I simply use a tarp in the Summer, and erect a shelter in the winter. I fire bed works well in cold weather, as does a stack wall lean-to and a hot draft bed does if you have the time to set it up.


Just my 02



Bob

Food for thought bud.

You are out on a fairly decent day temps in the 50's say. You notice those wispy clouds often referred to as mare tails in the sky which is a tale tale of a cold front coming in. Within hours the temps drop to the 30's and it's raining like hell a torential down pour. Here you are still a night away from civilization. You're trying to make time fast and get out of this shit. You make time as fast as you can but night is coming on. The forest is wet as it can be by now.

Here it comes, which would you rather do. Stop a couple hours sooner so you can cut and split wood to build a fire, build a lean to, or take five minutes to set up a tent and fire up the candle lantern?

BTDT with the tent pictured. The EXO has not only a candle lantern loop but clothes line. You simply set it up, five minutes max. Fire the candle lantern up which warms the tent quite nicely in those conditions. Strip off your wet clothes and hang them to dry. Eat either some at hand food like jerky or hot meal like an MRE entree with MRE heater. Then you can crawl into a sleeping bag and read a book by candle light. The next morning, you dress in the warm tent. Then go outside.

A tad better than Jermiah Johnson days, wouldn't you say?

Tj

Well after humping the woods all day ......... tired as shit, the last thing I WANT TO DO IS READ A BOOK ........... I want to set up shelter eat ............ even if it is a cold MRE and go to sleep.


Again I will stress I am a minimalist ........ the less to pack, the less to do .... the more I like it.

A cup of coffee ---- would be way more important to me than a book to read . JMO.

A lean to ------- with a overhang for a small fire to boil water would do me fine.


I guess me and you will always be back and forth on this -- way to go thing.

Not bad thing because it gives people a different way to think and figure which way they want to go on things .

We can do the different way of things in a friendly manner ------ cause we have the same goals ................
:smile:

Good point. Remember the five P's (Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance)





If I want to use a tent I'll stay in a camp ground

When I see weather coming like you just described then I start looking for a place to hunker down. Sometimes you get cold and wet, sometimes you don't. Thats part of the challenge with Survival Camping, and I love that challenge





Like I said, thats the way I like to camp. I've built lean to's for the Summer and Fall, and have lived in snow caves in the winter.

I've been through a few survival schools myself (I simply didnt need 12) and can hold my own pretty well in the wilds. I' ve done this everywhere from the Sierra's to the Northern Rockies to Alaska to the Jungles in the Philippines and Thailand.

TJ no offense but youre not the only person on this board with experience on this subject.



Bob

This post has been edited by Pacific Nomad: November 7th 2005 5:54 AM

Never thought I was bud and spent my time roughing it the hardway in the service too.

I for one and many others have wives and children. In time of emergency, I wouldn't care to be leaving them behind nor having them suffer more than needed in a time of emergency. My family deserves the best planning I can give them.

Tj

Agreed. I also have a wife and three kids

Once in the Sierra's we headed to the mountains and built a pine park wickiup and lived in it for a week in the fall

Here, in Okinawa, my wife and I erected a "Bahay Kubo" (A small house on stilts; She's Filipina) and lived out of it during a week in the jungle.

In my opinion, the best planning you can give your family is teaching them is how to take what nature gives them and be able to make due with it.



JMHO



Bob

Sooooooooo! What does that have to do with a product review?

Absolutely nothing.





Bob