As the cooler weather approaches, most people close up their pools and cover their boats. The kids go back to school and life takes its annual trek into couch potato land. But not for you. No, there's something very different about the person who begins to prep their winter gear looking for the temps below freezing or the first heavy snow to test out their gear.
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| WHERE THE ROAD ENDS, YOUR SKILLS STAND OUT |
Maybe it's because you know that here in the states, it's not unusual for states (not including Alaska) in the north to have over 100 consecutive days with snow on the ground. Or that temps in those states can stay below 32 degrees anywhere between 100 and 140 days a year. No, it wasn't just your imagination! These temperature zones extend roughly down to the middle of the country on a normal basis, though "freak weather" cannot be ruled out in warmer zones.
Maybe you just like the feeling of damp, cold air and rain just above freezing. Perhaps you think blue lips are a good look for you. Because there you are, every year, out in the elements. You aren't content to have your winter excursion end with the walk back to a nice warm cabin from your hunting blind. You have become addicted to the feeling of a small fire chasing away the onset of hypothermia. There are those in this country who would suggest you seek help for this condition.
But you don't care if others approve of or even understand what it is you are trying to accomplish. That ship sailed a long time ago. Right about the time you figured out the secret to mankind's hypocrisy. It's so easy to declare your philosophies of life when things are going well. But for all their speeches, who will they run to when things take a wrong turn?
For those who have yet to brave the cooler elements or those who are just beginning, you may wish to keep a few things in mind: Be very careful of the advise upon which you choose to act, no matter how confident the armchair adviser may be. For it will be at your own risk and you will suffer any misfortune. Many who pretend knowledge of necessary skills are simply looking to make a name for themselves as the subject of survival has gained popularity in recent years.
Before you go trekking out into the wild in temps beyond your experience, keep in mind; Possibilities beg preparation; Probabilities demand it. Do lots of homework. There are more than enough experienced people willing to give you some help. The elements aren't a game. You can die out there. It's not a video game that you can reset, and you aren't a movie star that will just appear in another movie after you get killed off. Even if you don't die, you can be permanently injured. Think about accidental injuries or a doctor having to remove dead limbs and digits from frost bite.
Next, you can't have too many back-ups. There's a saying that no plan survives initial contact. Always have back-up gear and emergency contingency plans. Let someone know where you are going and how long you intend to be gone, as well as what your back up plans are.....keep 'em simple and stick to your plans! Never use a piece of untested gear.....untested by YOU. That means doubling up on any gear you wish to try out. Lot's of things look great in the advertisement. You may even hear somebody swear by it. That doesn't mean it will work well for you or even work at all. Know your gear.
Lastly, stick to the basic 3 setting up camp:
1. SHELTER FIRST - If you are lost, if you pack in or drive in, shelter is your number one priority. You do not eat, sleep, rest or goof off. You locate a spot and dig in like a tick. There's no guarantee the weather will be or remain friendly. You could find yourself on the business end of one of Mother Nature's mood swings. If you have to construct your shelter out of natural debris, simply paying attention will help you with your next step.
As shown in the photo, a two man shelter was constructed making sure to face the opening away from the prevailing wind. (The temperature, the night these photos were taken, was 0 degrees F, not including wind chill.) Note that BOTH shelters are sloped into the wind and the openings are facing the same direction. To maximize available space as well as maintain maximum shelter from the wind, both lean-to shelters were joined at the peak allowing for the sides to be anchored as well in case of wind shift, giving three protected sides. The shelter itself is very low profile aiding in it's effectiveness against the wind. This is possible because the snow was removed in the area that was chosen for the shelter, down to the frozen ground. The site chosen for the shelter was located on a slight decline opposite of the prevailing winds. The trees themselves do little to stop the winds compared to a hill or decline. This is critical in sub-freezing temps. Even when multiple single shelters are built, they all must be faced away from the prevailing wind as much as possible. For this, a half "wagon wheel" is recommended. This is when separate rectangular pits are dug and covered over with a poncho or tarp. The shelters open toward a common area where a common fire is shared, along with the work tending it and each person is sheltered on three sides from the wind. Many a beginner learns the hard way about digging in.
2. FIRE - Once your shelter is properly set up, and you're not in the middle of a typhoon, it's time to gather firewood. If there's snow on the ground, no matter how deep, if you haven't dug in to the ground, good luck keeping a fire lit. Sound simple? Many a novice has been lured into taking the easy path only to find Mother Nature giving them the cold shoulder. You'll use a basic clover leaf pattern never leaving sight of camp in your search for firewood. This means making individual circular patters from your shelter and back. By paying attention, this will also help you in your next step.
Like a shelter, your fire pit must be dug in. The location should be a few feet in front of your shelter opening with the back 3 sides of your pit shielding the work area. (Remember, this isn't a photo "op" we're talking about here, this is for your survival in frigid temps!) Once your pit is ready, it's time to look for kindling. (The assumption here is that you've got some gear with you, or you've got some extensive training in primitive skills because the lower the temperature, the more you need in your corner!) The most common problem is finding dry kindling. Don't let it get you down; look up. Literally!
