Winter Survival

[Whitestone]

Having just come back from a short winter deployment and talking with one of my crew who had been stranded out over night in the past got me thinking about winter survival.

Dressing to outside temps while keeping the machine warm enough to keep the windows clear is definatly a challenge. Sweating is one thing you want to avoid at all costs in winter so if you are too warm, ventilate or shed layers. I was once told to keep everything essential to survival on my back so to speak as you may only get out with that if there is a post crash fire.

What are some of you carrying with you in the machine? A winter specific survival kit (containing what)? Is the bug spray still in yours like it was in mine? As my kit was just essentially a bare bones summer kit i made up and carry my own. I first got a 2.5 litre pot and filled it with things like a knife, fire starter, a lighter, matches, some strong string, a little first aid kit and a few other items. I threw this little kit into a 50 litre water proof duffel bag with a -40 down sleeping bag, some Canada Goose down bib pants, a reflective tarp and a few other things. It does take up a bit of space in the machine but it's a choice i have made.

I also carry in the baggage compartment a 24" bow saw, 36" snow shoes and a collapsible "rescue" snow shovel. Other than the kit, i have on my person a large knife, a lighter, a space blanket, some chap stick and a few power bars that i never seem to eat before their expiry date because they taste like saw dust.

I give my crew a good pre-flight briefing letting them know i will bend over backwards to not leave them out over night but that they should be mentally and physically prepared to so.

There is a lot of information on the Internet about winter survival, building fires, shelter, getting water, etc. and i have been looking at that to refresh my momory and learn something new but if anyone has any experiences or ideas they would like to share they would be welcome.

Cheers,

W.

[pilot5]

Having just come back from a short winter deployment and talking with one of my crew who had been stranded out over night in the past got me thinking about winter survival.

 

Dressing to outside temps while keeping the machine warm enough to keep the windows clear is definatly a challenge. Sweating is one thing you want to avoid at all costs in winter so if you are too warm, ventilate or shed layers. I was once told to keep everything essential to survival on my back so to speak as you may only get out with that if there is a post crash fire.

 

What are some of you carrying with you in the machine? A winter specific survival kit (containing what)? Is the bug spray still in yours like it was in mine? As my kit was just essentially a bare bones summer kit i made up and carry my own. I first got a 2.5 litre pot and filled it with things like a knife, fire starter, a lighter, matches, some strong string, a little first aid kit and a few other items. I threw this little kit into a 50 litre water proof duffel bag with a -40 down sleeping bag, some Canada Goose down bib pants, a reflective tarp and a few other things. It does take up a bit of space in the machine but it's a choice i have made.

 

I also carry in the baggage compartment a 24" bow saw, 36" snow shoes and a collapsible "rescue" snow shovel. Other than the kit, i have on my person a large knife, a lighter, a space blanket, some chap stick and a few power bars that i never seem to eat before their expiry date because they taste like saw dust.

 

I give my crew a good pre-flight briefing letting them know i will bend over backwards to not leave them out over night but that they should be mentally and physically prepared to so.

 

There is a lot of information on the Internet about winter survival, building fires, shelter, getting water, etc. and i have been looking at that to refresh my momory and learn something new but if anyone has any experiences or ideas they would like to share they would be welcome.

 

Cheers,

 

W.

 

Screw winter~ move to mexico and hybernate until its done... YUK!

[GoldMember]

Pretty much had a similar kit to yours Whitestone, sitting in the cargo, but also always had a few things on me in case I wasn't able to get to it. Leatherman obviously, space blanket, lighter, a small camping fire starting kit, mini first aid kit, a couple granola bars and also always had my touque and gloves stuffed inside my jacket or a leg pocket on my Helly Hansen snow pants. Feels a bit bulky having that stuff stashed all over you, but you'd be very happy to have it if the other stuff in the cargo wasn't available.

