Why I'm here.

[TrappinGal]

Just wanted to let everyone know why im here.

In October i will be trapping in Wyoming with my boyfriend,if all goes well.i trapped there last year but we stayed in a bunkhouse and drove the line, sometimes 300 miles a day,but we stayed in the bunkhouse at night..

This year with the price of fuel being what it is,we will be camping in the Snowy Range and trapping for beaver and other furbearers there and be camping right on the line.

i have camped in WV a number of times, i have studied edible plants ect. for a number of years but i want to be thoroughly prepared for the conditions that i might encounter during that month. Last year we had great weather but you never can tell. i wanna prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

i have alot of knowledge on surviving in the outdoors but i want more.

i thought i could learn alot from the members on a forum that was dedicated to wilderness survival.

our ultimate hope years down the road is to trap like the mountain men did, or as near to it as possible today.living off the land and surviving by our own wits through preparedness and on the spot improvision if necessary.

[TrappinGal]

left out that my BF has been a hardcore trapper for 30 years. Making the majority of his living off the fur he catches each year.

he has camped in the western mountains before.

[Riverrat]

That was always a dream of mine, to be a long liner....A friend did it a few years, had a small tent trailer he hauled behind him, stayed in that well after snow came, said it stayed pretty warm. It had a small propane furnace and a small fridge. He loved it.

[TrappinGal]

he has a wall tent and a homemade wood stove for heat, cooking and to aide it the drying of the fur.

[nell67]

Sounds like an awesome future you are planning TrappinGal.

[TrappinGal]

i have already lookd into home schooling my youngest daughter.
she went on the line with us almost everyday last year and loves to trap.

alot depends on her, ill put her best interests ahead of my own so thats why it may be awhile before that dream is realized, but it wil be eventually.

[Sourdough]

TrappinGal, I have a book you would love to read, own, and give to your daughter. It is titled: Born on Snowshoes, It is a true account of a young lady born up out of Fort Yukon, Alaska; and growing up on the trap line. Takes place in 1915 --1940's.

She is hands down maybe the toughest human that ever lived. Doing 30 miles a day on snowshoes, at -60 below, pulling a sled containing a two year old, a one year old and she is pregnant. Day after day. What is interesting is she never knew other people lived differently.

[TrappinGal]

ty hopeak, i will look for that title at the library. i bet ill have to have it ordered at the bookstore but youre right, id love to read it.

[Sourdough]

It is out of print, there are 2 editions. The first is pretty much collectors, but you should be able to find the second edition.

[TrappinGal]

i wrote it down and i will look. ty for mentioning it to me.

[Sourdough]

Your Boyfriend might enjoy, Alaska's Wolfman, same period 1915-1960 Professional Government Wolf control Trapper.

[trax]

She is hands down maybe the toughest human that ever lived. Doing 30 miles a day on snowshoes, at -60 below, pulling a sled containing a two year old, a one year old and she is pregnant. Day after day. What is interesting is she never knew other people lived differently.

So, her and maybe a few thousands upon thousands of Indian women who lived that way their entire lives because that was just part of the lifestyle, hopeak?

I'm not taking anything away from the lady you speak of, but....well heck when it's the way you live it just is. Most people never have books written about them

[klkak]

I trapped full time last winter living out of a camp we made on the line. Our line was just over 150 miles long. I think the only time I was warm was in my -35 bag with a fleece blanket and a wool cap on my head.

Before I did this I had romantic visions about being a mountain man living off the land and catching fur for money to buy my supplies. Boy was I disillusioned. It was the longest, coldest most exhausting 5 months of my life. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy it. It was just very difficult physically and mentally.

May I suggest some very good reading. The book is called "The Last Frontiersman" by James Campbell. It is about "Heimo Korth" and his family living and trapping full time.

I've included some pic's of our camp. Its a real man cave. Because of the conditions almost every thing had to be kept inside the tent. The tent is a 12' x 16' wall tent made by Alaska Tent and Tarp in Anchorage about 25 years ago. I made the wood stove out of 3/16 plate (it is very heavy). The stove/oven was ordered from Cabela's. The cots are surplus military. The rifle is a M-92 Puma .44 mag.

[klkak]

Here's a couple of pic's to help you get a little more excited about the adventure ahead.

[trax]

Looks like a good enough camp to me klkak, you know as long as you don't try moving around in there.

[Gray Wolf]

Ah yes Pringles chips, a wilderness staple..

[klkak]

Looks like a good enough camp to me klkak, you know as long as you don't try moving around in there.

The center of the tent is fairly open. We've had up to 4 people in it for 2 weeks but it was only used for sleeping. It was just right for 2 people to live in.

We hang a 26' x 32' tarp over it for extra protection. It helps to shed the snow. This tarp also give us a good sized awning off the front of the tent.

[klkak]

The black case sitting on the white table is the """"Satellite Phone"""""

[trax]

I've spent winters in 12x20, sharing with three other guys, northern Manitoba and Saskatchewan. We had iron bed frames and pretty much each kept our personal stuff stowed under the beds. But we had a kitchen tent cooking for us too. Cook lives in the kitchen tent One stove (I've had oilstoves and woodstoves both in those tents) and friggin' lines running everywhere to dry out or thaw out work clothes.

[BraggSurvivor]

I like the boxes of "instant wax fire logs" in the first pic. Must add to the ambiance of being out in the sticks.