Winter backpacking- wood processing saws/axes?

Here you go needitcheaper. Since I've already posted some show-n-tell pics. Here you go.. post 1708 and 1709.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...-hiking-anything-Outdoorsy-Pic-Thread!/page86

Heres me in the local mtns at 5900', 2 weeks ago during a solo -then met some friends the 2nd day in..um..hike. I backpack a lot. :) Pack is the awesome Granite Gear Crown 60. Weighs a true 2lb 2oz. Heres a review of it. Its packed down so small you can barely see it over my shoulder.


http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...=hI0jZ-KGPzt_6Dw6X7xCqg&bvm=bv.57155469,d.cWc

Camp. Was snowed on several times.


My view. Tent is the awesome Intergal Designs MK1XL mtneering singlewall. I also 5 other 4 season shelters. Being the Bibler Eldorado. Black Diamond Megamid and Betamids(2x). Walrus Rapeede.

ti stove. ti cookware. ti spoon.


The above mesh bag opens up to all this. I love ti.


The week before the above trip. BD Megamid. Also note Western Mtneering Highlite bag. Weighs 16oz total w stuff sack.

No fire to fight here.

Heres a recent 7 day hike above treeline in the Indian Peaks wilderness. The road thats gated(note gate) 5 miles before the trailhead. So we parked here and hiked to the trail.


Hiking in from the above gate.


2nd night. Using bivy bags only.


Me at almost 14k. We did some nearby 14ish summits.


I'm the red pack. Heading back to the tents.


I'm in the middle. About to throw down our tents at 11,600(we don't share. we all carry our own pumps, stoves, and shelters), and fast. We're looking at a bigarse storm heading our way.


Me snowshoeing during the above trip.

Lunch one day.


Me breaking trail up to the highest camp. Crampon and ice axes.

Camps.




Using my most awesome chair:cool:


Hiking near the house at 6200ish ft'.




My tents view as I sip coffee.


My Betamid(uses 2 trekking poles) during a solo trip at 6100' here in my mtns.


Mmmmmm. blue berries.


Since your demanding pics calling people you don't know lairs...now its your turn.:)
 
Ah yes... pictures...

Leisurely spring ski tour from last spring. We "cheated" and were able to dig down to a tent platform. There's an old and reliable Optimus Hunter in that pile o'gear.

100_0077 by Pinnah, on Flickr

Notice all of the small branches in that picture. They're all missing, right? The tent platform indicates a designated (river side) camp site. You can just spot the official fire ring grill sticking out of the snow. That's the connection. Legal fires => yahoos strip the place nude of underbrush. I think in the 30 years of camping, I've stayed at this muddy, ash strewn site once in the non-snowy month. It's just hammered. IME, traffic + fires = huge impact. No thanks.

More typical ski destination is the high pond that are too buggy in the summer. No maintained campsite. No fires. And what you do you notice about the dead trees? Branches. No sign of impact. How cool is that. That's what my Svea 123 does.

Anyway, typical temperatures are lows in the -5F to + 5F range. I've done one overnight trip in the -15F range (top of West Osceola) but honestly, that's the utter lower limit of all of my gear. I call trips off when forecasts are for -10F or lower. Plenty of folks have the gear and skill to go lower. Just noting the edge of my personal risk zone.

300 by Pinnah, on Flickr

I gotta say though... I don't get the whole snowshoe thing. They're just so... slow compared to skis. ;)

304 by Pinnah, on Flickr
 
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What a novice am I. I've never really thought about camping in winter without a camp fire for heat. Very good point of view that brings thoughts of all those Westerns/Mountain Man books where fires were not built at night for fear of alerting others to one's location.

I tend to sweat a lot. I'm still wondering how to dry out any clothing that get's wet with sweat, but I'm interested.
 
Stating the obvious of course.. If not already, always wear synthetic cloths. They'll still work while wet. They are much more efficient regarding wicking moisture up and away from the body. ..as well as drying faster in general then any cotton blend on the planet.

Stuff like fleece can be shaken/towel-whipped/wrung and that alone will get rid of 95+% of the water if the garment is socked from rain or whatever.

