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[yetiatmydoor]

November 6th, 2021

Current temperature 45° F

Not much to add today. In an effort to find a happy medium between candlelight and harsh led camp lights I repurposed an old Himalayan salt crystal lamp from storage. While the glowing rock is aesthetically pleasing and in a pinch would prove a reasonable weapon against the Terror Bird that seems to have taken residence in a nearby tree, it is sadly lacking in light output for my purposes.

To the surprise of no one, peppermint schnapps in hot chocolate is a delicious method to increase your level of comfort in a chilly situation. And while not recommended when exposed to the elements it can easily make the difference between my tent is slightly chilly, and I don't care that my tent is slightly chilly. Must remember to stock up for the months ahead.

While on the subject, some people may find it surprising that Frangelico can act to replace a sweetener in hot tea and coffee with a similar effect to the schnapps in hot chocolate. This is one of the more pleasant lessons learned in The Winter of My Discount Tent. You are welcome.

[yetiatmydoor]

November 5th, 2021

Current temperature 43° F

Mild temperatures continue, and work on the site continues steadily. Remaining ground anchors are sunk, ready for guy lines when needed, wind speeds have remained in the single digits, so far posing no threat to the shelters rigidity. Electrical has been run, though the line is a bit short for the current setup, I haven't extended it as I began to experiment with electric heating, until I have a better idea of the permanent equipment setup, anything beyond rudimentary cable management is a waste of time.

The electric heater is currently more than sufficient for the current weather conditions, though I suspect it may be outpaced as the season progresses. Electric provides a potentially uninterrupted source of heat compared to propane, especially while depending on 1lb cylinders, however last year the raw output couldn't keep up with heat loss due to poor insulation. More insulation was a priority this season, so electric may be more viable. This heater has the lesser output of the two utilized previously, far less that the propane heater, but the increased insulation may make the difference. Time will tell.

Lighting in the tent is a work in progress. Due to the hub based design, hanging any weight of note from the inside of the supports is counterintuitive and would compromise the structures ability to withstand wind, snow, and ice. As such my earlier solutions will have to be rethought. The small LEDs I started to employ were unnecessarily harsh, I have since switched to candlelight. While much more pleasant, the introduction of power to the site makes my mind wander to finding a gentler electrical solution. I have a few things to try in the coming days.

Some concerning noises from outside I believe to be some sort of larger birds. Either that or small dinosaurs. Same thing really. Confirmation will not occur until morning, if ever. I have been exposed to far too many horror stories to do anything so foolish as investigating strange noises in the dark without a damn good reason. And a shotgun. And Bruce Campbell.

[yetiatmydoor]

November 3rd, 2021

Current temperature 38° F

The weather has seemingly leveled out, no doubt to give me a false sense of security. The forecast shows this trend is to continue for the upcoming week, which I will believe when I see it. After last winter I put slightly more faith in meteorology than I do in astrology. Not that this is necessarily their fault, it appears nature is awake and she has decided to kill us. This is fine, however I intend to exit this world as I entered, kicking, screaming, and covered in someone else's blood.

The shelter has arrived and been erected. The design is intuitive and seems much sturdier than last year's failure. The ice anchors, while sufficient for their intended use, were even more woefully unsuitable for my purposes than anticipated. Fortunately I was able to acquire a set of 10" spiral ground anchors that were far easier to set than I had feared. This is no doubt due to the recent rain and the lack of the anticipated freeze. Using a crowbar for leverage in the U shaped hardware atop the cap, they are holding the skirt of the shelter down firmly. I expect they will be even more difficult to dislodge after the ground freezes. I only set the four for the skirt today, I must remember to set the remaining four for the guy lines before the temperatures drop. I did not do so today as I was running short on time. I am also curious as to how the unsupported hubs will handle wind without them. They are far stiffer than I imagined, though the insulated fabric appears thinner than I hoped.

Rubber floor tiles salvaged for My Discount Tent provide adequate coverage for the footprint. After which I moved in my folding recliner. I am able to recline in the chair though it does occupy nearly the full width of the tent as such. This is fortuitous, and elevating my feet should help keep the warmer than resting on the ground, even with the floor tiles acting as a buffer.

Propane has been refilled. I was unable to find the appropriate hose to connect the heater to a 15lb cylinder, so I used an adapter to fill 1lb tanks off the larger one. This method is bothersome and requires far too much mucking about swapping tanks. The heater did perform well. The interior got almost uncomfortably warm with the output set to high, low provided comfort whilst sitting in a t-shirt. I do not expect that situation to continue should the mercury drop to similar levels as last winter. The portable buddy, even on low, absolutely huffs through 1lb tanks at alarming speed. Given the more insulated situation at present I may have to revisit experimenting with electric heat. It had enviable longevity, and was simply completely outclassed by the required output. This will necessitate running a line for power.

Currently I have the beginnings of a viable setup but more refinement is going to be needed. Additional anchors need to be sunk, electrical needs to be run, and the lighting situation needs addressed. I have plenty to do, not to mention refining the heating setup reliability.

After closing my last update I began commiting my thoughts on The Winter of My Discount Tent to text. It quickly became apparent that this was going to be a long process as so much had occurred. As such I will be working on an overview of events to post, with specific anecdotes and lessons learned given their own posts, befitting my chosen format. These will be interspersed with my updates on my progress this season and clearly labeled to prevent confusion with my ongoing efforts.

[yetiatmydoor]

November 2nd, 2021

Current temperature 38° F

As temperatures begin to plummet it has occurred to me that I have almost no record of The Winter of My Discount Tent. This seems to be a missed opportunity, a great deal was learned last year about how not to freeze to death when exiled from my own home because my lovely girlfriend has suddenly decided she can no longer tolerate my smoking, despite knowing exactly what she was getting into over a decade ago. Ahem. Ideally I would have built a solid refuge from the cold over the summer, however delays involving two jobs, low funds, medical concerns, and infernal suicidal machines have left me in a similar situation to last year, with cold weather moving in more swiftly than planned and without adequate shelter or funds. To remedy this, I have placed an order for an Eskimo Quickfish 3i, an insulated ice fishing shelter. It comes well reviewed, I have little doubt that with a heater it will be sufficient to combat the cold, being designed to be set up on frozen lakes with little to no windbreaks, I believe it shall not die as ignominious a death as my previous shelter, and while snow load may be a concern, the hub design should lead to the tent spontaneously unpitching itself rather than catastrophic failure of its structural components. Perhaps not over engineered to hell and back as would be my preference, but the price was, barely, within my means and unlike last year, this has potential. Heating options will begin with electric, moving to propane as soon as I can afford to refill the tanks. Planned upgrades include longer stakes, as those included are too short to account for the transition from ice to soil. Also a hose allowing me to run my propane heater off a 15lb cylinder, the 1lb camping cylinders were woefully insufficient last year. Flooring with drainage, lighting, furniture, power and other miscellany will be hammered out after I can see what the assembled shelter will accommodate. Delivery is scheduled for tomorrow, given that our first, blessedly miniscule snowfall, was sighted yesterday, this is not a moment too soon. I will attempt to gather my thoughts on last winter and provide more background with my next update.