few hundred yards to a camp spot so you can take multiple trips if needed. Minnesota is a big place, where are you?

[Frankx]

South metro

[JackPine218]

Some of my first winter camping experiences were in the Porkies. Started with the trek in cabin rentals, and then graduated to cold camping in the backcountry. The backcountry camper cabins and yurts that require you to haul your gear in are a nice bridging trip. Get your kit dialed in, minus shelter. Short-haul backcountry sites at state parks are another option. Crosby manitou is one of my favorites.

[Southcove]

I found lakes the best way... typically easier pulling, walking, trekking, snowshoeing along the hard water to established campsites (like in the Adirondack Park, NYS) where you can set up fairly easily and either look for dead or downed logs (no cutting here) or grind back to the car or truck to get the pre-cut locally purchased firewood (!) for the stove. And plan to leave some of the comfy stuff back at the trailhead (I can hear some chuckles from other's here who know me and my ways...). A nice easy walk in to establish a basecamp and do your day trips from there to get the feel of things.

[Smoked in Space]

I don’t know if anyone has suggested this yet, but what I do is, “slowly back away from the vehicle.”

[Heavy Duty]

I went through the same transition. I took cues from my bicycle touring and backpacking and applied them to winter camping. Make everything pack well. If you can get the size down, the weight will go down as well. I started small, only traveling a mile, constantly honing my setup, now I'm up to week long loops.

Two schools of thought. Suffer in camp or suffer on the trail, got to find a balance that works for you. If you're only base camping, it may benefit more to suffer on the trail for a day, than to be without cast iron or a nice chair.

[Snowbound]

Start someplace close to home and close to the car. Find a lake and plan a 2 night trip, haul in 1-3 miles and base camp. That should give you a taste of camping away from the car, an idea of the different level of work involved and chance to consider weight and gear for future treks. The effort involved in toboggan travel can vary dramatically dependent on snow, slush, weather and weight so it is best to start slow with low distance expectations until you get a feel for it.

[kiggy]

Start someplace close to home and close to the car. Find a lake and plan a 2 night trip, haul in 1-3 miles and base camp. That should give you a taste of camping away from the car, an idea of the different level of work involved and chance to consider weight and gear for future treks. The effort involved in toboggan travel can vary dramatically dependent on snow, slush, weather and weight so it is best to start slow with low distance expectations until you get a feel for it.

Agree on all, except 3 miles can be overkill in bad conditions
Frank, look for canoe routes, avoid streams, just lakes. look for site half a mile from parking. this will be enough for few first times
.

[Justin P.]

I don't have any specific place recommendations, but keep in mind, places that are busy in summer can be pretty nice in winter.
You shouldn't need to go miles in, and probably shouldn't anyway at first.
I bet you can find somewhere to park and make a short trip from the car, 1/4 mile, or a hundred yards could feel like your miles away if nobody else is around and give you a similar experience but make bailout easier until you get the kinks worked out of your setup.

[Lonelake]

I would recommend the Sand Dunes area near Big Lake,MN. It is a State Forest so firewood is available to cut. Free camping, and some snowmobile traffic on the outer edges. There are still trails to haul on so you can get a feel for snow load against the toboggan. Plenty of room to roam. Start with shorter trips, to help flush out gear and proper weight vs needs.
The vehicle would be relatively close with services fairly close to the forest.

I would also suggest setting up your toboggan with a full load at home. The lower the load the better..

Hit me up on messenger if you want more detailed info on the Forest area.


LL

[Frankx]

Thanks all , lots to chew on here. I appreciate the input.