Lessons learned in the winter woods

On vacation and I spent the day on foot in a remote area of the Northwoods of Minnesota. I was backpacking and hunting small game with my trusty old Remington .22 pump. I walked miles back along old logging trails. It was windy, 26 degrees F and there was about 3" of snow.

As I have confessed before, I pack heavy. I had a weeks worth of redundant emergency provisions in my truck, but in addition to layered seasonal clothing and light pac-boots, here's a list of what I carried with me on the trails and a few learnings.


On my person:

Leatherman Wave
Camillus clip knife, large, one hand opening, part serrated
Hugsby P-31
Bic
27" bandana
Magellan GPS
cellphone
rifle and 150 rds ammo

On a lanyard clipped to my beltloop:

firesteel, compass, Fox whlstle, fauxton light, Vic Classic

In rucksack

Mora MG Clipper
Becker BK-7
Fiskars retractable saw
Trangia 27, 6 oz alcohol, potstand, windscreen
Coleman Max cooking pots, Coleman coffee cup
Steel bottle and 27 oz water
Remington headlamp
50' 550 paracord
1/2 roll TP
map
bic and firesteel
Ramen soup
tuna in foil
peanuts and sunflower seeds
Constant Comment and coffee tubes
oatmeal
cocoa mix
fork and spoon
military 72" x 24" headwrap
Hot Hands
full PSK...too much to list, but just fits in a quart zipper bag
Extra gloves, scarf, winter hat, socks

Way back in the pines, I found an old campsite that some deer hunters had used. The ground was windswept and relatively clear of snow. While I was waiting for my water to boil, I amused myself by seeing what I could find that might be of use had I lost my rucksack and been in a survival situation.

Found:

4 feet of bailing wire,
1 'S' hook
1 foot of cordage,
two 3' pieces of plywood
a quart bottle
4 small nails
25 softball-sized rocks in a ring
a pile of pre-cut and split pine wood

Game animals seen = 0, but a lot of tracks. I attribute that to the wind.
Other people seen = 0
fresh vehicle tracks on the forest road = 0
planes overhead to signal = 0

So, with only the items on my person, I could have used the found items to make a shelter and a fire with a reflector, and melt snow for water. Would have been hungry though.

Things I should/should not have done:

I should not have worn my lightweight Maine Hunting boots....even with heavy socks and 4MM wool felt insoles, feet were borderline cold all day.

I should have worn my LaCrosse Icemans. Harder to walk, but much warmer and better snow tread.

I should not have left my sunglasses in the truck. It was cloudy when I set out, but an hour into the hike, the sun came out and glinted off the snow, nearly blinding me.

I should not have eaten 4 figs before heading into the bush.....

"I should not have left my sunglasses in the truck." - DS and I keep spares in our packs. They especially important near snow and water.

" I should have worn my LaCrosse Icemans. Harder to walk, but much warmer and better snow tread." - Amazing what a difference our footwear makes!


It sounds like, you were in great shape, Byrd, even with these lessons learned. That's the kind of prepartion and resourcefulness DH and I are trying to instill in our son. Awesome!


"Awesome! I should not have eaten 4 figs before heading into the bush....." - Ouch! (little giggle)

Do you carry shelter other than clothes, Byrd?

were you in cell phone range?..mine gives out when i leave Orr--
good pile of gear but you are right about the food which i always go heavy on..

Always cool to hear stories of outings!

Out of curiosity, you said the PSK fits in a quart sized bag -- is it small enough to carry in a cargo pocket then? If you get separated from your ruck for any reason all you'll have is what's on you

What is a headwrap? 6ft by 2ft?

Also short of instant shelter - something to wrap yourself in if you fall and break a leg...

It is a large OD military bandana made of thin soft cotton. Many uses.

In my PSK, I have a double AMK Heatsheet to wrap up in.

Thanks

I could fit it in a cargo pocket, but it's fat and a little on the heavy side and weight swinging in a cargo pocket when I'm walking long distances drives me nuts. That is the reason that I have the items I consider most essential on a lanyard clipped to my belt loop at all times...even a walk in the county park.

Thanks,

CANOEDOGS, my cellphone coverage fades in and out in outstate MN, but the phone very samll so I always bring it just in case... I'm taking advantage of the unseasonal weather by going out again today as soon as I finish my coffee (no figs). This time I'm heading South along the Mississippi valley to get away from the snow and cold wind.

