Boy Scout Sleeps Outside in Snow for More Than Three Years Just for Fun | "I Don't See It Ending Anytime Soon"

Isaac Ortman, 14, has slept beneath the stars in his backyard in Duluth, Minnesota, for over 1000 nights, including one night when the temperature dropped to -38 degrees. What began as an offbeat self-challenge at his family's cabin about 30 miles from home when Isaac was 11 has evolved into a nightly routine that Isaac expects to continue through high school, and possibly longer for no apparent reason.

To commemorate his 1000th night of sleeping outside, Isaac huddled inside a quinzhee (a simple shelter made by hollowing out a big pile of snow and placing long sticks on top of it), built by Troop 15 members at Lakeside Presbyterian Church in Duluth, Minnesota, according to WDIO ABC. "It's just another form of a snow cave. You just have to put the snow there before you can carve it out, which is the difficult part," said Isaac, who is a boy scout. 

While Isaac has spent most of his nights in his backyard, his parents let him sleep alone in the quinzhee next to the building where he attends Boy Scout meetings with his father, Andrew Ortman, 48, the troop's scoutmaster, reports The Washington Post.

"I don't see it ending anytime soon — I might even keep going through college. It’s a lot of fun and I'm not ready to stop," shared Isaac enthusiastically. Explaining that his son insisted on sleeping outside after breaking his left wrist in a home accident, Ortman said: "He never gets tired of it — every night is a new adventure."

"He knows to come inside for a bit and check in with us if something’s not going well," said Melissa Ortman, 43, Isaac's mother. "After 1,000 nights, he has our trust."

On April 17, 2020, when he was in sixth grade, Isaac gave up his bedroom for a hammock and a sleeping bag, noting that it was the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. "I was sleeping outside at our cabin, and I thought, 'Wow, I should beat my own record for sleeping outside for a week,'" he recalled. "So I slept outside the whole time on vacation and just decided to keep it going when I got home."

Isaac did a lot of research, according to his father, to find the best equipment to keep him warm and safe while sleeping outside in four seasons. "He found a waterproof hammock to string up in the yard, and he has a couple of sleeping bags, under-quilts, and over-quilts that he can add depending on how cold it is," he said. "He has a great system." Isaac said he usually sleeps in his clothes and adds an insulated hood to keep warm in the winter. "It goes over my entire face and cinches up so just my nostrils are out," he said. "Even in the cold, I sleep just fine. My dad says it's hard to wake me sometimes."

After two years and nine months, he says he prefers snow, rain, and wind to summer heat and humidity. To break up the routine (and avoid the occasional downpour), he occasionally pitches a tent in the backyard, Isaac revealed. He added that when he stays at friends' houses, he'll sleep outside under the stars or pitch a tent, even if they decide to stay inside.

"You get all sweaty, plus there are mosquitoes," he said, giving examples of a few challenges he faces. "And the Fourth of July is the worst. It's noisy all night." Isaac stated that he is not looking to set any records for sleeping outside. "I'm not doing this for any records or a cause — I'm just having a good time," he noted. 

"I guess a lot of people might find it a little unusual, but to us, it's now the normal routine," Ortman said proudly. "I'm proud of Isaac for sticking with it. A bad snowstorm, a migraine headache, a leaky tent — nothing gets him down. He's really learned to persevere."