Same here. Best firestarter out there and doubles as it's intended purpose, a flare, if needed.
Be prepared - Survival Overnight on the Mountain
- Thread starter gjp
- Start date
Same here. Best firestarter out there and doubles as it's intended purpose, a flare, if needed.
Is it the straight or curved blade?
I always wanted to try a hand chain saw but one thing someone brought to my attention is that if injured and only one arm you can't use one. If you take one you should also have a folding saw too.
No, not necessary if you have the means to stay warm. Personally haven built a sno cave since i was a kid but they work if the conditions are right.
Building a fire can be key though if someone is wet or hypothermic. Also no better way to stay warm than chopping wood! Helps pass the time and keeps the heartrate up. Good moral support to be sitting by a fire too.
Key is to have options. Sno cave, tarp, fire buildig ability etc.
Someone said it earlier here but saws and hatchets both have their place. A buddy and I went up and spent the night out once with what we normally carried at the time just to see how tough it was. Was after a trip where 3 different people/ groups ( not ours) were either lost, hopelssly stuck or dead.
What we found was if you think you need a saw or hatchet, bring both. Never used either to build a fire out of necessity yet but I've used the saw to cut my sled off of a tree more than once and used the hatchet a couple times as a bfh to fix my sled.
Meant to say above that we spent most the night cutting wood to keep the fire up. I had a saw he had a hatchet and both were very handy.
This thread gets me thinking. Last few years more of the riding has been with my wife and kids and not as far off the beaten path but being up here in AK this year, need to make sure I got everything I/we might need.
This thread gets me thinking. Last few years more of the riding has been with my wife and kids and not as far off the beaten path but being up here in AK this year, need to make sure I got everything I/we might need.
I get ridiculed for carrying most all my survival stuff (food, water, stove, emer. blanket, change of clothes, water, first aid etc) in my backpack, but if my sled slides down a ravine and I bail, I want my stuff with me, not 1000' down there. I'll put up with the extra load on my legs.
Here's a thought to consider relating to exhaustion and the need for a fire vs. holing up. Ask yourself: Could you run one full lap around your high school track - non-stop? If the answer is in doubt, maybe the key to survival is best done by prepping your body now with something other than a Keystone Light.
Here's a thought to consider relating to exhaustion and the need for a fire vs. holing up. Ask yourself: Could you run one full lap around your high school track - non-stop? If the answer is in doubt, maybe the key to survival is best done by prepping your body now with something other than a Keystone Light.
Not only can I run a full lap, I can do it while holding a keystone light!
! I agree, I'm carrying my survival gear and first aid in my pack.
willikers..then we would have an elitist sport with only averaging 300 annual sled sales..
Thanks for the thread guys! I had quite a bit of stuff already in my survival kit, but after this thread I decided to add to it a bit. This gear is in addition to my tool kit, avalanche gear, etc. All gear is packed in waterproof Seal Line dry bags.
Storm Proof Match Kit
Headlamp
Survival Pocket Chain Saw
Survival Hatchet
24oz Aluminum Cup
Exotac Emergency Candle
SOL Escape Bivvy
Ultra Compactable Sleeping Bag
5X7 Tarp
Waterproof Adventure Medical Kit w/quikclot
100' Parachute Cord
8' Tinfoil (fire liner)
8oz Lighter Fluid
4 – Hand Warmers
2 – 7oz Sternos (fits inside aluminum cup for storage)
Toilet Paper and Hand Wipes
2 – Lighters
Spare Gloves
Spare Socks
Beanie
3 – Freeze Dried Meals
Weighs 10lbs
If I can't survive a couple nights on the mountain with this setup, then I guess it's just natural selection at work!
Storm Proof Match Kit
Headlamp
Survival Pocket Chain Saw
Survival Hatchet
24oz Aluminum Cup
Exotac Emergency Candle
SOL Escape Bivvy
Ultra Compactable Sleeping Bag
5X7 Tarp
Waterproof Adventure Medical Kit w/quikclot
100' Parachute Cord
8' Tinfoil (fire liner)
8oz Lighter Fluid
4 – Hand Warmers
2 – 7oz Sternos (fits inside aluminum cup for storage)
Toilet Paper and Hand Wipes
2 – Lighters
Spare Gloves
Spare Socks
Beanie
3 – Freeze Dried Meals
Weighs 10lbs
If I can't survive a couple nights on the mountain with this setup, then I guess it's just natural selection at work!
