Arctic winter survival course with the canadian forces. (many pics)

F

Fonly

Joined
Sep 24, 2006
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Hey everyone,

This was the other thing I have been trying to put up, The last couple weeks I have been out doing some teaching, my time I have off from my day job, I am an instructor with the Cdn Forces.

I love the outdoors, and enjoy teaching even more. This is a three day course for recruits and men who have done several tours all ready. They are taken through five stages, fire craft, shelter building, trapping, water and food procurement and signaling.

So, we'll just throw the pictures out, and I'll add a comment here and there, its pretty self explanatory.

Here is our site, we had a nice little cabin to work out of.
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Collecting birth bark for the students and prepping the fire station.
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Scenery shots.
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The shelter for demonstration.
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Tinder bundle and kindling kept in the shelter.
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This is the innards of a signal fire should you have never seen one.
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And yes, it was cold...
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The WO was proud of his rabbit he snared.
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Love doing the courses, I meet some fantastic people, its a great feeling knowing these men are taking what info I, and my patrol give them forward on into life.

Questions, comments?
 
That looks awesome! Very cool 'side job'. Curious, what tools did the troops have available?
 
Great stuff Fonly! I look forward to doing the same kinds of teaching with my kids once they're a bit older.
 
Wow, really cool pics. It's great to see someone passing on their skills to those who might need them. Signal fire is really cool.
 
6shooter said:
That looks awesome! Very cool 'side job'. Curious, what tools did the troops have available?
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They were instructed to have a personal knife (fixedblade) saw some kaibars, buck fallkniven. They were provided and axe and a survival kit in a billy can, had tinder, rope, snare with, pur tabs and signaling items. Also some shelter stuff.

I will get thhe rest of the pics up tonight.
 
Great pics. Glad to see some really tough survival training still being provided for the military.

Could you tell me what kit the course is allowed/issued to use? I'm always interested to see how well equipped the guys are and how much free choice they are allowed in supplementing their kit.
 
RoyalM said:
Great pics. Glad to see some really tough survival training still being provided for the military.

Could you tell me what kit the course is allowed/issued to use? I'm always interested to see how well equipped the guys are and how much free choice they are allowed in supplementing their kit.
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It certainly is, I left with second degree frost bite (frost nip) on my ears, lips and nose. I have had a few layers of skin peel. the first night, before they showed up, we were sitting at -52*c, when they arrived the next morning, it was -46 still, didn't change much through the day and the first night was spent, in shelter, in pairs at -45*c.

They were issued survival kits in billy cans, and an axe. They were instructed to bring their own fixed blade, one young man had a pristine fallkniven S1, he had two night and three days in very cold weather to try it out. I was impressed by it.

upnorth said:
Love it. Looks like the WO has a new (low maintenance) pet ! :D
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I have honestly never seen a full grown man so excited, this was the first animal he had taken, and he ate it that night with a much different mind-set.
 
this is unfortunately all i have left, I had serious issues with electronics because of the cold, but I do have a few more...:D

bundled up, ready for the trips.
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getting schooled on firecraft.
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just before the signal fire really got going.
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scenery.
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Click to watch, quick sled ride.
 
Good JOB! That looks pretty dang cold Brother! The S1 is one of my favorite Fallknivens, I bought one for my brother, and its all he has ever owned or used since.
 
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