Last night, I spent an hour and a half in the backyard in the freezing rain. It was a "Spend 3 Hours in the Rain" challenge on Bushcraft USA. It sounds crazy but it was a great test of my rain gear and the theory of my worst-case contingency plans. Hypothermia comes on subtly and this thought was foremost in my mind.

Here's a copy of my after action report:


I hated camping in the rain when I first did it. Then I learned how to hang a tarp and build a fire in wet conditions, and then I didn't mid the rain. I hated my first winter camping experience. Then I learned how to dress for the weather, how to make a good shelter and sleep warm, and then I really liked it. The same thing will hopefully be said of combining the two and enjoying rain in freezing conditions.

Yesterday I learned that:

*My cold weather rain gear is good, I just need to work on my layering.

*I need to practice my taut-line hitch. I didn't need it yesterday, but it's come to my attention recently that I've forgotten how to tie it and it's required for tarp hanging.

*I can't just sit on the ground, even with my ThermARest Z-seat. A stool or chair make me much happier.

*If I overnight, my bed has to be well insulated from the ground too.

*My body hates cold & damp. I need more thermal layers if I'm going to be sitting still, and I need to do less sitting still. Layering is key! Adding more warm stuff to my kits, including chemical hand and body warmers.

*Boredom is a factor for me. Being in the forest or at a lake, instead of the backyard, would probably have helped. I could have carved or cooked, but didn't because my hands were cold.

*I need to protect my hands more. I need more functional gloves. My mitts are awesome but bulky and my leather gloves aren't warm enough.

*I prefer to have overhead cover. If I have a little dry area to hang out in, especially with a fire, and also where I can cook/brew comfortably, I am generally a happy camper.

*I love looking for tinder when everything's soaked. LOL! It's a good skill to practice. If I was truly in a situation, I couldn't have enough. I should have done that yesterday instead of just sitting and watching the tree.

*I'd rather learn to love the weather than hide from it inside.


Have you voluntarily tested your theoretical plans against reality? How did it go?