I always have an AMK Heatsheet with me. In my large daypack, which I don't usually carry when I'm hunting, I have a woobie and a military poncho in addition to a Katydin water filter (3 seasons) and the other stuff I mentioned. I do have a small tent and down bag which I bring in my full sized pack on planned overnights (too lazy for that type of camping now) Mostly now I set up camp out of my truck and range out from a base on day hikes. Thanks

Awesome! It's easy to get caught in foul weather or with a delaying injury. A Heatsheet is a great, lighweight way to rig up some protection from the elements.

Great info, thanks. I'm also of the pack-heavy mindset. Friends would be shocked if they knew what I carry in my daypack for our walks and bikejoring just around DC.

In Minnesota this time of year, I'd need a Sherpa.

We're slated for our first "Arctic blast" to hit next Tuesday (high temp of 32, low 25).

So into the car goes long underwear and a sleeping bag. In those temps I don't want to risk even a car breakdown inside the Beltway - let alone outside the city.

By the way, in the past few months I've become a fan of the Becker BK series. Started with the BK-2, then the 9 and then the 7 (my fave of the three) and am now delighted with the Becker-Necker.

Have you used the BK-7 on your outings? Do you consider that your wood chopper? Have you carried an axe before?

I'm not sure if I'd choose the BK-7 or my little Gransfors Bruks axe.

LOL! I'm the same way. Better safe than sorry but better to avoid the ribbing too. That pack of mine looks like overkill to the unitiated until something useful comes out of it.

I lost track of how many cutting tools you were carrying. Redundancy is good but were you planning on a knife fight?

The Knife Knutt is not saying a word.

I posted on these extremely fashionable emergency sunglasses a while ago:
Chick Magnets

They're good for backups and as birth control.

"I should not have eaten 4 figs before heading into the bush....."

Glad you carried the 1/2 roll TP in your personal items....

Only the important stuff gets noticed on survival boards...

TW

Byrd, this is for a daytime trip right? What is your estimate of this loadout's weight? What ruck did you use, and how much do you think it weighs?

Also, why so many cutting tools? Is it just because you like them or do you have a system worked out?

Good post, Byrd....What stands out to me is the differences in environment and the related changes in gear. Only 27 oz of water? I always carry more than that(the West is a lot more arid than the Land of 10,000 lakes). To compensate, I carry fewer knives - typically a Wave and a SAK Classic. Depending upon the terrain, i might throw in a climbing rope (various sizes and weights), a harness, and a few other related items.

Always some food bits and Constant Comment tea - I really like that stuff in the outdoors. I have used the Trangia for years as a stove - simple and really foolproof.

Personally I carry more lights, but a headlamp (PT EOS) is the primary, supplemented by small single battery lights that share battery type with the headlamp, along with a few small pinch lights here and there. My backup light, a Fenix LD01, would be perfectly capable of all night use for hiking, if necessary.

I'm a heavy packer too. For comparison sake, this is what DS and I took on our Dec 27th hike. Temp was at just above 0 degrees when we started. It was windy, there was rain and snow in the forcast and the temp was expected to fall. We were hiking through forest and brush to a secluded beach on Lake Ontario.

DS carried:
-lanyard with whistle, LED and firesteel (neck)
-folding knife (belt)
-SAK-style knife with fork and spoon (belt)
-1 pair sunglasses
-extra fleece sweater
-extra wool gloves
-extra thinsulate hat (blaze orange)
-extra wool socks
-1 pair light rain pants
-1 fleece poncho
-1 waterproof poncho
-1 disposable rain poncho
-2 pairs chem hand warmers
-1 X 18oz kleen kanteen of water
-1 army mess cup *since swapped out for a tin can nested with KK in a small SS cup
-1 X 300mL SS thermos of hot turkey soup
-1 SS spoon
-2 cliff bars
-1 pack of ROLOS
-1 juice box
-2 LED headlamps
-1 chem light
-1 small crank LED flashlight
-1 person heat sheet
-1 AMK bivy
-1 mylar sleeping bag
-50 ft paracord
-1 small FAK
-1 bandana
-1 fire kit: 2 (wrapped) tampons, small tube vaseline, mini bic, 10 strike anywhere matches, 1 piece tin foil, 2 birthday candles
-1 mini AMK signal mirror

