Yupper, I'm in.
Ok, I admit it, getting down to an Altoids tin kit was a struggle for me. Over the last several years I have built a goes everywhere kit that I always have, and reducing it was not easy as it sounds. While I had all the items I needed for a tin kit, the idea of being out in the bush without any of my standard equipment was disconcerting, and probably the point of this whole thing. We all get a bit too gear dependant as our kits evolve.
For me, reading about the contest, I wanted to switch things up a bit, but still fall into the guidelines. So I took a different path then the others that have posted. I wasnt going to find a place to survive for 3 days, but instead, I was going to find my way out.
The place I picked is pretty remote, Grout Pond in Vermont. While the hiking trails and campsites are pretty heavily used during the summer, it still has a lot of arcage that isnt traveled by the sheeple. My idea was to start out in an area on the side of Mount Stratton that I havent explored before, and make my way back to an area I knew, the Grout Pond campground. I also did not want this to just be a survival camping trip but a real test of my abilities to survive in rough terrain, and navigate my way out. This was key for me because I have not really tested my navigation skills since I was in the Army. Since then I have always had a map, a compass, and a good set of trail signs or landmarks to use. I wouldnt have any of those things this time, (except the compass) nothing more then a general sense of what direction my pickup point was from where I was starting. This is the first time I have ever gone into woods I didnt know without a map. Ever.
I also wanted this to be as close to the real thing as I could, so I didnt wear any special clothing, just what I wear on a daily basis, jeans, jersey, basic boots, and my leather jacket, hat. Now being summer time, the leather jacket is a bit hot to be wearing around, but I tend to have one with me all the time. So much so that when I dont wear it into the office, my co workers comment. All of my clothing I wear daily is based on the idea that I may need to walk home for some reason, so even thou they arent hiking gear, they are good quality, durable. The hat was switched out for my normal everyday Maxpedition ball cap, for my Filson Packer. I hadnt yet the chance to use the Packer a whole lot, so I wanted to check it out. I used DEET bug spray before I left, and the towels as well. Admittedly these did not fit in my candy tin, but give that VT/NH has had several deaths in the last couple of years from EEE (Eastern equine encephalitis) I wasnt risking it.
The weather is playing a part in all of this too. The last few weeks were hot as blazes, 90s with high humity, but this week it has been cooler, with lots of thunder storms and heavy rains. Washing out roads type rains. Last night the tempture dropped to 64 degrees. Thats cold after a 90 degree day, worse if you are soaked to the skin. And the weather report said we might get brushed by Tropical Storm Danny as well.
My gear is very basic. Gossman Striker, matches, ziplock bag, button compass, mirror, coutycomms LED light, firesteel, water tablets, safty pin, band aid, fishing line, foil. For the knife I was really thinking I was going to take either my TAK-1 or my Gossman Kephart, but decide that I would take the RC-3. Mostly because I have never used it solo, and also just to keep in the spirit of the Rat Pack
My camera, journal, cellphone and FAK rounded out the rest of my gear. I need to note here, that I did not bulk up on foods, or anything else. And this for me was the hardest part of the challenge. Not just the food, but because I wanted to keep a level of realism to the contest, I did not pick up extra cigaretts for the trip, but only took what I had on me, 5 smokes to last 3 days. If you smoke, then you know what it is like to crave them and not have them. It sucked.
I left work at Friday at 3:30pm, and drove to Grout Pond to park my rig. My friend was waiting for me, and he drove me up to Stratton Mountain, the starting point for me trek, then headed back to Grout to camp and keep an eye on my truck. My drop off point was simply and open spot on the side of the road, that had a dirt track leading into the woods. I followed the track about a ¼ mile, and came to an open area, all logged trees, full of ruts, and mud. I stayed on the edge, circling the clearing until I hit the woods on the far side. I knew I was traveling toward the general direction of Grout pond, but I needed to head south east a bit. So I got out my compass and ran into my first problem. I couldnt read it. I hadnt thought to take my reading glasses and the button compass is too small for me to read without them. This is not good. The woods were really pretty thick, and where I was located, I couldnt really see the sun clearly. I decided at this point to keep moving in the line of travel I was headed in, and see if I could find a place to start setting up a shelter.
I walked about a mile or so and came aross a flat spot, with a bunch of large pines, and the one that was smaller, with a really nice opening under the branches at the bottom. Looked like a good shelter, the needles under it were all dry, and there were lots of small Oaks around I could get leaves to fill in the gaps with. At this point it is getting darker fast, because of the mountais all around me, and I decided to see if I could find some water. About 100 yards away I found a small stream, and two soda bottles, and a bunch of cans. I washed the bottles and a couple of cans out, filled them with water, and went back up to where I was planning on sleeping. I cut a bunch of oak branchs off three downed trees, and placed them over the pine branches, leaving a small opening to crawl in and out of, and then gathered all the pine needles and downed leave that I could find that were dry, and put them inside to bed down on. The bug were out in force, but so far, other then getting in my eyes, nose and mouth, they really werent biting.
