Question about Survival...

reply to post by r2d246

I was talking about being in Cold Weather and then making a KILL. If you encounter a Griz or GOD FORBID a Polar Bear in the Dead of Winter...YOU HAVE A PROBLEM because if they are not sleeping...they are STARVING AND WILL FOLLOW YOU AND YOUR KILL right to camp.

I have experienced this and it is Dangerous in the extreme as FEAR OF HUMANS goes right out the window to a STARVING BEAR! Wolves do not seem to be an issue but they are also loosing their fear of Humans because of Lack of Human Hunters.

The best advice I can give you is to purchase a MILITARY SURVIVAL FIELD GUIDE as they tend to give you information based on Worse Case Scenarios. A Machete is a Good Tool to have in Cold Weather as you can use this large blade to cut down trees or Branches as well as use it to cut Hardened Snow Bricks to construct an IGLOO. An IGLOO is the Best Form of Shelter one can make in a Extreme Cold and Snow Environment as well as a U.S. Army or Special Forces Field Guide will show you how to make one and because of an IGLOO'S Design it can handle massive snow weight loads that a tent cannot plus you can build a Fire inside an Igloo. The Machete is a PERFECT SURVIVAL TOOL AS you will need to cut the Hard Snow Bricks which will be found several feet under new snow fall. This snow has been compressed...partially melted and frozen again and a Machete will allow you Blade Length to cut these Bricks. If you have Pine Trees around...cut off Pine Branches and place these over the snow on the area which will be the interior of the Igloo. DO NOT REMOVE THE SNOW FROM THIS AREA BUT RATHER COMPACT IT DOWN THEN PLACE THE PINE...as the snow will act as an insulator compared to the Ground. If you have a Ground Tarp...use this over the Pine and ALWAYS REMOVE YOUR CLOTHS WHEN SLEEPING IN A SLEEPING BAG. To wear cloths will actually draw away heat from your body and a Sleeping Bag is designed to REFLECT BODY HEAT BACK TO THE BODY! Dressing in Layers is a Must and Checking of your FEET several times a day is a necessity to avoid Frost Bite.

NEVER throw away animal bones or parts near your camp. Do NOT BURN THESE EITHER as this will allow the Meat and Bone to be smelled by animals from over 100 Miles away. Best thing to do is Urinate on them and if possible throw them over the cliff on the other side of a mountain. If you are injured...urinate on them and burn some plastic on them if possible...tie them together...let them freeze solid and let them float down stream. Just get them away from your camp and as far away any way possible. The first time you dress an animal you have killed...be careful not to cut into the Bladder or Intestinal Track. Hang the Dear or Elk if possible by the Antlers or if female...the neck and if too heavy wedge the head neck into the v of a tree branch. Cut a deep slit around the animals anus then cut a slit being careful to cut ONLY SKIN...from the anus up to the Chest Plate...the Intestines will fall out. Save the Heart, Liver, Bladder and Intestines as the Bladder after being washed can be used as a Canteen and the Intestines after being cleaned can be used to make sausage which will be easy to smoke and preserve. Just about everything is edible so if you do not have Bear Issues and it is Winter...cut the meat into strips against the grain and allow to DRY on a self built rack. SALT is something you should always have handy for preserving the meat but if you do not have any...the Manuel will tell you how to burn certain types of plants and trees to preserve the meat. In the summer...FLIES BECOME A PROBLEM and will infest quickly a fresh kill...this is why SALT or Burning for smoking must be done asap. Believe me...I have done all of this and it is very hard. Study or join a Course than TAKES PLACE IN THE FIELD...NOT IN THE CLASSROOM! There is a big difference between reading what to do and doing it! Split Infinity

Originally posted by TDawgRex
reply to post by r2d246

 

Hell, you've just descibed the majority of the leadership in the Army. (I can't speak on the other services behalf)

We are now promoting politicians rather than leaders. But that's just my opinion after 30+ years of experiance.

It's the same with the Navy.

reply to post by SplitInfinity


Ahhh man I'm eating a nice chocolate browny and you just had to ruine it! lol



Thanks for all that advice ha ha.

As far as igloos go, we don't build igloos They don't actually build them much here. Maybe a bit way way way up north. Just never enough snow. We did get a lot of snow 2 yrs ago. Last yr hardly any. Winters here suck.

reply to post by r2d246


OK...so you are not that far up North. That is good because ARCTIC CIRCLE SURVIVAL SUCKS!

I live in Mass. in the U.S. and still...most people could not make it through 16 Hours in the Winter here lost in the Woods. They just are not trained in any way. Lucky for people who get lost in the woods in Mass....the State is small with over 6 Million People that just by walking down stream...they would find other people. But say...MAINE. Get lost in Maine and you are going to die without training.

I Taught Winter Survival and TWO FREEKIN' YEARS INA ROW...1977 and 1978...two MASSIVE BLIZZARDS! I was out in both of them and in 77...the 35 who signed up for the course ended up after 48 hours to be 1 person and Staff! In 78....6 people and Staff! In the first 24 hours in 77 we had over 20 cases of Frost Bite! In 78 after only 10 hours a person had to be taken out by ambulance as he said he was burning up and started taking off his cloths! It is a little known fact that during an extreme case of Hypothermia...a person feels like they are on FIRE and feel so hot they strip off their cloths and die in their underwear.

I slept in a Pine Hovel that I had packed down the snow and insulated the bottom with Pine Boughs and covered this with my Poncho. I used snow to insulate the sides and the falling snow insulated the rest. As this design is like a Round Hollow Tunnel of sorts with it being built away from any trees that could collapse from snow and the opening facing South West as a Nor'easter Wind Blows toward South South West...the wind blew the snow against the back end and my entrance was facing the direction of where the wind was blowing. This made a very nice build up of snow around the back and did not allow for too much over the top although this design...arc-like...is very strong and I was Warm as Toast. I did the same thing the following year and had the same results.

The Design and Snow insulation did not even require a Fire to Keep Warm as it was so well insulated my own body heat kept me more than warm. I constructed this without a Rope or Lashings and I taught my Group how to make their own but even though I suggested to the Leadership to provide a list of Clothing Gear...77 and 78 were the years famous for the Vibrum Soled Winter proof Hiking Boot. They were ANYTHING BUT WINTER PROOF and not only were they not waterproof as advertised but they were WORTHLESS IN COLD WEATHER. Most of the Frost Bite cases were toes and feet. A few were Fingers as Temps. dropped at Night to 58 Below Zero on the Mountain and wind Chills were off the Chart! I was Warm...and Read the Issac Asimov book....FOUNDATION. I also caught a 32 inch Lake Trout in my Fish Trap as the stream was an outlet of a large reservoir. I Scaled and Gutted it...I always carry Salt and Ground Pepper when on a Survival Stint as well as pack several Whole Garlic Bulbs. I also carry Olive Oil as it has many other uses and used a CEDAR PLANK to cook the Fish on over a large bed of Hot Coals. I ate that whole Fish! LOL! The Cedar Trees grow all over and someone had cut one down and did not cut both sides leaving a Cedar Plank that split off the bottom of the trunk. I used my Machete and cut it off and it was perfect in size and thickness as well as being green enough to burn slow. I Placed the Trout all Salted, Black Peppered stuffed with garlic and used a thin amount of wire I use for snares through the belly to hold in the Garlic and Moisture. Best Fish I ever ate! Split Infinity

So in other words if you were a castaway on survivor you'd kick azz is that it?