Artic Survival Course??? Co-op basis.

[TeeDee]

I will update the above list when i get each persons-e-mail addy.

Cheers

 

[Jaysurfer]

Hi Tee Dee

I did register my interest in both trips but never got a PM and have been missed off of your list.....

Anyway i am still interested.
I think by the length of the course and including travel if we then try to organise anything else (husky sledging) it would turn into a lengthly trip and i would ideally like to keep it as close to a week as possible.

Sounds great though....
If anyone is going to look at buying kit let me know because one of my clients is Helly Hansen (based in norway) who make ski / cold climate clothing (down jackets, snow boots) and i can probably get a mates rates of trade price for anyone going on the trip.

J

 

[TeeDee]

Hi Tee Dee

I did register my interest in both trips but never got a PM and have been missed off of your list.....

Sounds great though....
If anyone is going to look at buying kit let me know because one of my clients is Helly Hansen (based in norway) who make ski / cold climate clothing (down jackets, snow boots) and i can probably get a mates rates of trade price for anyone going on the trip.

J

Jaysurfer , Your No.14 on list.

If i did miss anyone out from the previous PM ,It was because i was only trying to contact those people that seemed not to be currently active yet had shown a previous interest.
Hope that clears it up.

Simples.

 

[Jaysurfer]

So i am... (Not to self read lists properly)

 

[forestwalker]

Blimey! That's a lot of kit! Do you know if any of it can be rented when there??

Actually it is not a lot. Most of it you may already have, or can use as regular bushcraft or winter wear (i.e. wool pants, sweeters, scarf, knitted cap, etc). The special kit (warm parka, thick hat) is a bit special, but one could find stuff second hand or surplus, or make do with a bvery thick knitted cap. The swedish army m90 parka is excellent, and only cost me SEK 195 surplus... Even an old fur coat sized very large (it must fit over all your other clothes) would do, as would other things. Yes, I could check the surplus places for the M90 parka and make a group buy and distribute in connection to the course.

I'll post a pattern for mittens later; it is dead easy to make from some canvas, suede or soft leather and a piece of wool blanket.

Sleeping bag; use your summer and "winter" bag (-15 C or so) inside each other, and you will be fine. Synthetic fill is actually preferable to down, since damp is not as major a disaster (I've seen everything from +2 C and sleet to -50 C and hard winds, but you won't be allowed out in the latter)

The big one you can't excape is boots. My only suggestion there is to bite the bullet and spend some cash. The Nokian boot is fairly cheap (about SEK 1000 IIRC); you can easilly spend twice that and get less performance. See it as an investment; the next time there is a snow storm and everyone else waiting for the bus is freezing their toes off yours are toasty. The wellie type is good, since you will not get wet even in warm temps, and don't have to battle bootlaces in the cold. Mine are 10 years old, and a bit tight since my feet has grown a size since then, but other than that in fine shape. Bring plenty of socks and try size "how big did you say!?!" in your regular stores.

Basically; look at what you own, see how many layers you can make up from it (even adding big baggy sweaters from Goodwill is an option instrad of the parka). And long johns under regular army pants will do, even if it will be a poorer choice if the weather turns bad. The Helly Hansen fleece pants aren't bad if you want to add insulation (when I did my military service up north over two decades ago I wore a pair of those under the grey wool pants, and was quite comfy in -40 C).

My bet is that you have -- or can justify -- most of the kit, or can bodge up substitutes for the price of feeding the familly at McDonalds.

 

[johnnytheboy]

I'd like to go dogsleding, but more than happy to go wit the group, dunno if it would be crazy or not but some could stay on for abit dogsledding, i'll drop you a pm with my e-mail

P.S. if i can recomend cold weather socks these bad boys are as thick as two decent pairs of heavyweight brasher socks http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...ct&cmCat=Related_IPL_812209&id=0014820811676a

 

[TeeDee]

Ok , potential Interest List now stands at;-

1) TeeDee
2) Wayland
3) Chris the cat E-MAIL ADDRESS RECIEVED-THANKS
4) Wasteoid
5) Johnny The Boy
6) JimLangham
7) Shocks
8) Vmjolt
9) Logit
10) Littlebiglane
11) Scrogger
12) Sensi5446 E-MAIL ADDRESS RECEIVED THANKS.
13) Big Bear
14) Jaysurfer E-MAIL ADDRESS RECIEVED - THANKS.
15) Jimjolli E-MAIL ADDRESS RECIEVED -THANKS
16) Greg E-MAIL ACCRESS RECIEVED - THANKS.
17) Gailainne E-MAIL ACCRESS RECIEVED -THANKS.
18) Harlequin E-MAIL ADDRESS RECIEVED-THANKS.
19) Shewie E-MAIL ADDRESS RECEIVED-THANKS.
20) Glen E-MAIL ADDRESS RECEIVED-THANKS
21) Libby
22) PaulB ( from BCL )

I think that is everyone?

Can i request everyone PM me with their E-mail addy so i can post here and directly?
Gimme me a couple minutes to make space in my PM box.

 

[TeeDee]

Ok gents , and one lady.

Going to be putting action on this on hold until the weekend.

The reason for it will become known at the week-end and then depending what you all want to do , we'll take from there.

 

[Shewie]

PM incoming T-D

 

[tommy the cat]

Just out of interest anyone know how much the Olly Suzy expedition is?
Would love to do a winter basics course but it would have to have some dog sledding!
In for a penny.........D

 

[forestwalker]

Blimey! That's a lot of kit! Do you know if any of it can be rented when there??

No idea, but since most of it is clothing my guess is no. I noted someone was selling kit, and the fur hats looked like the "standard" styles used up north, an should be good.

If you are getting a headlamp try to make it one with the battery pack on an extention cord (or bodge something), since keeping the batteries warm extents their lifespan significantly. I use an Petzl Arctic, which is old style but very nice under those conditions.

Once I'm done with the move from heck I'll post patterns for mittens and so on.

 

[Gailainne]

Just to let you know I'm also posting an interest in another winter course for Feb next year as well.

Cheers

Stephen

 

[Shewie]

Just to let you know I'm also posting an interest in another winter course for Feb next year as well.

Cheers

Stephen

I'm doing the same Stephen, I've PM'd TD to see what's happening now Tony's running with this one.