Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Checking the weather in the backcountry

What's you all's preferred methods to check the weather while in the back country with no cell service?

Look to the West

And sniff the wind.

Step out of Tent at 4am ..........Take a piss if it hits you in the Face.....Hunt in that direction......

Weather radios can usually get reception if it's important enough to haul one in. The main thing I would worry about is a late season snow dump that could make it hard to hike or drive out. Since I usually hunt in the early seasons the forecast doesn't really change what I do so I tend not to worry about it.

Most weather forecasts are reasonably accurate 5 or more days out. If a storm is forecast for next week, use discretion on where you go. Don't carry a Farmers Almanac and expect it to keep you warm and dry except for tinder.

I cary and use a small handheld weather radio....but I hunt from a base camp not a pack camp.

Tried and true weather rock...

Garmin InReach texts with daily and 5 day forecasts sent from my wife from the nearest 3 towns/watherstations/areas to where I hunting. Works great.

Have done the same. Sometimes you have to train them to get aviation weather forecasts when there isn't a town nearby. I think the InReach has a way to request a weather report too, but haven't done it.

I've used the InReach weather. It's ok but costs $$ every update.

Im a ham radio operator. I usually tune a VHF radio to the NOAA weather stations.

Weather radio broadcasts in the United States (NOAA NWR) and Canada (Weatherradio Canada) occur on seven dedicated frequencies:

162.400 Mhz
162.425
162.450
162.475
162.500
162.525
162.550

Most of our forecasts are accurate enough for 4-6 days out, sometimes longer if the pattern is stable. I don't usually go out more than 3-4 days at a time if conditions are in flux so generally the normal forecasts are good enough. I also have no hesitation to pull the plug on a trip if conditions look ominous.

For me, the real weather challenge is often back at home. I usually organize and load my pack a week or two in advance. It can be difficult, using a forecast 10-14 days into the future, to predict which gear to bring.

Tom