350 mile survival field test

That’s awesome. Adventures are where it’s at! I know you’ll be fine. Enjoy the peace and simplicity of nature. Good luck brother.
 
I want to do a trek such as this one day albeit not that long. Wishing you all the best man. Looking forward to your reports ;)
 
Good luck on your adventure ... mother nature will provide for you ... it's the mental challenges that seem hardest to push through in some cases ... but looks like you're as prepared as possible.

Hope it is a journey of a lifetime. I would love to see the footage after you get home and rested ... gonna be some of God's best in that footage.
 
I have concerns about this (especially the way you are announcing it, before the fact), but whatever ... good luck!

If you do try this, get a bug-suit from the best bug-suit company in the world.

No ... get two. One might get washed away.

https://www.facebook.com/originalbugshirt/

I am 68 years-old and grew-up in buggy Manitoba. A "gear freak" ... and nothing even comes close to the fit and quality and customizable tweaks that are provided by this tiny "cottage-industry" LONG-STANDING business in small-town rural northern Ontario. Skilled old ladies sewing with great tweaked designs for decades. Gotta love that.

Frost River 30 years ago.

Add some thin deerskin gloves from Raber.com (the best in Canada ... the Mounties and our pilots apparently wear them) ... and you are good to go. There is nothing better than relaxing ... in a beautiful place ... invulnerable and inside some über (breathable) armour. :)
 
I live on the Alberta-British Columbia border. I have an original (Ontario-tuned) 4" vintage S&W Model 66 (no numbers) and a B.C.-tuned Norinco .45 ... and there is no question which one I would carry. If I could ...

I also have a tuned/massaged Rossi .44 Magnum Ranch Hand (legal in Canada!! Woot!) with some rare-in-Canada Montana-spec 305g swaged boutique bullets from HSM.

I have calculated 44% more muzzle energy than the usual stuff. Rationed, like Elaine's sponges ... :)

Lucky me ... :)
 
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Good luck, I hope you change your mind and decide to carry a rifle with you. More weight for sure, but better for bears, as you know.

Or perhaps a shotgun, with a few different shells, for hunting and bear defense.
 
shinyedges said:
Good luck, I hope you change your mind and decide to carry a rifle with you. More weight for sure, but better for bears, as you know.

Or perhaps a shotgun, with a few different shells, for hunting and bear defense.
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+1

I don't know much about extended non-assited trips, but living in the US and if I was about to do such a trip, I would truly consider hunting as a main source of food. As well as fishing, also.

What you will probably be in lack of is carbohidrates I guess... any chance of carrying a small supply of that with you?

Mikel
 
Thanks everybody, there's a lot of good stuff here. Let me start by saying I appreciate every-bodies suggestions. Please keep them coming.

Some background. I have literally thousands of foot miles in the Brooks range. Hundreds of hours there, guiding and packing horses. In all my time there, I have not had any encounters with bears I did not want to have, it's more about knowing how to be in bear country. That having been said, I know anything can happen.

I own a .50 revolver that I built, it pushes a 350 grain bullet at 1300 fps and a 450 grain slug at 1180 fps with more energy than a 12 ga. slug. That would have been my first choice if I didn't already have a system I am testing.

The knife I have developed (and patented), the 1911 Combat Survivor is a mated to the 1911 Colt Auto. It has a hollow handle based on the Colt Auto frame. It's hollow handle carries a survival compartment made from a Colt Auto magazine with lots of survival stuff in there. You can check it out on my web site if you like. The reason for the walk is to test this system, that's why I am carrying what I am carrying.

This will be a minimalist test. I have already survived in those environments with modern equipment, this time i'm doing it with less. I will be trapping and snaring small game with hand made traps and snares. Most of the hunting seasons will be closed, so no big game. No need for a big game rifle. I will be fishing and catching things like ground squirrels, marmots, wood chucks and a porcupine would be a real bonus. I will also be trying to catch what bird species are legal. I will be using things like Hawaiian slings, sling shots and throwing sticks etc. I will also be gathering available plant foods, and of course fishing.

I'm going full-on neanderthal here. That's the point of the test.

I will be abiding by all game regulations so things like ptarmigan and grouse will be off the table (so to speak).

I will be crossing the continental divide twice during this trek, high alpine. Bugs will still be there, and at times very bad but, not as if I was walking around in the black spruce all the time. Generally when bugs get bad, we do what the caribou do, we get up on a windblown ridge.

I'm going to carry a Henry take-down .22 rifle as a back-up just in case I find myself having real trouble finding enough to eat. I will carry 50 rounds for it and I hope to come back with 50 rounds left. It is strictly for back-up, I will be trying very hard (like in case of serious starvation, not hunger) to rely on other skills and not use a firearm.

