Equipped To Survive Equipped To Survive® Presents
The Survival Forum
Where do you want to go on ETS?

Page 1 of 3 1 2 3 >
Topic Options
#294723 - 01/28/20 02:41 AM Burned a vehicle to stay warm
dougwalkabout Offline
Crazy Canuck
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 02/03/07
Posts: 3219
Loc: Alberta, Canada
This is a Yukon story. In desperation, stranded travellers torched their vehicle to survive. When it's -50C, strange things are indeed done ...

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/yukon-vehicle-fire-rescue-cold-1.5434069


And here are the recommendations of a bush-wise elder on travelling in such conditions:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/yukon-road-trip-cold-tips-1.5431375

Top
#294725 - 01/28/20 03:43 AM Re: Burned a vehicle to stay warm [Re: dougwalkabout]
chaosmagnet Offline
Sheriff
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 12/03/09
Posts: 3819
Loc: USA
I like the second article a lot, but there’s no mention of communications. I’d likely have good radios in each vehicle as well.

Top
#294730 - 01/28/20 03:53 PM Re: Burned a vehicle to stay warm [Re: dougwalkabout]
dougwalkabout Offline
Crazy Canuck
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 02/03/07
Posts: 3219
Loc: Alberta, Canada
That's true. Up there, satellite phones are probably the only realistic option. I'm not sure about VHF or HAM coverage.

I liked the second story as well. The old-timers know what they need when a vehicle conks out, so instead of an impending tragedy it's mostly a nuisance.

Top
#294731 - 01/28/20 05:54 PM Re: Burned a vehicle to stay warm [Re: dougwalkabout]
Herman30 Offline
Addict

Registered: 08/08/06
Posts: 495
Loc: Finland
Originally Posted By: dougwalkabout
The old-timers know what they need when a vehicle conks out, so instead of an impending tragedy it's mostly a nuisance.


Quote:
They had everything they needed in their truck — cut wood, kindling and firestarter, and a chainsaw kept warm inside the vehicle.

Bolded part is most important, have dry wood that is easy to light and then get more fresh wood from forrest. Chainsaw is not a must, a handsaw works too and keeps the user warm while sawing.

Top
#294733 - 01/28/20 06:35 PM Re: Burned a vehicle to stay warm [Re: dougwalkabout]
Roarmeister Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 09/12/01
Posts: 960
Loc: Saskatchewan, Canada
When I travelled that route this summer, I am pretty sure there was no cell service in between Carmacks and Pelly Crossing; just service when you got close to the two towns. This is along the route from Whitehorse to Dawson City so there would be some traffic but at -50° most would have chosen not to drive on that day.

Top
#294735 - 01/28/20 07:40 PM Re: Burned a vehicle to stay warm [Re: Herman30]
Phaedrus Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 04/28/10
Posts: 3148
Loc: Big Sky Country
Originally Posted By: Herman30
[quote=dougwalkabout]
Bolded part is most important, have dry wood that is easy to light and then get more fresh wood from forrest. Chainsaw is not a must, a handsaw works too and keeps the user warm while sawing.


Yep, cutting wood by hand warms you twice; once when you work to saw it, and again when you burn it.
_________________________
“I'd rather have questions that cannot be answered than answers that can't be questioned.” —Richard Feynman

Top
#294739 - 01/29/20 12:51 AM Re: Burned a vehicle to stay warm [Re: Phaedrus]
dougwalkabout Offline
Crazy Canuck
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 02/03/07
Posts: 3219
Loc: Alberta, Canada
Originally Posted By: Phaedrus
Originally Posted By: Herman30
[quote=dougwalkabout]
Bolded part is most important, have dry wood that is easy to light and then get more fresh wood from forrest. Chainsaw is not a must, a handsaw works too and keeps the user warm while sawing.


Yep, cutting wood by hand warms you twice; once when you work to saw it, and again when you burn it.


Maybe, but you need a lot of wood and you need it in a hurry. That kind of volume means taking larger trees. These folks don't mess around; they know better. Plenty of exercise splitting it.

And remember Les Stroud's advice for extreme cold: "You sweat, you die."

Top
#294740 - 01/29/20 01:10 AM Re: Burned a vehicle to stay warm [Re: dougwalkabout]
Ren Offline
Addict

Registered: 11/05/07
Posts: 522
Loc: Wales, UK
Or a Siberian log fire and avoid splitting. Unless short on tinder and kindling to get the thing going.

Top
#294742 - 01/29/20 09:49 AM Re: Burned a vehicle to stay warm [Re: dougwalkabout]
Herman30 Offline
Addict

Registered: 08/08/06
Posts: 495
Loc: Finland
Originally Posted By: dougwalkabout


Maybe, but you need a lot of wood and you need it in a hurry.

Perhaps you missed that the old lady had wood in her car to make a fire with. You don´t need a whole lot for a fire to burn an hour or two. So there is plenty of time to get more from the woods. And no splitting is needed when you allready have a proper fire going.


Edited by Herman30 (01/29/20 09:50 AM)

Top
#294743 - 01/29/20 03:05 PM Re: Burned a vehicle to stay warm [Re: dougwalkabout]
hikermor Offline
Geezer in Chief
Geezer

Registered: 08/26/06
Posts: 7705
Loc: southern Cal
I have always been able to collect enough wood for a cheery blaze bare handed, even in snow. Long ago, I started carrying alternate fuels in wintry conditions. i suspect they would have done better to pile snow up around the vehicle, making an igloo of sorts.

I understand that then theinterior temp would stabilize at close to 32F.

Saws and hatchets, axes, etc. can be useful, indeed the best, for some tasks, but hardly a necessity for survival.
_________________________
Geezer in Chief

Top
Page 1 of 3 1 2 3 >



Moderator:  Alan_Romania, Blast, cliff, Hikin_Jim 
March
Su M Tu W Th F Sa
1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31
Who's Online
0 registered (), 324 Guests and 6 Spiders online.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Newest Members
GallenR, Jeebo, NicholasMarshall, Yadav, BenFoakes
5367 Registered Users
Newest Posts
What did you do today to prepare?
by dougwalkabout
Yesterday at 11:21 PM
Zippo Butane Inserts
by dougwalkabout
Yesterday at 11:11 PM
Question about a "Backyard Mutitool"
by Ren
03/17/24 01:00 AM
Problem in my WhatsApp configuration
by Chisel
03/09/24 01:55 PM
New Madrid Seismic Zone
by Jeanette_Isabelle
03/04/24 02:44 PM
EDC Reduction
by EchoingLaugh
03/02/24 04:12 PM
Using a Compass Without a Map
by KenK
02/28/24 12:22 AM
Newest Images
Tiny knife / wrench
Handmade knives
2"x2" Glass Signal Mirror, Retroreflective Mesh
Trade School Tool Kit
My Pocket Kit
Glossary
Test

WARNING & DISCLAIMER: SELECT AND USE OUTDOORS AND SURVIVAL EQUIPMENT, SUPPLIES AND TECHNIQUES AT YOUR OWN RISK. Information posted on this forum is not reviewed for accuracy and may not be reliable, use at your own risk. Please review the full WARNING & DISCLAIMER about information on this site.