I CARRIED:
-lanyard with whistle, LED, firesteel, gerber mini multi-tool (neck)
-modified Ritter AMK PSK (pants pocket)
-Leatherman Wave (belt)
-1 pair sunglasses
-1 folding CRKT knife
-extra wool jacket
-extra wool gloves
-extra thinsulate hat (blaze orange)
-extra wool socks
-1 pair light rain pants
-2 disposable rain ponchos
-2 pairs chem hand warmers
-1 thermal sportsman blanket
http://www.thesportsmancave.com/coghlans-thermal-blanket.html
-2 person heat sheet
-1 regular mylar blanket
-1 AMK bivy
-3 X 52" bungee cords
-50 ft paracord
-thermarest ridge rest
-1 fire kit: large SS can with tight fitting lid holding - lrg garbage bag, med size tin can, small tin can homemade woodstove, 2 tea lights, mini bic, film canaster with 10 strike anywhere matches and 6 cotton balls, fire steel and a small tube of vaseline
-1 swede saw
-1 SS spoon
-1 pack micropur tabs
-1 bandana
-1 X 27oz kleen kanteen
-1 X 1L SS thermos with hot chocolate
-1 X 750mL SS thermos with hot turkey soup
-1 small fruit cake
-1 small container of uncooked instant rice
-3 packs instant hot chocolate
-3 tea bags
-3 packs instant oatmeal
-3 cliff bars
-2 LED headlamps with 1 set extra batteries
-1 chem light
-1 AMK signal mirror
-FAK with OTC meds

We were only out for about 4-5 hours, without any major incidents, apart from a lesson on the importance of stowing our gear and clothes properly when we aren't using them. Mother Nature threw a lot at us during that time. It started drizzling half way through our hike out to the beach, rained pretty hard while we were there, with the wind kicking up was well. The rain subsided slightly when we left the beach and then it started to snow on our way out.

Interestingly, the wikkiup we built this past summer was still there! Someone had obviously used it since we were there last. They removed the bench in favour to two stump stools and also built a nice wind block in front, with enough room to build a long fire between and the wikki. We added some more support to both it and the wikki, threw up one of the heat sheets to stop the rain from getting in on one side of the wikki, built a nice fire outside the entrance and had a great lunch. (Would have hung a mylar blanket inside if it was any colder or windier, to reflect the heat from the fire.

Kind of like the hunters who left you the chopped wood, we left a large tin can inside, as well as a nice pile of driftwood for the next fire.

Long, long ago (Throw another log on the fire, kids, gramps is at it again) back in the old days (1950s), one could routinely go hiking in the mountain ranges of Arizona and use the cabins that were found therein. Some were guv'ment owned (Forest Service and Park Service) while others were ranchers line cabins. They were mostly unlocked.

Passersby could and did use them for shelter. Naturally they were wonderful in crummy weather. The requirements were; No vandalism or damages. Wash the dishes. Restock the kindling box as you leave and clean the place up. You may observe, but not use, the lever action 30-30 routinely stashed beneath the mattress in the ranchers line cabins.

The custom of leaving dry kindling really paid off for me and my party when we used one of these cabins in the midst of a really terrible snowstorm.

Glad to see echoes of this wonderful custom still around....

Around here, there are still a few of those cabins and shelters that are available for use whether it be for overnight or emergency use. Fortunately they are far enough in the back country to keep the worst of the vandals home. The shelters are often kept in remarkably good user maintained condition. Some are just small one room / 1 bed setups, whereas others have multiple beds and often if you are the first people there, you may be joined later by others which makes for some interesting nights of pleasant conversation.

And here I'd always thought Minnesota was a cold place. Currently sitting in my garage having a smoke while surfing the web. It's 27*F now, heading down to the low 20's tonight. Not the first time we've seen these temps this season in the hills of NJ. With fuel oil at $3.50/gallon, winters are expensive. Seriously considering a pellet stove.

Last winter we had plenty of nights in the low teens, even a few straddling 0*F (that is -17.8*C for those playing the metric version). I tried camping one night in 4*F weather. Gave up and slept in the Jeep, ran the engine on and off for heat.

