Page 1 of 5 123 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 45
  1. #1
    Senior Member turnerminator's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Peterborough,UK
    Hammock
    DIY Pertex
    Tarp
    DIY with doors on
    Insulation
    Down and synthetic
    Suspension
    Whoopies & hooks
    Posts
    1,252

    Trip report; advanced arctic survival course.

    I've just returned from the Arctic after 4 days of hammock camping and 6 days of intensive professional arctic survival training in Norway, 100 miles inside the arctic circle with Bushcraft Expeditions.

    The location was Overbygd, near the Dividalen mountains in Malselv region, Tromso, Northern Norway.

    We were taught about
    Emergency firelighting
    Tree felling in extreme cold, including axe work
    Quinzee building
    Shelter building
    Natural bedding materials
    Arctic trapping
    Emergency shelter building
    Snow graves
    Safe ice crossing
    Cold camp admin
    Equipment needs
    Water procurement
    Ice fishing
    Safe group travel
    Carving
    Safe knife work
    Tracking
    Survival knots
    Cold injuries



    The first 3 nights were spent 2km from the airport in the woods that Harstad kindly recommended us to stay in. We weren't dissapointed, they were beautiful boreal piney and birchy woods.



    Set up in snow shedding dangly mode


    My friends lightweight Lavvu


    Pertex DIY hammock, Exped 9 lw mat, Wiggys Ultima Thule -20F sleeping bag on Dutch hooks, buckles, whoopies and tarp Flyz with experimental cleats.


    The cookset for the trip. Trangia 27 with omnifuel mod, alcy cat stove, thermos flask, hobo stove and large saucepan lid to capture waste heat and collect snow.


    Whittled myslef a birch spoon;


    Snowy tarps rock;


    My homemade roll up dyneema toboggan;


    The journey to the course in the bus; we were to spend the next 5 nights sleeping in our shelter and snow holes/quinzees.


    My friend and myself's shelter we built for the course duration out of pine and birch and a poly tarp;



    Our fireplace;


    Snow melting in action;


    Drilling holes in the ice for water and fishing;


    Our group at a mountain hut;


    A 10 man emergency mountain shelter we built;


    Icey guy-lines;


    My winning emergency fire at the back of our quinzee


    Hard at work;


    Nice food;




    After the course, 5 of us we walked up to a mountain hut and camped near a lake for the last 2 nights in the arctic.

    Hammocking by a frozen lake;


    Northern lights;

    Experimental cleats that worked great;








    Lots more pics here and more to follow

    A big thanks to Woody and Ross at Bushcraft Expeditions for teaching us so much and to the guys on the course who were fantastic company.

    It will never be forgotten .

    Pete.
    Last edited by turnerminator; 03-20-2012 at 05:05.

  2. #2
    Senior Member Peg-Leg's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Trussville, AL
    Hammock
    5 DIY's and a Warbonnet BB
    Tarp
    BWDD 4 Season, DIY
    Insulation
    Incubator / DIY IX
    Suspension
    Whoopie!!
    Posts
    412
    Images
    16
    Wow! Looks like fun. Thanks for sharing.
    If God had meant for us to sleep on the ground,
    He wouldn't have created trees....

    “Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in where nature may heal and cheer and give strength to the body and soul.” - John Muir

  3. #3
    Senior Member BLUEFIN 774's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Newfoundland, Canada
    Hammock
    Hennessy ULBA with 2QZQ mod #4
    Tarp
    AHE Toxaway Tarp
    Insulation
    Hammockgear TQ/UQ
    Suspension
    WhoOpie Slings/DCs
    Posts
    785
    Hey turnerminator,

    That must have been a truly awesome trip ! I really enjoyed the photos. What an experience to do a course like that in the Arctic Circle.

    I spent 5 months in the Arctic Circle on an Canadian Coast Guard Icebreaker about 20 years ago. A trip I will never forget.

    Thanks for posting your photos.
    Take care,
    Bluefin


    Bluefin's Videos

  4. #4
    Senior Member MAD777's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    White Mountains, New Hampshire
    Hammock
    DIY, WBBB & Switchback
    Tarp
    HG cuben,OES Spinn
    Insulation
    DIY 3/4 UQ/TQ, UGQ
    Suspension
    Dynaglide / Dutch
    Posts
    10,950
    Images
    39
    Wow! That's another world!
    Mike
    "Life is a Project!"

  5. #5
    Senior Member Veto 65's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Cohoes, New York
    Hammock
    WBBB 1.7 DL
    Tarp
    Chinook 9.6x9.6
    Insulation
    AH New River UQ
    Suspension
    Came with the BB
    Posts
    704
    Images
    6
    That looks like an intense course, you should be proud you completed it. Good for you.

    Thanks for taking the time to share with us warm people.
    I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority. - E. B. White (1899 - 1985)

  6. #6
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Rochester, NY
    Hammock
    Hennesy
    Tarp
    various
    Insulation
    pads, foam
    Posts
    4,687
    Images
    17
    Wow, nice trip. ;-)

  7. #7
    Member ALBERTAN's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Red Deer, Alberta,Canada
    Hammock
    Clark NA
    Posts
    52
    Images
    18
    Thanks for the great photos. It must have been quite an experince. Hope you can let us know what equipment worked and what you might do different when you camp in the winter again.

  8. #8
    SilvrSurfr's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    Jersey Shore, NJ
    Hammock
    Dutch PolyD
    Tarp
    HG Winter Palace
    Insulation
    HG 0, 20, 40
    Suspension
    Dutch Whoopie Hook
    Posts
    14,716
    Images
    3
    I'm putting a trip like that on my bucket list. Thanks for sharing a great experience.

  9. #9
    Senior Member Bondo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Central Cal via Liberty, Tx
    Hammock
    Skeeter Beater Pro
    Tarp
    WB Super Fly Camo
    Insulation
    DIY PLUQ w/Pad
    Suspension
    Whoopies
    Posts
    143
    Great pic's. Looks like you had a blast.
    "Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than we can ever learn from books."

  10. #10
    Senior Member olddog's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Lakeland, Fl
    Hammock
    WL Snipe
    Tarp
    WL Tadpole
    Insulation
    WL SS UQ, WL SS TQ
    Suspension
    Dutch speedhooks
    Posts
    4,323
    Images
    3
    Spent a few times under the artic circle while in the navy on a US submarine and never imagined the beauty above. Here we are 1/3 a world apart doing the same thing in totally opposite conditions on the same weekend. Amazing!
    Most of us end up poorer here but richer for being here. Olddog, Fulltime hammocker, 365 nights a year.

  • + New Posts
  • Page 1 of 5 123 ... LastLast

    Similar Threads

    1. Replies: 60
      Last Post: 07-23-2014, 12:04
    2. Not really a trip report but...
      By Fish in forum Trip Reports
      Replies: 9
      Last Post: 09-01-2013, 16:01
    3. Hardly a trip report .....
      By Tjalling in forum Trip Reports
      Replies: 12
      Last Post: 02-15-2012, 11:04
    4. Trip Report: Mt. Rogers weekend trip
      By Yosef in forum Trip Reports
      Replies: 3
      Last Post: 03-30-2011, 21:52
    5. Standing Indian Trip Report/Equipment Report (Long)
      By Cruiser161 in forum Trip Reports
      Replies: 8
      Last Post: 05-20-2009, 20:07

    Bookmarks

    Posting Permissions

    • You may not post new threads
    • You may not post replies
    • You may not post attachments
    • You may not edit your posts
    •