Yep, just added the heavy duty foil. Good idea, and the only answer to the OP!
Snowshoes are always on my sled
Why carry lighter fluid when you are riding a sled full of gas? dip a tampon in the gas tank and itll burn just about anything.
Also, instead of 14 oz worth of sternos and a large aluminum cup, might as well carry a Jetboil or MSR Reactor stove, super efficient at melting snow to drink and also will boil enough water for a freeze dried meal in a few minutes. With a small fuel canister Id be willing to bet it weighs a ton less and also will work in very stormy conditions. Also has a built in ignitor so can double as a lighter if you drop the others in the snow and works as a cup/bowl too.
I bought one of these saws http://www.bestmadeprojects.com/post/48634342421/collapsible-bucksaw-instructions a few years ago for backpacking but use it on sled all winter. It fits in the side holder with the probe on my klim pack no problem. Its super lightweight, cuts wood of all sizes with ease and hasn't failed me in 3 years.
www.mec.ca used to carry them but I could find it on the site that time, i think I paid about $25 canadian for mine
www.mec.ca used to carry them but I could find it on the site that time, i think I paid about $25 canadian for mine
S
Suprx125
Member
OK, I have another question for you guys:
Bears are typically hibernating when we are sledding, but what about wolves, Mtn. Lions, or other wildlife?
Anybody ever ran into trouble with them staying out overnight? What do you guys carry for self pretection? I see some guys have hatchets. What else?
Bears are typically hibernating when we are sledding, but what about wolves, Mtn. Lions, or other wildlife?
Anybody ever ran into trouble with them staying out overnight? What do you guys carry for self pretection? I see some guys have hatchets. What else? I've done a lot of hunting out west and though occasional attacks happen, I've never felt threatened by these mentioned animals. Normally they stay clear of humans but a xd. 45 doesn't hurt
A gun that fires a bullet that starts with a "4" or higher! IE. .45, .44 mag, .454, .50, ect.
J
Jaynelson
Well-known member
OK, I have another question for you guys:
Bears are typically hibernating when we are sledding, but what about wolves, Mtn. Lions, or other wildlife?
Nah, no different than camping out in the bush. It crosses your mind, but I have honestly seen more wildlife in town than I ever have camping or recreating in the bush. Particularly sledding....not sure I've ever seen any animals period.
2 reasons why I want to carry lighter fluid. First is, if I'm stranded because I ran out of gas, the tampon is going to be worthless with no way to help. 2nd is if I need to walk out or go for help on foot, I can't hardly take my sled with me. I don't want to count on my sled being right next to me in every emergency full of gas and ready for a tampon.
I'm sure the Jetboil is fantastic (I have a MSR Pocket Rocket for backpacking), but I'm not looking to drop another $100+. I'm contemplating removing the Sterno's, in favor of the Pocket Rocket, but the Sterno's are cheap. I'll have to test them to see how effective they are. Some canister stoves are ineffective below freezing and most will not even work below zero unless the fuel canister is pre-heated by another source first. The Jetboil Jetpower canisters probably work the best in low temperatures with 20-30% propane with the remainder iso-butane, but you do loose effectiveness and burn time when the temperature drops under 0.
Anyone used Sterno's at high altitude and cold temperatures?
Thanks for the feedback.
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My dad used to carry Sternos in his truck survival kit. I was doing a little research on Google about them. One thing I never considered even being a remote possibility is that apparently people drink the liquid out of them to get really rip roaring drunk....wow.
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If ya cant start a fire with the gas that is left in your tank after your motor quits then I guess its just natural selection at work... (sorry, couldnt resist).
Canister stoves work fine in cold, sure they work better if you keep the canister in your pocket when not in use when its really cold, but it only takes a little while to warm em up. My jetboil worked pretty awesome at 16,500' on Mt St Elias in AK. Try melting enough snow to make 2 litres of water with a sterno and a cup in a snowstorm, I bet it takes over an hour if it works at all. Small canister stove will do it in 10 minutes, even at -15C and blowing 50.
