Winter Survival

[Sisco]

3 hours ago, Magwa said:

Fire is your friend we are talking survival, not a stroll in the winter you better have multiple ways to start one ,as far as warm I have never had anything that beats Natural hair or leather like Buffalo hair in Moccasins calf high and greased or brain tanned hides they can get wet but still keep air trapped in the hide. Carry a candle at all times light it first from that flame you can build a bon fire if you so wish always look for a rock face to build your fire against the reflective heat will make you twice a s warm than just standing and turning around trying to get everything warm. I always have a wool Blanket Hudson bay grade or better if I am camping in the snow rolled up and worn across the shoulder helps keep you warm as well . I also carry a small copper pot that I can boil water in it is in the blanket at one end rolled in , inside the pot fire making supplies . always keep a knife or small axe with you .... if there are more than two people make a dog pile include the dogs if you have one one blanket on the ground and one over you and everyone cuddled up as close as can be , take turns being on the outside it is amazing how you can stay warm in a pile.

   If I am going to be out for a few days I will wear my Copote  a blanket coat made from a very heavy wool blanket they will keep you warm and get you warm in a hurry Carry things that have multiple uses ... I will take some pics of winter gear...

I was waiting for you to weigh in Mike! Great advice.

Edited December 23, 2021 by Sisco

[Magwa]

so here are a few pics of some of my winter gear

Pic one fire making gear char cloth, flint and steel and magnifying glass

pic two Winter Mocs blanket liners and my trusty fire piston made from Buffalo Horn

pic 3 Blanket coat this one is made from a Horse Blanket about 1/2 inch thick with high colar to keep the wind out

pic 4 cleaver made from Railroad spike knife and small ax with a file to sharpen and wool sash can be used around the head and over ears or around neck or used to tie a blanket around you

pic 5 My blanket covered copper canteen the cover keeps it cool in summer when wet and keeps it from freezing in winter and my copper pots I most of the time take the two smaller ones they nest in each other and one can be a cup the other a soup bowl or used to boil water all copper...tin lined

[98Z5V]

Smart packing, right there, brother.  

[Cunuckgaucho]

Something that takes up little space and add almost no weight are contractor garbage bags.

If one of the bags is orange, cutting the seams tums it into a signal panel.

As a bag they can be used to carry water, gathering kindling/small branches and keeping them dry.

They can be used to make a windbreak, emergency rain gear, keep gear dry.

[Magwa]

8 hours ago, Cunuckgaucho said:

Something that takes up little space and add almost no weight are contractor garbage bags.

If one of the bags is orange, cutting the seams tums it into a signal panel.

As a bag they can be used to carry water, gathering kindling/small branches and keeping them dry.

They can be used to make a windbreak, emergency rain gear, keep gear dry.

I like your thinking a ton of uses and little weight

[Sisco]

Nice gear Mike. Like the trash bag idea Gaucho. 

 

[unforgiven]

Both are brilliant 

[Cunuckgaucho]

3 hours ago, Sisco said:

Nice gear Mike. 

 

@Magwa does it with style and grace 

[Sisco]

13 hours ago, Cunuckgaucho said:

@Magwa does it with style and grace 

Yes he does. I really like that horse blanket coat. My go-to under my anorak is a two layered thick wool coat made by Johnson Woolen Mills in Vermont. Today on my dog walk I was too dam warm at -4F.

[Magwa]

wool is a amazing material even wet you are warm it truly can save your life I still marvel at what Native people did with what they had 30 below zero and they are snug in their Buffalo robes and tipi....they figured out what Nature offered and used it to the best of their abilities and they did with much much less then we modern humans did they kept it simple because that is all they had...

[blue109]

Every time I watch the revenant, I just think I wouldn't even want to survive in that level of misery...not that I could. I enjoy "winter" for a few weeks out of the year. I'm Much happier at 115 than 15. I did catch Tucson's first snow day last Wednesday so I think I'm about good until next year. Me and my two favorite people had some fun.

Edited January 3, 2022 by blue109

[DNP]

Happy looking kiddos. I would never survive in serious snow…though 115 would probably kill me too. Spoiled here in SoCal. 

[unforgiven]

Great picture brother. It's cold here now. 22* feels like 11* 

This is where retirement shines not having to drive and work in the winter 🥶

[392heminut]

5 hours ago, blue109 said:

Every time I watch the revenant, I just think I wouldn't even want to survive in that level of misery...not that I could. I enjoy "winter" for a few weeks out of the year. I'm Much happier at 115 than 15.

 

Right with you brother! I moved to the desert from Kansas back in 1978 to get away from the winters there. I've never regretted it!

[blue109]

4 hours ago, unforgiven said:

Great picture brother. It's cold here now. 22* feels like 11* 

This is where retirement shines not having to drive and work in the winter 🥶

If I don't have to leave the warm house, Im ok with snow lol

[Magwa]

It has been cold here wake up to 5 degrees snowing that fine grain snow but today it is suppose to break, the older I get the more I like the fire in the Morning, just feels good to warm the bones...

[unforgiven]

18 minutes ago, Magwa said:

It has been cold here wake up to 5 degrees snowing that fine grain snow but today it is suppose to break, the older I get the more I like the fire in the Morning, just feels good to warm the bones...

Warm is good brother 👍 

[Magwa]

Indeed it is my friend just get that cup of coffee and sit by the fire and warm the bones...