Winter Survival

[FREDDIE]

I pack a small back packing stove.It even burns jet fuel, a cup and of course chef Boyardee. I have spent nights in the heli rather than the fire camp tent with no floor in the rain and snow my little stove made it bearable.

 

ps also a bottle of whiskey and a cowboy boot.

 

Freddie /Steve

 

[helicopterjim]

What FREDDIE said - plus a snowmobile comes in handy as well .....

[Winnie]

I find it tough to stuff the snowmobile into the nooks and crannies on the 212 and 214ST, but we have sleeping bags good for -40 (they work), a tent, regular survival kit, as well as some bars in my backpack and a thermos flask of tea.

 

As far as dressing warm, I find it hard to not get sweaty, so I tend to underdress, but my parka is right behind my seat, and I always have dry socks and longjohns in my backpack. Reading material as well!

It is IMPOSSIBLE to find anything to burn here (The trees are nonexistent), so the saw stays in the hangar! But we got the axe etc.

 

Some good tips overall tho!

 

Cheers

H.

[J Kupecz]

Survival kit:

 

-A handful of steel wool and a battery work well in any survival kit, although I have at various times had lighters, matches, hand cleaner, flint and striker and a lens.

-I prefer paracord to most other rope for its multiple uses.

-Plastic bags of various sizes (small sandwitch types to keep critical stuff dry, shopping sizes for boot liners, etcetera).

-A small roll of duct tape.

-I now have a 3/4 length fleece blanket and love it.

-A good knife for hacking at stuff, and a good blade for cutting.

-A mirror.

-A pot to put it in

-various other bits of kit that I will swap out.

 

Things like snacks, clothing and water go in my flying bag or pockets. Everything fits in a day pack.

 

As I have yet to work in the industry, I normally just carry this in my car or canoe.

[Daz]

Like J, I'm pretty inexperienced in the industry but I do spend lots of time outdoors in the winter.

 

The MSR Dragonfly is a good compact backpacker's stove that can burn jet fuel, diesel, or gas (among other fuels). They're time tested, well-proven, and there's tons of support and replacement parts available. That and a pot will let you melt snow, or boil water from a questionable source. Throw in a couple instant oatmeal packs or little bags of freeze-dried camp meals and at least you can have a warm dinner.

 

I also have a collapsible bucksaw that breaks down and stows into a tube about 15" inches long.

 

A big puffy down jacket is too warm to fly in, but they're light and squish down really small - easy to stow. A down sleeping bag would be awesome, but they're expensive... synthetic bags are cheaper, aren't totally useless when wet, but they're heavier and don't pack down as small. I have a good compromise - a hybrid. Synthetic on the bottom, fluffy down on the top. Much cheaper than full down!

 

If you've no room for a full tent, a bivy bag or even a tarp might be a more compact alternative.

 

Headlamps these days are small, cheap, bright, and efficient. Get a Black Diamond Spot and a couple extra AAA batteries.

 

A Ziploc bag full of "calorically dense" foods (for lack of a better description) doesn't take up too much space and might come in handy even if you're just delayed for a few hours 'cause of weather or something. If nothing else, it's a good excuse to have things like chocolate bars and an assortment of spicy, tubular meats on hand for snacking.

 

Don't forget the little bits - Leatherman, compass (with mirror), a little duct tape (wrap a whole bunch around your collapsible bucksaw tube so you don't have to carry a whole roll), toque, spare gloves, some cord, waterproof matches or a lighter, etc.

 

That's all the comes to mind right now - hope it's helpful!

 

-Darren

[Bif]

As for sleeping bags... if space isn't an issue (For you medium guys, or even for non flying), the Yanes Hunter model 4601 is by far the warmest coziest sleeping bag I've ever had the pleasure of using:

http://www.yanes.ca/sleeping_bags.php?type=3

[Whitestone]

Where you are going to be working will determine what should be in your kit. If nature has not provided fuel as in Winnie's case then you have to consider that and if your survival situation includes large carnivores you might have to carry a shotgun or large rifle too.

 

One of the earliest lessons anyone learns when winter camping is that you have to either get up off the ground or put something between you and it to keep yourself warm. The cold ground will suck the heat out of you and make attempting to sleep a miserable experience, been there, done that a few times. Survival is all about making due with what we have at hand and it if means killing a few trees i am all for that (if you are below the treeline). For myself, if i have not had a Therma-Rest type of mattress i have always if the snow is not to deep scraped it away and laid evergreen boughs down to create an insulating/separating layer. One of the neatest ideas i have seen has been to put down two larger logs and lay smaller ones perpendicular to create a raised platform. Takes a bit of work but well worth it.

 

My sleeping bag of choice is a Western Mountaineering down filled mummy bag, it has served me well and scrunches down into a small stuff sack so takes up very little room. I am a bit torn with the down though as when it gets wet/damp there goes its insulating properties. Synthetic on the other hand will keep you warm even it it is damp but there is the bulk factor to consider and in most cases i don't have the room to spare.

 

Down sleeping bag

 

As others have mentioned, i too like the idea of carrying a small stove, my Whisperlite International can burn Jet fuel among many other fuels but then it would be two more items in my duffel bag and as for now i am working where there are a good supply of trees i will leave it at home.

 

 

 

W.

[J Kupecz]

As any honest survivalist will tell you, you never stop learning or improving your kit. I am taking notes on the bags and stoves as I usually just cobble what I have together. My Mil-spec bivvy bag is old and cumbersome, so it is more likely to be left at home.

 

One thing I forget to mention on a regular basis is a good soft candle. Rub it over any cloth and you get an instant, if temporary waterproofing. It also does well for the usual candle type operations,

[Skidz]

Lots of great advice here.

 

As mentioned, you need to taylor your kit to the region and season. A key aspect is also to check your kit very regularly, especially in winter or in high-humidity conditions. I have a Mountain Hardware down jacket that's good to -30, and stuffs into a bag about the size of a 1 liter bag of milk. Every morning I stuff it into it's bag, and every evening I take it out, fluff it and hang it. I carry most of my survival stuff in a safari vest (like a fishing vest, minus the patch to hook flies to) that I wear at all times. I remove stuff and repack it daily.

 

If you wear a helmet, it's a good idea to have a break-away connection. If you have to egress in a hurry, you might forget to unplug your helmet, and end up on your a$$ when you get to the end of the cord. A 6-inch break-away (essentially a very short extension) could make the difference between life and death in some situations (like a ditching). An in-line cell/iPod adapter can do the job nicely as well.

[Winnie]

We always have a shotgun with slugs loaded, but not chambered of course. BIG white man-eating predators abound where i travel for sure.

 

With regards to flashlights etc, when the temps dip into the -35's and colder the batteries simply will not last, they freeze too quickly. I have taken my mini-mag out for a preflight with brand new batteries, and have it go dead in minutes.

Candles are always a good idea, if you get in a situation where you can build a snow cave, the candle is infact enough to get the temperature bearable, as long as you have a vent and a cold-sink.

 

Cheers

H,