If its not raining/snowing, one can of course lay their chit out whenever possible during the days hike or in camp. While in the tent, burning a small candle with the cloths strung up over head, can go a long way w help'n dry them faster. When just damp..put them on and ''wear'm dry" while sedentary. Thats something no one will want to do with cotton tho. Brrrrr. It has no place in winter camping, sans a bandana maybe.
 
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Woodrow,

We're all novices, really. The thing I find most useful is the willingness to try things from other "traditions" or ways of approaching the problem. I wouldn't have learned to be as comfortable bushwacking had I not learned to hunt (I'm the world's single worst hunter). And I'll bet that nearly all people on the AT couldn't start a fire in the rain. So we all have a lot to learn from each other.

Here's my thoughts on winter clothing. For the most part, I treat my body like it's a rain storm and I assume that I will arrive in camp with wet clothing on (from sweat). I rely heavily on synthetic clothing and when it gets real cold a VB shirt.
http://home.comcast.net/~pinnah/DirtbagPinner/clothing.html

No disrespect to Colin Fletcher, but I think Chris Townsend's books do a better job of describing clothing management in cold/wet conditions.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Backpackers-Handbook-4th-Edition/dp/007175489X
 
Much like Pinnah/KDUcky's Bro I use synth base layers and if it's cold enough I'll wear the standard synth drawers and long-sleeve synth t-shirt (I get these at wally-world) under a 1-piece polar-tec, sleeveless "farmer john". That, in addition to the appropriate-for-activity boot/sock/liner-sock combo, plus a toque and light-wgt gloves or mittens and I'm usually good-to-go unless the wind is howling and/or it's really cold at which point I'd add a light-weight wind-breaker.

Once I've arrived at camp and if I'm sweaty (usually), I'll drink a bunch of water, take off my toque and unzip what I can to dry off. After that I put on my down parka, get my tent and sleeping gear organized and as I'm digging stuff out I get my stove, mug and mocha mix ready to go. Then I stomp down my tent platform and set the tent up and guy it out, inflate my sleeping pad and toss the sleeping bag (giving it a good shake to release it from being compressed) in the tent.

By now I'm ready for a hot brew so I fire up my stove and viola'! winter camp is underway!!!

The one constant, immutable thing I've learned is that there are a lot of right ways to do most things - which way is "best" depends on the person. Learning the gear is easy, it's the hard-wired skills that take time and diligence to gain.
 
KDucky's brother said:
Here you go needitcheaper. Since I've already posted some show-n-tell pics. Here you go.. post 1708 and 1709.
Click to expand...

Well if this is legit no fire, my hats off to you. Thank you for putting your money where your mouth is. A step above the rest.


And I still love fires. Even if you can work around them :cool:
 
Most of my winter pics are older prints, not digi pics. I have a few tho.

I used to be the moderator at Outdoorreview.com for years, ending about 12 years go. The site is pretty much dead now. I'm retired from a real job of 24yrs and only work part time every one in the awhile at the NOC(Nantahala Outdoor Center) outfitters store or bicycle shop.


More show and tell.

Taken from a tower on the ATin the SMNP looking west.


Taking a break on a week long solo hike in the Snowbird wilderness area close to the house. Note pack in foreground on lower right.


Tough guy pic(lol). 4 day trip about 10 years ago when I was in my 40s. I'm on the right. Cohutta Wilderness area in N Ga. I have my 10 lb 3 season pack on.


Hiked in on snowshoes all night on the frozen/snow covered Blue ridge Parkway. Note tents in middle of road w fallen trees beyond it.


Same camp spot as above, but pic taken from behind those fallen trees looking from the other direction.


Yours truly hiking the AT in NC in Feb.
[

Our camp that day.


Posted on the Show and tell thread. We hike in alot at night, since we worked till dark, and then drove 3 hours to the trailhead. At 6200' alt on an exposed bald with crazy wind at about 1-2am and about to pitch tents.


Bartram trail in Jan. with the wife.






I like snakes.


Another wife trip in Shining Rock wilderness.






Pick'n blue berries. Common up high in these parts.


I raced mtbs until recently. I'm 52yrs old in this pic.


The Betamaid again.

Moss Parawwing


Day hiking near the house with the wife in the Slick Rock wilderness.




Hiking in at night in Nov a couple yrs ago.











