TRIP REPORT:Minnesota Frozen Butt Hang - January 7-9, 2011

[stairguy]

[QUOTE=Shug;389484]
Real nice to see all the Trad outfits. Stairguy did look very backwoods stylin'.


TY Shug,Military surplus Swedish wool pants,Empire Canvas Works wool vest,ECW wool blanket shirt,wool sash to control venting, wool toke,Miliitary surplus cotton anorak.

Can't say enough about Empire Canvas Works clothing. It keeps one warm and dry. Was comfortable at -12 deg F w/only base layer and blanket shirt w/light activity.

You can notice in videos frost on exterior of wool layers. This is when you realize your clothing is working, allowing excess moisture to vent.

Thanks to all who attended, all who posted, Todd who allowed us to park at his farm and Mac and Tz,you were excellent house guests.

[MacEntyre]

MacEntyre, looking forward to you offering a Winter Cotton Overcover like Fourdogs demo'd.

It's on the Molly Mac Gear web site now, and a Canvas Sock video is uploaded! Shoot me a PM...

[keys?]

Man, I am so bummed I missed this trip!! Looks like a great time was had by all, and I agree with Pizza you guys should make it an annual thing...I'm going to purchase one piece of winter gear each month and by next year should be ready to join you. This is a very informative thread, will have to revisit it. Fourdog's warming tent looked nice and toasty, he looks like he knows his stuff!!
2 Questions:
MacEntyre- you said you read like 3 winter camping books which one did you find most informative?

Pizza- did your jetboil work in those temps?

[MacEntyre]

MacEntyre- you said you read like 3 winter camping books which one did you find most informative?

I read The Snow Walker's Companion, which Book gave me. It told me how to dress, as well as how to make anoraks and mukluks. It also included pics of my Akhio sled, so that I felt confident no one would laugh! (Turned out many folks have had them before.)

TZ loaned me four books after the hang:

Okpik: Cold-Weather Camping, Boy Scouts of America, 1990 (TZ's top choice)

Winter Hiking and Camping, John A. Danielsen, 2nd ed., 1977

Winter Camping, Bob Cary, 1979

The Complete Snow Camper's Guide, Raymond Bridge, 1973

Four Dog gave us each two pamphlets:

The Two Kilogram Survival Kit Field Manual, Mors Kochanski, 2000

Tools of Survival and Survival Training, Mors Kochanski, 1999

I have had the 1970 Dept of the Army Field Manual FM 21-76, Survival. for years. I have found lots of interesting things in it!

- MacEntyre

[pizza]

Pizza- did your jetboil work in those temps?

Yes, It worked perfect. I thought I had read somewhere that it didn't work good if the fuel can was freezing cold but I found that info to be bogus. It fired right up and boiled water as quick as always.

[creativeKayt]

What an excellent trip and great documentation of the event!! Thanks for sharing all of your cold weather rigs. Great stuff there, fer sure.

[BillyBob58]

OK, I spent some pleasant time this morning watching all or most of the videos. Very good, thank you all for making them!

Why the cotton/canvas sock (Fourdog?) rather than some other material like IX or nylon?

Boy was the super shelter impressive! So apparently the heat from the fire manages to get through the clear plastic and yet be reflected by the back wall of the (space blanket?) Tarp? And then the same plastic that allowed the heat to pass through to the reflective surface on the back side tarp, is then managing to at least partially hold the heat inside? And all of that without the plastic sheet melting from the fire? Amazing!

It looks like various pod methods worked pretty good.

I didn't do a good job of managing to hear the names and associate them with the faces, and was too lazy to go back through the videos and try to figure it out. So it sounds like one of you guys had plenty of insulation, but it was all too confining and claustrophobic. I can relate to that. It seems to me like whatever it is you set up has to be able to surround the hammock and top quilt with more than adequate room. Or else, even though you have plenty of insulation between you and the cold, it's all just too claustrophobic! Not to mention at some point you probably start compressing some of the insulation. And if using a pod, it is hard to close. Of course, at least in McIntyre's situation there was no plan to close the pod in the first place! Just using it like a great big under quilt that would leave plenty of room for a Snugfit between it and the hammock!

Anyway, guys, thanks for all of the information, post and videos. All very educational! And fun too!

[MacEntyre]

Why the cotton/canvas sock (Fourdog?) rather than some other material like IX or nylon?

For same reason canvas is best for mukluks and anoraks... it is both breathable and wind proof.

[wildcrafter]

the super shelter works like this the fire radiates energy in different wave lengths some of the longer wave lengths go right pass the poly like light,which is just radiated energy in the visible spectrum. As the energy reflects off the shinny surface it loses wave lengths dropping it in to the shorter spectrums like infered which is heat. the poly blocks thease better.

[MacEntyre]

TZ and I were speculating that the reflective surface is minimally effective, because the radiation is at it's furthest point from the source, and therefore at it's weakest energy level. It's already been collected when it reaches the reflective surface. We figure the reflective surface is not necessary in the tarp. It might be better if the back wall of the tarp were black nylon.

OTOH, a reflective surface on the opposite side of the fire would direct more radiant heat into the shelter.

I'm working on a prototype that uses a reflective surface on the opposite side of the fire, and a thin, clear poly, to enhance transmittance. I'm thinking of retro-fitting an existing tarp, so that the poly surface can be zipped on. Imagine a Speer Winter Tarp pitched in porch mode, with a large piece of poly zipped on, modified so the doors will close.

- MacEntyre