The reasons for the trek are mainly for field testing my system, for a sense of self accomplishment, and further development of skills and the quest for adventure. Other things are secondary like promotion of my system. I've done other extreme things like this before but it's been a while since I've done anything really arduous. I hunger for it.

Why talk before the walk? Why not? This is a chat forum, we talk about things. I wanted to get other peoples thoughts on it, make sure I am thinking about things the right way. Making sure I haven't overlooked anything. You guys have brought up some good points, given me things to think about. Also, my wife has been trying to talk me out of it since I got the bright idea two years ago. I wrote about it here (and other places) to make it official, it's no longer an idea, it's a plan. It's much harder to back out of it, or let your wife talk you out of it, after it's been all over social media.

Thanks, everybody, for the well wishes, for the suggestions and comments.
 
Sounds like you are pretty set with what you plan on taking, I wish you luck and good fortune. I'll check in on this thread before you head out.

How long are you anticipating this trek to take?
 
shinyedges said:
Sounds like you are pretty set with what you plan on taking, I wish you luck and good fortune. I'll check in on this thread before you head out.

How long are you anticipating this trek to take?
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About 40 days. I could do it in two weeks if I just pushed through but it's all about the time in the woods. Thanks Mark
 
Mark Knapp Mark Knapp Good luck on your journey, it sounds like you will be on a grand adventure. Can't wait to see the photos and video. If you would please, don't talk to Kevin Estela too much about this trip. He and I are going to Africa in July and he just might think he could do two continents over the summer.

Cheers,

Justen
 
Southern Gent said:
Mark Knapp Mark Knapp Good luck on your journey, it sounds like you will be on a grand adventure. Can't wait to see the photos and video. If you would please, don't talk to Kevin Estela too much about this trip. He and I are going to Africa in July and he just might think he could do two continents over the summer.

Cheers,

Justen
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That's too funny. You might already know he was with me on a similar adventure two years ago in this general area. I actually thought of asking Kevin along on this trip but part of the point is doing it alone. Have a great time in Africa. I have a trip there in 2019.
 
Wow! I'd quite frankly feel better if you had a hiking buddy and carried some food but the choice is yours. Keep us posted and best of luck to you on your journey!

ps. I'll volunteer to be your hiking buddy. I'll gladly accompany you for the first 2 or 3 miles. :D
 
Mark Knapp said:
That's too funny. You might already know he was with me on a similar adventure two years ago in this general area. I actually thought of asking Kevin along on this trip but part of the point is doing it alone. Have a great time in Africa. I have a trip there in 2019.
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I followed that trip pretty closely and had the opportunity to look through all his photos when he was visiting in Atlanta. From the stories and photos it looked amazing and an adventure I'd love to make myself. I figured he might know about this trip as well, so I'm glad you are doing it solo because I'm sure he would be more than happy to tag along. Kev is a great guy and travel partner who can handle himself while watching your 6 in most situations. I'll be keeping an eye out for your updates.
 
Southern Gent said:
I followed that trip pretty closely and had the opportunity to look through all his photos when he was visiting in Atlanta. From the stories and photos it looked amazing and an adventure I'd love to make myself. I figured he might know about this trip as well, so I'm glad you are doing it solo because I'm sure he would be more than happy to tag along. Kev is a great guy and travel partner who can handle himself while watching your 6 in most situations. I'll be keeping an eye out for your updates.
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We had a great time. Parts of it was grueling. The worst part was the main caribou herd was still two weeks away during our trip, but being a teacher, he had to go when he could go.
 
Mark Knapp said:
I will be trapping and snaring small game with hand made traps and snares.
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These are going to be essential for this trip. I actually don't see how it could be accomplished without them unless you substitute your take with the .22, which you don't want to do. I look forward to seeing as many of your sets as possible, and also any tips you can share for your particular country.

I'm not going to sugar-coat it......I'm concerned for you. But I also 'get' it, or get most of it. Here's wishing you safe travel, full snares, and a dry bed.
 
Hard Knocks said:
These are going to be essential for this trip. I actually don't see how it could be accomplished without them unless you substitute your take with the .22, which you don't want to do. I look forward to seeing as many of your sets as possible, and also any tips you can share for your particular country.

I'm not going to sugar-coat it......I'm concerned for you. But I also 'get' it, or get most of it. Here's wishing you safe travel, full snares, and a dry bed.
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Well, thank you very much. If you guys would like to see a little bit of what I have done in the past, here's a link.

http://1911combatsurvivor.blogspot.com/

I've also done a 70 mile walk in the winter at thirty below, winter camping at 40 below for months at a time on the trap line, and a few other things prior to the 1911 Survivor Bowie and the blog.

Thank you for your concern, but really my wife will do enough worrying for all of us, and she knows my history well enough. She will be following me on the In-Reach.

Any way, thanks Mark
 
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