I just returned from a beautifull weekend in the mountains of NY state. And it was [censored] cold! I used the trip to test out some of my survival skills as well as have some fun. I learned a few things that may come in handy in a survival situation:<br>1. When the temp. is cold enough, EVERYTHING FREEZES! Most of our water froze on the hike up, but what we had in our insulated canteens stayed drinkable. It was enough for the day, but when night fell we all slept with a bottle of water, so we would have some in the morning. Besides the water, one of my shirts was soaked in sweat from the hike and it also froze, before night fell and I woke up the next morning with a frozen sleeping bag. I woke up and it was covered in a thin layer of ice, much to my suprise.<br>2. Firemaking is not easy. I hadn't been camping for a few years and my skills were rusty to start with. Nevermind the wind that numbed your fingers as soon as you took off your gloves (good ones were a godsend this weekend). But I eventually got a fire started and warmed up.<br>So, the three things I learned this weekend were to always use insulated canteens, invest in quality gear and tokeep your skills up to date. If anyone would like to comment or whatnot it's welcome.<br>Thanks,<br>Jim