Myself and 4 friends spent a practice survival night out this past weekend. This thread is a continuation of the one I started here: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=432803
The gist of it was to spend a night out (at this time of year in the mountains) with only day hiking gear, PSK included. No tent, stove, sleeping bag, or mattress. We did bring extra food though.
We had an awesome weekend! Temps were a little above freezing, so not too cold, but rather wet. There was about 2 feet of snow of the ground as well. We bushwhacked a short way along a river until one of our crew slipped off a log and took a little swim. He decided not to go back to car and change, but we decided not to go further, and set up camp there. I was impressed with him for going through with the night after getting completely soaked (pack included) right up to his neck.
We set up a shelter with Mylar space blankets, and lined the floor with pine branches. The shelter wasnt that great, I we defiantly could have done better if we wanted to, but time and immediate space were factors. We built one shelter for the 5 of us. I wanted to have a lean-to like structure we could sit under and face the fire. Because quarters where tight bush was thick, it seamed we have a couple of shelter, and sleep separately as a pair and group of three. Then part way though construction of my lean-to, we decided to build a second leant-to adjacent it, at an angle, (sort of in a V-shape) facing the fire. For some the side I put up was true lean-to, but was not adequate for actually covering two lying bodies. I guess I figured we would sort of sit up most of the night facing the fire. Anyway, the second part of the shelter was constructed with the space blanket creating a rectangular roof, rather than the A-frame leant-to. The back wall was built up with branches and pine to close it off.
The floor was thick with pine branches, which were actually quite comfortable to lie on. More comfortable than my Therm-a-rest mattress, but not quite as warm, and covered our clothes with sap. We cleared out all the snow before laying down the pine.
Problems with the roof, which I honestly saw coming, and should have fixed right off. First was that we had a seam in the roof, where to blackest met, and no amount of duck tape could seam it perfectly. Of course the roof being generally flat, at least most of it, water ran right to the seam. Since the seam was only a foot or two from the wall, it wasnt a big deal, no one was directly under it, that wall is were we put our gear and wood. Second problem: flat roof, flimsy space blanket, wet snow and rain Yup, it eventually ripped.
It was a little after dark when we got our fire going. Finding dry wood was the biggest challenge, but after getting it going, it burned anything. We then proceeded to roast hot dogs, and boil water on the fire. Couldnt find and standing dead wood, and it was dark by now too. The ground was covered in snow, and everything was saturated. I took down a little pine tree, split it up, shaved some tinder, and got a fire going, that would only stay going with constant attention. Eventually we set out on a quest for dead wood and found some. After splitting the dear and down tree, getting the fire going and keeping it going was no problem. For some reason we built the fire on a thick piece of bark rather than on the snow, or clearing out snow down to the ground. This was a mistake. The fire eventually burnt a hole through the bark and the coals fell into the melted space under the bark. But the hole in the bark wasnt big enough for the whole fire, logs and all to go down, so basically the fire went out. Well, almost out. Normally i build fires directly in the snow with no trouble, but one of our party suggested doing it this way, and I didnt see a problem. Anyway, we got the fire going again, without the bark platform, and had no further issues. The snow melts around it, sinking the fire, but keeping the coals and embers with the fuel. Although I never would have used a platform like that, having tried it, at least I will know why I should never use it.
It was not until well after that that it began to drizzle lightly on and off.
One of us spent most of the night in what looked like reasonable comfort, at least trying to sleep in the shelter. It seams the rest us got up a few times during the night trying to keep warm. We gathered and cut firewood and stoked the fire, keeping it going until morning.
My feet were the only part of me that was cold while lying down, but almost as soon as I got up, blood flowed down, and they warmed up. Standing by the fire helped too I am sure, and after warming up I would go back and lie down for another hour or two and rest. I didnt really sleep much, but got through the night in relative comfort by getting up every few hours to warm my feet.
One of the space blankets comprising our shelter ripped part way through the night, before the heavy rain started shortly before dawn. We were sleeping with space blankets draped over our bodies also, and just pulled them over our faces to keep dry. It was not clear how much warmth the space blankets provided, but I think they did something. The orange Adventure Medical Kits ones are not only larger, but quieter and more durable than the cheaper all-silver ones.
Come first light, we packed up, extinguished the fire and returned to the vehicle.
I actually managed to stay complete dry (except my hands) the entire time. It is amazing how wet it out here. I am used the east, where the snow is drier and more powdery. Everything just gets saturated. My pack was drenched, and all my outer clothes. My gear was properly packed, and I was properly dressed, so it wasnt an issue, but something you have to be constantly aware of out here.
All in all, it was a fun and successful trip. We did not have time to go into the theory of shelter and fire building, or practice various techniques of either. There simply was not time. A true organized learning trip would have to be planned and more focused on those specific skills. This was an excellent intro, and gave us a feel for what it would be like to spend an unplanned night out and have to improvise.
Because of the wetness, I didnt take too many pics, but I will try to post the ones I did take.
