Real survival.......

[Robbie Roberson]

I often step outside on very cold winter nights wearing only short pants, no shirt and no shoes.

I do this to get the full effect of the intense cold and to fully appreciate just how well my wood stove heats my home. :p

I know.....it's rather silly, but I enjoy the thought that my wood stove is heating my whole house with wood from around my home.

My survival question is this...........we often talk about survival, but that is usually when we have at least the basics.

What about the possibility of mother nature throwing us out of our homes during an extreme storm of any type, completely wiping out most things around us except our family.

Could we then, maybe bare footed, scared and already cold.......survive ?

I often think about survival as being thrown out of your comfort zone without knowing it's going to happen and then trying to start a fire or make a shelter.

To test these thoughts......:D tonight when it's coldest, step outside with just barely enough clothes on and stand out in the cold for about 10 minutes..........you have nothing........could you make a fire using nothing but friction........if so.........you have the first survival challenge met.

I have to be honest and say I don't think I could do it........unless I improve my skills.

Robbie Roberson.;)

[Rick]

It will be about +5F tonight. If I stood outside for ten minutes with very little clothes I don't think I would have the fine motor control left to start a fire even with a match. By the time I gather the wood, find my tinder and set up the fire, I've probably lost another ten minutes. I'm sure I'd be shivering so hard I could not get anything done. Of course, by then, my neighbors would have already called the cops and complained I'm running around half naked so I'd be saved. :rolleyes:

I understand what you are trying to achieve but I'd be hard pressed to do it.

[nell67]

Brrrrr! makes me cold just thinking about trying this,but you never know unless you try ,right? Although I have to agree with Rick,dont think my neighbors (about 50% Amish) would like it too well if they went by and saw me outside dressed only in my undies:eek:

[Sourdough]

One of the first lesson's one learns in the bush, is if you cabin burns to the ground, and it is below zero. Now what, That was one of the original uses for the cache. It had spare sleeping "ROBE", and spare snowshoes, etc.

I always have a spare building, with stove and bags. It may be my old junk stove, lantern, etc. but, it is a start.

[tracks]

I found some little things used by the Germans in wwII could'nt read the writing but they were in a small red box about the size of a pack of cigarettes,each box contained tweenty or so small white cubes, they would burn clear almost like alcohol and could be lit with a flint and stricker real easy. they would burn for nearly an half hour,great damp tender fire starters.Any Ideas what they were,would love to find some more. I may have a few left in my shack ,next time I trap on the river I will see if I can get a name of some sorts.

[wildWoman]

Good point, hopeak, we also keep a second set of gear, food, VHF radio etc in a shed on the other side of the property.
As for going out butt-naked in the winter cold, I limit that to sauna nights!

[Daren]

Robbie,
I do the same thing. Most mornings I spent a few minutes outside without a shirt on. I like to start my day feeling something real and appreciating what I have. I also like to practice skills I might need in different situations. Today was cold and windy so I practiced making fire. It was a challenge.

[Rick]

Hopeak - That is the first real (and sensible) explanation for a cache I've ever heard.

[Jay]

[QUOTE=Robbie Roberson;20340]
What about the possibility of mother nature throwing us out of our homes during an extreme storm of any type, completely wiping out most things around us except our family.

Could we then, maybe bare footed, scared and already cold.......survive ?

Robbi, I like your idea of going out in the cold. Of course over here we dont have extreme cold very often except sometimes in Dec/Jan in my old hometown in the hills.

I have a question. God fobid that it should ever happen....But...What if all your family is gone too! Forget about skill levels for the moment...Will you have the mental fortitude to step back from the moment and look at things objectively and logically and do what is necessary for survival?

I was on a beach in southern SL on 26th dec,2004 at 9.20am. Then... and in the weeks that followed I saw........ things that would make a stone weep.

The human mind is a fantastic thing. The will to fight and survive is strong!
But is some cases it seems totally lacking! I wonder why?

[Robbie Roberson]

These are some really good thoughts and comments.

I just wish I could make a fire with friction and wood........it's probably going to be one of the hardest things for me to do.

Here is what I'm going to try to do.

I am going to make myself a friction pole and friction board ahead of time...........and then on some cold night I am going to try to get a spark or flame.

This would be a big deal for me if I do it..........:cool:

And if I do it.....I will feel much more able to take care of myself and my family in an emergency.........hopefully this will never happen.


