With my friend Mors Kochanski, I and a hardy group of 12 we headed in to the brush last weekend off the Gunflint Trail outside of Grand Mairis MN.
The 12 would have a great chance to apply the wildnerness skills they
had learned at classes at the Northhouse School that week before.
We had 10 inchs of heavy snow, winds to 15-20 miles an hour and temps down to 18 degres. After a 1/2 mile wonderfull hike through thick bush we set up bush camp.
After a warming drying fire was light and wood was collected.
I set up hammocks for Mors and I , the students set up shelters from natural materials, a space blanket and 10 x 12 foot sheet of poly. Mors , I and are freind Paul helped those who needed help make a fit shelter for the night.
There was more then one look on there face if this was as good an idea now as when they sighed up.
Mors set up was an Exped Scout Hammock that had an 26" x 56" windsheild
liner out of heavy foam between the two layers with the refective surface
up. It was placed so it would be between he's neck to the back of he's knees.
That was sandwiched between a Wiggys 20 degree Ecota center zip draw string bottom 36" x 92" sleeping bag.That way acting as a under over quilt. A french army light canvas shelter half was used as an over cover because of the snow. Mors sleepet with the cloths he wore no parka.
during the day (wool layers) no parka.
My set up was DYI double layer paracloth hammock, Exped Dream Walker 650
long down sleeping bag, Arklight Walden 250 quilt. Foam windsheild and Hilleberg Bivarak . I used a cotton shelter half also. I wore wool long john bottoms, Ullfrotte 400g vest, 400g full zipper sweater, wool stocking cap, 3 pair 800gram Ullfrotte socks(my winter footwear for day use with rubber boots) and an old woolrich down sewing through jacket.
with hood.
The temps went down to 18 degrees.
The day light came and all was well. Paul the trooper he is had tended fire's for the students through the night. They were all smiles thay had learned with
good basic skills they to could spend a night in piney wood forset in winter in comfort.
Now for Mors, first he was not in hurry to get up and when asked how it worked he I quiote "It's great ! ". He said he slept very well and felt he could go down to 0 degrees if he wore he's parka. He is 70ty years old.
For me I used the quilt doubled layered for my feet and legs. I shifted the Exped Dreamwalker so I used one of the arm holes as a breathing hole.
I had to zip open the down coat and remove the hood after about 15 mintes
in the set up. Sleepet like a baby through the night and was never cold.
Nether of us had any condesation on the windsheild foam pads. We both had some frozen froset on the cotton just outside are breathing holes on the cotton overcover.
All and all we where both very happy with the setups and nether of us would be againest going down to -35 with more layers and felt there would never be a reason to go to ground if we where in the forest.
A grand time was had by all and looking forward to the "FROZENBUTT2011"
in Jan.
fourdog
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