Fall & Winter outdoor travel gear / edc

[Tarrodemierda]

i didnt find any actual topic about the stuff u guys carry or drool after,in winter time when u are hiking or camping.
and by winter i mean the WINTER,with snow,and minus degrees ,not any "chilly winternights in miami beach".
like...what do u stuff in your backpacks when u head out hunting or just hiking in the woods,maybe even with tents,and sleeping bags.

i always carry,at winter:
-emergeancy blanket
-water purification tablets
-snare/trap wire
-fixed big knife or really sturdy folding knife
-firesteel & some maya dust,or other dry little pieces of wood
-waterproof spetznats matches
-0,5 litre aluminium or stainless mug/cup/kettle
-esbit cooker
-sniper net & buff
-axe,always axe.u really cant chop frozed wood with knifes always,or hack your way thru icy lake to get water
-sunglasses
-lip balm
-compass
-aa mag,although any flashlight will die soon in below -20 celcius after one night in open sky.
-one hole ski mask,black.good when sleeping in sleeping bag,without any shelter.
-some mre kit(s).


thats about it.

[WhichDawg]

I didn't see down booties!
sleeping with your reg boots ain't right! your feet inside them are usually sweaty
which will get pretty cold later and not good for your tent or bag! these are comfy and toasty 

[Tarrodemierda]

ive never seen anythin like those man

what are they for?

i sleep by fire always,with or without any built shelter,but i dont use shoes in sleeping bag still.

recently i discovered some...swedish or norwegian army´s bag u pull over sleeping bag,its made from some gore-tex type of material,brathable but stops most of the wind and moistrure/rain.theyre bit expensive but really useful.

my sleeping bag aint any modern hitech ultra light one,its simple finnish army issued one,but it has this cover on the keg end,that prevents it from catchin a fire,and it holds up to minus 37 celsius degrees.its useless during summer,its way too hot then.

[WhichDawg]

they're for wearing in your tent or bag in winter/cold. many people just sleep with their shoes or boots
and after awhile they get really cold and uncomfortable,

these you switch out and they keep that from happening and are safer on your tent floors and inside your bag.
you can also go do your business in them when "nature calls" because they have a rubber sole.

their just not made for long walking or hiking, just around your camp site.

[Tarrodemierda]

ok i got you,thanks for the info.its all new to e and i bet in finland to most of the outdoor people too.

its just that most of the trips i do,i do really long ones and i hate to carry even a tent with me,so i make these "lean-to" shelters from tree.

[ringzero]

I didn't see down booties!
sleeping with your reg boots ain't right! your feet inside them are usually sweaty
which will get pretty cold later and not good for your tent or bag! these are comfy and toasty 

Down or synthetic polarguard booties are great for wearing around camp - will keep your feet warmer than your regular hiking boots.  They will add considerable warmth when worn in a sleeping bag.

Also good as a safety factor to prevent frostbite.

If you somehow get your boots and socks soaking wet - maybe you break through ice while crossing a frozen stream - you can take them off and wear the down booties.  You can take your time to build a fire and thoroughly dry out your socks and boots without worrying about frostbitten feet.

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[Tarrodemierda]

and who sells those at good prices thru paypal& ships overseas? 



have u used snow shoes with those by the way?

[ringzero]

its just that most of the trips i do,i do really long ones and i hate to carry even a tent with me,so i make these "lean-to" shelters from tree.

For winter I usually take just a lightweight nylon tarp for shelter and carry no poles to save weight.  Poles are improvised - front pole from ice axe or walking staff and rear pole from whatever is available.

If the weather is good, I just use the tarp as a groundcloth because I like to 'sleep under the stars' as much as I can.

However, in the high mountains in wintertime I always take a 4-season tent.

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[ringzero]

and who sells those at good prices thru paypal& ships overseas? 



have u used snow shoes with those by the way?

No, they wouldn't work worth a damn with snowshoes.

Booties are relatively fragile constructions of a lightweight nylon shell around goosedown.

Snowshoe bindings would compress the down and ruin their insulative properties.  Snow trapped between binding and shell would melt and soak into the down.  Eventually the binding would rip apart the lightweight nylon shell.

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[NutSAK]

IMO, keeping your head warm is even more important than the feet.  I refuse to travel anywhere in the winter without a sock cap.  I only wear a hat during the day if I need it, but I always have a sock cap on when sleeping outdoors in the winter.

[Tarrodemierda]

well i use cap too,but when i sleep outdoors or there is very cold i use wool ski mask,and i put the buff too,as a scarf.

hey where do u get those TARPS,theyre like a needle in a haystack here.

[ringzero]

IMO, keeping your head warm is even more important than the feet.  I refuse to travel anywhere in the winter without a sock cap.  I only wear a hat during the day if I need it, but I always have a sock cap on when sleeping outdoors in the winter.

Excellent point.  There's an old saying: "If your feet are cold put on your hat" which is based on the fact that a large percentage of total body heat loss is through the face and scalp.

