FDF Winter Survival

**Rick** · 10-23-2009, 11:48 AM

Aah. The rule of F's. Full Figured Freedom Fighter. Too true.

I think you've cracked the code Lucznik. Oils sounds right to me.

**NCO** · 10-23-2009, 12:03 PM

Originally Posted by NightShade

The trash bag is not bad idea!... Another thing you can do,which I do... Buy "dry bags"... I do a lot of kayaking and canoeing so I already have a bunch.. More $ than a trash bag obviously but IMO not a bad investment.. When I'm out in the winter ill take a smaller one and throw a under armor set along with a pair of sweatpants , a sweatshirt, and a pair of socks in it before I stuff it in my pack.. Not the best clothing for cold weather but I figure in an emergency it sure beats layers of wet clothes, and hopefully buys me enough time to get to safety... Not to mention it can be rolled up small so as to not take up much pack space...

"dry bags" will keep clothes completely dry even if submerged and I found out kayaking that they float as well!
Typically you'd be able to find them in the kayaking/canoeing section of your local sporting goods store

Yes, of course a proper dry bag is a lot better for keeping stuff dry. Trash bag is just another army tip. When you get paid 3,70e per day you don't buy dry bags. Especially when you could "borrow" trash bags from the institution...

Originally Posted by SARKY

As a cold weather survival Instructor (CWST) I have to ask, wouldn't it be easier to keep your canteens inside your clothing to keep them warm? In fact, instead of melting snow in a pot which can be dangerous, wouldn't it be better to put snow in your canteen, stuff it in your clothing and allow it to melt as you walk (making heat).

I would't recommend this, cause snow is cold and so the canteen would cool down your body as well. I mean, you wouldn't carry a snowball under your clothes either... If the snow filled canteen is against your skin, or very very close, there is a good change of getting a frost bite on that area. I just don't see how melting snow to water and then boiling the water on a campfire is any bit more dangerous than just cooking food on that same campfire.

Originally Posted by lucznik

After thinking about this a bit, I think what we have here is just a small language-translation problem. So, just for clarification...

In English we would say that the skin has natural oils (not fat) which perhaps one might not want to wash off.

Oh, indeed I was lost in translation here. Fixed that now. We use a word "rasvakerros" to describe that and the direct translation is "fat layer".

**SARKY** · 10-23-2009, 06:21 PM

I would't recommend this, cause snow is cold and so the canteen would cool down your body as well. I mean, you wouldn't carry a snowball under your clothes either... If the snow filled canteen is against your skin, or very very close, there is a good change of getting a frost bite on that area. I just don't see how melting snow to water and then boiling the water on a campfire is any bit more dangerous than just cooking food on that same campfire.

I wouldn't recommend puting a snowball in your crotch either! I'm not talking about up against your skin. I guess that you've either never melted snow in a pot over a fire before or never had a student do that. If you don't continually stirr the snow, the snow on the bottom will melt but the snow above does not due to the insulating properties of snow (not ice) . Without the water in the bottom of the pot, it burns, same as if you put an empty pot on the fire and left it there.

**NCO** · 10-23-2009, 06:30 PM

I wouldn't recommend puting a snowball in your crotch either! I'm not talking about up against your skin. I guess that you've either never melted snow in a pot over a fire before or never had a student do that. If you don't continually stirr the snow, the snow on the bottom will melt but the snow above does not due to the insulating properties of snow (not ice) . Without the water in the bottom of the pot, it burns, same as if you put an empty pot on the fire and left it there.

No, I have never had a student to do that, but I have done it in several occasions and my subordinates in the army have done it. You don't put the pot over the fire, but next to it. And indeed stir every now and then. And I still wouldn't want to put anything containing snow under my clothes, even if not against the skin. I rather am a bit over cautious when it comes to really cold weather, than not.