Winter Hiking - Epic Failures... A Noobs Hard Lessons Learned

[ShadowAlpha]

Shadowalpha,

In both blogs I mention this. I find being in my base layers heat up the sleeping bags more efficiently and lasts longer. But a good meal high in fat is the key it seems.

true! it's all about the food!

my son just showed me these. he said they taste good all except the natural. lots of protien.
http://www.protos-inc.com/buy_ostrim/products.html

[fourdog]

I have found over the years insulation is insulation. The key is that your insulation layers are not damp or wet thus being compermised by the mositure.
If my clothing layers are keeping my sleeping bag from getting warmed up that must mean there keeping me warm !
Remember you are having a build up of frost and mositure in your clothing layers from activity during the day and unless dryed out completly will comperimises it's insulatine ablites.
Fire is your friend, don't leave home with out those skills.

For comfert I find the less outer layers I have in my sleep system the more comfertable I am.
But for ease of use in the deep cold -10f below I incorperate my outer ware with my sleep system . I find it warms up faster, I'm not brutlesd by the colded when I get up and it does not take as long to re-warm when I get back in. Thats what the natives people of the far north,sumi people and
trappers I know in AK do. They spend weeks out not days, works for them works for me.

I always eat a large high fat meal 1-2 hours before I go to bed in the deep cold. Fat is your friend in the deep cold. A persons needs between 5-6000
calories per day when working hard and staying warm in the deep cold.

fourdog

www.fourdog.com

[dually]

GoodStuff WaterMonkie…Experience is the best teacher, keep it coming.


>>“has anyone tried sleeping without extra layers in during freezing or below temps? does it work better than wearing extra layers? or not?” shadowAlpha

Yes. In the late 1970s I worked in the high arctic several seasons. Regardless of external heat in the tent, BVDs only was the preferred technique for sleeping in a bag. A stove only made it better, clothes dried quicker and easier to breathe with less stuff over your face and head.

We were issued a double layer bag (actually this is a down-bag within a take apart down-shell), at bed time or warm up or dry out if wet (sweat is your worst enemy), pull off the mukluks, bang snow off (it was powder light and dry, humidity is extremely low in the high arctic) and toss mucks between bags, then go to inside bag and strip down to shorts, to include baselayer shirt, muck-booties and all socks. Depending on your comfort level and condition of clothes some articles were placed between bag and shell. Getting naked in a snug bag on the ground, tundra or glacier ice was easy, as you know some things are just a little different in a hammock wrapped in quilts or pod.

Needless to say temps were always well below freezing and wind beyond description, so we packed multi person tents. Why not hammocks someone ask? Because, in the high arctic, there is a woman behind every tree.

If your buddy is going into hyperthermia or wet (broke through ice while fishing, yes pics for proof, strip him naked as quick as possible and trade your warm parka for his and have others standby to trade with you to include pants, mitts and mucks.

John

[Raul Perez]

Thanks for the information. I already knew some of it (the water purification, extra calories, batteries, and frost on gear), but some of it was new (down not so good to wear when sweating, keeping your water bottles upside-down, three-layer system for gloves/mitts in addition to normal layering).

While it's unlikely I'll need the majority of it hiking here in FL, anywhere else I go, well...thanks for saving me some uncomfortable nights!

Another tip about "cold" weather from Florida (not really hiking-related, but still...): your flip-flops' adhesive will vaporize out between the sole and insole before the bottom of the sole melts/catches on fire if you're warming your feet next to a fire. Sucks to walk a half-mile in flip-flops with no adhesive holding the insole's heel in place. Sucks worse to have the sole's rubber melt. Especially after a couple of adult beverages...

LOL awesome tip!

Good information! As we know, there is no substitute for actually trying this stuff out.

True dat playa!

[Raul Perez]

Thanks Raul; As someone who hasn't hung in the winter every person's experience whether its you ,Shug, Mac, Beep, Don etc helps me in the little details. Most, if not all of the parks around here are closed in the winter and access is a problem in many places so i've been looking at setting up a few semi-permanent spots ..stealth. Have also been looking at a canvas tarp tent/cover with small stove but am a ways from that yet. Thanks for the info WM.

bill

Glad it helps. Most of my parks do close at winter as well. I'm a stealth monkey when I need to be.

This year will be my first flirtations with winter camping.(well, other than ice fishing in an ice house. Always drill and extra hole for the beer) I've been thinking about making a pulk for the last couple years but haven't made the plunge yet. Seems like it would be easier to thermo-regulate without a giant pack on your back.

Either pack or pulk you're gonna be huffing and puffing

Winter does offer it's challenges.

Thanks WM,
Whilst we don't get anywhere as cold down here in OZ, great lessons to take on board.

Glad you liked the blog!

I really learn a lot from you and I appreciate your willingness to share your successes as well as failures.

Thanks for taking the time to write. I felt as if you were talking directly to me.

~S~

I was.... I'm watching you right now....

Good stuff, thanks for the education through experimentation.

jd

School of hard knocks son! lol

nice write up thanks for being the test erm.. monkey, seems like you are getting your system well dialed in.

Getting close to being dialed in. one or two more seasons I should be squared away.

[Raul Perez]

I have found over the years insulation is insulation. The key is that your insulation layers are not damp or wet thus being compermised by the mositure.
If my clothing layers are keeping my sleeping bag from getting warmed up that must mean there keeping me warm !
Remember you are having a build up of frost and mositure in your clothing layers from activity during the day and unless dryed out completly will comperimises it's insulatine ablites.
Fire is your friend, don't leave home with out those skills.

For comfert I find the less outer layers I have in my sleep system the more comfertable I am.
But for ease of use in the deep cold -10f below I incorperate my outer ware with my sleep system . I find it warms up faster, I'm not brutlesd by the colded when I get up and it does not take as long to re-warm when I get back in. Thats what the natives people of the far north,sumi people and
trappers I know in AK do. They spend weeks out not days, works for them works for me.

I always eat a large high fat meal 1-2 hours before I go to bed in the deep cold. Fat is your friend in the deep cold. A persons needs between 5-6000
calories per day when working hard and staying warm in the deep cold.

fourdog

www.fourdog.com

Awesome stuff. Thanks for chiming in!

GoodStuff WaterMonkie…Experience is the best teacher, keep it coming.

Glad you liked it!