Sub Zero Crew (Fahrenheit not Centigrade)
- Thread starter Wayland
- Start date
Its still possible to get over on freight routes. 12 passengers per ship is allowed by law. Sailings from Immingham and Newcastle.
I'm definitley interested. Whatever happens, I'll be heading to the arctic somewhere this winter.
in that yes i am well up for this but i am no where near peppered in that i dont have much of the gear and i dont know any arctic bushcraft so i would have to go on a course first and then join u guys on this but i am epressing an interest now
drew
drew
Wayland this is an awesome idea, dont know how i missed it, i have done the Norway Army Course, ice breaking drills etc etc...
i would be well up for this but funds are the main problem as normal old chap.....
i would be well up for this but funds are the main problem as normal old chap.....
Wayland this is an awesome idea, dont know how i missed it, i have done the Norway Army Course, ice breaking drills etc etc...
i would be well up for this but funds are the main problem as normal old chap.....
It need not be an expensive trip. Trekking through arctic Norway or Sweden should only be the cost of flights and food once you have the basic experience and kit sorted.
The flights aren't too crippling either, theres lots for £30-£60 each way if you get on early
The event was conceived to allow the government to assert control over the Sami people through taxation and religion.
As a life long and time served craftsman myself I'd be interested in seeing the blacksmith (Tommy Blomfeldt) but I'm more of a do-er than a watcher. Some of the old timey skiing demos looked interesting; how interesting they'd be delivered in a language of which I have no knowledge remains to be seen. So that's the first hour sorted, what do I do for the rest of the week/fortnight? I could flesh it out by skiing there from some distant airport but a little Google-Fu has found the JokkMokk touristboard website which does a rather good job of selling the area to me (basically it's got mountains and skiing).
http://www.turism.jokkmokk.se/en/activities.aspx
Wildcamping is allowed under the (unwritten?) law of Allemansrätten however I believe that there are now laws in place that prevent groups of foreigners having 'organised' free camping trips. Fortunately I'm not foreign, I'm British.
[h=2][/h]
It's the same as summer bushcraft but with gloves on. Find a decent sleep system, a couple of wooly jumpers from a charity shop and a pair of oversize boots and you'll be sorted.
[Wall of text warning]
I'm starting to follow this thread now and everything said so far
is relevant. The main obsticle is time and money and there's no
easy way around it. I'd even go so far I'd say the budget is the
most important consideration.
If we can keep the cost down by planning or choosing cheap flights
or maybe buy bulk food at discount, it would be well worth the
effort. These sort of expeditions are once per year for most of us.
On the other hand this leaves us with plenty of time to plan,
think and get the gear in order. It also gives us time to think
of what our dreams are and what we would like most of all
to accomplish up north.
Here it is only the immagination that's the limit, because with
a long preparation time it is possible to save a little more and
do whatever you want; driving snowmobiles, taking a serious
survival course, do a long ski expedition, visit a saami village,
stay a night at the Ice Hotel or whatever.
There are a wealth of resorces even in the most northern areas
and if we can get some local individual or association involved
it would make an enormous difference in cost, saftey and
amount of hasstle. One can even talk to the local tourist information
and get to know people that way.
I've been on some get togethers with an association of computer
playing old farts and we've rented schools many times during
weekends for absolutely close to zero cost. Then we have had
lots of space, electricity for our computers, kitchen, showers
and a safe place to keep all our hardware.
There's also a formidable resource in the Home Guard, which where
I live can be used for all kinds of civilian duties. They rent out their
amazing mess, complete with bar, sauna and personel (if you want).
You can even rent the heavy and cumbersome heated tents from them
and I'm sure they would even set them up for you! In fact, I think
they could set up the whole safety organization for us, at a minimum
cost, if we only get the right guy to talk to.
The Home Guard here has, in a 100% civilian role, kept watch over
all kinds of events, from fireworks to Caravan meets and it benefits
both sides; the Home Guard gets some money while exercising...
Finally, it is as I've said, only the imagination that sets the limit.
If some of us would like to experiense real tough conditions we could
talk to the Swedish Armed Forces Winter Unit at I19 / K4 in
Arvidsjaur, which teaches winter warfare to many many countries.
They sometimes run courses for civilians, universities and other
Goverment Agencys, which I am sure any of us could attend.
What I'm talking about is of course 100% civilian Winter skills
without any shooting or soldering. It would cost more than having
our own staff, but then we'd have all the resources of that regiment
behind us for saftey. Just a thought.
http://www.forsvarsmakten.se/sv/Org...n-Regiment-I-19/The-Armed-Forces-Winter-Unit/
http://www.forsvarsmakten.se/sv/Org...nt-I-19/The-Armed-Forces-Winter-Unit/Courses/
Check this pdf:
http://www.mil.se/upload/Forband/Utbildningsforband/Norrbottens_regemente_I19/FMVE/slide_bwwc.pdf
Having said that I strongly suspect that Woody's knowledge could
keep this bunch occupied for about 10 to 12 winter meets....
