Voices About the Hall
Howdy Grim,
Naw... alcohol is a must-have in any survival situation. I always keep one of these handy: http://www.circlekb.com/page/CKC...OD/CWR/CA29-
602
Be it the noble juice of the blue agave, or a good whiskey.
I'm a beer man, myself. :) But in my younger days, I did like a good Scotch... or a drop of tequila.
They say a good Boy Scout can start a fire with two matches; I say any Green Beret can start two fires with one lighter. So, why matches when a lighter can start more fires easier and it's waterproof.
A good point. I've never liked lighters, myself, but if you do then it's probably a better choice.
You know, now that I think about it, I used to have a Zippo my grandfather gave me before he died. I used to carry it, until it finally broke. I've still got the thing, actually, in amongst my various boxes. I expect it could be fixed.
I was in charge of my Scout District's winter camporee for 5 years. Cold weather camping and survival was a constant topic. So:
Carry water. Can you see your breath? Why? Because that's water, that's why. People get dehydrated fast in cold weather because they think they only sweat and lose water in hot weather. Wrong. Dehydration means that your heart can't pump heat to your extremities and it also means you'll start making errors in judgement. Drink water.
Don't get wet. Water conducts heat. Keep water away from your body. Don't roll in the snow, etc.
Cotton Kills. Don't wear cotton clothing. It is hydroscopic; i.e., it holds water (like your sweat) and keeps it next to your body. Wool, polyproplyene and fleece allow water vapor to pass through.
Wear layers. If you have a T-shirt and one heavy coat on, you have a choice after exercising a while: a) keep it on and sweat it full of water that will cause you to freeze when you stop exercising, or b) take it off and freeze right away. You will stay warmer if you have many thinner layers of wool or fleece on, and you can adjust what you're wearing to your level of exercise, putting things on or taking them off as need be.
Carry a lighter or a number of waterproof matches. Carry a knife and make sure it's sharp. Know how to make a fire. Carry a personal first aid kit, even if it's just a few bandaids and some gauze and tape and a bandana/neckerchief for use as a triangular bandage. Know first aid (see the Tenderfoot, Second Class and First Class Boy Scout FA skills in your Boy Scout Handbook). Carry a few granola bars. Carry a metal cup for melting snow in.
If you have to stay out overnight, get out of the wind. The best thing to insulate you from the wind is snow, so start digging, or drag down a few boughs and throw some snow over them.
Remember that contact with the ground will freeze you faster than contact with still air. Before you sleep, insulate yourself from the ground.
You are better off warming yourself from within than from without. If you expose yourself to a fire enough to warm your front, the rest of you is going to freeze. Wear appropriate clothing.
The most important survival equipment you possess is located between your ears and your scalp and shoulders. Keep it in top shape and exercise it regularly by reading and reviewing this kind of information. And remember that the best time to use it is BEFORE you go out into the woods and winds.
Be Prepared!
Oh, and you'll lose more heat from your scalp than from any other part of your body. I know you said it above, but if you keep your head, hands and feet warm, keeping the rest of your body warm is one hell of a lot easier. Note that a stocking cap will stay on when you sleep when a Stetson won't. Wear a hat when you go to bed.
Good advice as always, Ron.
I spent three and a half years as a county search & rescue coordinator for a county in NW Montana (I'm a retired Marine and currently a Deputy Sheriff). We've conducted searches in truly awful conditions.
I taught basic survival skills for my SAR groups and I can attest to the fact that you CAN start a fire with steel wool and a 9v battery. I have done it. It took me 3 hours in my back yard on a warm sunny afternoon. You will NOT make it happen in a survival situation.
Winters here can be harsh and the ability to start a fire when you are exhausted, cold and everything you own is wet is a must. In my survival pack I carried for SAR, I had waterproof matches, several lighters, a small sealed packet of finely shaved cedar and several 35mm film canisters stuffed with cotton balls slathered in petroleum jelly (waterproof and burns longer than you might think). I also carried a standard container of lighter fluid taped closed with duct tape.
I taught my troops to be prepared to start a fire in any condition and assume that their lives depended on it and that they would only get one chance. If they failed, they died.
Yes it is posible to make fire with steel wool and a battery or by rubbing two sticks together. But why? Would you risk you life on it?
We ran 50 to 60 SAR missions a year and the majority of the subjects were inadequately prepared and did not appreciate the power of Mother Nature.
Thanks for the field report on the battery technique, Captain. I thought it sounded suspicious. :)
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