Robbie Roberson. ;)

[canid]

in idaho used to go out and smoke without bothering to dress. just my jamma pant and my house shoes. by the end of a cig i was damned cold, but after a while, not uncomfortable.

i have learned, by a slim margin, to controll my threshold for shivering.

if i needed fine motor controll in such a state, i'd start heavy cardio/iso exercise for a few min every time i began to get too cold. this helps a good bit, if only for 2-5 min at a time.

[crashdive123]

Great explanation for the use of a cache. I have mine in a secure shed not too far from my house. Last night as my weather radio was alerting for a tornado warning I probably wouldn't have taken the time to get to it, but that's why my BOB is next to the door. With so many different possibilities of what could happen out, it is sometimes tough to get your mind around them all. I guess that's why we share here.

[Rick]

On the cold issue. I saw a Discovery Channel (I think) special that did human studies to compare the adaptability of the Inuit to European man. This was a study that wired two individuals to study things like skin temperature, heart rate, BP, etc. Then they went outside with almost nothing on in something like 0F temperature. The study concluded that the Inuit had adapted remarkably well with very little drop in body numbers. While the Euro-Caucasian da**ed near went into hypothermia. The time outside was pretty short. Ten minutes if I recall correctly before the non-Inuit had to go back inside.

The reason I mention this is I think it depends on your genetics, to a large degree, as to how well you can survive the cold unprotected.

Here is a link to the current Alaska Cold Injuries Guidelines.

http://www.hypothermia.org/Hypothermia_Ed_pdf/Alaska-Cold-Injuries.pdf (http://www.umanitoba.ca/faculties/physed/research/people/giesbrecht/Alaska_Guidelines.pdf)

[Nativedude]

A person must acclimate (get used) to a particular climate.

I am fully acclimated to the cold, dry climate of home, and when I travel to the lower 48, I wear only a medium weight shirt and jeans. Most days feel like spring to me when in the lower 48.

At home, if I'm cutting wood or other chores, I go outside in my lightweight wool coat on days when it is below 0 (when there is no wind). On the cold, windy days, when just out for a walk, I wear my Mackinaw Trappers coat or my Bison hide coat, depending on just how windy it is.

There are other factors that must be taken into consideration as well. Smokers, regular drinkers (liquor), people on meds. i.e; blood thinners, heart med., etc., thinner people (less body fat) are more susceptible to the cold. Mental toughness also plays a factor.*

These same factors also apply in desert terrain, as to handling the intense heat.

* These are things that I have noticed on winter survival camps that I teach.

[sh4d0wm4573ri7]

being from MN I have dealt with my fair share of cold, as to practicein on the deck in lil or nothin well is just not necesary as I have lived it many times over when the difference between life and death is the almighty fire you don't get to practice . And besides I moved south to get away from the 3.5 months of winter lol I have survival kits in all the cars, the shed , and here at home if you cant find a bag with all you need for 72 hours to stay alive you aint looking lol seriously though Iam a nut about that I do have many many kits all over and they have come in handy several times and easily saved mine once or twice

[trax]

I go out every morning in my shorts and bathrobe, right after the shower and start my truck to let it warm up. This morning it was -17C and windy. I guess if I'm not used to the climate by now, I won't be. On the other hand, I don't stand around and admire the beauty of the sunrise or anything, I basically get to skipping right back indoors, lol.

Caches were originated by people on the move Rick. The reasons we saw here for them are very good as well, but natives and then furtraders used to leave pemmican caches on the trail. Saved them having to pack a lot of extra food on return trips or if supplies ran low, they kept track of where the caches were. since pemmican lasts for years...they were good to go. Interesting that a lot of our modern day highway systems are based on where pemmican was hidden hundreds of years ago.

[Rick]

I sure hope you don't lock yourself out of the house some morning.:rolleyes:

I'm with you on the caches. My comment was about those who place caches today thinking the cache will provide for them when TSHTF. The stores will, of course, assuming they can get to them, they are still there, etc., etc.,

Having one to rely on as Hopeak pointed out is a completely different scenario. But then, you already know that.;)

[trax]

and yet you didn't mention that my comment on the highway systems was both fascinating and insightful....(pouting) :D

[canid]

i dug it; though i suspect it has less to do with pemican and more to do with mutual reasons for choosing such paths of travel.

[trax]

Damn! Busted.....