My gear might be rated for zero, but my body doesn't believe it. I've got a thermal sleeping bag liner and an AMK bivy. I haven't tried-out the bivy, but trying to stay wrapped-up in one of those silver blankets while sleeping is impossible for me.

In the cold I think that using a space blanket as a reflector behind you to reflect heat from a trench fire is probably a more effective use. And something to insulate you from the ground is a good idea.

If I was, I'd just use the gun...

The Vic is a tiny knife and I keep it on my EDC lanyard and use it mostly for the toothpick and tweezers. The Leatherman lives on my belt. It has a knife, but I use the pliers and saw more often. The Mora is my all around expendable bush knife, and it lives in the pack or dangles at my side on a paracord loop (try it). At only 4 oz with the sheath, why not? The big knife is for digging, chopping, and splitting.

I had a fig-free excursion in the bottomlands of the Whitewater River today. It's a 27,000 acre state wildlife management area. Much better!

I don't have a precise way to measure, so I weighed myself on the bathroom scale both with and without the loaded pack. The difference was about 20 pounds.

As for cutting tools, Each fills a different niche. The Vic Classic hangs on an emergency lanyard and the tiny blade is rarely used, but the scissors and tooth pick are. The Leatherman happens to have a blade, but I carry it as much for the other tools it has. The Mora is my go-to knife for rope, wood shaving, food prep....Cheap, light, expendable. The big knife is for digging and splitting and chopping brush, pine boughs etc. It hangs on my pack and I alternate between an Ontario CT-1 and a Becker BK-7 until someday I decide....

I use a Kelty Redwing rucksack, or a Kelty Oriole lumbar pack in the summer.

Phew! I'm not the only one who uses different tools for different things, that add up to multiple knives in rotation. Afterall, if you need pilars, you might as well carry a leatherman, if I need tweezers.....

[quote=Dagny]
Great info, thanks. I'm also of the pack-heavy mindset. Friends would be shocked if they knew what I carry in my daypack for our walks and bikejoring just around DC.

In Minnesota this time of year, I'd need a Sherpa.

We're slated for our first "Arctic blast" to hit next Tuesday (high temp of 32, low 25).

So into the car goes long underwear and a sleeping bag. In those temps I don't want to risk even a car breakdown inside the Beltway - let alone outside the city.

By the way, in the past few months I've become a fan of the Becker BK series. Started with the BK-2, then the 9 and then the 7 (my fave of the three) and am now delighted with the Becker-Necker.

Have you used the BK-7 on your outings? Do you consider that your wood chopper? Have you carried an axe before?

I'm not sure if I'd choose the BK-7 or my little Gransfors Bruks axe. [quote]

I am moving away from axes in my pack. Three years ago, I found myself in a situation (a story for another day) where I had to go back into the woods to gather firewood in the rain in near-darkness. I was dog-tired from a long day in the woods, and with the rain, I was having trouble gripping the axe. I was camping alone and needed a fire to get warm. A couple of close-calls with the axe convinnced me to use a saw whenever possible. I have a Wetterlings Forest Axe which I treasure, but I don't carry it anymore. I do keep an axe in camp though. I have tried Becker BK-2 and BK-7. I prefer the 7 and alternate carry with an Ontario CT-1. They are both excellent big knives.

Absolutely. I'm built like a beast of burden, so I carry a lot of extra stuff!

I do have more water in my truck, but there really is no problem getting clean water here. Where I was hiking today, I had to cross a raging torrent on a home made icy log bridge, then followed the river for several miles and finally would have had to wade across a shallow section to continue. It was getting dark in the valley, 300 feet below the bluffs, so thats where the Trangia and CC tea came out. I have a Katydin filter which I carry in summer and I also have two kinds of disinfectant tabs in my PSK. I did have three lights, but I never use any of them except for deer hunting.

You're right when you say that the environment dictates the gear.

Often what ever I have on me looks like overkill, I often get teased about what is about my belt,, unitll the people around me suddenly need the gear that I have on me. Then I seem resonable. Funy how perspective changes things so quickly.

Isn't it amazing!? LOL You never need anything until you need it!

Yes, I carry a surplus large ALICE w/ frame. Its full too.

Of course, I have a smaller Eastsport for EDC use. I swap out some of the contents almost daily.

Next week I'll have an excursion and will report fully!

Great ideas, guys! Thanks!