Using a cloverleaf pattern, scout around the trees for small dead branches and gather as many as you can. This will be your best bet at finding dry kindling. Frozen temps can be very deceptive as moisture is frozen inside of a seemingly dry log or branch. Once heated, the branches that were starting to burn hiss themselves to a smoky end.
Another culprit adding to the difficulty of making fire in frigid temps is the bottom of the fire pit itself. Remember that like much of the dead timber, the ground is saturated with frozen moisture that, once thawed, will become instant fire retardant. To increase your ability to make fire, take some of the branches you collected from the standing trees (many live trees have multiple dead branches on them just waiting to be harvested), and create a bed to keep your young fire from contacting any moisture when the temperature rises beneath the bed of coals. Unless you're on a frozen swamp, a small bed, dry twigs and a little attention to detail should alleviate the majority of the camp fire blues.
Remember that you're not trying to signal passing space-craft. At least, maybe not at first. You have to start very small and continually coax the fire larger. Using dry standing grasses, inner/outer bark scrapings and small dry twigs stacked in a tee-pee fashion around a Vaseline soaked cotton ball will brighten your spirits with just a flick of spark from a ferro rod, magnesium striker, or even an empty butane lighter.
Here's where a little patience pays off big as the over-zealous will likely smother the small flame by adding more twigs too rapidly. In order for this entity to grow and thrive, it must eat properly as well as breathe. Let the fire do it's job and just coax it with a little human powered wind at the base of the fire, not at the flame. As the flame increases, gently keep adding dry twigs. A bright orange flame as shown in the photo is the goal before moving on to larger sticks.
Keep adding small dry twigs until you've established a soft ball sized bed of coals. At that point you can begin with pencil sized sticks. This is when you'll begin to hear some hissing. Keep stacking longer sticks of the same size making larger tee-pees over the smaller ones so that the growing flames will begin to dry out the longer sticks. As the flame continues to grow, you can slowly increase the size of the sticks until you've got a bed of coals about the size of a large dinner plate. For those who get ambitious and attempt a larger fire, remember that the larger the sticks/logs, the more moisture they contain. A good rule of thumb here is to stack them like Lincoln Logs around the fire 2 rows high in an attempt to dry the logs before feeding them to the fire. When the sides closest to the fire start smoking, it's time to rotate. Make no mistake, in the wild, making and maintaining a fire can be hard work. Just remember to collect enough kindling to have ready for an emergency or a quick fire in the frigid temps the next morning.
3. WATER - Camping, hiking, hunting or just plain lost, you SHOULD have brought water with you. When you're "out in it" would be a bad time to figure out you needed it. How much depends greatly on your body, work load and heat index. A good rule of thumb here is that a rise in the heat index increases your need for water from your normal base line hydration needs, but colder weather does not decrease your needs from that base line; though you may have to change your methods of storing readily available water if you are in sub-freezing temperatures. You may not feel as thirsty in the colder temps, but without adequate liquids, your body will have a harder time maintaining core temperature and you will be much more prone to hypothermia as well as inviting the strength sapping side of dehydration. You need to do your homework before you venture into the wild and make sure to account for a little extra in case of emergencies; for example, if your average requirement under normal conditions is a little over 3 quarts, plan for a gallon. You will be very glad you did. However, if you find yourself in need of water, using your cloverleaf pattern, you can look for places where water may have been naturally stored. If you were paying attention, you may have seen something when collecting firewood. Now is always the best time to secure some hydration. If there's snow on the ground, your job is easy. Just remember if you find yourself in a survival situation; any time a fire is burning is a good time to be making drinkable water. Do NOT wait until you feel like you're thirsty before you devote some time to re-hydrating your body by melting snow or boiling some water to drink.
If you don't already own a copy of The USRSOG Survival Manual, SIX WAYS IN & 12 WAYS OUT, pick one up! It has loads of information to accomplish these tasks and much more. It's an invaluable resource or reference for those who are more advanced. It's 6"X9" and ready for the field. You'll learn the importance of insulation between you and the ground, as well as ways to insulate yourself with materials found in the field.
An often overlooked possibility, even by some of the advanced, is that the chances of ending up in a survival situation with someone less knowledgeable than you are great. A good field manual is a great way to soothe someone's fears and build their morale. It will give them hope to skim through it's pages while sitting near a fire or eating a freshly prepared wild meal. Taking a good field manual with you, especially in the field, is a great habit to develop. When time permits, it's a perfect time to open the book and begin to practice skills that you are either lacking, or aren't very proficient in yet. Sometimes, time doesn't permit. In such cases, you've lost nothing; but at least you were ready. That's what survival skills are all about! Being ready.
As you gain knowledge and experience you'll continually learn better ways to survive extreme temperatures and/or survival situations of duration. You'll also learn never to veer very far from the basics, 'cause if you do, sooner or later Mother Nature will catch you doing something wrong and the spanking will commence.
Those who develop their skills will see the majestic beauty of Mother Nature's playground that few others can ever know. Be prepared for it though, as she's been known to play a little rough.