The gist of it was to spend a night out (at this time of year in the mountains) with only day hiking gear, PSK included. No tent, stove, sleeping bag, or mattress. We did bring extra food though.
We had an awesome weekend! Temps were a little above freezing, so not too cold, but rather wet. There was about 2 feet of snow of the ground as well. We bushwhacked a short way along a river until one of our crew slipped off a log and took a little swim. He decided not to go back to car and change, but we decided not to go further, and set up camp there. I was impressed with him for going through with the night after getting completely soaked (pack included) right up to his neck.
We set up a shelter with Mylar space blankets, and lined the floor with pine branches. The shelter wasnt that great, I we defiantly could have done better if we wanted to, but time and immediate space were factors. We built one shelter for the 5 of us. I wanted to have a lean-to like structure we could sit under and face the fire. Because quarters where tight bush was thick, it seamed we have a couple of shelter, and sleep separately as a pair and group of three. Then part way though construction of my lean-to, we decided to build a second leant-to adjacent it, at an angle, (sort of in a V-shape) facing the fire. For some the side I put up was true lean-to, but was not adequate for actually covering two lying bodies. I guess I figured we would sort of sit up most of the night facing the fire. Anyway, the second part of the shelter was constructed with the space blanket creating a rectangular roof, rather than the A-frame leant-to. The back wall was built up with branches and pine to close it off.
The floor was thick with pine branches, which were actually quite comfortable to lie on. More comfortable than my Therm-a-rest mattress, but not quite as warm, and covered our clothes with sap. We cleared out all the snow before laying down the pine.
Problems with the roof, which I honestly saw coming, and should have fixed right off. First was that we had a seam in the roof, where to blackest met, and no amount of duck tape could seam it perfectly. Of course the roof being generally flat, at least most of it, water ran right to the seam. Since the seam was only a foot or two from the wall, it wasnt a big deal, no one was directly under it, that wall is were we put our gear and wood. Second problem: flat roof, flimsy space blanket, wet snow and rain Yup, it eventually ripped.
It was a little after dark when we got our fire going. Finding dry wood was the biggest challenge, but after getting it going, it burned anything. We then proceeded to roast hot dogs, and boil water on the fire. Couldnt find and standing dead wood, and it was dark by now too. The ground was covered in snow, and everything was saturated. I took down a little pine tree, split it up, shaved some tinder, and got a fire going, that would only stay going with constant attention. Eventually we set out on a quest for dead wood and found some. After splitting the dear and down tree, getting the fire going and keeping it going was no problem. For some reason we built the fire on a thick piece of bark rather than on the snow, or clearing out snow down to the ground. This was a mistake. The fire eventually burnt a hole through the bark and the coals fell into the melted space under the bark. But the hole in the bark wasnt big enough for the whole fire, logs and all to go down, so basically the fire went out. Well, almost out. Normally i build fires directly in the snow with no trouble, but one of our party suggested doing it this way, and I didnt see a problem. Anyway, we got the fire going again, without the bark platform, and had no further issues. The snow melts around it, sinking the fire, but keeping the coals and embers with the fuel. Although I never would have used a platform like that, having tried it, at least I will know why I should never use it.
It was not until well after that that it began to drizzle lightly on and off.
One of us spent most of the night in what looked like reasonable comfort, at least trying to sleep in the shelter. It seams the rest us got up a few times during the night trying to keep warm. We gathered and cut firewood and stoked the fire, keeping it going until morning.
My feet were the only part of me that was cold while lying down, but almost as soon as I got up, blood flowed down, and they warmed up. Standing by the fire helped too I am sure, and after warming up I would go back and lie down for another hour or two and rest. I didnt really sleep much, but got through the night in relative comfort by getting up every few hours to warm my feet.
One of the space blankets comprising our shelter ripped part way through the night, before the heavy rain started shortly before dawn. We were sleeping with space blankets draped over our bodies also, and just pulled them over our faces to keep dry. It was not clear how much warmth the space blankets provided, but I think they did something. The orange Adventure Medical Kits ones are not only larger, but quieter and more durable than the cheaper all-silver ones.
Come first light, we packed up, extinguished the fire and returned to the vehicle.
I actually managed to stay complete dry (except my hands) the entire time. It is amazing how wet it out here. I am used the east, where the snow is drier and more powdery. Everything just gets saturated. My pack was drenched, and all my outer clothes. My gear was properly packed, and I was properly dressed, so it wasnt an issue, but something you have to be constantly aware of out here.
All in all, it was a fun and successful trip. We did not have time to go into the theory of shelter and fire building, or practice various techniques of either. There simply was not time. A true organized learning trip would have to be planned and more focused on those specific skills. This was an excellent intro, and gave us a feel for what it would be like to spend an unplanned night out and have to improvise.
Because of the wetness, I didnt take too many pics, but I will try to post the ones I did take.
. Survival in the kind of weather you decribed is extremely difficult, but I guess you vancouverites have plenty of experience with all this rain you've been getting 
.
