Re: [at-l] Winter Camping Advice

["David Hicks" <daveh@usit.net>]

Tue, 22 Feb 2000 21:47:47 EST Trailmixup@aol.com wrote

SNIP
>>I had worn a great fleece hat that bands around the neck, providing a bit
of extra warmth there.  My head was warm all nightlong; my exposed face was
not.  (Later in the night, I burrowed deeply into the bag to escape the
cold, but I was amazed at how much cold air was coming into the bag, even
cinched fairly tightly! <<
SNIP

Trailmixup -- I have done a good deal of winter hiking/camping; but I have
stayed out of this discussion so far, as I found it too confusing.  However,
a couple or three of your latest comments caught my eye.

First, the above adds up to a strong hunch that you need a new/different
bag.

I use mummy bags w/ an internal collar and with a parka style hood. I wear a
balaclava inside the parka hood in colder weather. No appreciable cold air
comes in around the head/face area.  My face stays comfortable down to 30*
below.

SNIP
>>(At one point I looked up *through* the bag -- and could see gaps in the
baffles where the down was not evenly distributed.  I'm sure that I was
losing a good bit of heat through those gaps.  In the morning I examined the
bag again -- and found no gaps.  What gives?)<<
SNIP

I don't know what gives -- bad baffle design, excessive wear, etc.  But I
know what goes, if it were me -- the bag.

>>Someone asked if I had eaten enough before bedtime?  I ate one Lipton's
Noodles packet and had a cup of cocoa. 'Wasn't really hungry enough to
*want* more; 'may even have eaten more than I wanted -- just because it was
"there."    I also took a brisk walk around the camp before retiring, so I
had hoped that that was sufficient to prime the furnace before retiring.
(And it may have done just that, since I was comfortable when I first got to
sleep.  I did not awaken, cold, until 4 hours later. <<
SNIP

I suspect that your walk and the sugar in the cocoa got the furnace burning
hotter, but that you soon ran out of fuel.  I suggest that you need more
slow digesting fuel at bed time and/or fast acting fuel when you wake up.

In colder weather, I add a big chuck of butter to my bed time snack.  If I
don't have anything to spread it on, I mix it in a hot drink.  I also keep
some high sugar "energy" food or candy at hand during the night.  If I wake
up at all chilled, the first thing I do is I put more fuel on the fire.  The
next thing I do is use the "pee bottle."  Not only does a full bladder can
add to one's cold discomfort, it also waste fuel keeping that excess water
up to body temperature.

BTW -- I never put my boots in the bag for the same reason -- I don't need
to waste fuel keeping them warm.

I just let my boots freeze; but freeze to be worn the next morning.

1) Un-lace them to the point that they will slip on even if frozen like a
rock.

2) Place three small sticks in each:

    one side-to-side at the ankle; to hold it open
    one just above that front-to-back; to hold the tongue forward
    one at the top side-to-side; to hold it as wide as it will go

3) Be sure the laces are un-knotted.  It is best if they are stretched out.
(Note don't hang the boots by the laces with knots.  Untying a frozen knot
is ... well never mind.)

4) If you wear high-top boots (as we must when using a chainsaw on trail
maintenance), place the boot upside down on a stick, hang them from a
string, or whatever; to keep them from folding at the ankle, if they have
any flex side-to-side.  Your ankle won't flex sideways, if your boots are
frozen that way.

In the AM, they slip on just fine.  Frozen laces will flex, lace-up, knot,
etc. -- assuming they were frozen straight of near straight.  However, they
will not snug up well.  So, plan on retying your boots a couple (or three)
of time as you start out and they thaw out.  This is very important, if
hiking
down hill.

After a short walk, you'll never know that they were frozen.

Chainsaw




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