I'm starting to follow this thread now and everything said so far
is relevant. The main obsticle is time and money and there's no
easy way around it. I'd even go so far I'd say the budget is the
most important consideration.
If we can keep the cost down by planning or choosing cheap flights
or maybe buy bulk food at discount, it would be well worth the
effort. These sort of expeditions are once per year for most of us.
On the other hand this leaves us with plenty of time to plan,
think and get the gear in order. It also gives us time to think
of what our dreams are and what we would like most of all
to accomplish up north.
Here it is only the immagination that's the limit, because with
a long preparation time it is possible to save a little more and
do whatever you want; driving snowmobiles, taking a serious
survival course, do a long ski expedition, visit a saami village,
stay a night at the Ice Hotel or whatever.
There are a wealth of resorces even in the most northern areas
and if we can get some local individual or association involved
it would make an enormous difference in cost, saftey and
amount of hasstle. One can even talk to the local tourist information
and get to know people that way.
I've been on some get togethers with an association of computer
playing old farts and we've rented schools many times during
weekends for absolutely close to zero cost. Then we have had
lots of space, electricity for our computers, kitchen, showers
and a safe place to keep all our hardware.
There's also a formidable resource in the Home Guard, which where
I live can be used for all kinds of civilian duties. They rent out their
amazing mess, complete with bar, sauna and personel (if you want).
You can even rent the heavy and cumbersome heated tents from them
and I'm sure they would even set them up for you! In fact, I think
they could set up the whole safety organization for us, at a minimum
cost, if we only get the right guy to talk to.
The Home Guard here has, in a 100% civilian role, kept watch over
all kinds of events, from fireworks to Caravan meets and it benefits
both sides; the Home Guard gets some money while exercising...
Finally, it is as I've said, only the imagination that sets the limit.
If some of us would like to experiense real tough conditions we could
talk to the Swedish Armed Forces Winter Unit at I19 / K4 in
Arvidsjaur, which teaches winter warfare to many many countries.
They sometimes run courses for civilians, universities and other
Goverment Agencys, which I am sure any of us could attend.
What I'm talking about is of course 100% civilian Winter skills
without any shooting or soldering. It would cost more than having
our own staff, but then we'd have all the resources of that regiment
behind us for saftey. Just a thought.
http://www.forsvarsmakten.se/sv/Org...n-Regiment-I-19/The-Armed-Forces-Winter-Unit/
http://www.forsvarsmakten.se/sv/Org...nt-I-19/The-Armed-Forces-Winter-Unit/Courses/
Check this pdf:
http://www.mil.se/upload/Forband/Utbildningsforband/Norrbottens_regemente_I19/FMVE/slide_bwwc.pdf
Having said that I strongly suspect that Woody's knowledge could
keep this bunch occupied for about 10 to 12 winter meets....
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The army training idea looks like fun, can you try and get a price per head for a civvy version of the course? Not sure I like the idea of having a 'safety net' though, it defeats the object (and fun) of being in a hostile environment. The possibility of death or discomfort is a prerequisite for a decent experience. Is it possible to ski from Kiruna (or even Bardufoss or Narvik) to Jokkmokk? I can't find details of suitable ski trails on the Interweb.
So Bob, are you happy to take full responsibility for Drew and other inexperienced peoples safety on such an event? I know I'm not.
We were fortunate not to face extreme conditions on the Arctic course that has just run. There I would agree with the statement made above but had the conditions been -30°C or colder, like the temperatures faced at this years Jokkmokk Market things could have been very different.
I'm afraid I think attendance of a professionally run course or similar experience such as military training, should be a minimum requirement for people joining this project.
Why not run a simple Risk Mangement analysis for an Arctic Meet. That way you'll understand the 'risks' better and if you can mitigate them.
If folk want to rock up to any Arctic meet 'you' organise and you have a prerequisite for attendance of prior experience or course attendance how are you going to vet / confirm that experience before the meet starts??
'You' say attendance of a professionally run course or similar experience such as military training, should be a minimum requirement for people joining this project.
'I' say ok I've got ML2 from when I served with 3 Commando Brigade and have Yeti'd with me Prussers Planks more times than you had a hot wet and nutty...
Prove I have... or havent...
If folk want to rock up to any Arctic meet 'you' organise and you have a prerequisite for attendance of prior experience or course attendance how are you going to vet / confirm that experience before the meet starts??
'You' say attendance of a professionally run course or similar experience such as military training, should be a minimum requirement for people joining this project.
'I' say ok I've got ML2 from when I served with 3 Commando Brigade and have Yeti'd with me Prussers Planks more times than you had a hot wet and nutty...
Prove I have... or havent...
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It most certainly is NOT! I seriously doubt you ever had a serious arcticecperience, judging by your remarks.
With all due respect, but I think this is quite a dumb remark!
It should be a learningexperience, preferably without any loss of limb or life! Being out there by -25 or lower will be experience enough, I guarantee you, without the extra thrill of possibly freezing to death!
On the other hand, if people were to follow your previous "advice", they'd very well end up in the situation you obviously prefer.....
If there are people present without experience in arctic conditions a safetynet would be a very wise addition.