The face and scalp are well supplied with lots of blood vessels close to the surface, which is why wounds in those areas bleed so copiously.  Those blood vessels rapidly dump large amounts of heat to the surrounding air in cold weather.

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[NutSAK]

hey where do u get those TARPS,theyre like a needle in a haystack here.

Tarps (tarpaulins) are very easy to find here in the US.  Any good hardware or farm supply store has them in many different sizes.

[WhichDawg]

good point about the hat/head covering! I have a really nice wool/blend ski mask, works great sub-zero.
makes me look like a robber! 

[ringzero]

well i use cap too,but when i sleep outdoors or there is very cold i use wool ski mask,and i put the buff too,as a scarf.

hey where do u get those TARPS,theyre like a needle in a haystack here.

There are all sorts of fancy, expensive tarps available from various sources:
-ultralight tarps of spinnaker cloth or silnylon are half the weight for twice the price
-shaped tarps with endwalls and zippered doors
-caternary cut tarps
-many other types

I mostly use just the basic, inexpensive, flat, polyurethane-coated, ripstop nylon tarps with grommets around the edges.  They are twice the weight of spinnaker cloth or silnylon, but they cost less than half as much, and they withstand stress and abusive treatment better.

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[Hoghead]

I mostly use just the basic, inexpensive, flat, polyurethane-coated, ripstop nylon tarps with grommets around the edges.  They are twice the weight of spinnaker cloth or silnylon, but they cost less than half as much, and they withstand stress and abusive treatment better.

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My favorite tarp is ripstop nylon that has been moddified by adding five reinforced nylon straps to the outside for tieing guy out lines. One is in the middle and the other four are evenly spaced between the center and the four corners. In addition to the five straps on the outside there is a reinforced holder for a pole on the inside at the center. The straps on the inside at the center are attached to the reinforcement for the out side center guy out.

This mod is very versitile and can be held up with or without a pole. It also came with grommets that are spaced about every foot. With this setup I can set up just about anywhere because I can addapt the tarp to many shapes and it can be used with trees or poles.

I leave two feet of paracord attached to each grommet, but I would like it a little longer, maybe three feet would be about right because it would be more versitle and easier to tie down. These are tied in the center of the two foot length of paracord so I only have one foot of length from each grommet. Eighteen inches would be better I think, but I haven't tried it. I just keep using it the way it is.

I also use paracord for the guyout lines on the top on the outside.

I can't take credit for this. I read about it in a book and I had the mod done at a military surplus store that also makes back packs and tent awnings.

[ringzero]

My favorite tarp is ripstop nylon that has been moddified by adding five reinforced nylon straps to the outside for tieing guy out lines. One is in the middle and the other four are evenly spaced between the center and the four corners. In addition to the five straps on the outside there is a reinforced holder for a pole on the inside at the center. The straps on the inside at the center are attached to the reinforcement for the out side center guy out.

Sounds like a great setup.

Here's a 10x10 tarp that I used for years:

http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___22220

No grommets, but plenty of ties all over - 21 ties total.

Very versatile tarp that works in many setup configs and will take a lot of abuse without damage.  Works great set up in "lean to" config for a wind shelter and also sets up easily as a dining fly.

At 38 oz. it's slightly heavy for just one person, but luxuriously roomy for one person plus all gear.  Comfortable for two people plus gear, and will shelter three if necessary.

Mine was stolen a few years back, but I haven't replaced it and have been using smaller ripstop tarps.

I've been intending to try one of the silnylon ultra-light tarps:
http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___20070

That 10x12 silnylon tarp is bigger than my old 10x10 tarp, but it's still just half the weight at 19 oz!

More likely I'll get this one:
http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___20069

An 8x10 silnylon tarp that weighs just 13 oz!

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[Tarrodemierda]

those above are what i meant,perfect except for  the colour.but that aint an issue,i think i can paint or dye em anyway to more camouflaged colour like black/od/brown.

im not so much into tents cause they are a pain to drag along in thewoods,if it isnt some one person type.so im used to use cloths&tarps,and they are more easier to put up just with few dry branches,sticks etc,or tie em between trees.i almost always sleep by open fire so it keeps bugs and snakes etc away and gives heat.

[ringzero]

those above are what i meant,perfect except for  the colour.but that aint an issue,i think i can paint or dye em anyway to more camouflaged colour like black/od/brown.

No, don't do that - I wouldn't advise either painting or dying coated nylon tarps.

If you want a camo tarp, get it ready made - they aren't much more expensive than a regular tarp.

Poly tarps in camo:
http://www.tarpsplus.com/poly-tarps-single-tarps-camouflage-tarps.html

These poly tarps are roughly 50% heavier than nylon ripstop and they don't fold down quite as compact for packing.  However, they are even tougher than nylon ripstop and cost about half as much.



Nylon ripstop tarps are also available in camo:
http://www.outdooroutlet.com/shopping.php?pg=product-detail&id=557

$20.00 and 16 oz. for a 5x7 ripstop tarp is typical.

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[Tarrodemierda]

those are just like i want,and not even dirt expensive