 

Kevin McCormick

[Bif]

Keep in mind that if you have a nice warm down sleeping bag stuffed in your survival pack, any time you're not using it you should hang the sleeping bag or lay it out flat. Keeping it stuffed in the bag will eventually compress the down and degrade its ability to keep you warm when you need it.

[What Limits]

Water is more of a priority than food if you consider that you could die of dehydration in three days, but last three weeks without food.

I wouldn't want to drink muskeg water and snow or ice will take a large amount of energy to convert to water. Also any water source close to your crash site could be contaminated with fuel, oil or other fluids.

 

Another question, why did you find yourself in a survival situation in the first place? Could you have chosen a different route with options to land near to habitation and roads, or did you land as soon as possible when you could have landed as soon as practical?

[Bif]

or did you land as soon as possible when you could have landed as soon as practical?

 

Or vice versa! Tried to make it back to camp/road/lease site when you could have landed on that cut line, or in those low shrubs, and now the engine has quit, or something that's supposed to be spinning has now seized

[HeliRico]

I try not to miss any episode of the "survivor man" .. This is the best surviving course i've ever had..

[sirlandsalot]

Pack a pack and go winter camping next weekend. See what it is really like! "looks good on paper"I have spent many a night in the mountains in snow caves and tents.......it is always a challenge even when not in an emergencie situation..Things like "good" food can go a longways. One night deep in the coastal mountains in a tent, mid january, my wife pulled out of MY pack, a bottle of Shiraz to go with the fettachini Alfredo! I learned this after 15 years of eating freezdried crap and juice crystals.

 

LOL! what a great wife.

[Whitestone]

Water is more of a priority than food if you consider that you could die of dehydration in three days, but last three weeks without food.

I wouldn't want to drink muskeg water and snow or ice will take a large amount of energy to convert to water. Also any water source close to your crash site could be contaminated with fuel, oil or other fluids.

 

Another question, why did you find yourself in a survival situation in the first place? Could you have chosen a different route with options to land near to habitation and roads, or did you land as soon as possible when you could have landed as soon as practical?

 

If you are refering to ME finding myself in a survival situation you misread... It was a co-worker and it was actually in a Land Tamer crossing a lake that was starting to freeze over not in a helicopter. A larger craft had proceeded him breaking ice and by the time he came putting along it was refreezing and it got to the point where he could no longer make any headway so he had to grind his way to shore and stay the night. In the morning he was "rescued". There is a lake out there somewhere now with a geographical feature affectionately called James' Point.

 

I have to agree with Sirlandsalot, the only way to really find out if you have what it takes to spend the night out in -20 or -30 is to get out there and do it, then and only then will you know. I too have spent years winter camping in tents, quincys, lean-to's and snow caves starting out in Boy Scouts and then into adulthood with other organizations. Aboslutly a great time and it gives you a greater appreciation for what one could be up against.

 

Really good points too by Goldmember to keep mittens/gloves and a touque in your coat or pants pocket and by Bif to "fluff" up your down products often if you have them compressed in a stuff sack.

 

I am putting a dry/spare pair of mittens, a touque with face protection and spare socks in the survival bag too.

 

Just back from the outdoors store with a few more trinkets...

 

W.

[Whitestone]

As What Limits mentioned, you should definitely have priorities if in a survival situation as you will on average have 3 minutes with out oxygen, 3 hours without heat, 3 days without water and three weeks without food. Easy to remember... 3. So you have to set your priorities but don't make the mistake of just focusing on one thing and neglecting the others. The psychology of survival too seems to be almost as important as the physical part of it.

 

Also the 5 C's: Combustion (matches, lighter, flint and steel or even a bow drill) Cordage: (light rope or para cord) Cover: ( a tarp or at the very least a big ORANGE garbage bag) Cutting tool: (heavy fixed blade knife or a folding saw or a bow saw or...) and last but not least a Container : (a pot or kettle to melt snow and/or boil water. In an emergency situation you could even use an empty oil can from the helicopter)

 

W.