Same trip as above pics. Keeping warm while hang'n out with friends and coffee. No fires.


Another pic in Indian Peaks while climbing. I'm up front.


While we hiked in on that gated road. I'm 2nd from right.


A bud post-holing. Deep snow the entire trip.


Me(red pack) glissaiding down the mtn.


At the bottom of a slide. One uses the ice axe as a brake.


First night there. My singlewall, snowshoes, ice axe, crampons.


Storm up high at 11,600.

I'm on left.


After climbing all day. In our most awesome camp chairs, with coffee and bourbon.


No fires for the week;)




Continental Divide. I'm sitting right.


The end
 
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I already saw those pics in the other thread but NICE! I think that pretty much proves the point. :)
 
haha Sorry. I get carried away sometimes. I was just having fun dig'n up some of those old pics. Wish I had a good scanner.

I consider myself a knife noob. Lots of real knowledge here. Right now I'm a big sponge soaking up info.

This forum has lots of diff subject sub-forums. Which is cool.
 
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Kducky, no forum has replaced rec.backcountry when it was good (pre aol).

And really, you need to get you some skis.
 
I swear I'm getting frost-bite just looking at some of those pictures. :D
Some nice mountain pics...but you'll not find me on a mountain in the winter...brrrrr.

A thought on some of the nifty camp stoves shown though; they're still fire, just a portable, controlled one. :)
 
pinnah said:
Heh. Maybe you need to expand your set of "other people" a bit?
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I think you misinterpreted what I wrote. I doubt that you, or any of the people you mentioned, live in unheated homes, which was the intent of the last part of what I wrote.
 
Honestly, I like camping in the cold better than summer. No bugs, no sweating while you sleep...... sounds good to me.
 
@kducky's brother: i'm still skeptical that you camp during winter. please post more of your awesome pics...i mean proof, yes that's it, proof! :p


Woodrow F Call said:
Honestly, I like camping in the cold better than summer. No bugs, no sweating while you sleep...... sounds good to me.
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same here. i'm more active in the winter especially when there's plenty of snow on the ground...can't wait to start snowshoeing again.
 
KDucky's brother said:
haha Sorry. I get carried away sometimes. I was just having fun dig'n up some of those old pics. Wish I had a good scanner.

I consider myself a knife noob. Lots of real knowledge here. Right now I'm a big sponge soaking up info.

This forum has lots of diff subject sub-forums. Which is cool.
Click to expand...

All I said was that the point was proved. I never said to stop.

There is never a need to apologize for posting wilderness pics.:)
 
JV3 said:
@kducky's brother: i'm still skeptical that you camp during winter. please post more of your awesome pics...i mean proof, yes that's it, proof! :p


same here. i'm more active in the winter especially when there's plenty of snow on the ground...can't wait to start snowshoeing again.
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Agree. Snow makes thinks more sterile, for lack of a better term. Meaning your up off the mud, dirt, decomposing leaves, etc. Also much easier on a tents floor.

You also have an endless supply of water(as some know, there's diffidently a learning curve regarding melting snow for water), right there all around you(in deep snow, I'd often fill my pack cover with a huge pile of snow from a nearby drift..then drag it over to the tent and into the vestibule or just outside my tent door, if there's no vestibule. Presto! I have all the snow I'll prolly need right there IN the tents vestibule. I can then scoop snow at my leisure whenever needed with the pot while still in my cozy bag..like say at 8am when the winds blowing and it still -2 degrees ouside the tent :thumbup:). A few minutes later I'll have hot coffee, while never leaving the bag. Try that with a fire at those times.

Also, in deep snow and while going floorless..and say at 3am when it -2 degrees :)...one can just go to a corner of the floor space, drive the ice axe handle deep up to the axe into the snow(by then, its packed down and glazed over ice)..presto...instant deep-snow pee hole. Works awesome.

Winter its quieter.. no bugs.. no oppressive heat and humidity.. and very very little chance of seeing other people. And it has its own beauty:thumbup:. On the flip side, and because of..you better be careful, especially when solo. Fall and break a leg or whatever, and they might not find you till spring. If ever.

sideways said:
All I said was that the point was proved. I never said to stop.

There is never a need to apologize for posting wilderness pics.:)
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Fair enough. And thanks.
 
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