some of my kit for sweden

[Red Fox]

Just a little updated ...

Ok hope this is usefull my kit for Sweeden proved to be very good especially the wool layers i wore. They kept me warm and cool when nessasary. The mittens were very good as were my sorrel pac boots, but the best bit of kit was the US mukluks as they kept my feet very warm. I would say to anybody going to the artic that a wool layer system combined with an outer Sweedish snow suit is the way to go.View attachment 15714View attachment 15715 I will add more to this when i have more time.View attachment 15845View attachment 15846When i was not doing much it was a good job i had a good down jacket to throw on over everything.Fires in the artic dont always warm you they just take the edge off and are used for melting snow and cooking.If you want a warm fire it will have to be at least four foot or better still the full length of your body.View attachment 15915This is what i would not wear in the artic but what i sometimes wear when camping in the uk. I like making my kit but sometimes i have to go with something that works a bit beter for example, i like the look of old snow shos but i chose decafolon ones and i am glald i did they worked very well and pack down well. I compared old canvas with modern tarp material and all thu canvas is better at trapping heat it is heavey and hard to dry. Modern tarps are flimsy but light and dont hold the snow and ice but burn easy. I think i will make a very light canvas baker tent for the next trip something like thisView attachment 15916But one piece i will be able to have a close fire and close up the front in bad weather.

 

[maddave]

I too really rate the muks, however it would be foolish to have them as your only footwear, especially if you get caught out by a warm spell and you get snow melt. Best to have pac boots too. Wool is the way to go though... I'm allergic to sheeps wool so used mostly synthetic with a wool jumper not touching my skin. However after a wee experiment with Waylands merino buff, it looks like I can tolerated it (goat wool). So next year I shall be all "wooled up" and not neartly as whiffy . Riams kit was awesome in the cold being mostly natural fibres and his self made mitts were bomb proof !!

 

[Twodogs]

How did the German Army mitts fair ? and the Swedish M90 Mitts?

Twodogs

 

[Red Fox]

How did the German Army mitts fair ? and the Swedish M90 Mitts?

Twodogs

I herd no complaints about the german or the swedish mitts but to be honest i do not know witch is the best i think the person to ask is andyfoxtrot or wayland i think thay used them.I know the mitts dave had worked very well i think thay are american but i will check for you Twodgs.

 

[thedawnawakens]

Thanks for sharing this with us...shelter setup looks sturdy too.

 

[maddave]

My mittens were the USAF arctic mitts. Absolutely awesome kit.

 

[sgtoutback]

sorry for late response.
Excellent photos, they are great idea generators. I especially like the smocks.
Thank you

 

[Red Fox]

sorry for late response.
Excellent photos, they are great idea generators. I especially like the smocks.
Thank you

Thanks very much sgtoutback ... It is time i started geting my kit together, and i have big plans. I will share lots of pictures. I want to take another bag on the next trip so i can have reindeer skins and an artic tent. The tent is still in the design stage, but is nearly finished, and I am confident that it will be excellent for the job. I can have a close up fire and stove if i want but i think that I will just stick with the fire on trips over seas to save on cost.

 

[sgtoutback]

is your tent going to be like the ww2 mountain tent? or more like the arctic tent described in
[h=1]The Winter Wilderness Companion[/h]

 

[Red Fox]

The tent is a bit like a baker tent crossed with a saxon tent. I will have some photos in the next couple of weeks and i will put them up. These are a few things i have been working on dry bags for my pulk, a buck saw and axe hollder and a couple of leather bags. One of which has a cleaver victorain opening divice for money. I also made a case for my hudson bay tinder box, but i will definately take lots of other fire lighting bits. I have added some of the sami ribbon i got form the jokkomkk market to give it all a nice look. The canvas i used was of a big piece of tarpoling i had. I am going to join two reindeer skins together with toguls for a long throw for my sleep system. I will be able to wear them by putting my head thru the part they are toguled tgether making the skins in to a sort of poncho that i can put a belt around to hold in place making it a good back up mother ship.

 

[Phaestos]

You and I will be having a HUGE talk at the coming meet. Your kit looks awesome

 

[Husky]

I like that you have used the same patterned ribbon on everything. It looks a bit like a sort of Saami style tartan thing.
Have you woven it yourself?
Where in Sweden are you heading?

 

[Red Fox]

I like that you have used the same patterned ribbon on everything. It looks a bit like a sort of Saami style tartan thing.
Have you woven it yourself?
Where in Sweden are you heading?

Thanks very much Husky ... i think that we are gowing to Estonia I am just continuing this thred on some of my kit for sweden.I got the ribbon from the saami market off a nice saami lady.The saami are very good and interesting people and sweden is very beautiful and i wanted to put that in to my work.Do you know wear i can get saami patternd ribbon from on line thanks Riam,Mat you and I will have a good talk at the camp look forwerd to seeing you ther ... .

 

[Husky]

Do you know wear i can get saami patternd ribbon from on line

A quick search turned up nothing good. I will check with a friend who is very much into Saami crafts but the real way is of course to go to the market in Jokkmokk and buy it there!

 

[Red Fox]

Thanks Husky thers not a lot of information on saami crafts about,Have you been to the market in jokkmokk? ...

 

[Teepee]

I saw some ribbon with various other Saami crafts on sale in Kiruna, here's the site ; http://www.wennberg.com/

It's not listed but the shop will sell stuff over the phone.

 

[Red Fox]

I saw some ribbon with various other Saami crafts on sale in Kiruna, here's the site ; http://www.wennberg.com/

It's not listed but the shop will sell stuff over the phone.

Thanks very much pete thats very good of you ...

 

[sgtoutback]

amazing work there Red Fox, and the tent sounds interesting.

 

[Red Fox]

Thanks sgtoutback ... I got these today for 10 pounds they wear the last pair at a vintage show they feel a bit like ventile, and the lining is detachable. I will use them as part of a layer system, starting with merino wool long johns, 1 or 2 pairs, followed by fleece mountain equipment selopets, then probably just the over trousers using the liners as back up. The liners look breathable but would probably melt next to the fire. The two pockets on the front are big enough for maps and mittons etc. I just wish i knew wear they sale them, but they probably dont as they were made in 1950s.

 

[Red Fox]

This is my Britsh army plce rucksack,short back.I have had it for a long time but it was a bit ordinary so I have added some personall touches.The good thing about these type of rucksacks is that they are very strong and cheap to buy and the side pouches come off and can be used as day sacks.The bad thing is that they are to a lot of people uncomfortable to carry on long trips but that does not matter as it will go on a pulk.There are a lot of attachment points for ice axes and snow shovels etc.I noticed that it was very stiff at minus 25 but still worked ok. I think canvas rucksacks wouid work a lot better in the cold they dont get as stiff and dont melt next to a fire.