Hi folks,

I'm planning on a bit of a simulation soon now that it's south of freezing here every day but before it snows too much. I want to test my survival gear in sort of worst case scenario so I know what works and what won't. Here's what I have planned. Please feel free to chime in with your thoughts as I don't want to have to do this too many times hehehe.

The scenario is that I'm ice fishing and have pulled a small sled out onto the ice. Through out the day I have moved farther and farther onto the lake to find good fishing and have stayed too long. It's getting dark and windy and starting to snow. I know that I can't get back to my vehicle before it gets dark and I forgot to mark that way point on my GPS (or the batteries are frozen). My personal sense of direction stinks so I'm going to assume I have no idea (E,S,N,or W) which direction I was going in while I was walking out onto the lake...too excited about fishing I suppose. I'm going to assume that I'll have to stay one night where I am, then pack up and try to get to shore while I have food and water (which I carry normally). I'm further going to assume I walk in the wrong direction in the morning and don't hit shore by the time it gets dark as it's still snowing and I can't see it from where I'm at, forcing me to stay another night (in my simulation I'll stay put but I'll shoot for extra calories anyhow to make sure I can prep it all with the gear I have). Then I either find the car on the 3rd day or trees where I can build proper camp while I have energy and a signal fire...sitting waiting for rescue (or the snow to stop...at which point I'd likely be 100 yards from my Jeep with my luck wink )

To accomplish this I'll stay 2 nights out in my parents back yard or drive way with no wood or fire beyond what I can build out of my pack. I might not be able to be picky about the temperature but I'm going to try and wait until it's 25 below (-13F) as anything less, while cold, isn't THAT cold around here...plus the colder the better as I won't be able to simulate the full wind chill a lake has to offer. I'll set up on the ground and utilize all my gear, staying out there for 2 nights and 2.5 days. I'll eat and drink only out of my pack OR drink only water melted from ice. I can't assume I'll have fish to eat as out in the wild I might not have the option. This scenario also removes the option to build a shelter from scratch, make bough beds, or use natural terrain for shelter (snow cave, felled trees, etc). In fact I won't even be able to drive tent pegs into the ground...a challenge indeed!

In the interest of science I'm willing to compromise on certain things if the alternative is giving up. Like starving if I don't have proper food to eat. I may start a fire if my stoves fail me using standard firewood...assuming I busted up the sled from the scenario to burn (though this won't be much of a fire). I may also 'obtain' some water should I not be able to melt any...then change the story to assume I came in with it and was careful not to let it freeze...I think I'm prepared enough that it won't come to that however.

The questions I'd like to answer (in general) are:
  • How hard is it to set up my planned shelter with no trees or rocks or anything (even ground to put pegs in).
  • Can my selected gear stand up to the cold?
  • Can my selected gear stand up to the wind?
  • Is my food/rations eatable in that temperature?
  • Can I effectively melt water to drink and cook in?
  • Will my sleeping bag/shelter system be warm enough?
  • Just how useless are my batteries at that temperature?
  • Is the AMK 2.0 Bivy I just bought any help in this scenario?
  • What do I have which is useless (to be ditched later for weight savings).


I may add to this post between now and then as I'm doing a 2 night Survival Trek with the Boreal Institute in a couple of weeks...some of my questions may be answered...but the survival situations emulated on the Trek are VERY different from what I have laid out above. Also, the Trek assumes you're not outfitted with an insane amount of gear (like I like to be) and I'll have little more than the basics to help me out.

Again, feel free to put your 2 cents in...especially if you know how to drive aluminum tent pegs into solid ice hehehe.