I cleared a small area just outside my shelter, and dug a small hole for my fire pit. Looking around I came aross a downed, very dead punky tree, and broke off the outside, which was pretty damp, but the inside was bone dry. Grabbing a small piece, I went back to the shelter, and broke up the wood, and crumbled it up until I had a small pile in the hole, much like sawdust. Three or four strikes later I had a nice little fire. I grabbed a bunch of small branches to add as kindling from the area I cleared, and slowly got the fire going to about 6 inches tall. I was really concerned about all the dry pine needles around. I put a couple of sticks over the fire, and took one of the cans and pour some water on to boil, and start collecting more wood.
By this time the sun was had gone down, as far as my area was concerned, and I put on my clip on LED. Worked fine for the 5 or 6 feet around me, but past that, no way. But it did keep me from falling on my face. I put together a small stack of firewood off to the side, within reach of the shelter opening, and took the water off the fire to cool. At this point I am tired, having been up since 4:30am, and I am HUNGRY, big time. I am debating having a smoke, and it is getting chilly outside the fire area. When I arrived it was about 70 degrees out, now it cant be more then 55 or so. I walk about 50 feet or so to find a clear spot and see that it is clouding over a bit. The forcast predicted possibly rain, I hope it would hold off.
I spotted a stick about 6ft long, pretty decent thickness, which made me think of a spear, so grabbed it and headed back to my little hideaway. I am bored, tired and hungry at this point, so I wanted something to do. I took the RC-3 and started to thin one end of the stick down a bit. Once I had it a little narrower, I careful cut into the end, making a slot. Getting my Gossman striker out of my kit, I put it into the slot, then removed it, to make the slot a little bit longer. Once that was done, I slide the striker back into it. Prefect! The striker has a two holes in it, for a lanyard I assume, and my plan was to make some cordage, and thread it thru those holes, then wrap it around the stick, making a strong spearhead.
Now let me say straight out, making cordage from pine bark is messy, sticky, work and is also a very weak. I stripped two long strips of the pine bark of a branch I had in my wood pile, and started making cordage the way I have been taught. The strips were about ½ wide each and I folded them in half long ways to narrow them down. After about 45 minutes, I had a cord about 3ft long. I gave it a solid tug to be sure it was snugged up, and promptly broke it in half. Sigh. I put it and the stick aside, and put the striker back in the kit. I would work on it more tomorrow, and I figure at worst I could use the stick as a walking stick.
The water had cooled, and I drank some. I am very very low energy at this point, and figure I will put some water into the one empty soda bottle I have, and boil so more. I kept thinking I should be doing more, but really didnt feel like it. I got the water boiling again, put more into the soda bottle, and promptly melted the side of the bottle, but not enough to melt thru, just made it a bit misshaped. Should have let it cool longer. I let the fire go down to coals, and I crawled into my shelter, and I am wiped out. Long day. I get as much of the pine needles and oak leaves under me as I can, and I put the jeacket on as a blanket, put my hat over my eyes and dozed off.
I must have been out of it, because I didnt actually wake up until the cold rain hit my neck. I almost sat up, startled, but I caught myself before nailing my head on the lowest branches of the tree. My hat was on the ground next to me, and the rain was pounding down, and the wind had really kicked up a bit, making leaks in my borrow. I looked out the entrance to my shelter, and it was pretty wild out. Gusty winds, and sheets of rain coming down. I scooted around and put my back to the trees, and draped my leather over my shoulder and arms, and tried to cover up some of my legs, by bringing my knees up. And I just waited it out. I have no idea how long I was like that, except my butt and legs fell asleep, and by the time it was done, I was cold and wet. Hungry, cold, wet, and I have no idea what time it is, another thing. Cant read my watch. My guess it that it is about 3:30 or so in the morning, and I slept 5 or 6 hours. I must have been tired, because no matter what anyone says, sleeping under a tree on a bed of pine needles and oak leaves is NOT that comfortable.
I dont know exactly how long I sat there like that, but it wasnt all that long before I decide I was up for the rest of the day, I wasnt going to get anymore sleep, at least not until I could find a dry spot. And I am really hungry, and of course I need to use the third tree from the left. I go take care of the call of nature, and on the way back I realize that a lot of the trees around me are balsum trees, and I am 90% that the buds are edible, so I pick a couple of hands fulls, and munch them down. Now I have had the buds before, and I actually like the taste of them, and this time was no different.
It is getting a bit lighter, and my fire is a soaked mess, my shelter isnt dry anymore, and I can see no reason to sit there and be miserable any longer. So I fill my fire hole, and grab my walking stick, and off I go. At this point I am honestly considering scrapping the whole challenge. I am very cold, I dont think it was 50 degrees out, I am very wet, hungry, having the worst time not smoking, and I kinda, sorta think I am heading in the directions, maybe sorta just a little off. I am also making a mental checklist of what I have in my real grab and go bag that would have made this trek a lot more pleasant. And I am a bit pissed at myself because I am wussing out.
I am walking along, mostly down hill, at a pretty good clip, when I fall on my ass the first time. I had moved maybe a mile and a half, two miles at this point and I am pretty deep into national forest lands, and on a very slight slope, my feet just fly out from under me. Good thing the ground was soft. The rain had caused everything to get really wet, and the leaves were like banana skins, on slick mud. I landed hard enough to knock the wind out of myself, and it took me a couple of minutes to regain my feet. This is when I decided that from now on, my everyday boots are going to have a much better tread on them. My boots are fine for walking a long ways on pavement and dirt roads, but completely sucked in the woods.
Continued...........
